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Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti
October 13, 2021
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This Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe is a creamy, cheesy, southwestern family favorite! Cook the sauce for a few hours, shred the chicken and then toss with pasta. Based on the Original Classic Chicken Spaghetti, this is a simpler version because it is made in a slow cooker. Woot!
A Slow Cooker Version of Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
I love a good slow cooker recipe. Beef Stew? Yes. Italian Chicken Pasta? Absolutely. Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti? BINGO! On busy days, I love using a crockpot to cook all sorts of meals. It’s a huge timesaver and gives you that slow cooked flavor everyone loves. Set it and forget it.
This Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti is no different. Add raw chicken breasts, onions and peppers to a cold crockpot. Stir in green chiles, cream of chicken soup and a healthy amount of cheese and let it cook. After several hours, you have pull-apart-tender chicken in a super tasty sauce. Toss it all together with some spaghetti, add more cheese and you have a seriously good meal.
Easy Substitutions
While I love this recipe as written, I understand we don’t always have everything on hand all the time. Here are some simple substitutions you can make.
- Yellow Onion – any onion can work here! White onion, red onion or even shallots.
- Bell Peppers – I used red and green but feel free to use whatever color you’d like. All green, all red, yellow or orange, whatever. They all give the same kind of flavor.
- Green Chiles – I just used mild green chiles with all of its juices. Yum! Feel free to omit OR if you want things a little spicier, you can use fresh or pickled jalapenos.
- Chicken Breasts – I like to use chicken breasts but you could also use chicken thighs here. They are a little higher in fat but are also less likey to dry out if cooked for too long.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – lots of delicious flavor and fats in this that are essential to keeping your chicken moist. You can also use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup here. The spices plus the flavors from the other ingredients are mostly what flavor this dish, so try not to worry too much about the kind of soup.
- Spaghetti – Since this is cheesy chicken SPAGHETTI, I’d recommend using spaghetti pasta, but any kind of pasta would work in its place. Fettuccine, angel hair, even macaroni or rigatoni.
- Cheddar Cheese – Monterey jack, pepper jack, white cheddar or a Mexican blend all work well. Use what you have. Mozzarella is a great cheese that gets really stringy, but doesn’t have that much flavor. You can definitely do half mozzarella and half cheddar to get the best of both worlds.
How to Make Chicken Spaghetti in a Crockpot
For full details on how to make Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti, see the recipe card down below 🙂
Add Chicken and Sauce Ingredients to Crockpot
Place the chopped onion and bell peppers into the cold crockpot first, then add the chicken breasts. Top chicken with cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, green chiles, cream of chicken soup, and 1 cup of grated cheese.
Cook then Shred Chicken
Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, low for 5-6 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken breasts, shred and return to crockpot. The cooking time will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are. For a quicker cook time, consider slicing your chicken breasts in half lengthwise so they are thinner.
What’s the Best Way to Keep Chicken from drying out in the Crockpot?
The answer to this question has two parts: (1) not overcooking and (2) having enough liquid or sauce. Missing one or both of these tips will give you dry chicken. Because chicken breasts are low in fat, they are prone to drying out. Whether you cook on the high function for a shorter amount of time or on the low function for longer, make sure you aren’t overcooking and have enough moisture in the crockpot.
BUT, lucky for you, it’s super hard to get dry chicken with this recipe! The cream of chicken soup plus all that cheese and the moisture from the veggies helps keep the chicken moist. If you’re worried about it, though, feel free to add in chicken stock when you’re tossing everything together with the spaghetti right before serving.
Cook Spaghetti
About 20 minutes before the chicken is done, start boiling some water on the stove to cook your spaghetti. Cook spaghetti according to package directions (I like mine al dente) then drain.
Can I Cook the Dry Pasta in the Crockpot?
I would highly discourage this method. I’ve found that cooking pasta in a slow cooker yields a starchy finished product. Whenever you cook pasta, starch is released from that pasta. Whether you’re cooking it in water or in a sauce, starch will come out of it. For this recipe, I suggest cooking it in water instead of directly in the sauce (so you can pour off that starchy water) and then tossing it together with the sauce.
