This Spaghetti Slow Cooker Chicken is the ultimate comfort food meal, famously known in many households as “Chicken Spaghetti.” It combines tender shredded chicken, a creamy and cheesy sauce, and a hint of spice from green chiles for a dinner that warms you from the inside out.
With a rich, velvety texture and savory flavors that develop slowly over hours, this dish is a crowd-pleasing favorite that requires minimal effort.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: This dish is incredibly creamy and savory, with a depth of flavor from the cream soups and Italian seasoning, plus a subtle zesty kick from the tomatoes with green chiles.
- Texture: Tender strands of spaghetti are coated in a thick, luscious cheese sauce studded with soft shredded chicken and onions.
- Time: 10 minutes prep, 3–4 hours on High (or 6–8 hours on Low) cook time.
- Difficulty: Very Easy. It is a classic “dump and go” slow cooker recipe.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a standard slow cooker (crock pot) to cook the chicken and sauce base. You will also need a large pot on the stovetop to boil the spaghetti separately. Two forks are helpful for shredding the chicken right in the pot. The ingredients rely on convenient pantry staples like canned soups and tomatoes to create a rich sauce without a roux.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Breasts – You need 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They cook slowly in the sauce until they are tender enough to pull apart effortlessly.
- Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles – Use a 10 oz can and do not drain it. The liquid adds moisture and flavor. This ingredient (often Rotel brand) adds a signature zest to the dish.
- Cream Soups – A combination of cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup creates the velvety base of the sauce.
- Onion & Garlic – Diced onion and minced garlic provide the aromatic foundation for the slow-cooked sauce.
- Cream Cheese – Diced cream cheese is added at the end to make the sauce exceptionally smooth and rich.
- Cheddar Cheese – Shredded cheddar adds a sharp, savory punch and that classic orange hue to the cheesy sauce.
- Italian Seasoning – This herb blend ties the flavors together.
- Spaghetti – A standard 16 oz package is the perfect amount of pasta for the volume of sauce produced.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Spice Level – The tomatoes with green chiles add a mild heat. If you prefer it spicy, you can add a diced jalapeño or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Vegetables – Diced bell peppers or celery can be added at the beginning with the onions for extra veggie crunch.
- Pasta Shapes – While spaghetti is traditional, angel hair or rotini pasta also works well with this thick sauce.
How to Make Spaghetti Slow Cooker Chicken
- Combine Base Ingredients: Add the chicken breasts, undrained diced tomatoes with green chiles, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, diced onion, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning to the crock pot.
- Slow Cook: Cover the pot and cook on High for 3-4 hours or on Low for 6-8 hours. The chicken should be cooked through and very tender.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot, shred them using two forks, and return the meat back to the crock pot.
- Melt Cheeses: Stir in the diced cream cheese and the grated cheddar cheese. Cover and cook on Low for another 20-30 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and combined with the sauce.
- Cook Pasta: While the cheese is melting, cook the spaghetti noodles in a pot of boiling water according to the package directions to al dente. Drain the pasta.
- Combine and Serve: Stir the cooked spaghetti noodles into the crock pot mixture until everything is evenly coated. Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tip: Dice your cream cheese into small cubes before adding it to the hot liquid. Large blocks of cold cream cheese take a long time to melt and can leave lumps in your sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Overcook Pasta: Since the pasta will be stirred into the hot sauce, cook it just until tender. If it is too soft before mixing, it might break apart in the thick sauce.
- Use Freshly Grated Cheese: For the smoothest sauce, grate your own cheddar cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that can sometimes make the sauce grainy.
- Stir Well: After adding the cheeses, give it a really good stir to ensure the cream soups and melted cheeses emulsify into a uniform sauce.
FAQs
- Can I cook the dry pasta in the slow cooker? This specific recipe works best by boiling the pasta separately. Cooking dry pasta in the thick sauce can lead to uneven texture and gummy noodles.
- Can I use chicken thighs? Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs are a great substitute and will stay very juicy during the long cook time.
- How do I store leftovers? Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may need to add a splash of water or broth when reheating as the pasta will absorb the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
- Garlic Bread: A slice of buttery garlic bread is perfect for scooping up any extra cheese sauce.
- Green Salad: A crisp garden salad with a vinaigrette helps cut through the richness of the creamy pasta.
- Vegetables: Steamed broccoli or green beans make a great healthy side dish.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Prep: You can dice the onions and measure out the spices the night before.
- Freezing: This dish freezes surprisingly well. You can freeze the sauce with the chicken (before adding pasta) or freeze the completed dish in individual portions for easy lunches.
Spaghetti Slow Cooker Chicken
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
Description
This Spaghetti Slow Cooker Chicken is the ultimate comfort food meal, famously known in many households simply as “Chicken Spaghetti.” It combines tender shredded chicken, a creamy and cheesy sauce, and a hint of spice from green chiles for a dinner that warms you from the inside out. With a rich, velvety texture and savory flavors that develop slowly over hours, this dish is a crowd-pleasing favorite that requires minimal effort just dump the ingredients in and let the slow cooker do the work.
Ingredients
The Slow Cooker Base
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (e.g., Rotel), do not drain
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
The Cheesy Finish & Pasta
- 4 ounces cream cheese, diced into small cubes
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 package (16 oz) spaghetti noodles
Instructions
Combine Base Ingredients
In the slow cooker, add the chicken breasts, undrained diced tomatoes with green chiles, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, diced onion, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning. Give it a quick stir to mix the soups slightly around the chicken.
Slow Cook
Cover and cook on High for 3–4 hours or on Low for 6–8 hours. The chicken should be completely cooked through and tender enough to shred.
Shred Chicken
Remove the chicken breasts from the pot. Shred them using two forks (or a hand mixer), then return the meat to the slow cooker.
Melt Cheeses
Add the diced cream cheese and the shredded Cheddar cheese to the slow cooker. Stir well. Cover and cook on Low for another 20–30 minutes, or until the cheeses are fully melted and the sauce is creamy.
Cook Pasta
While the cheese melts, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
Combine and Serve
Add the cooked spaghetti directly into the slow cooker. Toss efficiently with tongs until every noodle is coated in the thick, cheesy sauce. Serve hot.
Notes
Dice the Cream Cheese: Do not throw in a solid block of cold cream cheese. Dicing it into small cubes ensures it melts evenly into the sauce without leaving lumpy white bits.
Pasta Method: Cook the pasta separately on the stovetop. Cooking dry spaghetti directly in this thick sauce usually results in gummy, unevenly cooked noodles.
Grate Your Own: For the smoothest sauce, buy a block of Cheddar and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can make the sauce slightly grainy.
Spice Level: The tomatoes with green chiles add a very mild kick. If you want it spicy, add a diced jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne pepper in step 1.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American Comfort Food
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving (approx. 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: crockpot chicken spaghetti, slow cooker pasta, creamy chicken pasta, easy weeknight dinners, dump and go recipes, rotel chicken spaghetti, cheesy chicken noodles
