Pizza chicken is everything you love about pizza flavors but in a chicken dish that will be a hit with the whole family. I created this recipe to be cooked in the slow cooker with the mindset that you can have dinner on the table when you are ready to feed your family. There are minimal ingredients, but the flavor is so intense and delicious. This slow cooker pizza chicken can be served over pasta, with bread, a salad, or on it’s own. Any way you serve it up this slow cooker pizza chicken is going to become a new favorite for any weeknight dinner.

The sauce is made up of canned tomatoes, anchovies (a must), garlic, salt and pepper. Thats it! Its so simple but I am telling you that the flavor is just out of this world. The anchovies give the sauce a depth of salty flavor that is key for this simple dish if you ask me. If you simply cannot stand anchovies, then you can omit them, but I hope you will give them a try!

I like to sear off my chicken thighs in a skillet first if I have time to add extra flavor, but if you need to skip this step for time feel free. I simply sear off the chicken while I prep the sauce ingredients and then add the chicken right into the slow cooker, juices and all! Slow cook the chicken for 4-6 hours until the chicken is tender and the sauce is flavorful and then serve up with whatever sides you like!

Variations of this recipe:

• Use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs or a combo of the two.

• Use crushed tomatoes instead of whole canned tomatoes or any other canned tomatoes that you might have in your pantry.

• Use shredded mozzarella cheese instead of mozzarella balls.

• Omit red chile flakes for less of a kick to the sauce.

• Cook this stove top or in the oven in a large skillet instead of in a slow cooker.

• Add pepperonis to the chicken when the mozzarella is added for even more pizza flavor.

Ways to serve up the pizza chicken:

• Serve the pizza chicken over any pasta including spaghetti, orzo, bow-tie, penne, or any other shape you prefer.

• Serve alongside crusty bread for sopping up the sauce.

• Serve with a big green salad or another vegetable.

This slow cooker pizza chicken is sure to become a new favorite recipe and is so perfect for any weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 Lb. Chicken Thighs

• 1, 28 oz Can Whole Tomatoes

• 1, 15 oz Can Diced Tomatoes

• 2-3 Anchovy Filets, Diced

• 5 Finely Minced Garlic Cloves

• 1.5 Tsp. Kosher Salt

• 1 Tsp. Black Pepper

• 1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

• 1 Cup Mozzarella Pearls (mini mozzarella balls)

• Fresh Basil for serving

• Parmesan for serving

• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Directions:

• Add olive oil to a large skillet and season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

• Add chicken to a hot skillet and brown on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan.

• Meanwhile, add tomatoes, anchovies, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the slow cooker and stir, breaking up the whole tomatoes.

• Add in chicken along with any juices that may have collected into the tomato mixture and coat the chicken with the sauce.

• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

• The last 30 minutes of cook time, add the mozzarella balls, sprinkling all over the top of the chicken and place lid back on until cheese melts.

• To serve ladle out chicken and the sauce and serve alongside crusty bread and add basil leaves, red pepper flake, and parmesan.

This slow cooker pizza chicken is so delicious and versatile. I can’t wait for you to give this one a try!