We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
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. Trust me — you are going to love it!
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs (boneless) – you can also use chicken breasts. If using chicken breasts, cut them into smaller pieces or pound them flat. Chicken tenders are also a great option.
- Heavy cream
- Chicken broth
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- 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 1-2 hours or low heat for 2-3 hours or until chicken is cooked through. If you are using chicken breasts, this may take a little longer. Just be sure to check for doneness, which is an internal temp of 165 degrees F.
- Stir occasionally to prevent burning. I use a plastic spatula to scrape along the bottom of the Crock Pot every 30 minutes or so.
- Sprinkle fresh chopped basil and the juice of half a lemon over the top.
- Serve over cooked pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Serving with Pasta
My favorite way to serve this chicken is with pasta. To do this, cook up the pasta separately to “al dente” according to package directions. When cooking pasta I always remove a cup of pasta water before draining. That way if the pasta happens to get too dry, I can always splash on some pasta water to bring it back to life. Remove the chicken from the Crock Pot and set it aside, then add the pasta to the Crock Pot and toss until all the noodles are evenly coated in sauce. This is where you can add the pasta water if you feel like the noodles are too dry. Serve the noodles with the chicken on the side or over the top.
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.
For smaller Crock Pots – I used an 8-quart Crock Pot for this recipe. I like to use a wide Crock Pot so the chicken sits up out of the sauce and the tops of the chicken stay golden brown but this is purely for presentation purposes. If you have a smaller Crock Pot, the chicken may be a little more crowded and the sauce may cover the chicken but it will still taste the same.
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 (8-quart)
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken thighs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded parmesan
- 2 tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
- 2 teaspoons garlic (minced, crushed, or paste)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- grated parmesan (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
- 1/2 fresh lemon (optional)
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 1-2 hours or low heat for 2-3 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. I use a plastic spatula to scrape along the bottom of the Crock Pot every 30 minutes or so.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle fresh basil and the juice of ½ lemon (optional) over the chicken. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
To serve with pasta:
- Cook pasta (I used a 1 Lb. package of spaghetti noodles) according to package directions. Set aside 1 cup of pasta water then drain noodles. Remove chicken from Crock Pot and set aside.
- Place pasta in the Crock Pot and toss well until noodles are evenly covered in sauce. If the noodles become too dry, add pasta water a few splashes at a time. Serve chicken over the noodles in individual bowls.
Could you use chicken breast in place of thighs and follow the ingredients the same and the cook time the same?
Thanks
Yes, 100%, if they are large chicken breasts, just be sure to cut them down smaller until they are about the size of chicken thighs, and then the cooking time should remain the same. Hope this helps!
I haven’t made this recipe yet so can’t really rate it but it does sound really good. Do you use boneless or bone-in thighs for this recipe. Thank you.
Thank you for asking! Boneless thighs work best for this recipe. I’ve made that change in the recipe and appreciate you pointing out it was missing.
How long would I need to cook this on.the stove