Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan is tender and juicy, made with basic ingredients like chicken breast coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and parmesan, then slow cooked in marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese!
Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan is the perfect comfort food for busy weeknights, made with juicy chicken breasts coated in breading and pan-fried, then slow cooked in marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese.
I like to serve this over gluten free cooked pasta with additional sauce and fresh parsley or fresh basil, and with gluten free garlic bread and a side salad. I also top it with extra parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. This is sure to be in your weekly dinner rotation!
If you liked this crock pot recipe, you may also like my Slow Cooker Steak and Potatoes, or my Slow Cooker Pork Roast!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Family Favorite – This simple recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser, and the perfect way to make comfort food effortless! After a quick pan-fry, dinner practically makes itself while you go about your day.
Meal Prep or Leftovers – This is the perfect recipe for meal prep! The leftovers (if there are any) reheat beautifully—hello, next-day chicken parm sandwiches!
Gluten Free – I’m using gluten free breadcrumbs, gluten free cup-for-cup flour, and serving this over gluten free pasta. This is hands down such a delicious meal that nobody will even know the difference!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Boneless Chicken Breast. I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat, or chicken tenders.
Egg. This helps hold the breadcrumbs to the chicken, binding everything together.
Half & Half. This makes the egg mixture creamier, and helps it hold onto the breadcrumb coating better. You can also use regular milk or heavy cream.
Gluten Free Breadcrumbs. I’m adding Italian seasoning to my gluten free plain bread crumbs, but you can buy the pre-seasoned bread crumbs, too.
If you’re not gluten free, you can use regular Italian breadcrumbs.
Parmesan Cheese. Adding a touch of parmesan to the breadcrumb mixture adds a nice savory flavor and gives the breading a crispy texture.
Gluten Free Flour. This helps the breading coat the entire piece of chicken, by making a surface that the egg wash can easily hold onto. I use gluten free all-purpose 1-to-1 flour.
If you’re not gluten free, you can use regular flour.
Italian Seasoning. This has everything you need, besides for any additional kosher salt and black pepper to taste. You can also check out my Homemade Italian Seasoning if you’d like to make a larger amount for later!
Mozzarella. I use regular shredded mozzarella cheese. We’re adding this just at the end of the recipe, so it’ll be melted right on top of the chicken.
Marinara Sauce. Use your favorite jar of marinara sauce, or try this simple homemade marinara sauce recipe.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We’re using this to pan-fry the chicken, giving it a nice golden brown crust with a ton of flavor.
You can also use avocado oil or vegetable oil instead.
Kitchen Tools
For this crockpot chicken parmesan recipe you’ll need a skillet, three shallow bowls or pie plates, and a 6-7 quart slow cooker.
This size slow cooker will fit 3-4 pieces of chicken, depending on how large your chicken breasts are.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
Time needed: 4 hours and 15 minutes
- Bread and pan-fry the chicken.
Set out three separate bowls. In one bowl, add the flour. In the next bowl, whisk together the egg and half and half. In the third bowl, combine the parmesan, breadcrumbs, and Italian seasoning.
Place one of the raw chicken breasts in the flour, coating it completely and gently shaking to remove the excess. Dip chicken into the milk mixture, coating completely. Last, coat the chicken breast in the bread crumb mixture until completely covered. Place the chicken breast on a plate and repeat for the rest.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil (or non-stick cooking spray), then the chicken breasts to the pan, leaving some room between each piece. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown but not cooked through.
- Slow cook until done.
Pour the jar of marinara sauce into the slow cooker, covering the bottom of the pot. Place the chicken breasts on top of the sauce, close the lid, and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- Add the mozzarella.
In the last 15 minutes of cooking time, sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the chicken and place the lid back onto the pot until melted.
Recipe Variations
- Add some cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes to the seasoning for a kick of heat!
- Try serving over gluten free baguettes for a chicken parm sandwhich! Add extra mozzarella and put the sandwich open under the broiler for a minute or two to caramelize the cheese.
- Add fresh herbs on top like fresh basil or fresh parsley for garnish and extra flavor.
- I like to mix breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese for flavor, but you can just use breadcrumbs if you’re avoiding cheese.
- If you want these extra juicy, you can use chicken thighs instead.
- Try adding veggies like mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, or onions along the bottom of the pan with the marinara sauce.
Recipe Tip! If you want to upgrade your experience, try using a fresh ball of mozzarella from the specialty cheese section at the grocery store. Cut a slice and top the chicken breasts with that for a better flavor than pre-shredded mozzarella!
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, no, you don’t. You could just throw the chicken into the slow cooker and you’d still have a decent meal at the end of the day. But pan-frying the breading on the chicken first will add another layer of flavor that will make this a lot closer to the baked chicken parm recipe that we all know and love!
Recipe Tip! The sauce at the bottom of the slow cooker helps keep the chicken from sticking to the pot while it’s cooking, and also helps give it moisture to keep it juicy.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
- Crockpot Cabbage Rolls
Storage
Refrigerate crock pot chicken parmesan for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Freeze chicken parm for 2-3 months in an airtight freezer container.
Cooking Tips
- You can be sure that the chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 165°F in the center of the chicken breast.
- Make breading the chicken even easier by using pie plates for your breadcrumbs, flour, and egg mixture. They’re wide and flat, so the chicken pieces will fit perfectly.
- Discard all of the leftover breading ingredients from the bowls, because once they touch raw chicken they should not be saved.
- When pan-frying the chicken, you might have to work in batches depending on the size of your pan. Leave some room between each chicken breast.
- I like to keep some extra bread crumbs and milk nearby when I’m breading chicken, just in case I need a little extra. This can vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
- I don’t recommend using frozen chicken breasts because any coating you add to them will not stick while cooking.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup gluten free all-purpose flour, 1:1
- 1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 24 ounces marinara sauce, (1 jar)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Equipment
- 1 6-7 quart slow cooker
- 3 shallow bowls
- 1 skillet
Instructions
- Set out three separate bowls. In one bowl, add the flour. In the next bowl, whisk together the egg and half and half. In the third bowl, combine the parmesan, breadcrumbs, and Italian seasoning.
- Place one of the raw chicken breasts in the flour, coating it completely and gently shaking to remove the excess. Next, dip the chicken into the egg mixture, coating completely. Last, coat the chicken breast in the bread crumb mixture until completely covered. Place the chicken breast on a plate and repeat for the rest.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the chicken to the pan, leaving some room between each piece. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown but not cooked through.
- Pour the jar of marinara sauce into the slow cooker, covering the bottom of the pot. Place the chicken breasts on top of the sauce, close the lid, and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- In the last 15 minutes of the cooking time, sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the chicken and place the lid back onto the pot until melted.
Notes
- You can be sure that you’re chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 165°F in the center of the chicken breast.
- Make breading the chicken even easier by using pie plates for your breadcrumbs, flour, and egg mixture. They’re wide and flat, so the chicken pieces will fit perfectly.
- Discard all of the leftover breading ingredients from the bowls, because once they touch raw chicken they should not be saved.
- When pan-frying the chicken, you might have to work in batches depending on the size of your pan. Leave some room between each chicken breast.
- I like to keep some extra bread crumbs and milk nearby when I’m breading chicken, just in case I need a little extra. This can vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
Nutrition
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