Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken Recipe Creamy

Are you looking for a dinner that delivers pure indulgence but requires minimal effort? A dish so captivating and delicious that its name promises a lifetime of happiness? You’ve come to the right place. We are delighted to share our ultimate Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken Recipe Creamy, a creation that brings together succulent chicken and a sumptuously rich sauce, all prepared with the simple magic of your slow cooker.

This recipe reimagines a modern classic, making it perfectly suited for any busy weeknight. There’s no need to stand over a hot stove; we let the Crock Pot take care of the slow, gentle cooking. The outcome is a truly sensational meal, ideal for an intimate dinner, a special family get-together, or any time you fancy treating yourself to something exceptional. Let’s explore how to bring this unforgettable dish to life in your own home.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Sophistication Made Simple: This meal has the feel of a high-end restaurant dish, yet the slow cooker makes the entire process incredibly straightforward. A few moments of preparation are all it takes before you can step away and return to a perfectly cooked dinner.
  • Melt-in-the-Mouth Chicken: The gentle, slow cooking process tenderises the chicken breasts until they are wonderfully moist and fall-apart soft. They absorb every drop of the delectable sauce, making each mouthful a taste of perfection.
  • A Luscious, Dreamy Sauce: The creamy garlic sauce is undoubtedly the heart of this dish, enriched with sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and fragrant herbs. It’s so savoury and decadent that you’ll want a piece of bread to savour every last bit.
  • Adaptable and Welcoming: While the name suggests romance, the flavours have universal appeal. You can serve it over pasta, rice, or creamy mash for a wholesome meal that is sure to have everyone requesting more.
  • Excellent for Meal Prep: This dish keeps wonderfully, making it a brilliant choice for cooking in advance. The flavours meld and intensify overnight, meaning your leftovers might just be even more delicious!

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 900g or 2 lbs)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, adjust to taste)
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 240ml (1 cup) chicken stock or broth
  • 180g (about 1 cup) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp oil reserved from the sun-dried tomato jar
  • 180ml (3/4 cup) double cream
  • 60g (1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • A handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped, for garnish
  • A sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves

How to Make Our Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken Recipe Creamy

We’ve simplified this recipe into a few manageable stages. While searing the chicken at the start is an extra step, we wholeheartedly recommend it for the incredible depth of flavour it contributes to the finished dish.

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

To begin, pat the chicken breasts completely dry using a paper towel, which helps in achieving a beautiful seared crust. In a small dish, combine the salt, black pepper, and dried oregano. Rub this seasoning mixture generously over all sides of the chicken. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken breasts and sear them for 2–3 minutes per side until they are a lovely golden brown. Remember, the goal isn’t to cook them through but to build flavour. After searing, place the chicken in a single layer at the bottom of your Crock Pot.

Step 2: Build the Flavourful Sauce

Keep the same frying pan on a medium heat (don’t clean it!). Add the reserved oil from your jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Tip in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, and sautĆ© for around 30 seconds until aromatic, taking care that the garlic doesn’t brown. Pour in the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any tasty caramelised bits from the bottom. Let this mixture come to a simmer, and then pour it over the chicken in the slow cooker. Scatter the chopped sun-dried tomatoes around the chicken breasts.

Step 3: Let the Slow Cooker Work Its Magic

Place the lid on the Crock Pot and set it to cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or on HIGH for 2–3 hours. The chicken will be thoroughly cooked and exceptionally tender. For peace of mind, we suggest using a meat thermometer to confirm the internal temperature has reached 74°C (165°F), as advised by the Food Standards Agency. This slow-cooking technique yields a perfect Crock Pot Chicken dish time after time.

Step 4: Finish the Creamy Sauce

Once the cooking time is complete, carefully transfer the chicken from the Crock Pot to a plate. Cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm while you finish the sauce. Now for that iconic Creamy Chicken sauce. Pour the double cream and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese into the remaining liquid in the slow cooker. Whisk well until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce is velvety smooth. Stir through the fresh thyme leaves. Give the sauce a taste and add any extra seasoning if you feel it needs it.

Should you desire a thicker consistency, this is the moment to add a cornflour slurry. Turn the Crock Pot setting to HIGH and allow the sauce to bubble away for a few more minutes until it reaches your preferred thickness. Return the chicken to the pot, spooning the sauce over each piece. Garnish with a scattering of fresh basil just before you serve.

