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It doesn’t get much easier than this Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan recipe! A few shortcuts make this classic recipe perfect for the crockpot.
What you’ll end up with is a delicious recipe perfect for any busy night. We're talking seasoned juicy chicken topped in a flavorful red sauce and melty mozzarella cheese.
In a traditional chicken parmesan, we’d dip the chicken in flour and egg, then coat the chicken in bread crumbs or Panko mixture.
To keep this as an easy recipe, we’re skipping that step without scrimping on flavor in a slow cooker version.
Ingredients in this Crockpot Chicken Parmesan recipe
Mushrooms - save yourself a step and pick up pre-sliced mushrooms at the grocery store
Onion
olive oil - for giving our chicken breasts a quick sear before they go into the pot
chicken breasts
pasta sauce or marinara sauce - pick your favorite brand. If you don’t have any sauce in your pantry, you can substitute crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce.
Italian seasoning - a mixture of dried basil, dried oregano and other good stuff!
bay leaves
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
fresh basil - to garnish, if you’re feeling fancy. If you don’t have any on hand, don’t sweat, It’ll still taste amazing, I promise.
At serving time: cooked spaghetti, penne pasta, or whatever you like to serve it with!
Tips for making slow cooker chicken parmesan
- To make this recipe you’ll need a a 6 quart slow cooker or bigger and a large 12” skillet.
- Your actual cook time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts you use. Make sure the chicken cooks to 165°F when measured with a meat thermometer.
- This recipe on its own is a gluten free chicken parmesan. Simply serve over your favorite type of gluten free pasta, or even mashed potatoes! Viola!
- Want chicken parmesan but you’re in a hurry? Try my 30 minute version of Stovetop Chicken Parmesan.
- On the go? How about chicken parmesan burgers?
How to Store Leftovers
Once the dish has cooled completely you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
How to freeze chicken parmesan
This dish freezes well, though the spaghetti noodles will soak up some of the sauce. I recommend you add extra sauce when freezing.
Freeze in a resealable bag, or freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Eating lunch on the go? I like to freeze leftovers in these containers and then reheat on the go by plugging into an outlet or car charger outlet in a heated lunch box.
What type of pasta sauce should I use?
Pick your favorite! I happen to like Rao’s sauces but, pick whatever your family’s favorite pasta sauce is to make this work for you.
What size slow cooker should I use?
I recommend using a 6 quart slow cooker.
What’s the difference between chicken parmesan and chicken parmigiana?
Actually, nothing. It’s the exact same dish, just pronounced differently. If you want to pretend your dining room is fancy, you can call it chicken parmigiana, wink wink.
What to serve with Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
We like to serve this with cooked pasta like spaghetti or penne pasta. If you’re keeping it low carb, you can serve with zucchini noodles (zoodles)
To make this gluten free, serve over gluten free pasta. Y'all are smart people, you get the idea. There are plenty of options for everybody!
Caesar salad or even simple steamed green beans taste great with this dish, too!
More Slow Cooker recipes you’ll love:
Slow Cooker Buffalo Shredded Chicken
Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken
If you make this slow cooker chicken parmesan recipe, leave a recipe review or comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 6 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ Cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ Cup parmesan cheese shredded
- Fresh basil for garnish optional
For serving
- Cooked Spaghetti or Penne gluten free pasta, or zucchini noodles
Instructions
- Spray the inside of the slow cooker generously with cooking spray.
- Add the sliced onions and mushrooms to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and apply medium heat.
- Add the chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper.
- After about 3 minutes on each side (when browned all sides), add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker, on top of the mushrooms.
- Pour the pasta sauce all over the chicken breasts, evenly.
- Add the bay leaves and sprinkle with basil and oregano.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 165°F when checked with a meat thermometer.
- After cooking time is over sprinkle the cheese evenly on top of the chicken breasts and allow to sit in the slow cooker for 10 minutes, without the lid, until the cheese melts.
Serve on a bed of spaghetti, garnished with fresh basil.
Notes
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
