Crockpot Italian Chicken Sandwiches

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Crockpot Italian chicken sandwiches have a tomato sauce base and taste amazing piled high on a crusty bun with melted provolone cheese. This easy slowcooker dinner is a perfect make ahead meal for a busy weeknight.

A tomato sauce and shredded chicken sandwich has provolone cheese on a crusty bun.

Even if you work from home, getting dinner done can be such a challenge during the busiest nights.

With about 5 minutes of prep work I had this Crockpot Italian chicken sandwich filling cooking for dinner on a night I wasn't even going to be home to feed my family.

I left instructions on the counter for the kids to finish up the meal by themselves and it was a huge hit.

If you're hosting a big football party or need to feed a crowd during the holiday season, this would be an excellent main dish to keep warm on your counter!

Why This is the Best Recipe

I love easy slowcooker recipes but I think this is the best Crockpot Italian chicken sandwich recipe because:

  1. Dump and Go: I added everything to the crockpot in 5 minutes and left the house for the rest of the day. Dinner was done when my kids needed it.
  2. Rich and Saucy: Even with a simple jar of spaghetti sauce, this dish has so much flavor.
  3. Make Ahead and Freeze: You could easily make a huge batch, have some for dinner tonight and then freeze the leftovers for a heat and eat dinner another night.

Ingredients

The ingredients to make the Italian chicken sandwiches are on the counter next to a crockpot.

This quick and easy dinner only needs a handful of ingredients:

  • Chicken Breasts: I bought chicken breasts in bulk when they went on sale at the grocery store to make this filling. It kept the price of the whole dinner down!
  • Jarred Spaghetti Sauce: I used a jar of Rao's marinara but you can use whatever your family loves. An arrabiata sauce would add some heat or a vodka sauce would add some richness. Grab a jar of garlic lover's or onion-free if that's what your family needs.
  • Provolone Cheese Slices
  • Sandwich Buns for Serving: I bought fresh ciabatta buns from the bakery department, a crustier bun will hold up to all that sauce.
  • Butter
  • Garlic Salt
  • OPTIONAL: Spicy Italian Seasoning: I seasoned the chicken with this spicy Italian seasoning blend but I have substitution notes in the recipe card.

Season the Chicken

Spray the Crockpot with cooking spray and then place the chicken breasts inside.

I sprinkled this spicy Italian seasoning over the chicken and turned them over with a fork to coat both sides.

The chicken breasts are in the slowcooker and have had seasoning sprinkled over the top.

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Add the Tomato Sauce

Pour the jarred tomato sauce over the chicken. Use your forks to nestle the chicken so that the sauce seeps underneath all the pieces of meat.

The jar of spaghetti sauce has been poured over the chicken.

Crockpot Cooking Instructions

Cover the Crockpot and cook the Italian chicken on HIGH for 4 - 5 hours or on LOW for 7 - 8 hours.

The chicken should be fall-apart tender. I was able to break it up with just a pair of tongs.

The chicken has been cooked and then shredded right in the slowcooker.

Assemble the Sandwiches

This is the step that takes the sandwich from good to great.

Split open your crusty sandwich rolls. Spread them with softened butter and then add just a scant sprinkle of garlic salt over the top.

Place them under the oven broiler for 1 - 2 minutes or until the buns toast and the butter melts. This is like a quickie garlic bread treatment that adds amazing flavor and texture to your sandwich while helping the bread to hold up to all that sauce.

The crusty bun has been spread with butter and toasted under the broiler.

While the buns are still warm, add the provolone cheese. If you want it completely melted, you can pop it back under the broiler for 30 seconds or so but the heat from the chicken filling will also melt it.

Pile up the shredded chicken and enjoy your sandwich!

The chicken sandwich is open so you can see the chicken on top of the cheese and the golden brown toasted bun top.

Make Ahead and Freezing Tips

I threw everything into the crockpot at noon and then left the house for errands and meetings until very late in the evening. Dinner was hot and waiting for my family when they were ready to eat.

We had a ton leftover. I let it cool completely and then stored it in the freezer for another night.

Just thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight and then microwave it or warm it in a saucepan on the stove gently.

Variations

My family absolutely loved the Italian chicken sandwiches, they taste like chicken parmesan without the breaded coating.

You could use this same Italian chicken sandwich filling to make a simple Italian chicken pasta dish. Skip the buns altogether and just boil your favorite pasta shape. Toss the noodles with the chicken and sauce and sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top.

You could also add a chopped onion or chopped bell peppers if you wanted to have some easy veggies in the mix. They can cook right along with the chicken.

Serving Suggestions

The chicken sandwich has been cut in half so you can see the filling. It is on a plate with fresh pea pods.

On a super busy night like we had, go ahead and serve these sandwiches with a simple garden salad, a handful of potato chips, or even baby carrots and dill dip.

If you have a little more time to turn it into a more relaxed dinner, pair it with my roasted mini peppers or a platter of parmesan roasted asparagus.

Serving this for a party? You could pick one of these 30 easy side dishes for sandwiches!

More Crockpot Sandwiches

I love using my slowcooker to make sandwiches for feeding a crowd. Here are some more Crockpot sandwiches I think you'll love:

๐Ÿ“– Recipe

A tomato sauce and shredded chicken sandwich has provolone cheese on a crusty bun.

Crockpot Italian Chicken Sandwiches

Please Rate this Recipe
Tender and saucy slowcooker Italian chicken sandwich filling piled up in crusty buns makes for an excellent busy night dinner you can prep ahead for the fridge or even freeze for dinner another night.
TOTAL TIME 4 hours 5 minutes
PREP TIME 5 minutes
COOK TIME 4 hours
YIELD 12 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Italian Chicken Sandwich Filling

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon spicy Italian seasoning or a hefty sprinkle each of kosher salt, oregano, fennel seeds, garlic salt, and crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 (28 oz) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce we used Rao's marinara

For Serving the Sandwiches

  • 16 crusty sandwich rolls we used ciabatta rolls
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter softened
  • 16 slices provolone cheese

Instructions

Prepare the Italian Chicken Filling

  • Spray your Crockpot with cooking spray and place the chicken breasts in the pot.
  • Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken and turn to coat with a fork.
  • Pour the spaghetti sauce over the chicken. Nestle the pieces of chicken in the sauce so that the tomato sauce coats the bottom of the slowcooker and is layered between the pieces of meat.
  • Cover the lid and cook the chicken for 4 - 5 hours on HIGH or 6 -8 hours on LOW.
  • The chicken should be fall-apart tender. Use a pair of tongs to shred the meat and stir it into the sauce.

Prepare the Sandwiches

  • Preheat the oven broiler with the top rack 6 inches from the heating element.
  • Place the bun halves open face on a large baking sheet. Spread the butter evenly across all the halves.
  • Place the buttered bread under the broiler and toast it for 2 - 3 minutes until the butter has melted and the bread is golden brown. Watch them carefully, they can burn quickly.
  • Place the provolone cheese slices on one half of each bun and place the bread pan back under the broiler for 30 seconds to melt the cheese.
  • Pile the shredded chicken sandwich filling up on the buns and close the sandwiches.

Recipe Notes

Make Ahead Tips

This delicious and easy chicken sandwich filling can be made ahead and kept in the refridgerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
You can also freeze the chicken filling for up to 6 months. Be sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight before heating it up again.
Warm the Italian chicken up right in the slowcooker or on the stovetop in a saucepan.ย 
COURSEMain Dish
CUISINEItalian-American

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The photo collage shows the finished sandwich on a plate next to the ingredients needed to make it on the counter.

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