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This slow cooker chicken spaghetti creamy, cheesy, and downright delicious! The chicken cooks low and slow until perfectly tender, then gets tossed in a cheesy sauce that clings to every strand of pasta. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner when you need something simple and easy!
For more slow cooker recipes, make my french onion crockpot chicken and slow cooker chicken enchiladas!
This slow cooker chicken spaghetti is the definition of cozy comfort food! It’s creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor in every bite. Best of all? It’s SO easy to make.
The chicken is perfectly seasoned, lightly seared, then cooked low and slow until it’s fall apart tender. Then there’s this creamy cheese sauce that forms as everything cooks in the slow cooker, hugging every noodle like a hug.
It’s a meal that the whole family will love and is a great recipe for days when you don’t feel like cooking! Just throw it together and let the crock pot do all of the work!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Family-approved comfort food! It’s rich and cheesy enough for the adults, mild enough for the kids, and guaranteed to disappear faster than you expect.
Built for real-life cooking. You can toss it in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to dinner that tastes like you actually worked for it. (Spoiler: it’s so easy)
It’s not your average chicken spaghetti. Most versions are bland or overly thick, but this one has layers of flavor, tender, seared chicken, and the most deliciously creamy, cheesy sauce.
Simple ingredients! This is not only an easy meal, but you likely have all of the ingredients needed to make this creamy crockpot chicken spaghetti!
Ingredients to Make Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts are the star of the show! They cook low and slow until super tender, soaking up all the creamy, rich flavors of the cheesy sauce.
- Chicken Broth adds savory flavor and keeps the sauce from being too thick. It balances the richness from all those creamy ingredients while helping everything stay silky smooth.
- Rotel tomatoes brings a punch of flavor! It’s canned diced tomatoes with green chilies – so it adds a nice little tang, a little spice, and a pop of color. It also cuts through the richness and keeps the dish from tasting flat.
- Cream of Chicken Soup adds tons of flavor while also helping to thicken the sauce.
- Spaghetti Noodles soak up the sauce tie the whole dish together! The starch from the pasta helps the sauce to cling to every bite! If you have leftovers, make my garlic parmesan pasta with chicken!
- Cream of mushroom soup adds a touch of earthy flavor and an extra layer of richness.
- Cream Cheese is my secret to that luscious, ultra-creamy sauce. It melts down and makes everything velvety with just a hint of tanginess.
- Whole Milk brings the sauce together so that it’s smooth and pourable. It balances the richness of the heavy cream and cream cheese, so it’s not overly thick.
- Bell peppers and onion add a nice bit of texture and aromatic flavors.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese makes this crockpot chicken spaghetti recipe extra cheesy and rich! As the cheese melts, it creates the most luscious sauce for the ultimate hearty meal.
Substitutions
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for a more meaty flavor.
- Add a little sour cream for a touch of tangy flavor!
- Use a different cheese like mozzarella or colby jack. The flavors are more subtle but still ultra creamy.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten free pasta instead.
How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti
Step 1: In a large bowl, pat chicken dry and season with smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Toss to ensure that all of the chicken is coated in the seasonings.
Step 2: Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Let the skillet warm for 2-3 minutes, then place chicken breasts in the skillet and sear for about 5 minutes per side. Add in chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan (scrape the bits off of the bottom). Remove from heat.
Step 3: Add rotel, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, garlic paste, onion, bell pepper, Italian seasoning, and seasoned salt to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add in the chicken broth from the skillet and whisk together, then place the chicken into the sauce mixture. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and able to be shredded.
Step 4: Remove chicken from the slow cooker and place onto a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
Step 5: Add cream cheese, whole milk, and heavy cream into the slow cooker and place the spaghetti into the sauce, ensuring that it is fully submerged. Cook on high for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the spaghetti is tender. Add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker along with lemon juice and hot sauce. Add the shredded cheddar cheese on top and cover for a few minutes so that it can melt. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil.
Pro Cooking Tips
- Pasta undercooked? Add a splash of broth, give it a stir, and continue cooking in 10-minute increments until tender.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Add the spaghetti only once the sauce is creamy and the chicken’s been shredded. Check for tenderness around the 30-minute mark to keep it from turning mushy.
- Avoid watery sauce. If your sauce looks thin, leave the lid slightly cracked during the last 20 minutes of cooking. This lets steam escape and thickens the sauce naturally.
