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This creamy Crock Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken is loaded with the perfect blend of Parmesan, garlic, fresh basil, and a splash of lemon. An easy, flavorful dinner that everyone will love!
Minimal Effort, Maximum Flavor
This is a go-to recipe at our house, especially on busy weeknights. It’s one of those minimal-effort, high-reward meals that I love making for my family. It checks all the boxes—my kids can’t get enough of it (check), it’s incredibly easy (check), and it tastes amazing (check)! Crock Pot meals are a lifesaver when you want something hearty and flavorful without the stress. Oh, and did I mention easy cleanup? Especially if you use a disposable Crock Pot liner. This dish is packed with the bold flavors of freshly grated Parmesan, garlic, basil, and zesty, fresh lemon. You can even add an extra creamy sauce if you’re in the mood. Trust me — you are going to love it!
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs – you can also use chicken breasts. If use chicken breasts, cut them into smaller pieces or pound them flat. Chicken tenders are also a great option.
- Heavy cream
- Chicken broth
- Fresh grated Parmesan
- Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
- Seasonings: Garlic cloves – or garlic paste, fresh basil, lemon, salt, and black pepper
How to Make Crock Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Season chicken with salt and sear on high for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Place cream, broth, Parmesan, ranch dressing mix, garlic, salt, and pepper in a Crock Pot. Stir until well combined.
- Place chicken on top of the sauce. Add extra salt, pepper, and Parmesan.
- Cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or low heat for 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from the Crock Pot and stir the sauce until smooth. Return chicken to Crock Pot.
- Sprinkle fresh chopped basil and the juice of half a lemon over the top.
- Serve over cooked pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
For a Thicker, Creamier Sauce
If serving over rice or potatoes, I like to have a thicker sauce that is almost more like a gravy. This is super easy to do and just adds a couple steps to the whole process. Start by making a slurry of one part cornstarch to two parts cold water, set aside. Once your chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the Crock Pot and pour the remaining cream sauce into a medium-sized sauce pan. Turn the heat to medium and whisk constantly while bringing to a simmer. Whisk the slurry a little at a time into the sauce until you reach your desired consistency. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve the chicken and cream sauce separately or place it all back in the Crock Pot to keep warm while serving.
Tips and Suggestions
Additions – Add lightly parboiled diced potatoes and spinach to the crock pot while cooking to make a full meal. Add the spinach the last hour of cooking.
Just throw it in – If you are in a time crunch, you don’t HAVE to sear the chicken, you can just throw it all in and let it cook
Dice or shred – You can serve the chicken in pieces or shred it after cooking to make it go further.
Make it a full meal – Serve with broccoli, or your other favorite vegetables to make this a more filling, healthy meal.
What to Serve with Crock Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken
This dish is so versatile, you can really serve it over whatever you have on hand: pasta, mashed potatoes or even rice. If you ask anyone in my family what they prefer it served over you will get a different answer from everyone. I love all of the different ways because let’s be honest, I have never met a carb I didn’t like. Especially when it is covered in this parmesan cream sauce!
Try tossing in some vegetables like sautéed broccoli, red bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, or asparagus to make it a more rounded out meal. For garnishes, sprinkle some red pepper flakes for a little heat, or some fresh parsley for color and freshness.
More Easy Crock Pot Chicken Recipes
Crock Pot Cashew Chicken
Easy Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken
Zesty Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo
Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
Easy Crock Pot Chicken Gyros
Crock Pot Hot Wings
Crock Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
- 4 cloves garlic (or 4 teaspoons garlic paste)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- fresh grated parmesan (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
- 1/2 fresh lemon (optional)
Optional Creamy Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with salt and sear in a skillet on high heat for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.
- Place cream, broth, Parmesan, ranch dressing mix, garlic, salt, and pepper in a Crock Pot. Stir until well combined.
- Place chicken thighs over the sauce and sprinkle a little extra salt and pepper and parmesan over the top.
- Cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or low heat for 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from the Crock Pot and stir the sauce until smooth. Return chicken to Crock Pot. For a creamier, smooth sauce, see instructions below.
- Sprinkle fresh basil and the juice of ½ lemon (optional) over the chicken.
- Serve over cooked pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Optional Creamy Sauce:
- Optional: for a smooth, creamy sauce, remove chicken from the Crock Pot and set aside. Place sauce in a medium-sized sauce pan and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly.Combine cornstarch and water mixture to make a slurry and whisk into the sauce mixture a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Add milk to thin or more cornstarch slurry to thicken. Add salt and pepper as needed to season.
