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This simple slow-cooker chicken parmesan is full of delicious Italian flavors, oozy cheese, and mouthwatering marinara sauce. You’ll be able to throw everything in the crock pot, set it, and forget it—dinner is served!
My kids and I love crock pot meals. Coming home to the fabulous smells and dinner being ready is near perfection! With busy weeknights, I try to make crock pot meals at least a couple of times. Here are some of my tried-and-true crock pot recipes to help you navigate your busy week: Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken, Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Potatoes, and Slow Cooker Italian Beef.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Family Friendly: This recipe is a crowd favorite. Adults and kids alike love the tender chicken and tangy marinara!
- Convenient: Comes together quickly and is perfect for busy weeknights!
- Budget-Friendly: Groceries are costing more and more these days, but the ingredients needed to make this are house staples and won’t break the bank!
- Flavor: Because this recipe has time to cook and meld flavors, you will be blown away at how delicious this tastes! Your family will want you to add this to the weekly meal plan!
Italian Night Dinner Idea with Parmesan Chicken
We had an Italian night at our house last night, and with one bite of this, it was an instant favorite! I love chicken parmesan but hate the hassle of making it. This chicken parmesan recipe was so EASY to throw together, and tastes amazing!
The breading is delicious, and the chicken just shreds apart because it is cooked perfectly. I swear that everything is better in a crockpot. I served garlic parmesan pull-apart bread as a side and my favorite Caesar salad. This meal was a winner!
Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Recipe
This recipe requires only a few simple ingredients, which I bet you already have in your kitchen. Serve it over some spaghetti, and you’re ready to go! For exact measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Boneless skinless chicken: This is your protein base and the star of the show.
- Eggs: Used to act as a binding agent to get the bread crumbs to stick to the chicken.
- Whole Milk: Keeps the chicken moist while helping the eggs bind the bread crumbs to the chicken.
- Italian Bread Crumbs: Provides a crispy texture while adding Italian flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a sharp, nutty flavor and helps create the crunchy texture of the chicken’s breading.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors in the dish.
- Black Pepper: Provides a little spice and enhances flavor.
- Olive Oil: Helps the breading become the perfect golden brown during the cooking process.
- Marinara Sauce: Keeps the chicken moist and adds a robust tomato-based flavor.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Melts over the chicken beautifully and ads a creamy rich flavor.
How do I Make Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan?
Take a few minutes to bread and fry the chicken, then throw everything into your crock pot. That’s really all it takes. Once everything is ready, you can boil some spaghetti noodles or penne pasta, and dinner is served!
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Coat the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture then dredge each one in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear each breaded cutlet for 3-4 minutes on each side. Just fry the breading on the chicken and par-cook it.
- In the bottom of a crockpot, pour the marinara sauce and place the seared chicken into the sauce. Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 3-4.
- In the last 30 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on the chicken. cover and allow the cheese to melt.
- When the chicken is cooked through, serve it over pasta and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Tips
Follow my tips below for getting the perfect slow-cooker chicken parmesan!
- Pan-Fry the Coating: Don’t skip pan-frying the coating on the chicken! This is essential to getting that crispy coating like classic chicken parmesan.
- Marinara: You can use a jar of your favorite marinara, or make my Homemade Marinara
- Serve: Serve this dish in shallow bowls with your preferred pasta, or slice the chicken up and make a marinara chicken sandwich. It’s also excellent on its own!
- Garnish: You can garnish this with a few sprigs of fresh basil or parsley.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Chicken Parmesan
You’ll want to double this recipe so you have leftovers for quick and easy lunches throughout the week. Here are storing and reheating instructions.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: You can reheat your chicken parmesan in the microwave at 30-second intervals until the desired temperature is reached. You can also reheat it in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes. I love reheating things I want crispy in my air fryer. For this chicken parmesan, set your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 4 minutes.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
There is just something so satisfying about coming home from a busy day, and your house is filled with the smells of dinner that only a slow cooker can produce. Here are a few recipes that are sure to fill your home with delicious smells and your belly with flavorful food.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets, boneless skinless chicken
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 (22-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together 1 egg and ¼ cup whole milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs, ¼ cup parmesan cheese,1 teaspoon saltand ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Coat 4 chicken cutlets, in the egg mixture, then dredge each one in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear each breaded cutlet for 3-4 minutes on each side. Just fry the breading on the chicken and par cook it.
