I am now convinced anything can be cooked and cooked well in a crock pot. Chicken Parmesan was one recipe I was sure could not be pulled off well in a slow cooker. I mean, how can you get that crispy, breaded coating?
But this recipe from Cook’s Country, my go to source for classic recipes, solves that problem by adding a crispy Panko crumb topping after the chicken is cooked. Genius!
Now granted, it’s not quite the same as eating a perfectly fried piece of chicken like this one. But it is the next best thing.
There is a small amount of precooking for this recipe- sauteing the onions and garlic mainly. All in all this is a totally easy and hands off recipe for chicken parmesan.
An easy sauce is made from the sautéed onion and garlic plus a whole can of tomato paste, seasonings, and diced tomatoes.
To keep the sauce from getting watery, as sauces tend to get in the crock pot, you start with an extra thick sauce and add some cornstarch. The result is a super flavorful and tomatoey  Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan with just the right amount of cheese and a crunchy Panko crumb topping.
Chicken Parmesan was never so easy!
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Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, I like to use fire-roasted, drained
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup Panko crumbs
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt. and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until onions are softened and tomato paste is rust in color, about 4 minutes.
- Transfer onion-tomato paste mixture to a lightly greased crock pot (or use a crock pot liner) and stir in drained diced tomatoes.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in the 1 tablespoon of water and stir into the tomato sauce.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and lay them on top of tomato mixture so that they are shingled and the tapered ends face the side of the crock pot with the control panel. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours.
- Mix together mozzarella and half of the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle cheese mixture over chicken, place the lid back on and let sit in turned-off crock pot for 15 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Combine Panko crumbs and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook until nicely browned, stirring frequently. Transfer Panko crumbs to a bowl to cool and then add in remaining Parmesan cheese, the basil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle on top of cheese and serve.
Nutrition
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Recipe adapted from Cook’s CountryÂ
Shared this recipe on Watcha Crockin’ Wednesday. Stop by for lots of crock pot inspiration!
More Crock Pot Recipes
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Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches
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am i the only one not seeing where the parsley comes in?
I just love recipes like this! Thanks so much for sharing it on Whatcha Crockin’ Wednesday!!
Made this tonight for dinner. Skipped the breadcrumbs and used half a tbsp of oil in the sauté base for the sauce. I also seasoned the chicken breast tenderloins with Italian seasoning. I got the Peyton Manning “chicken parm you taste so good” from the whole crew. Success and a much healthier version I might add. Thank you so much for the recipe!
So glad everyone enjoyed it and thanks for the great tips for lightening it up! 🙂
Great recipes. Thank you.
My standard order at and Italian restaurant is Chicken Parmesan – it’s one of my favorite meals. I made this today and it is probably the best chicken parm I’ve had. The sauce is so full of flavor, and you don’t miss the fried aspect to the chicken at all because of the panko added at the end. The only change I made was to decrease the amount of oil used. I used one teaspoon in the tomato paste mixture as opposed to one tablespoon and I used maybe 1/2 a teaspoon to toast the panko. Will definitely be making this again.
So glad you enjoyed it Carol! I was totally surprised how much I liked it the first time I made it. It’s nice to know you were able to cut the oil some.
I would NEVER have thought to do this! Definitely pinning this for later!
Great recipe, thanks – I am always looking to add to my crockpot lineup. I followed your pinterest board too!
I am such a fan of crock pot recipes and love that you made chicken parmesan! It looks absolutely amazing! Adding the fried panko topping at the end is such a great idea!