Top Tips for Success

To guarantee your Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken turns out flawlessly, we suggest keeping these pointers in mind:

  • Don’t Skip the Sear: Searing the chicken initiates the Maillard reaction, a chemical process that builds a deep, savoury flavour profile that you simply won’t achieve by adding the raw chicken directly to the pot.
  • Use Freshly Grated Parmesan: Packaged pre-grated cheese often includes anti-caking agents that can hinder it from melting into a perfectly smooth sauce. Grating your own from a wedge will give you a far superior texture.
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil Are Best: The oil these tomatoes are preserved in is packed with a wonderful, concentrated flavour. Using some of this oil to sautĆ© the garlic introduces another delicious layer to your sauce.
  • Full-Fat for Full Flavour: We always opt for double cream to get the most luxurious and creamy result. Using a lower-fat cream might cause the sauce to split or become thin when heated.

Delicious Serving Suggestions

The true charm of Marry Me Chicken is its wonderful adaptability. That divine sauce pairs beautifully with anything that can soak up its richness. Here are a few of our favourite ways to serve this dish:

  • Over Pasta: Ladle the chicken and sauce over a generous helping of tagliatelle, pappardelle, or penne for a truly satisfying dinner. It brings to mind our much-loved Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe.
  • With Mashed Potatoes: Fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes provide the perfect canvas for this decadent sauce.
  • With Rice: A simple side of steamed white or brown rice is an excellent choice for absorbing all the amazing flavours.
  • With Crusty Bread: A warm baguette is essential for mopping up every last bit of the incredible sauce from your plate.
  • Alongside Vegetables: Steamed asparagus, tender-stem broccoli, or a crisp green salad will add a lovely, fresh counterpoint to the richness of the meal.

If you’re a fan of easy, all-in-one chicken meals, you might also appreciate the straightforward nature of a great Low Carb Chicken Casserole.

FAQ

Q: Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
A: Of course! Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a fantastic alternative for this recipe. Their higher fat content makes them incredibly juicy and flavourful. The cooking time should remain about the same, but it’s always wise to check that they are cooked through.

Q: How do I store and reheat leftovers?
A: Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, warm the chicken and sauce gently in a pan over a low heat, or use the microwave. The sauce tends to thicken as it cools, so a small splash of milk or chicken stock can help to loosen it back up.

Q: Can I add vegetables to the Crock Pot?
A: Yes, that’s a brilliant way to make it a complete one-pot meal. We suggest stirring in a large handful of fresh spinach at the end until it just wilts into the sauce. Alternatively, you could add sliced mushrooms or peppers at the same time as the sun-dried tomatoes.

Q: Is it possible to make this recipe dairy-free?
A: You can certainly make a dairy-free version with a few clever swaps. Use a full-fat coconut cream or another dairy-free cream alternative instead of the double cream. For the cheese, a good-quality vegan Parmesan substitute will work well. The final flavour will be slightly different, but still utterly delicious.

A Meal Worthy of a Special Occasion

And there you have it—our wonderfully straightforward yet impressively flavourful Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken Recipe Creamy. This recipe is proof that you don’t need to be in the kitchen for hours to produce something truly special. The pairing of tender chicken with that velvety, sun-dried tomato cream sauce is nothing short of a culinary triumph.

Whether you’re setting the scene for a romantic night in, marking a special occasion, or simply aiming to elevate your weekday meal, this dish is your ticket to success. We are so excited for you to give it a go and discover for yourself just how it got its legendary name.

Have you tried our Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken? We would be delighted to hear how it went! Please feel free to leave a comment and a rating below to share your experience. Happy cooking!

Recipe Card


Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken Recipe Creamy


Pin Recipe
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2-3 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 900g or 2 lbs)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 240ml (1 cup) chicken stock
  • 180g (1 cup) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
  • 2 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
  • 180ml (3/4 cup) double cream
  • 60g (1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • A handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • A sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken breasts dry and season generously with a mixture of salt, black pepper, and dried oregano. In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown, then place it in the bottom of your Crock Pot.
  2. In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and add the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. SautƩ the minced garlic and red pepper flakes for about 30 seconds until aromatic. Pour in the chicken stock to deglaze, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  3. Pour the sauce from the pan over the chicken in the slow cooker. Scatter the chopped sun-dried tomatoes around the chicken.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
  5. Carefully remove the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. Whisk the double cream and grated Parmesan cheese into the liquid remaining in the Crock Pot until smooth. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves.
  6. Return the chicken to the creamy sauce in the pot, spooning the sauce over to coat each piece. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.



Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *