Let me introduce you to the easiest dinner you’ll make all week. This garlic parm chicken crockpot recipe is literally a dump-and-go meal—throw everything in your slow cooker in the morning, and come home to tender, creamy, garlicky chicken that’s ready to eat. No stirring, no monitoring, no stress.
The chicken cooks low and slow in a creamy garlic parmesan sauce that’s absolutely incredible. It’s rich, it’s flavorful, and it makes your whole house smell amazing. Plus, the chicken becomes so tender it practically falls apart, which is exactly what you want after a long day.
I make this at least once a week because it’s foolproof and my family loves it. Whether I’m serving it over pasta, rice, or with some crusty bread, it never disappoints. This is the kind of recipe that makes you look like a kitchen genius when really, you just tossed some stuff in a crockpot and walked away. That’s my kind of cooking.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
True Dump and Go – Seriously, just dump everything in the crockpot and turn it on. No browning, no sautéing, no pre-cooking anything. Five minutes of prep in the morning, and dinner is handled. This is slow cooker cooking at its finest.
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Heaven – The sauce is rich, creamy, garlicky, and packed with parmesan. It’s the kind of sauce you’ll want to pour over everything. The chicken soaks up all that flavor as it cooks, and every bite is incredible.
Tender, Fall-Apart Chicken – The slow cooker makes the chicken so tender and juicy. After 4-6 hours, it’s perfectly cooked and easy to shred or slice. You’ll never have dry chicken with this method.
Versatile Serving Options – Serve it over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread. Toss it with vegetables. Make it into a sandwich. This chicken is delicious no matter how you serve it.
Perfect for Busy Days – This is the recipe for when you know you’ll be busy all day. Throw it in the crockpot before work, and dinner is ready when you get home. No scrambling to figure out what to make at 6 PM.
Budget-Friendly Family Meal – Chicken, cream cheese, some parmesan, and pantry staples. That’s it. You can feed a family of four for under $12, and it tastes way better than takeout.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this ridiculously easy crockpot garlic parm chicken.
For the Crockpot Garlic Parm Chicken:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (cut into cubes)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 6 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp garlic powder in a pinch)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional, for thicker sauce)
- Fresh parsley for garnish
For Serving:
- Cooked pasta (penne, fettuccine, or your favorite)
- Cooked rice
- Mashed potatoes
- Crusty bread
Key Ingredient Notes:
Cream Cheese is the Secret – This is what makes the sauce so rich and creamy. Softening it first helps it melt into the sauce more easily. Cut it into cubes so it distributes better throughout the crockpot.
Fresh Parmesan Works Best – Freshly grated parmesan melts smoothly and has way better flavor than the powdered stuff. It’s worth the extra two minutes to grate it yourself.
Chicken Thighs vs Breasts – Both work great, but thighs stay juicier in the slow cooker and are more forgiving if you accidentally cook them a bit longer. Breasts work fine too, just watch the timing so they don’t dry out.
Heavy Cream Creates Richness – The heavy cream makes the sauce luxurious and velvety. You could use half-and-half in a pinch, but the sauce won’t be quite as rich.
Cornstarch for Thickness – If you want a thicker sauce, mix cornstarch with a little cold water and stir it in during the last 30 minutes. It thickens up beautifully without changing the flavor.
How to Make Garlic Parm Chicken Crockpot
This is so easy it almost feels like cheating. Let’s do this.
Step 1: Prep the Ingredients
Place the chicken breasts or thighs in the bottom of your slow cooker. Season them lightly with salt and pepper.
Cut the cream cheese into cubes—this helps it melt more evenly. Soften it first if you remembered to take it out of the fridge (if not, no big deal, it’ll still work).
Pro tip: If using frozen chicken, add an extra 1-2 hours to the cooking time. The crockpot can handle it, which is pretty amazing.
Step 2: Add Everything to the Crockpot
Pour the chicken broth and heavy cream over the chicken. Add the cubed cream cheese, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes if using.
Don’t worry about stirring or mixing everything perfectly—the slow cooker will work its magic and everything will come together as it cooks.
Pro tip: I usually give it a very light stir just to distribute the garlic a bit, but honestly, you don’t even have to do that.
Step 3: Cook Low and Slow
Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and shreds easily with a fork.
Timing guide:
- LOW: 4-6 hours (best for tender, fall-apart chicken)
- HIGH: 2-3 hours (faster but still delicious)
Don’t lift the lid too often—every time you do, you lose heat and add cooking time.
Step 4: Shred or Slice the Chicken
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the crockpot and place it on a cutting board. Shred it with two forks or slice it into pieces, depending on your preference.
