High-Protein Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken

This high-protein slow cooker Marry Me Chicken is a low-hands-on dinner built around seasoned chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and a creamy cottage cheese Parmesan sauce. The chicken cooks in broth first, then the blended sauce is added near the end so it stays smooth rather than cooking for hours. Serve it when you want a comforting chicken dinner with a simple prep routine.

Why the creamy sauce goes in at the end

Cottage cheese brings a mild, creamy texture when blended with Parmesan and hot cooking liquid. It is best treated as a finishing sauce for this slow cooker chicken recipe. Adding it after the chicken is cooked helps avoid a grainy or separated texture from extended heating.

The reserved hot liquid also matters. It loosens the cottage cheese enough to blend smoothly and carries the garlic, tomato, and chicken flavors into the finished sauce.

Quick overview

• Main ingredients: Chicken breasts, cottage cheese, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and baby spinach
• **Slow cooker size:** A 4 to 6 quart slow cooker
• Cook setting: LOW for 3 to 4 hours or HIGH for about 2 hours
• Finish: Blend the cottage cheese sauce, wilt the spinach, and return the chicken to the cooker
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients for slow cooker Marry Me Chicken

Chicken

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Slow cooker sauce base

• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ⅓ cup drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Creamy finish

• 1 cup 2% or 4% cottage cheese
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup hot cooking liquid from the slow cooker
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

How to make high-protein slow cooker Marry Me Chicken

1. Place the chicken breasts in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle evenly with the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, and red pepper flakes.

1. Pour the chicken broth around the chicken. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and minced garlic around and over the chicken.

1. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or on HIGH for about 2 hours. Check the thickest part of each chicken breast with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken is ready when it reaches 165°F.

1. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or shallow dish. Leave the cooking liquid, tomatoes, and garlic in the slow cooker.

1. Add the cottage cheese, Parmesan, and ¼ cup hot liquid from the slow cooker to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Take care when blending hot ingredients by venting the blender lid according to the blender manufacturer's instructions.

1. Stir the blended cottage cheese mixture into the slow cooker. Add the baby spinach and stir until it begins to wilt.

1. Return the chicken to the sauce. Cover and keep on WARM for 10 to 15 minutes, or use LOW if your appliance does not have a WARM setting, just until the sauce is heated through and the spinach has wilted. Do not continue cooking the sauce for an extended time.

1. Slice or serve the chicken whole, spooning the sauce, spinach, and tomatoes over each portion. Finish with fresh basil.

Practical tips for a smooth sauce

Blend until no curds remain

Use a blender rather than simply stirring the cottage cheese into the cooking liquid. A smooth blend gives the sauce a more even, creamy consistency. Scrape down the blender as needed before adding it to the slow cooker.

Do not crowd the chicken

Arrange the chicken in as close to a single layer as possible. Very large chicken breasts or an overcrowded cooker may take longer to reach a safe internal temperature. Use the timing as a guide, then rely on the thermometer for the final check.

Keep the finish gentle

The final warm-up is for wilting spinach and bringing the sauce together. High heat for a long period can affect the cottage cheese sauce texture. If the sauce looks thicker than you prefer, stir in an additional tablespoon or two of hot cooking liquid.

Adjust the heat at the table

The listed amount of red pepper flakes gives the dish a mild background warmth. For less heat, reduce the flakes to ⅛ teaspoon. For more heat, add extra flakes to individual servings rather than increasing the whole batch.

Substitutions and serving ideas

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can replace the chicken breasts. Because thighs vary in thickness and contain more fat, check their temperature rather than relying only on the listed time. Cook all poultry to 165°F.

Jarred sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil work well after draining. Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes can be used after softening them in hot water and chopping them. Their flavor may be a little more concentrated, so start with a slightly smaller amount if preferred.

Fresh spinach is best for the quick finish. If using frozen spinach, thaw it first and squeeze out excess water before adding it. Extra water can thin the sauce.

Serve this chicken and sauce over cooked pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, cauliflower rice, or roasted vegetables. For a lighter plate, pair it with a crisp green salad and use the sauce as a spoonable topping for the chicken.

Storage and meal prep

Divide leftovers into shallow containers so they cool promptly. Refrigerate within 2 hours and use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

For meal prep, portion the chicken with sauce and vegetables separately from any pasta or rice. This keeps the starch from absorbing too much sauce during storage.

Freeze cooled portions in freezer-safe containers. The sauce may change texture after freezing because it contains dairy, but blending or stirring it well during reheating can help bring it back together. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator, then reheat gently until the chicken and sauce reach 165°F. Add a splash of broth if needed to loosen the sauce.

MACRO SIMMER RECIPE

High-Protein Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken

Seasoned chicken breasts slow cook with garlic, broth, and sun-dried tomatoes, then finish in a smooth cottage cheese Parmesan sauce with spinach and basil.

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PREP

15 minutes

COOK

2 hours 15 minutes on HIGH, or 3 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes on LOW

TOTAL

2 hours 30 minutes on HIGH, or 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes on LOW

YIELD

4 servings

SLOW COOKER

4 to 6 quart slow cooker

SAFE TEMP

165°F for chicken, measured in the thickest portion

Equipment4 to 6 quart slow cooker, blender, instant-read food thermometer, measuring cups and spoons

Scale ingredients

1×2×3×

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Ingredients

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ⅓ cup drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup 2% or 4% cottage cheese
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup hot cooking liquid from the slow cooker
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Instructions

1. 1Put the chicken breasts in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, and red pepper flakes.

1. 2Add the chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic.

1. 3Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or HIGH for about 2 hours. Check that the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.

1. 4Move the chicken to a plate. Leave the liquid, garlic, and tomatoes in the cooker.

1. 5Add cottage cheese, Parmesan, and ¼ cup hot cooking liquid to a blender. Blend until smooth, following the blender manufacturer's instructions for venting hot ingredients.

1. 6Stir the blended sauce into the slow cooker. Add the spinach and stir.

1. 7Return the chicken to the slow cooker. Cover and heat on WARM for 10 to 15 minutes, or on LOW if needed, until the spinach wilts and the sauce is hot.

1. 8Top with fresh basil and serve.

Allergens

Contains milk. Check labels on chicken broth, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes for additional allergens or ingredients relevant to your needs.

Substitutions

• Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in place of breasts, checking for a safe internal temperature of 165°F.
• Use drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, or rehydrate dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes in hot water before chopping.
• Use thawed, well-squeezed frozen spinach instead of fresh baby spinach. Expect a slightly thinner sauce.

Storage, freezing and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours. Use within 3 to 4 days. Freeze cooled portions in freezer-safe containers; dairy-based sauce may change texture after thawing. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator. Reheat until the chicken and sauce reach 165°F, adding a small splash of broth if the sauce needs loosening.