Toss Spaghetti with Sauce
Pour in cooked spaghetti and remaining cheese. Toss to coat the pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock where necessary to get the sauce to the consistency you want. Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.
Storing + Reheating Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge! To reheat, simply zap in the microwave until heated through.
Can You Freeze This Recipe?
YES, you can freeze this recipe uncooked and after being cooked. Here are the directions: Place onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, chicken soup, and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a large plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze for up to three months. To cook, defrost in the fridge overnight, place in crockpot, and cook according to the directions listed in the recipe card.
Alternatively, freeze cooked chicken spaghetti in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to three months. When you’re ready to serve thaw in the fridge then reheat individual servings in the microwave or the whole thing in the oven until heated through.
What Goes with Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti?
Since this Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti recipe is more on the decadent side, I like to keep the side dishes more fresh. Here are some ideas:
More Pasta Recipes to Try!
Be sure to check out all of my other pasta recipes for more dinner ideas. Here are a couple reader favorites:
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Southwest Chicken Pasta Casserole
- Taco Noodle Casserole
- Pimento Mac and Cheese
The printable recipe card is down below. Hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe
This Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe is a creamy, cheesy family favorite! Cook the sauce for a few hours and then toss with pasta.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup yellow onion diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper diced
- 4 oz mild diced green chiles 1 small can
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 lb chicken breasts 2 breasts
- 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup 1 can
- 3/4-1 lb spaghetti cooked
- 3 cups cheddar cheese grated
- a few splashes chicken stock optional
Instructions
- Place onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a crock-pot. Stir to mix ingredients.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken breasts, shred and return to crock-pot.
- Pour in cooked spaghetti and remaining cheese. Toss to coat pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock where necessary to get sauce consistency you want. Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.
Notes
**Freezer directions: Place onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a large plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze. To cook, defrost in fridge, place in crockpot and cook according to the directions listed above.
Nutrition
Calories: 858kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 1024mg | Potassium: 1270mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1743IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 655mg | Iron: 3mg
My aunt has been making chicken spaghetti at least since the early 70’s. She used chopped green olives which really made it pop. Since I’ve been making it her way for 30 years myself I’m not sure I could use cream of mushroom soup.
hi…any substitute for mild diced green chiles coz it’s not available here in the Philippines..thanks
I was married for nineteen years and some people never knew it! Then I was single and everybody suddenly knew it! Sounds like a great recipe thanks for sharing! P.s. Has your church thought about a nursery ? Three hours and anyone’s kids would go nuts!
can I substitute the veggies for a jar of medium salsa with the cream of chicken soup?
I’m new here, so, where do I find all of February’s crock-pot recipes? : )
I added one can of Rotel (mild chilis and tomatoes) to your recipe and it was amazing! It made the dish just a tad more spicy (which we like), Thank you so much for your blogs and recipes!!!!
Family size can of cream of mushroom or small 10oz?
small can!
Well I’ve got it mixed up in a slow cooker bag for tomorrow and the cat apparently thinks it’s delicious, he’s gnawing on my fingers as I try to type! LOL! Guess I didn’t wash as thoroughly as I thought! 😛
We had this for dinner tonight. It was very good!!!! I did not do the slow cooker method. In fact, I used a pressure cooker for the chicken, made the sauce on the stove top and then combined it all and into the oven… all done and on the table in about an hour!!!
Forgot to mention that we also used a mixed cheese blend- cheddar/montery jack etc.. and it turned out really good.
Hi, I was wondering do I drain the chillies before it goes in the crock pot?
no, everything goes in 🙂
I have some chicken already cooked…i wonder how that would work? And if I should cook differently than the recipe
I think it’s because we’re supposed to stop going to church, yea I’ve had people get upset at me and my children before, at church, it’s just like you said, the chicken crock pot meal sounds wonderful tastey, I have a good crock pot meal too, I don’t want to share it right now though, I’ve had a miserable day at work, if they only new how stupid they were, yea it was that bad of a day
Maybe everybody already knows, i was saying that staying away from church is my personal decision
For me staying away from church is my personal decision, what is fiasco any way, it sounds too nice a word, although fiasco is probably very appripo, appropriate, I’m gonna have to look up the definition of fiasco
I look forward to trying this tonight. A 3 hour block of time at church – or any other place where they needed to be quiet – would be hard for any child.