- At the bottom of a crockpot, pour 1 (22-ounce) jar marinara sauce and place the seared chicken on the sauce. Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 3-4.
- In the last 30 minutes of cooking, sprinkle ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, on the chicken. Cover and allow the cheese to melt.
- When the chicken is cooked through, serve over pasta and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve been using this recipe for years and love it, thank you! Has anyone tried it in the Instant Pot? If so, what setting and for how long did you cook it? Thanks in advance!
Can this be cooked on stove top? Thank you so much.
Yes, follow the instruction accordingly for the stove top. It will take about 1 hour to make.
I made this for Christmas Eve dinner so I didn’t have to take up more space in the oven. It came out well! Not particularly crispy, but I mean it was cooked in the crock pot so I didn’t expect it to be lol. The only thing I might do differently is use chicken tenders instead of larger breasts; the chicken was just a little thick and bland because the flavors couldn’t seep in. Alternatively I might marinate the chicken for an hour or two before breading and cooking to give it a little more flavor. All in all a decent, easy meal, and my one year old nephew LOVED it, so a success all around.
I made this today, exactly as described in the recipe, and everyone in my family enjoyed it. It was flavorful and the chicken was very tender. I did not experience any trouble with the texture. It came out exactly as one would expect when using a slow cooker. It was delicious and I will be making this again, definitely a keeper.
I appreciate the comments and wonder if not adding the sauce until serving chicken would help with the soggy problem some people experienced.
This is how I would make it if using the oven.
I am also assuming based on #of chicken breasts to use that the jar of marinara would be approximately 15 oz.
Even though I have been cooking for many years, I am more comfortable when specific amounts of all ingredients are shown.
I do plan to try this recipe and hope for the best.
Did it work out better, adding the sauce later? I want to make it tonight
This recipe was easy and delicious, I will definitely make this again!
Also, Parmesan is always capitalized. Proofreading is very important with recipes because otherwise the reader gets nervous that the directions and measurements might not be correct.
Chicken and mushroom slow cooker meal.?
all of the recipes look so go that I can not wait to try the ones that just look at
Can I put more than one layer of chicken and cheese and cover the entire top with sauce
Two stars.Tried it last night, it was kind of a disaster. Taste was okay but it was a soggy mess. I even put less marinara sauce cause i was concerned itd turn out soggy and yeah it did. Not trying this again.
Is there a way to make enough for a family of 6 without it being soggy? I would have to layer the chicken my crock pot isn’t on the bigger side. Maybe layer with foil?
It shouldn’t be soggy at all.
Amazing recipe, we used Boar’s Head Mozz. to be sure the chicken was entirely covered. I give it a 5!!!
We love this one as well!!! We just made it last night. It is so easy and good!
Thank you for your recipe! This has become a family favorite. We devour this and I want more for leftovers! 🙂 Does cooking time vary if I want to double or triple this recipe? Will the chicken still cook properly?
I have to say, I was skeptical about this slow cooking Chicken Parm idea, but I made it today and it was amazing…I layered the chicken and cheese and only used enough sauce to cover each piece (8) of chicken and everyone loved it! Thanks for the wonderful idea! Cooked mine on low for 6 hrs. and It was perfect.
This is a regular recipe at our house!
I was thinking about doing this. So still bread the chicken and then layer it with cheese and sauce and then stack them up like that? I was worried they would all stick together
Thanks for these crockpot meals, they certainly make working and putting a meal on the table easier. You have some very nice recipes which will be used on a regular basis.