Pro tip: The chicken should be so tender that it practically shreds itself. If it’s not falling apart easily, it needs a bit more time.
Step 5: Stir and Thicken the Sauce (Optional)
Give the sauce in the crockpot a good stir. The cream cheese and parmesan should be melted and combined with the liquids to create a creamy sauce.
If you want the sauce thicker, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry. Stir it into the sauce, turn the crockpot to HIGH, and let it cook for 15-30 minutes until thickened.
Step 6: Return Chicken and Combine
Return the shredded or sliced chicken to the crockpot and toss it in the creamy garlic parmesan sauce. Let it sit for a few minutes so the chicken absorbs all that amazing flavor.
Step 7: Serve and Enjoy
Serve the creamy garlic parm chicken over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread. Garnish with fresh parsley and extra parmesan if you’re feeling fancy.
Then sit back and accept the compliments, even though you barely did any work. 🙂
What to Serve With Garlic Parm Chicken Crockpot
This chicken is rich and flavorful, so you want sides that complement it well.
Pasta – Angel hair, fettuccine, or penne tossed with some of the creamy sauce is absolutely perfect. This is probably my favorite way to serve it.
Rice – Fluffy white rice, garlic butter rice, or even cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option all soak up that delicious sauce beautifully.
Mashed Potatoes – Creamy mashed potatoes with this garlic parm chicken is comfort food heaven. The sauce makes amazing gravy for the potatoes.
Crusty Bread – A good baguette or garlic bread for soaking up every last drop of that creamy sauce. You’ll want to mop up every bit.
Steamed Vegetables – Broccoli, green beans, or asparagus add some color and freshness to balance the richness of the chicken.
Caesar Salad – A crisp Caesar salad with parmesan dressing ties in perfectly with the garlic parm flavors in the chicken.
Storage Tips
This crockpot garlic parm chicken stores beautifully and reheats like a dream.
Refrigerator Storage:
Let the chicken and sauce cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The sauce will thicken as it sits, which is totally normal.
Reheating:
Reheat gently in a saucepan or microwave. If the sauce has thickened too much, add a splash of cream, milk, or chicken broth to thin it out. Stir well and heat until warmed through.
You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Pro tip: This actually tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together.
Freezer Storage:
This freezes well! Store the cooled chicken and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
The cream sauce might separate slightly when thawed, but a good stir usually brings it back together. If needed, add a splash of cream while reheating.
Meal Prep Tips:
This is fantastic for meal prep. Make a big batch on Sunday and portion it out for lunches throughout the week. Serve it over different bases each day (pasta Monday, rice Tuesday, potatoes Wednesday) to keep things interesting.
You can also use the chicken in other dishes—toss it in a wrap, make it into a sandwich, or add it to a salad.
Final Thoughts
This garlic parm chicken crockpot recipe is proof that easy doesn’t mean boring. You’re getting restaurant-quality flavor with literally five minutes of work. The slow cooker does everything for you, and you come home to tender, creamy, garlicky chicken that tastes incredible.
I love this recipe because it’s so flexible. Serve it however you want, add whatever vegetables you have, make it thicker or thinner—it all works. Plus, there’s something really satisfying about knowing dinner is handled before you even leave the house.
So dust off that crockpot, toss everything in, and get ready for one of the easiest, most delicious dinners you’ll ever make. Future you is going to be very grateful. 🙂
Garlic Parm Chicken Crockpot Recipe (Dump and Go Dinner!)
Description
This garlic parm chicken crockpot recipe is the ultimate dump and go dinner! Tender chicken slow-cooked in a rich, creamy garlic parmesan sauce. Just 5 minutes prep, then let your slow cooker do all the work!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper.
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Add cream cheese cubes, chicken broth, heavy cream, parmesan, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes to crockpot.
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Cover and cook on LOW 4-6 hours or HIGH 2-3 hours until chicken reaches 165°F.
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Remove chicken, shred or slice, set aside.
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Stir sauce in crockpot. For thicker sauce, mix cornstarch with cold water, stir into sauce, cook on HIGH 15-30 minutes.
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Return chicken to crockpot, toss in sauce.
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Serve over pasta, rice, or potatoes. Garnish with parsley and extra parmesan.
Note
- Frozen chicken works—add 1-2 hours cooking time
- Use freshly grated parmesan for best results
- Thighs stay juicier than breasts in slow cooker
- Sauce thickens as it cools
- Can add spinach or sun-dried tomatoes for variation
- Leftovers taste even better next day
