Chicken · Slow cooker

Marry Me Chicken | The Best Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe

Sear the chicken, whisk together a garlicky stock and flour base, then let the slow cooker do the work for four hours. What emerges is creamy, tender, and so flavourful it's supposedly proposal-worthy, though honestly, the smoked paprika and Italian herbs might be doing most of the wooing.

R By Richard · Adapted from What's For Tea? · Published 8 May 2026
👁 36.7k source views ❤️ 1.9k source likes
⏱Prep 15 min
🍽Serves 4
✓Confidence 70% (review pending)
Marry Me Chicken | The Best Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe

Source video by What's For Tea? on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This slow cooker Marry Me Chicken takes seared chicken breasts and finishes them in a creamy, garlicky tomato sauce flavoured with smoked paprika, Italian herbs and sun-dried tomatoes. The chicken is browned briefly first to lock in flavour, then cooked gently in the slow cooker so it stays in tender pieces rather than shredding. Cream is stirred in at the end to keep the sauce silky. Serve with rice, mashed potato or pasta and a scattering of basil and Parmesan.

Slow cooker notes: Recipe is presented in the source as a slow cooker recipe. No adaptation required.

Ingredients

Chicken
  • 3 largechicken breasts, sliced horizontally through the middle to make thinner fillets
  • oil
Sauce
  • 1 cubechicken stock cube, dissolved in boiling water
  • boiling water
  • 3 tbspplain flour
  • smoked paprika
  • Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tspsalt
  • white pepper
  • 3 clovesgarlic cloves, sliced (or minced if preferred)
  • sun-dried tomatoes
  • butter
To finish
  • double cream (add late)
To serve
  • fresh basil, to garnish (add late)
  • Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste (add late)

Method

  1. Slice each chicken breast horizontally through the middle to make thinner fillets. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the raw chicken.

    ~5 min

  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan until hot, then sear the chicken for a few minutes on each side, just to get some colour. You are not cooking it through. Work in batches if needed. Set the seared chicken aside.

    ~8 min

  3. In the slow cooker pot, dissolve the chicken stock cube in boiling water and whisk smooth.

    ~2 min

  4. Whisk in the plain flour until as smooth as you can get it, then add the smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and white pepper. Whisk again. Stir in the sliced garlic.

    ~3 min

  5. Lay the seared chicken into the slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top. Scatter over the sun-dried tomatoes and dot the butter over the surface.

    ~2 min

  6. Put the lid on and cook on High for 4 hours.

    ~240 min

  7. Carefully lift the chicken out of the sauce and set aside. Stir the sauce well, then stir in the cream.

    ~3 min

  8. Gently return the chicken to the pot, trying to keep the pieces whole. Replace the lid and cook on High for a further 20 to 30 minutes to warm the cream through.

    ~30 min

  9. Serve over rice, mashed potato or pasta, finished with fresh basil and a little grated Parmesan.

Frequently asked

Do I have to sear the chicken first?
Yes, it is worth it. Slow cookers do not brown food, so searing the chicken adds colour and a noticeable depth of flavour to the finished sauce.
Can I skip the sun-dried tomatoes?
It is not recommended. The sun-dried tomatoes give Marry Me Chicken its distinctive savoury, slightly sweet character, and the dish loses a lot without them.
Why is the cream added at the end?
Dairy can split if it cooks for hours in a slow cooker. Stirring the cream in during the final 20 to 30 minutes keeps the sauce smooth and silky.
What should I serve it with?
Rice, mashed potato or pasta all work well, as the sauce is generous and creamy. A little grated Parmesan and fresh basil on top finishes it nicely.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes. Boneless, skinless thighs will stay even more tender in the slow cooker. Sear them in the same way before adding to the pot.
Extraction notes (transparency): Several quantities are not stated in the transcript: amount of boiling water for the stock, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, butter, sun-dried tomatoes, cream, and oil for searing. These have been left as null or noted. Reviewer should confirm against the on-screen ingredient list before publishing.