Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan is a super easy take on a family favorite. Slow cook chicken in your favorite sauce, top with breadcrumbs and cheese, and serve over cheese tortellini. Your entire meal is made right in the slow cooker!
Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
A classic favorite that we love and enjoy is chicken parmesan. It’s so good and really filling for dinner. But I don’t exactly love how much work is involved.
Which brings me to utilizing a slow cooker (or you can try my instant pot chicken parmesan).
After a long day, the last thing I want to worry about is a complicated cooking process.
Chicken parmesan AND I don’t have to spend half an hour on prep in the evening? Yes please.
Using tortellini instead of the traditional spaghetti noodles makes for a delicious twist at dinner time.
It pairs well with garlic knots, dinner rolls, or oven roasted carrots.
Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan recipe
Easy Recipe – This crockpot recipe is an easy take on traditional chicken parmesan.
Classic – The entire family will love this classic. It’s one of our favorite meals!
Easy Meal – Perfect for a busy night, all you need is a side salad and your whole meal is done!
Equipment you’ll need
- Slow Cooker– I’ve had this one for years and it works so well. With the automatic function of switching to warm when done cooking, I can’t recommend it enough.
- Tongs – Working with chicken breasts is much easier with a good set of tongs. The tips are silicone, making them perfect for dealing with hot temperatures.
- Knife – A good quality knife is ESSENTIAL when working in the kitchen. This knife is my favorite as it not only stays sharp and works very well, but it’s also ergonomic so it fits comfortably in your hand.
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Sauce – Pick your favorite jarred marinara sauce or make homemade spaghetti sauce.
- Chicken – Boneless chicken breast is my preference but boneless skinless chicken thighs can also be used.
- Tortellini – I use frozen cheese tortellini. It is a favorite pasta that pairs great with the tender chicken breast.
- Bread crumbs or Croutons – Use a larger breadcrumb, like panko, or crush up croutons to use as the breading.
- Parmesan Cheese – added to the bread crumb mixture for a nice texture and flavor.
- Mozzarella Cheese – A must for chicken parm.
- Seasonings – Garlic powder or garlic salt along with some black pepper to season the chicken!
How to make Crockpot Chicken Parmesan
- STEP ONE: Add the sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker and then fill the jar with 1/2 cup of water, cover & shake it, and add that into the crockpot. This pulls the rest of the sauce still stuck to the jar while also adding water to the recipe.
- STEP TWO: Add your chicken to the top of the sauce and season it with garlic salt and pepper. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.
- STEP THREE: Remove the chicken from the crockpot and stir in your frozen tortellini. Add the chicken back to the slow cooker on top of the pasta.
- STEP FOUR: Mix crushed croutons/breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese and then evenly spread over the chicken breasts. Evenly top each of the 4 chicken breasts with the mozzarella cheese.
- STEP FIVE: Place the lid back on and continue to cook for 15-30 minutes, until the pasta is fully cooked and tender. Serve and enjoy!
Can you cook frozen chicken in a slow cooker?
When possible, I highly suggest using thawed chicken meat in the slow cooker. Due to the nature of a slow cooker, the meat does not reach a high enough temperature quickly enough, which has the potential for bacteria.
You will find mixed answers on this as there are people out there who do this all the time (and are passionate about it – they like to argue lol). I, however, no longer do it. Know better, do better.
Can I put raw chicken in the slow cooker?
Yes, it is safe and most recipes call for starting with raw chicken.
How to store leftovers
Move your chicken parmesan into an airtight container and then store for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Tips & Suggestions
Don’t have breadcrumbs? You can also crush up croutons to use instead.
Try shredding or dicing your chicken breast upon removing it from the crock pot.
Use your favorite tortellini! Cheese works great and so does spinach. Mix it up and see how you like different options.
Need more crockpot chicken recipes? Try these:
Creamy Ranch Crock Pot Chicken
Slow Cooker Chicken Zucchini Spinach Pasta
Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Crockpot Cream of Mushroom Chicken
Click here to view my entire collection of slow cooker recipes!
Crockpot Chicken Parmesan with Tortellini
Ingredients
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce
- ½ cup of water
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 19 ounce bag frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 ½ cups croutons crushed
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- Garlic salt and pepper for seasoning
Instructions
- Place the sauce in the bottom of your slow cooker and fill the jar with ½ cup of water to rinse the jar and pour that into the slow cooker.
- Place your chicken on top of the sauce and season with a sprinkle of garlic salt and pepper.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker and stir in your frozen tortellini.
- Place your chicken back in the slow cooker on top of the pasta.
- Mix crushed croutons/breadcrumbs with the parmesan cheese and evenly spread over each chicken breast.
- Top each one with ¼ of the mozzarella.
- Place the lid on and continue to cook for 15-30 more minutes until pasta is tender. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you’re using croutons, use 1.5 cups, crushed. If you’re using breadcrumbs, use a larger breadcrumb (like panko) and use 1 cup.
- After cooking the chicken, you can shred or dice it if you prefer.
- Use your favorite tortellini – spinach tortellini pairs well.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Originally published November 14, 2020
I made This tonight it was very good my husband and daughter loves it. I will be making this often thank u
Happy to hear that – thanks, Yolanda!