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This single serving slow cooker Italian chicken is an easy, flavorful dish made with tender chicken simmered in a rich tomato and herb sauce. With minimal prep, the slow cooker does the work, delivering a satisfying meal perfectly portioned for one.
This crockpot chicken recipe pairs well with side dishes like roasted brussels sprouts or a crisp Caesar salad. For a heartier meal, serve it over buttered noodles or creamy risotto. Whatever you choose, it’s a satisfying and flavorful dish.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Just add everything to the crock pot and let it do the work.
- Customizable: While we love slow cooking chicken thighs, chicken breasts work just as well. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your taste.
- Packed with Flavor: Slow cooking blends the ingredients beautifully, creating a rich, savory sauce.
Italian chicken is a classic dish with tender chicken simmered in a flavorful tomato and herb sauce. My single serving slow cooker recipe gives you all that rich taste without leftovers. It’s an easy, hands-off meal that’s perfect when you want something satisfying without extra effort.
Check out our other Mini Slow Cooker Meal ideas!
Ingredients
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions. If you have any ingredients leftover from this slow cooker chicken thighs recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Chicken: Use 1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, depending on what you have. If you’re looking for more chicken thigh recipes, try Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl, Chicken and Rice Casserole or Chicken Stew.
- Olive Oil: I always use extra virgin olive oil for its rich flavor, but a lighter olive oil works too.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Adds depth and a slight sweetness to the sauce.
- Seasonings: A blend of kosher salt, black pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder gives the dish classic Italian flavors.
- Marinara or Tomato Sauce: Use store-bought or homemade tomato sauce—whichever you prefer.
RELATED: How To Cook Small Meals In A Large Slow Cooker
How To Make Slow Cooker Italian Chicken
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
To make slow cooker chicken thighs with an Italian twist, start by spraying a small crock pot to prevent sticking. Place the chicken inside, whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and pour it over the top. Season with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder, then add marinara sauce. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours until the chicken is tender. Serve with pasta, potatoes, or rice for a flavorful and easy meal.
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Expert Tips
- Stocking Up on Chicken: I keep a large bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs in my freezer, so I can grab what I need without extra trips to the store.
- Defrosting Chicken: Always thaw chicken before slow cooking. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight or use the microwave for a quick thaw before adding it to the slow cooker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use a 1.5 to 2-quart slow cooker for the best results.
Yes, double the ingredient amounts and use a 3 to 4-quart slow cooker.
Yes, bell peppers, onions, or mushrooms make great additions.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove for a quick meal.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Thigh Recipes
Check out these flavorful single serving options:
Find these and more in our mini slow cooker recipe collection!
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this single serve slow cooker Italian chicken recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Slow Cooker Italian Chicken For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless, skinless breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 cup Marinara sauce or tomato sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Lightly spray the slow cooker with oil and place the chicken inside.
- Whisk olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl, then pour over the chicken.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pour marinara sauce over the chicken.
- Sprinkle with basil, oregano, and garlic powder.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours.
Notes
-
- Stocking Up on Chicken: I keep a large bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs in my freezer, so I can grab what I need without extra trips to the store.
- Defrosting Chicken: Always thaw chicken before slow cooking. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight or use the microwave for a quick thaw before adding it to the slow cooker.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Since my wife has died last November, thanks to your site I have not missed out on tasty nourishing meals. This one was excellent and so easy to put together. I loaded the one and a half quart Crock-Pot the night before turned it on early this morning and had a great meal at noon. Your recipes are so easy and not complicated and are so adaptable to different spices if I desire. Thank you for being there.
Thank you, Gerard! It’s wonderful to hear that you find our recipes useful.
What size crockpot?
With all of our slow cooker recipes, we recommend using either a 1.5-quart or a 2-quart slow cooker.
Delicious! I had on hand two small chicken breasts, so I used those in my new mini-slow cooker. The chicken turned out moist and fork-tender, and the marinara sauce gave it a great flavor. I served it over spaghetti, and next time will try it with rice. It’s so easy to make I know it will become a favorite. I will be checking your site often, as I cook for just myself and as I’m getting older my motto is “The simpler, the better.” 😉
So good and simple. I made this recipe as a result of my friend Pat Potts adding it to her favorite recipes for 2021. It was a worthy recommendation. Thanks for sharing this nice keeper.
Delicious, I used chicken thighs and for the marinara sauce I used a spicy pepper pasta sauce and added a heap of vegetables for make as a one pot low carb meal. I spooned some of the sauce over the chicken and then piled the vegetables on top and spread the rest of the sauce on top of that and there was heaps of sauce with the finished dish more than I needed and all was cooked in 7 hours on low and the chicken just flaked with the fork and was very tender. Thank you for a great recipe made for What’s On The Menu tag game at FF&F.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it and I love the addition of vegetables – great idea!
That blue pot, that looks like it’s sitting on it’s own heating pedastal is killing me! Where can I find it?
Hi LeeAnn,
It’s a Hamilton Beach Party Crock and I love it. It’s 1.5 quarts and I use it as a slow cooker sometimes. I did a quick check on Amazon and didn’t see it listed so I’m thinking it may be discontinued.
Joanie
I love your site. Do you have any cook books out. I want these recipes for my college age granddaughter. We gave her a crockpot for Christmas and she loves it.
I am going to make the pasta and shrimp salad this week. Can’t wait!
Hi Joey,
Thank you so much, I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes and I hope your granddaughter loves the slow cooker recipes!
We are currently working on our cookbook and it should be released later this year (in time for Christmas!). We’re so excited about it and will keep our readers updated when we have an exact publication date.
Have a wonderful week!
Joanie
Great recipe served “drippings” over rice using the microwave individual rice servings – the meal couldn’t have been simpler or tastier.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for letting me know.
Nice to have a site dedicated to cooking for one. I live alone and it just makes it easier then recalculating recipes for one. So thanks for this site
Thank you, Jakub. I’m glad you are enjoying the recipes!
What a delicious looking recipe and so easy! I love dinners that I can set and forget so I don’t have to worry about rushing around in the evening making sure I put something on the table. This would work well for my husband and I by just doubling the recipe.