Made completely in the crock pot, this Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo is rich and delicious and so, so easy to make. Tender shredded chicken is served with a delicious and creamy sauce – this is a dinner for the whole family to enjoy.
It’s the perfect day to break out the slow cooker! And if you really love yours, you need to put these Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Sandwiches or these Chicken Tostadas on your menu plan!
I believe that one of the biggest pros of using a crock pot for dinner is making dinner easy. And reducing the amount of dishes you have to do when dinner is done.
So when I was looking over the crock pot chicken alfredo recipe that was originally posted here, I knew I needed to make some changes.
The original recipe was delicious, but really, the only part of the recipe that was made in the crock pot was the chicken. Both the sauce and the pasta was cooked on the stove and then added to the chicken.
So I set out to make a meal that was made 100% in the slow cooker.
My husband is not a huge fan of slow cooker meals, but he devoured this. And was even excited when I made it twice in one week.
I think that’s proof enough that this is a winner!
Ingredients
- Chicken: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could also use chicken thighs. Chicken thighs will take slightly longer, though.
- Cream Cheese: This adds flavor, and helps the sauce to thicken up.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter because we are adding additional salt.
- Garlic: I really love the garlic flavor in this recipe – so much that I add both fresh garlic and garlic powder! You can always just use one or the other.
- Seasonings: I like a mixture of Italian spices, so we use salt, garlic powder, parsley, oregano, basil, paprika, and black pepper.
- Cream: To make the creamiest sauce, use heavy whipping cream. You could use half and half if you want to cut back on calories just a bit.
- Chicken Broth: You will only start with 1 cup of chicken broth. But as the pasta cooks, you may need to add more. I usually end up adding at least an additional 1/2 cup, and sometimes all the way up to an additional cup.
- Parmesan: This will melt in much easier if it is freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Pasta: I like to keep this classic by using fettuccine noodles. But you could use another pasta, such as penne.
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo
Make sure to read the recipe card below for full instructions.
1: Place the chicken in the slow cooker and top it with the cream cheese and butter. Sprinkle the seasonings over the top.
2: Add the heavy cream and the chicken broth. Place the lid on the crock pot and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
3: Once the chicken is cooked, remove it to a cutting board and shred it when it is cool enough.
4: With the chicken removed, whisk the parmesan cheese into the liquid in the crock pot. This will be your sauce.
5: Add the pasta and return the lid. Cook, stirring a few times, until the pasta is al dente. Add more chicken broth, if the sauce gets too thick.
6: Return the chicken to the crock pot and stir everything together to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Chicken cooks a lot faster in a crock pot than most people think. And no one wants tough, overcooked chicken. I cook it on low, and start checking it after about 2 1/2 hours. It will probably take between 3-4 hours on low.
- The sauce will look separated when you first remove the chicken. Just take a whisk and whisk it all together before adding the parmesan cheese.
- This pasta will thicken up the longer it sits, so if you aren’t serving it right away, make sure to keep some extra chicken broth handy to stir in and thin the sauce out a bit to serve.
- If you have any leftovers, store them in a covered container in the refrigerator. The pasta may get a bit mushy, but the leftovers are still delicious!
More Favorite Crock Pot Recipes
Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatloaf
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Slow Cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja
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Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 oz cream cheese cut into cubes
- 4 oz unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 cups chicken broth*
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8 oz fettuccine noodles uncooked
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the cream cheese and butter over the top, then sprinkle the garlic over. Then sprinkle all of the spices over the top of the chicken.
- Pour the heavy cream into the crock pot, along with 1 cup of the chicken broth. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours**, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the slow cooker to a cutting board and allow it to cool slightly.
- Whisk the ingredients in the slow cooker together, (the cream cheese will sometimes look like it has separated – this is normal), then stir in the parmesan cheese. Add the dry pasta and put the lid back on the crock pot. Cook for an additional 30-40 minutes, until the pasta is al dente, stirring a few times during the cook time to ensure that the pasta doesn’t stick together.
- Once the chicken has cooled slightly, shred it with two forks.
- When the pasta is cooked, add the chicken back into the crock pot and stir to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add more chicken broth as needed. Let it all cook a few more minutes to heat through, then serve.
Mara says
I can’t believe how much we loved this. My kids (6 and 4) gobbled this up so fast!