Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches Recipe
These Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches are a flavorful and easy meal made by slow-cooking tender chicken breasts in a tangy Italian dressing and tomato mixture, then piled high on cheesy garlic bread for a satisfying sandwich perfect for any day of the week.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Mixture
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup good Italian dressing (Newman’s Own recommended)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 15 oz can petite cut diced tomatoes (drained)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)
Sandwich Assembly
- 4 slices Provolone cheese
- 8 slices frozen garlic bread
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a 6-quart slow cooker. Drain the petite cut diced tomatoes and pour them on top of the chicken evenly.
- Mix Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes until well combined. Pour this mixture over the chicken and tomatoes in the slow cooker.
- Cook Chicken: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the chicken to become tender. After cooking, shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker and set the slow cooker to WARM to keep the chicken hot.
- Prepare Garlic Bread and Cheese: While the chicken is warming, bake the frozen garlic bread according to the package directions. During the last minute of baking, place one slice of Provolone cheese on four slices of the bread to allow the cheese to melt.
- Assemble Sandwiches: Stir the fresh chopped basil into the shredded Italian chicken for added freshness and flavor. Pile the shredded chicken mixture generously atop the four cheesy garlic bread slices. Top each sandwich with an additional slice of garlic bread to complete the sandwich, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a 6-quart slow cooker for best results.
- Draining the diced tomatoes prevents excess liquid in the slow cooker.
- Adjust red pepper flakes to taste for desired level of heat.
- For a crispier sandwich, toast the garlic bread slightly longer before adding cheese.
- Leftover chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and used in other dishes.
Keywords: slow cooker chicken sandwiches, Italian chicken sandwiches, easy slow cooker recipes, shredded chicken sandwiches, garlic bread sandwiches
