I’m in the middle of a very busy and sometimes stressful season. My slow cooker is doing overtime at the moment and all I can say is that my family would not have dinner on the table without it. And I must say, this clean eating slow cooker spinach and chicken recipe is smelling up my house pretty nicely. Yum!
Seriously, whoever invented the slow cooker (I really should research that) should have a monument raised in their honor. I could just kiss him or her.
I mean really. A slow cooker is SUCH a beautiful thing. It does all my hard work for me. It cooks my dinner all day long and when I get home from class, it has a warm and wonderfully aromatic meal awaiting my tired self. It’s a beautiful thing. Jussayin’.
If you like the flavor of spinach, you’ll love this dish. The flavor it imparts is strong and earthy. The tomatoes offer up a bit of lightness to the dish, but this is definitely a spinach lovers dinner!
THIS RECIPE HAS BEEN:
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY THESE CLEAN EATING RECIPES:
CLEAN EATING SLOW COOKER SPINACH AND CHICKEN RECIPE:
This simple dish is easy to make, totally healthy and even cooks itself!
- 32 oz. chicken breasts
- 1 lb. frozen spinach
- 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (18 oz.) jar marinara (your favorite sauce)
Place all ingredients in a 5 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. It's done when the chicken easily falls apart.
Note: Times will vary based on your slow cooker. All slow cookers cook differently.
Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.
Kelly Schaefer says
November 7, 2011 at 4:46 amQuick question: are these bone-in chicken breasts or boneless? It sounds delish and I would love to try this! Kelly
Anonymous says
November 7, 2011 at 4:01 pmKelly – They are boneless and skinless. Enjoy!
Christy Maultsby Flanagan says
November 7, 2011 at 6:48 amI love this line.. “Seriously, whoever invented the crock pot (I really should research that) should have a monument raised in their honor.” This is sooo true!
Anonymous says
November 7, 2011 at 4:02 pmChristy – Haha!! YES! It IS true! I think I’ll go do that research now….
Atmaggio says
November 7, 2011 at 8:13 amI will definitely try this recipe tomorrow! What are some clean jarred marinara brands?
Anonymous says
November 7, 2011 at 4:02 pmAtmaggio – What stores do you have in your area? Do you have a Trader Joe’s?
Trailgetter says
November 7, 2011 at 11:55 amI like shredded chicken.
I throw onions, garlic, and olive oil on the bottom of the crock pot. Top with frozen chicken breast (boneless/skinless). Pour over green chili salsa. Cooks all day while I’m at work and then stuff the mixture into whole grain tortillas. Yummmmy.
Anonymous says
November 7, 2011 at 4:03 pmTrailgetter – Oh my. I might have to come to your house for dinner….
Anonymous says
November 7, 2011 at 4:04 pmHelen – The measurements were based on frozen spinach. You can use fresh, but you’ll have to guestimate how much. I’m not really sure. But yes, fresh will work.
Anonymous says
November 11, 2011 at 7:24 pmMaris – I’m so happy you all enjoyed it!
Anonymous says
November 11, 2011 at 8:54 pmKelli – That’s wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Cori says
November 14, 2011 at 10:29 pmI made this today…super yummy, especially with couscous!! and there was enough for leftovers. woohoo!!
Anonymous says
November 16, 2011 at 11:43 amCori – Fantastic!
CleanFanatic says
November 25, 2011 at 10:09 amSaw this recipe featured on Tosca’s blog and it looks super yummy! Just one question…. Do you drain the water from the frozen spinach or just throw it in as is? Thanks!
Anonymous says
November 25, 2011 at 10:15 amCF – When I made this, I just tossed in the frozen spinach. However, I have since found out that it’s not safe to put frozen foods in a slow cooker because it takes to long for the cooker to reach a safe temperature. So if you thaw it in a fine-meshed sieve, allowing the water to drain, it should work well. Enjoy!
Anonymous says
December 2, 2011 at 8:29 pmRae – The “watery” factor will depend on how much water was pumped in to the chicken you used. Sadly, this is common practice with most cuts of meat these days.
All slow cookers cook at the same temperature. The difference between high and low is not the temperature, but rather how long it takes to get to that temperature. You could certainly try it, but be sure to lengthen the overall cooking time. Enjoy!