Wonder how this would work with zoodles….trying to do low carb
This is a great recipe!! I tweaked it a bit and used 2 cans of cream of mushroom with roasted garlic plus used a little cajun seasoning. Definitely will be keeping this as a favorite repeat dish!! Thanks for sharing it…
I just made this. Very tasty. I used more of the green chili’s that it called for since I love them. I found that the onions and peppers weren’t cooked enough. I will saute them next time before putting them in the crock pot.
Great recipe-I’ve made it twice so far! I have a question though. Why does the cheese have to be grated? Grated cheddar isn’t a common ingredient in any recipes I make. I only had shredded cheddar so I ran it through the grater blade on the food processor but it was a huge pain. The second time I just used shredded and it was just as good. Just curious why your recipe calls for it that way. Thanks!
Can you Angel Hair pasta instead of spaghetti noodles?
This is being tried tonight or tomorrow! We have another type of cheesy spaghetti, but not with chicken and not in the crock pot. This sounds yummy.
Silly ? Can I use shredded cheese instead of grated? Not sure if it melts differently.
Both will melt just fine!
I tried this recipe last night, and it was delicious! However, I think that next time I might mix it up and try it with rice rather than pasta, considering we eat so much pasta here at my house. It seems that every recipe that I love includes pasta. ☺
I apologize if I already left this comment. I thought I commented but didn’t see it her, so again, I apologize if this is a duplicate. I tried this recipe last night and it was delicious! However, next time I think I will try replacing the pasta with rice, as we seem to eat a lot of pasta in our house. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
is it possible to use lasagna noodles in small pieces ? i forgot spaghetti….lol
Love Your Church Happenings!!! Be Glad You Really Are NOT A Single Mom Trying To Deal With 2 Kids In Church By Yourself…While EVERYONE Including The Pastor Stares At You With Dirty Looks During The Service…(When Those Episodes Happen) 🙂 Yes I AM That Single Mom That EVERYONE STARED AND GLARED AT…And Never Bothered To Ask If They Could Help 🙁
First time here and you are a hoot!. Just wondering if you have to thaw before cooking in crock pot? And if so do you know why?
You thaw it first to prevent food borne illness. If you put it in frozen, then you’re more likely to grow bacteria because the edges will get hot before the center is even defrosted. It’s best to have it all defrosted and cold and heat it even steven through the cooking process.
Is there a specific crock pot size i should have? I don’t have one yet and i’m looking at buying one.
OK – I am a teacher and a football coach. I do most of the cooking. And during the season the slow cooker is our best friend. Did this with one small change and it even saved more time. 45 minutes before dinner I had one of the kids who were home throw the spaghetti broken in half, with a cup of chicken broth, the rest of the cheese in, stir and cover. When we were ready to eat. Another quick stir and perfecto….a salad and rolls made it complete. PS. I also use the home-made from scratch cream soup base for health reasons.
Hello, Ladies!
This look amazing! I plan to make it for my bible study that I am hosting at my house tomorrow. However, I noticed that this only makes 4 serving. I have about 6 mouths to feed. Are the servings large? Can I double this recipe in the same CrockPot?
Thanks in advance for answering my questions!
Thank you for this! I have one daughter who is super picky and pasta night is hard because she doesn’t like tomato sauce so I usually give her buttered noodles instead with melted cheese on top, not the best of meals lol and she’s happy with it but not very. This dish is a lifesaver for pasta night and the whole family loves it. We leave the veggies out and usually serve broccoli on the side instead but many many thanks for making Friday “no cook night” easy for this mom of a picky kid. ^_^
You’re not a single mom, hun. You are a proud momma who is married to a military man that is currently serving. Single women are not just waiting for their men to return home. Although this is undoubtedly hard and you may relate to single parents somewhat, you are married, not single. You are a Military Mom. You have a partner who is doing an amazing job for all of us and all of our children, protecting and serving us all. Even the ones your comment has pissed off. I have oodles of respect for both catagories, tons!, but, in my experience, single parents have much more of a struggle than military spouses.