- Keep an eye on salt. Between the soups, broth, and seasoned salt, the sodium can add up fast. Taste before adding extra salt to keep the flavors balanced.
- Add cheese at the very end. Stir in shredded cheddar once everything’s done cooking. Adding it too soon can make the sauce grainy or greasy.
- Sauce too thick? Stir in a little extra milk or broth until it loosens up to your liking. The pasta will keep absorbing liquid as it sits.
How To Serve
Ok, my favorite part, time to eat! Serve this slow cooker chicken spaghetti straight from the pot while it’s piping hot and extra creamy. I like to top it with a little more cheddar and a sprinkle of fresh parsley for that cozy, homemade touch.
A side of garlic bread is non-negotiable, it’s perfect for scooping up every bit of that cheesy sauce. You can also pair it with some roasted veggies or blackened corn for even more bold flavor. If you like a little kick, hit it with a few dashes of hot sauce or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can also use linguine, fettuccine, or even penne. Just keep an eye on the cook time. Thicker pastas may need a few extra minutes to fully cook.
Absolutely. Skip the searing step and stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken during the final 30 minutes of cooking, just before adding the cheese. It’s a great shortcut for busy nights.
Make sure the liquids (broth, milk, and cream) are added before the pasta, and stir well so everything coats evenly. If it thickens too much, just splash in a little more broth or milk until creamy again.
Yes! You can cook the chicken and sauce a day in advance, then refrigerate it. When ready to serve, cook the pasta on the stovetop and add to the sauce just before serving.
You can swap it for another can of cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup. It’ll still be creamy and flavorful without the mushroom taste.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
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Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
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Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
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Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
Main Course
Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs
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Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken Breasts
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 cup Chicken Broth, (to deglaze the pan)
Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti
- 10 oz Rotel
- 10.5 oz Cream of Chicken Soup
- 10.5 oz Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 tbsp Garlic Paste
- 1 large Yellow Onion, (sliced)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, (diced)
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 16 oz Spaghetti
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Hot Sauce
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, (shredded)
- Fresh Parsley or Basil, (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, pat chicken dry and season with smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Toss to ensure that all of the chicken is coated in the seasonings. 2 lbs Chicken Breasts 2 tsp Onion Powder 1 tsp Smoked Paprika 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley 1 tsp Seasoned Salt 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Let the skillet warm for 2-3 minutes, then place chicken breasts in the skillet and sear for about 5 minutes per side. Add in chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan (scrape the bits off of the bottom). Remove from heat. 1 cup Chicken Broth
- Add rotel, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, garlic paste, onion, bell pepper, Italian seasoning, and seasoned salt to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add in the chicken broth from the skillet and whisk together, then place the chicken into the sauce mixture. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and able to be shredded. 10 oz Rotel 10.5 oz Cream of Chicken Soup 10.5 oz Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 tbsp Garlic Paste 1 large Yellow Onion 1 Red Bell Pepper 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker and place onto a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
- Add cream cheese, whole milk, and heavy cream into the slow cooker and place the spaghetti into the sauce, ensuring that it is fully submerged. Cook on high for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the spaghetti is tender. 4 oz Cream Cheese 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk 1/4 cup Heavy Cream 16 oz Spaghetti
- Add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker along with lemon juice and hot sauce. Add the shredded cheddar cheese on top and cover for a few minutes so that it can melt. Garnish with fresh parsley. 1 tbsp Lemon Juice 1 tbsp Hot Sauce 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese Fresh Parsley or Basil
Notes
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Add the spaghetti only once the sauce is creamy and the chicken’s been shredded. Check for tenderness around the 30-minute mark to keep it from turning mushy.
- Avoid watery sauce. If your sauce looks thin, leave the lid slightly cracked during the last 20 minutes of cooking. This lets steam escape and thickens the sauce naturally.
- Keep an eye on salt. Between the soups, broth, and seasoned salt, the sodium can add up fast. Taste before adding extra salt to keep the flavors balanced.
- Add cheese at the very end. Stir in shredded cheddar once everything’s done cooking. Adding it too soon can make the sauce grainy or greasy.
- Sauce too thick? Stir in a little extra milk or broth until it loosens up to your liking. The pasta will keep absorbing liquid as it sits.
- Pasta undercooked? Add a splash of broth, give it a stir, and continue cooking in 10-minute increments until tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