Anonymous says
December 6, 2011 at 11:26 amCassi – No, cooking on high for half the time won’t work. Slow cookers don’t work in that way. Yes, other greens would work. You can also throw in other veggies as well. It’s okay to be creative!
Anonymous says
December 10, 2011 at 1:47 amCarrie – When I wrote this recipe, I used frozen spinach. But since then, I’ve learned that it’s not a good idea to use frozen food in a slow cooker. So I recommend thawing first. It might be a good idea to drain it, but not necessary to the outcome of the recipe. Enjoy!
Anonymous says
January 5, 2012 at 3:40 pmChristina – Excellent! Glad you both enjoyed it!
Mrs. Lusignan says
January 7, 2012 at 5:12 pmI can’t wait to try this!! I am trying it Tuesday Night!!! We really need some good chicken recipes that don’t dry the chicken out!!!
Anonymous says
January 9, 2012 at 12:29 amMrs. Lusignan – Then I think you’ll enjoy this! It’s anything but dry. 🙂
Anonymous says
January 13, 2012 at 9:13 pmEileen – Welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Anonymous says
January 16, 2012 at 2:15 pmDaisy – Certainly! But you’d have to eyeball the difference. I’m not sure what the conversion would be on that. Enjoy!
graciouspantry says
March 18, 2012 at 9:12 pmDelia – Anything that doesn’t have unpronounceable ingredients or added sugar in the list. (not the percentages) Tomatoes, garlic and olive oil are fine. Corn syrup, or maltodextrin are not. I hope that makes sense.
graciouspantry says
May 9, 2012 at 3:12 pmMuffin – Hahaha!!! Love that!
graciouspantry says
October 10, 2012 at 7:08 pmAbout 28 to 32 ounces raw.
Charley says
October 14, 2012 at 7:48 pmSo I live in an area where wild game is our main source of food. Will this recipe work with wild bird?
graciouspantry says
October 15, 2012 at 11:49 amSure!
graciouspantry says
October 19, 2012 at 5:29 pmYou can cut it in half, but only if you use a smaller slow cooker. Mine was a 5 quart, so if you cut it in half, use a 2 or 3 quart pot. No, you don’t have to drain the tomatoes. Enjoy!
Cristi Lewis says
November 21, 2012 at 8:56 amI tried this yesterday and LOVED it! I will be trying more of your recipes, especially if they’re as easy as this one! Thank you!
Always Eat Clean says
February 12, 2013 at 2:25 pmdo you think fresh spinach (not frozen) would work in this dish? i always have a lot of this on hand but never frozen. Thanks! looks delicious 🙂
The Gracious Pantry says
February 12, 2013 at 7:38 pmSure! But I would double up on the measurements.
Cooking Disaster says
January 4, 2014 at 2:33 pmI made this yesterday and it was okay. It was extremely watery and kind of bland. I used frozen spinach and did not let it thaw so that is probably why it turned out this way. I know it says not to put frozen things in the crock pot but I did and I am fine. I will definitely thaw it and drain the spinach next time as well as add lots of spices next time.
The Gracious Pantry says
January 4, 2014 at 8:32 pmCD – Sorry it didn’t work out!
brett says
March 15, 2014 at 2:54 pmwhen I go to the grocery store is there a jar of marinara that says clean marinara?
The Gracious Pantry says
March 15, 2014 at 8:20 pmBrett – No. You have to read ingredient labels. That’s part of clean eating.
Elina says
August 4, 2014 at 6:09 pmI love this recipe! I’m a full time student, and I work several evenings per week, and I make a batch up on this at the beginning of the week and get so many meals out of the one batch! It’s such a hearty meal and healthy too, ticks every box for me 🙂
The Gracious Pantry says
August 4, 2014 at 6:34 pmElina – I’m so happy you’re enjoying it! 😀
Susan says
September 23, 2014 at 10:08 amI’m new to your blog. The recipes all sound delicious but I have a question…. what do you mean when you say ” clean” sauce or “clean” marinara,etc ?
The Gracious Pantry says
September 23, 2014 at 10:21 pmSusan – Welcome! Clean eating is about avoiding processed foods. So here’s how to read nutrition labels at the store when you are trying to find a clean sauce, or anything else: https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/reading-labels-for-clean-eating/ . I hope that helps!