See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.


You’ll love this easy crock pot recipe for Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs! This Tuscan chicken recipe has tender slow cooked chicken, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy sauce.

Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with creamy sauce and green beans.

Slow cooker meals are one of my favorite tricks for getting family dinners on the table. Prep this Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Recipe in the morning or afternoon and then you won’t have to worry about cooking dinner during the evening crazy hour.

You’ll love cooking chicken thighs in your slow cooker because they don’t dry out as easily as chicken breasts can. These Tuscan chicken thighs are moist and tender, cooked to perfection in an herbed sun-dried tomato sauce. If you love chicken thighs, you are also going to go crazy for my crockpot chicken and mushrooms, crockpot chicken with potatoes, crispy baked chicken thighs, chicken cacciatore or grilled chicken thighs recipes!

After the chicken is cooked through, you’ll stir in fresh spinach and a bit of cream to make the sauce luxuriously creamy. You can use coconut milk in place of the cream for a dairy-free option.

Besides pantry staples like olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic and chicken broth, you’ll need just five ingredients for this recipe. I try to keep ingredient lists short and simple whenever possible, to save you both time and money.

This Tuscan chicken is one of our favorite slow cooker meals

  • The method and ingredients in this recipe give these slow cooker chicken thighs so much flavor.
  • This meal is versatile. Serve your Tuscan chicken with a side of sautéed, steamed or roasted veggies. This chicken also goes well with pasta, rice and quinoa.
  • This crock pot recipe is perfect for Sunday dinner or a weeknight meal.
  • Try my other delicious Italian chicken recipes: Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Piccata, Chicken Marsala and Chicken Cacciatore.
  • You’ll also love my similar Tuscan Chicken recipe prepared in a skillet. 

Tuscan slow cooker chicken thighs in a crockpot.

How to make Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Bone in or boneless skinless chicken thighs?

I like to make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs because they are leaner. You can use bone in chicken thighs, but you may need to cook them a bit longer. You can use an instant-read thermometer to check that the chicken has reached a safe 165 degrees F.

Brown the chicken

You will start by browning your chicken thighs in a hot skillet on the stove. I encourage you to not skip this step, because browning the chicken adds so much flavor to the finished dish.

Cook the chicken thighs on the first side until they easily release from the pan, then flip the chicken pieces and cook them for a few minutes on the second side. Once the chicken has browned, transfer it to your slow cooker.

Sauté the shallots and garlic

Next you’ll sauté some shallot and garlic in the same pan that you browned the chicken. Don’t wash out the pan first! You want all of the flavor left behind by the chicken.

Deglaze the pan

To make sure that you get all of the flavor from the sauté pan into your slow cooker meal, you’re going to deglaze the pan with some chicken broth. This just means that you will pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. You’ll transfer the broth and all of those bits of flavor to your slow cooker.

Slow cook

You’ll add a few more ingredients to your slow cooker: Italian seasoning, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Then slow cook until the chicken is cooked through to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If your chicken cooks a bit longer than needed, don’t worry. It will still be tender and flavorful.

Finish the sauce

Once the chicken is cooked through, you’ll finish the sauce. A cornstarch slurry helps to thicken the sauce. Stir together the cornstarch and heavy cream and then stir this mixture into your slow cooker. Add some chopped fresh spinach, cover, and cook on high for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the spinach wilts.

I like to sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese over these Tuscan slow cooker chicken thighs before serving.

Creamy Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs in a crockpot with spinach and sun dried tomatoes.

Cooking Tips for Crockpot Chicken Thighs

  • This recipe has a cook time of a couple of hours, so you should make it on a day when you’ll be able to start your crockpot mid-day. The chicken will be overcooked if it cooks all day.
  • Don’t skip the step of browning the chicken, as it adds a lot of flavor.
  • You can use 1/2 cup yellow onion in place of the shallot.
  • If you like a lot of sauce, increase the chicken broth to 1 1/2 cups and the heavy cream to 1/2 cup. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3 cloves garlic.
  • I tend to go light on the salt in my recipes. I recommend tasting the finished dish and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
  • In place of the heavy cream, you can use half and half or coconut milk.

More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

tuscan chicken thighs in a slow cooker with a wooden serving spoon
4.94 from 29 ratings

Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
This Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs recipe is flavorful, comforting and easy to make. It has boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and Italian seasonings in a creamy sauce. Serve it with pasta, mashed potatoes or rice and a green vegetable for a delicious dinner that the whole family will love.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 6 thighs
  • ½ cup chopped shallots
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • cup heavy cream, or coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
  • grated Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken thighs. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Brown the chicken on both sides, 2-4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to the slow cooker.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots to the pan. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
  • Pour the chicken broth into the pan and cook for 1 minute, gently scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat.
  • Transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker.
  • Add the Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and sun-dried tomatoes to the slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on high heat for 2-2.5 hours or low for 4-5 hours, until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and cornstarch. Stir it into the slow cooker, along with the spinach. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
  • Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes

  • You can substitute 1/2 cup chopped sweet yellow onion for the shallots.
  • If you like a lot of sauce, increase the chicken broth to 1 1/2 cups and the heavy cream to 1/2 cup. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3 cloves garlic.
  • You can substitute coconut milk for the heavy cream for a dairy-free recipe.
Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 159mg, Sodium: 271mg, Potassium: 890mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1724IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 64mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Italian
Course: Main Course
Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

Creamy Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with spinach, sun dried tomatoes and green beans.

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