Slow Cooker chicken Parmesan is an easy and delicious way to make an old classic. Its the perfect meal to make any night of the week feel special!
Jump to RecipeI’ll admit it....right here, right now on the internet for the whole world to see (literally!): I was wrong. You may want to take a screen shot of that because I don’t really like to admit when I am wrong and there is always a chance that I will change my mind and alter this post!
I did not believe that a Chicken Parmesan recipe could be made in a slow cooker. I just could not conceive of skipping the process of pay frying the chicken prior to smothering it with sauce and cheese. It seemed to me that this was a necessary step to bind the breadcrumbs to the chicken. A delicious and necessary albeit not very healthy step.
However, I still felt a need to test my theory. And luckily I was wrong (look at that... I said it twice in the same post!). You can bread chicken, put it in a slow cooker cover it with cheese and sauce and have an amazing chicken parmesan recipe that does not require you to clean up all the little splatters of oil that come with pan frying (or even the frying pan itself, for that matter),
So here it is: the easiest way to make delicious crockpot chicken parmesan that also happens to be just a little healthier. And...it must have super powers too, because it somehow got me to type those three little words I dislike together most: I. Was. Wrong!
Easy Chicken Parmesan Hints & Hacks
- I usually make this dish with both boneless, skinless breasts and boneless, skinless thighs - just to please all members of The Team. Cooking time is about the same. Just note that thighs will always remain juicer. Breasts tend to dry out faster the slow cooker. To help avoid this, I use a meat thermometer to make sure I don’t over cook the breasts. Chicken is considered safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- I tend to keep my dishes mild. If you prefer spicy, feel free to add some pepper flakes to kick this up.
- There a lots of difference kinds of bread crumbs out there. I like to use Panko for this recipe.
- You can use any kind of pre-made sauce you prefer for this recipe OR...you can make your own like this one!
Lazy Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
Equipment
- 6 quart slow cooker
- 2 mixing bowls
- measuring spoons and cups
- slow cooker liner (optional)
Ingredients
- 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken I generally use two breasts and two thighs
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup panko crumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon McCormick Italian Seasoning Or, make your own: 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ lbs sliced mozzarella cheese
- 3-4 cups red sauce
Instructions
- Mix panko, ¼ cup Parmesan and spices together in one bowl
- Place eggs in separate bowl and beat
- Place one piece of chicken at a time into the beaten egg and make sure it is well coated - then press egg drenched piece of chicken into the panko crumb mixture and turn to coat with crumbs on all sides
- Place each breaded piece of chicken into the slow cooker
- Lay one slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each piece of breaded chicken
- Fully cover all cheese-topped chicken with marinara sauce
- Place lid on pot and cook 4 - 6 hours on low.
- About ½ an hour before serving, sprinkle remaining grated Parmesan cheese over top of sauce and finish cooking; allowing cheese to melt.
- The best way to determine when your chicken is ready is by using a meat thermometer. Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165° to be considered properly cooked and safe for consumption.
Lisa says
Very easy, did kind of two layers of breaded chicken, cheese and sauce, smaller pieces of chicken so ready in roughly 4 hours on low.