This looks delish! Thanks for sharing and I will be following you from now on.
What did you start in the freezer? The chicken and veggies?
Haha. Nevermind. I actually read ALL the instructions and answered my own question.
I made this I added velveeta Cheese to it, it was awesome.
I have been saying I was going to make this for months. I finally did. It is delicious! Such a nice change from the same ol’. It was perfect as is and so easy! Thank you!
I’m a big reader of recipe comments. Like to know how each person thought of it. But man was it hard. I don’t usually comment on them but man did it make me so mad with all the negativity about your life. All I wanted to know was how it turned out. And barely anyone focused on the recipe, which is what they all came for. People just need to keep their opinions and noses to themselves. Can say whatever words you want. It’s your blog. But kudos to you and being part time single mom while your husband is away doing things for our country and for saying crap! Big whoop. Anyways. Thanks for the recipe will be trying it tonight. Praying everyone likes it!
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your comment. Thank you!!
This is a hit every time!
Anyone tried this recipe but cooking on Low the whole time? I want to cook it while I work but won’t be home for six hours. I was thinking I could cook on low instead of high and just extend the time?
If you have a husband back home to text, you’re not a single mom.
I found your post on my facebook. Loved it. I can relate to the married “single parent” thing. My ex was never around and then left one day. I commend you for your faith and for making things work. God Bless you and your family and thank your husband for his service!
I can hardly wait to make this recipe.
I think I might love you, lol. I have an 18mo old & another on the way in Sept, plus I work 50+ hrs a week. I can not WAIT to try this and the other crockpot dishes & am stoked to get the freezer stocked before lil’ man arrives in Sept! Plus that will be the perfect time of year for crockpot cooking & football season ♥ THANK YOU!!!!
Do you think canned chicken will work ok?
yes!
This I’m going to make I have been looking for something different but good and this caught my eye and I know I’ll like I like all ingredients and also the story told thanks so much
I made the Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti today!! It was delicious!!! thank you for sharing!!!
Glad you liked it 🙂
Just made this tonight. It was delish! Can’t wait to have leftovers:)
Made this today. It is tasty but very rich. I can’t eat this like I eat regular spaghetti (a lot in one sitting). If you have a sensitive stomach, this may not be the dish for you.
Hi! Saw your recipe on Pinterest. Just wanted to know if the chicken in the original recipe is it frozen or thawed?
This can be a freezer meal: meaning you can put it together and freeze to have a meal on hand. But, feel free to skip that step and throw everything into the crockpot immediately.
Sorry my iPads messing up. Lauren maybe you could save yourself some grief hon by having a list of frequently asked questions. Good grief is there no common sense here? I loved your blog today( my first time). It was cute and endearing and brought up long ago memories of carting my children off to church alone. They’re grown now with kids of their own and we all survived. Get real peeps and keep your insults to yourself. This woman has graciously shared a piece of her life with us. If you yourself want to be called a military wife, fine. Just don’t use it to bash her. Younger women feel free to experiment. Keep your liquids the same amts even if they differ. For example this could be made with the homemade soup, a much better option then processed, broccoli in place of peppers, mozzarella cheese instead oh cheddar and you have chicken tetrazzini in the crockpot. Want it spicy add crushed red pepper and serve with hot sauce.
Have some confidence and you’ll be making recipes your family loves.
I am using condensed cream of chicken soup should I add the water for the soup… some one else asked but no one answered.
No, don’t add the water.
I made this but I used poblano pepper instead of green pepper as my husband doesn’t like green pepper . I also substituted rotel for the green chilies and added some black beans . Again to intice my husband to try something new. Delicious !!
This sounds so devine! However, it would be so helpful if the crockpot recipes posted online would give the appropriate size crockpot to use according to the amount of servings the recipe makes. Thank you so much!
Awesome!! Very, very tasty!