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Crockpot Italian Chicken and Peppers is a healthy, delicious dinner that’s versatile and customizable. Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, pasta or greens. A weeknight dinner recipe the whole family will love!

shredded chicken and sliced bell peppers in a slow cooker.
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This is Crockpot Italian Chicken and Peppers is a spin on my crockpot chicken taco bowl recipe. It’s a dinner recipe I make all the time because it’s simple, easy and a higher protein recipe while being big on flavor and low on calories.

Just toss the ingredients in a crockpot, go to work and when you come home from work it’s ready to eat. Get more of the best high protein crockpot recipes here!

Plate over some rice, cauliflower rice or bowl of greens (if you’re doing low-carb or Paleo) and enjoy a home cooked dinner!

Probably one of the easiest recipes you can make. Best part is it’s healthy, lower calorie and gluten free!

shredded chicken with peppers and marinara in a slow cooker

What I Love About This Healthy Chicken and Pepper Recipe

  • Easy – This recipe is one you can throw in a slow cooker and it’s ready to eat for dinner. The only prep you need to do is slicing the bell peppers which I do ahead of time.
  • Versatile – You can easily swap out ingredients to make this recipe your own and choose to serve it any way you like to make it fit your dietary needs.
  • Simple Ingredients – The ingredients are super simple and easy to find.
  • Low Calorie – Each serving is just a 202 calories. The high volume of vegetables combined with the chicken breast makes this a higher protein makes this recipe nutrient dense and naturally lower in calorie.
  • Higher Protein – Each serving has 27 grams of protein. The higher water volume from the bell peppers combined with the lean chicken breast combination makes it more filling.
  • Higher Fiber – Each serving has 5 grams of fiber. Fiber keeps you fuller longer!
bowl of sliced bell peppers and bowl of raw chicken breasts

Crockpot Italian Chicken & Peppers Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this healthy chicken and pepper crockpot recipe. You will also need a slow cooker that’s 6-quart or larger.

  • Chicken Breasts (I get organic, pasture-raised chicken from ButcherBox).
  • Bell Peppers
  • Marinara Sauce
  • Italian Seasoning

For the full ingredient measurements and nutritional data, scroll to the bottom of this post to the recipe card where these details are.

chicken breast and marinara in a slow cooker

How To Make Healthy Chicken and Peppers In A Slow Cooker

This is one of the simplest recipes I’ve ever made and it’s one I make repeat!

Step One – Layer the sliced bell peppers, chicken breasts and seasonings in a slow cooker. Pour the marinara sauce over the top.

Step Two – Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours.

Step Three – Once cooked, remove the cover and place the chicken breasts on a plate. Shred the chicken breasts with two forks. Add it back to the slow cooker. Stir to mix with the sauce and peppers.

Step Four – Serve any way you want it and enjoy!

slow cooker with shredded chicken and sliced bell peppers

Can You Make Chicken and Peppers In An Instant Pot?

Yes, you can make this healthy chicken and pepper recipe in an Instant Pot! The Instant Pot chicken and pepper recipe. It’s just as simple a the slow cooker version.

How To Serve Italian Chicken and Peppers

Here’s a few options for serving your healthy Italian chicken and pepper recipe.

  • Rice – Serving over white or brown rice is my favorite way to enjoy Italian chicken and peppers.
  • Cauliflower Rice – For a lower carb or Paleo version, this is a great option. I also like to do half cauliflower rice and regular rice for a higher volume and higher fiber meal.
  • Greens – This recipe is delicious served warm over a bed of your favorite greens.
  • Pasta – High protein pasta, chickpea pasta, lentil pasta, black bean pasta are all great options for enjoying this meal.
  • Zucchini or Spaghetti Squash – Spiralized zucchini or roasted spaghetti squash is another great option for serving this that’s lower carb and Paleo friendly.

Substitutions For Crockpot Italian Chicken and Peppers

Here’s the ingredient substitutions you can make for this low calorie chicken and pepper slow cooker recipe! Remember when you make substitutions it will change the nutritional values you see in the recipe card below.

