This Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti is creamy, cheesy, and loved by the whole family! Tender chicken is coated in a rich white sauce and served over perfectly cooked noodles.
I absolutely love traditional spaghetti with a red meat sauce, but sometimes you want something creamy, but not chicken alfredo — you feel me? Today we’re making crockpot chicken spaghetti and man-oh-man it is DELICIOUS. Chicken cooks in a creamy white sauce with tons of veggies and is served over al denté spaghetti…YUM.
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs – or chicken breasts. Either way, they should be boneless and skinless. Chicken thighs are ofter cheaper than breasts and thighs will become more tender. Chicken breasts may dry out in the slow cooker, but they are still a great alternative.
- Onion – yellow onion is used in the recipe, but feel free to use white or red onion. Yellow and red onions will yield a sweeter flavor whereas white onion will have more of a “bite” to it.
- Bell Peppers: Red & Green – red bell pepper and green bell pepper are listed in the recipe, but any color of bell pepper will work. Green peppers are the most bitter, orange and yellow bell peppers are slightly sweeter, and red bell peppers are the sweetest.
- Spices: Dried Basil, Italian Seasoning, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Salt, and Pepper – our homemade seasoning blend that marries classic spaghetti flavors like basil and Italian seasoning with tex-mex inspired flavors like onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup – the base for our creamy white spaghetti sauce. Feel free to replace the condensed mushroom soup with another flavor such as chicken, celery, or any other “cream of” condensed soup.
- Cream Cheese and Sour Cream – both provide additional creaminess to the sauce while also adding a rich, tangy flavor to offset the richness of the mushroom soup. Be sure both are brought to room temperature before stirring them into the slow cooker to prevent lumps from forming.
- Cheddar Cheese – melts into the sauce to create an ooey-gooey texture and sharp cheesy flavor. Feel free to replace with YOUR favorite cheese — white cheddar, pepper-jack, gruyere, etc. Whatever flavor you choose, be sure to use a block cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses contain an anti-caking agent which prevents the cheese from melting smoothly.
- Parmesan Cheese – adds a nutty, sharp flavor to the sauce. Unlike the cheddar cheese, feel free to use a pre-grated variety. I also love using a “parmesan, asiago, romano” cheese blend for extra flavor.
- Spaghetti – cooked al denté according to box directions. The spaghetti shape holds up really nicely to the thick and creamy sauce, but any shaped pasta can be substituted. Whatever shape you choose, be sure to cook it al denté in salted water.
How to make
- In a 6 quart crockpot, stir together chicken thighs, onion, bell peppers, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, basil, salt, pepper, and mushroom soup until combined.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
- Stir in cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese.
- Shred or chop chicken, stir back into the crockpot, taste and re-season, then serve with cooked spaghetti and enjoy!
Can i put dry pasta in slow cooker?
You can, but for today’s recipe, we cook the pasta separately. There are so many variables when it comes to cooking dry pasta in a slow cooker: type of pasta, how much liquid, how many other ingredients are present, etc. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes – 2 1/2 hours, which is why I chose to cook the noodles separately today; it’s easier and the texture is honestly better!
Can you put raw chicken breasts in the slow cooker?
Yes! Place 2 pounds of uncooked chicken breasts or thighs into a slow cooker, cover, and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
Is it better to cook chicken on high or low in the crockpot?
Either is fine and you likely won’t be able to tell the difference between the two. Most crockpot chicken recipes will have you cook the chicken on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours, but be sure to read the directions for each specific recipe.
Variations
- Use chicken breasts instead of thighs. Both will taste absolutely delicious, so use whatever you have on hand. Thighs are often cheaper and will probably be more tender, but I personally always have chicken breasts on hand!
- Lighten it up. Use chicken breasts instead of thighs, light sour cream and cream cheese, halve the shredded cheese, and serve over whole wheat noodles or spaghetti squash.
- Make it Tex-Mex. Swap the spices for a packet or two of taco seasoning, use pepper-jack instead of cheddar, stir in black beans and corn with the pasta, and serve with fresh cilantro!
- Use a different pasta. Try penne, bow-tie, linguine — you name it, it’ll be great!
- Try fresh herbs. Serve with a sprinkle of freshly chopped basil, parsley, or cilantro.
What to serve with crockpot chicken spaghetti
Protein, veggies, carbs — check! Pair this complete meal with some bread, a salad, and fruit.
How to store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Keep the pasta separate for best results. I don’t recommend freezing the pasta.
To enjoy again, thaw overnight in the fridge, if frozen, then microwave or warm on the stove. Thin with a splash of milk or heavy cream if necessary.
– Jennifer
Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 (8 oz) block sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 (8 oz) tub sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 (16 oz) box spaghetti noodles cooked al denté according to box directions
Instructions
- Grease a 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray, add in chicken thighs, onion, bell peppers, basil, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and mushroom soup, then stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
- Remove chicken and set aside.
- To the crockpot, add in cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and parmesan cheese, then stir until all the cheeses have melted.
- Shred or chop chicken, then stir into the crockpot.
- Taste and re-season, then serve with cooked spaghetti* and enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Anonymous