Really, this dish is a celebration of a longtime love. One that started young then petered off, thanks to a wandering eye.
The Instant Pot? Obsessed. For a while, anyway.
The air fryer? Gotta have three. Then gotta donate two, anyway.
But the Crockpot?
She’s the girl I just can’t quit. She’ll be there ‘til the end, I just know it.
But who can blame me for looking at the hot new things in the Target aisles? For years we were pummeled with unfortunate Crockpot recipes, all beginning and ending with a brick of cream cheese and a can of cream-of-something.
Then one day, I woke up and said, WAIT I HAVE FREE WILL, IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY, and decided to fall in love all over again. Did I invent the anti-gross slow cooker recipe? Of course not. But did it take an active choice to strategically return to the Crockpot for me? Sure did.
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This recipe’s part of my Revenge of the Crock-pot series on Instagram, where basically I’m attempting to heal your slow cooker trauma, one recipe at a time.
Overcooked chicken? Nope. Suspicious sauces? Not here. Clogged arteries? Nah.
This summer-coded Marry Me Chicken is a produce-spiked twist on the classic, with fresh asparagus and a hint of lemon zest to brighten and liven things up.
Throw it in the slow cooker and jet off for the day - come home to your better half holding things down? Sounds like a lifelong partnership made in heaven.
Crockpot Marry Me Chicken — Spring Edition
the slow cooker dinner that earns its name
The Sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped (reserve the oil)
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
1½ tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp red pepper flakes
The Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6–8 oz each) or 6–8 boneless thighs
1½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
The Veggies
1 cup fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups fresh baby spinach
½ cup freshly grated parmesan
For Serving
1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced
¼ cup fresh basil, torn
Pasta, polenta, or crusty bread
Add the garlic, shallot, sun-dried tomatoes with 1 tbsp of their oil, chicken broth, heavy cream, cream cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the crockpot. Whisk until mostly smooth — a few cream cheese lumps are fine, they’ll melt in.
Pat your chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Nestle into the sauce, pressing down so the pieces are partially submerged. Set to LOW — not High, only Low.
Cook on LOW for 2.5 to 3 hours, starting to check at the 2.5 hour mark. Pull the chicken at 160°F internal — it’ll carry over to 165°F as it rests. A meat thermometer is non-negotiable here. Crockpots vary and the window between perfect and rubbery is about 20 minutes.
When the chicken hits temp, pull it out and tent loosely with foil on a cutting board. Crank to HIGH and stir in the asparagus and parmesan. Cover and cook 10–12 minutes until the asparagus is just tender.
Stir in the spinach and let it wilt, about 1 minute. Add the lemon zest and a squeeze of juice — start with half and taste. This is what makes it feel like spring instead of February.
Slice the rested chicken against the grain into thick pieces. Don’t shred it. Lay the slices back into the sauce, finish with torn basil, and serve immediately.
~45g protein per serving.