  • Chicken Breast – You can use chicken thighs, pork tenderloin, turkey breasts, turkey tenderloin or lean cuts of beef.
  • Marinara Sauce – You can use any type of spaghetti sauce you enjoy with this recipe. You can also use this homemade tomato sauce instead.
  • Italian Seasoning – Italian seasoning is made of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram. You can use these individual spices instead if you do not have Italian seasoning. I also like to add a touch of crushed red peppers to this meal for a bit of spice.
  • Bell Peppers – If bell peppers do not work for you, I recommend adding spiralized zucchini or roasted spaghetti squash instead.
white place with rice and shredded chicken

More Healthy Crockpot Meals

Crockpot chicken and peppers on a white plate.
5 from 9 votes
Servings: 4 servings

Crockpot Chicken and Peppers

A healthy home-cooked dinner can’t get any easier than this crockpot chicken and peppers. It’s packed with protein and flavor and only requires a few hours in the slow cooker.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 20 minutes
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Equipment

  • Crockpot

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Layer the sliced bell peppers, chicken breasts and seasonings in a slow cooker. Pour the marinara sauce over the top.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
  • Once cooked, remove the cover and place the chicken breasts on a plate. Shred the chicken breasts with two forks. Add it back to the slow cooker. Stir to mix with the sauce and peppers.
  • Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, over pasta, or a bed of greens.

Video

Notes

  • Add the peppers in the last 30 minutes of cook time if you want them to still have a little crunch.
  • Cook the chicken until it reaches 165°F, then promptly remove and shred it. Overcooked chicken will be tough and chewy. 
  • Use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer to shred the chicken instead of doing it by hand.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 942mg, Potassium: 1178mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 2820IU, Vitamin C: 168mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Megan

Megan is a nutritionist who coaches women 35+ lose weight sustainably. She is the author of the Low Calorie Cookbook, fitness instructor, host of the Dish On Ditching Diets Podcast and creator of Skinny Fitalicious where you get lighter, higher protein recipes. Follow Megan on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram for the latest updates.

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51 Comments

  1. Ivana says:

    Hi! This looks divine. Im wondering if you have any idea how i would go about cooking this in an instant pot? Im new to the instant pot game and dont have a crockpot and neeed to cook this asap
    Thanks so much

    1. Megan says:

      I haven’t tried it in the Instant Pot, but most IP’s do have a slow cooker function so maybe check that out!

  2. Melissa says:

    I came across this recipe last night, and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, so I made it for dinner tonight, served over rice. It was delicious! It’s going into my collection of slow-cooker recipes!

  3. shawnta Pascal says:

    I happen to make this on accident one day . I was tired of making the same meals for my family so I put chicken ,peppers and onions in my crockpot I added ragu 7 herb and other spices and my family loves it I even cut up potatoes and il add kidney beans sometimes and other veggies . It’s a great way to get kids to eat them

    1. Megan says:

      Glad you liked it! I’ve heard from multiple parents that kids love this recipe.

  4. Michelle says:

    I throw frozen chicken in the slow cooker. We use the Foster Farms thin chicken breasts (purchased from Costco); and, in my own experience, the chicken isn’t tough. Perhaps it’s because the breasts are thin, but it’s really easy to pull apart with forks at the end and tastes delicious!

    1. Megan says:

      Good to know, I haven’t tried it. I always assumed it would water down the other ingredients.

  5. Jane Pashby says:

    Can I use frozen Chicken or will it be too watery?

    1. Megan says:

      I wouldn’t recommend it. Chicken gets tough and weird when it’s not thawed first.

  6. Shelley Maldonado says:

    I have made this a few times and always turns out great. My grandson says he loves it when Grammy makes things in her “crocodile” pot! Love that kid! He is here with me today and told me he would help Grammy get out the Crocodile!
    Thanks for such a great recipe for this cold blizzard day!

  7. Conor@ OvenCleanTeam says:

    I tried to recreate it but added raw garlic and fresh dill at the end. Turned out pretty good! Thank you Megan, you are a goddess!

  8. Mari says:

    I have a 2 qt crockpot that my daughter gave me for Christmas and I still haven’t used. I keep finding these huge recipes. So, can I make this halved? Only use two peppers, and 6 oz of chicken? That will still last me about 4 meals. I bet it is good with an Italian roll instead of lettuce or rice, or over a small portion of pasta. I only use all natural non-hormone fed meat, but very little. Can you add some garlic and onion?

    1. Megan says:

      Yes, you can half the ingredients and add garlic and onion!

  9. Nae says:

    How is the servings measured? Is 1 cup 1 serving?

    1. Megan says:

      I don’t know how many cups. I place in separate containers to count & seperate the servings.

  10. Sue says:

    Can you double this recipe if you have a6Qt crockpot. I have to cook for a crowd and they can’t have dairy. This would be perfect!

    1. Megan says:

      I’m sure you could. They will love it!