This Cheesy Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti is an easy crockpot chicken recipe for busy weeknights! It’s made healthier with no canned soups, lean chicken breast and added veggies, and it cooks completely in the slow cooker for less clean up! Includes step by step recipe video.
Here we are, friends. SEPTEMBER.
September around here means back to school, back to routine, back to eating dinner at home and fewer park picnics and camping weekends. But I love September.
(Also, it’s my birthday month!)
Easy crockpot meals, especially crockpot chicken recipes, are always a big hit here, so I knew I had to bring you a few new ones to kick off the season. This Slow Cooker Baked Ziti and healthier Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meat Sauce are others you might enjoy!
This Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti is a slow cooker spin on one of my favorite casseroles here on The Recipe Rebel — this Healthier Creamy Chicken Spaghetti. It’s a healther twist on the Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Spaghetti, made with a few extra veggies and no canned soups anywhere in sight.
Instead, I make the sauce with low fat milk and corn starch, after the chicken has simmered in the broth until tender (which gives this recipe so much flavour!). Then you add the spaghetti noodles right to the crockpot, which means that instead of boiling and draining, they’re soaking up all that awesome flavour we’ve been building.
Pretty cool, hey?
Don’t want to wait all day? Try my stovetop Chicken Spaghetti recipe here.
How to make this Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti:
- The rules are optional. If you like different veggies, throw in different veggies. If you want to skip the chicken, go ahead. If you want to use cooked ground beef, do it. If you want to use different cheeses, amazing. Feel free to make your own rules as you go, but try to stick to the ratio of pasta/liquid/protein/veggies for best results.
- I say this every time I post a slow cooker recipe, but you have to know your crockpot. They all cook differently, some hotter, some cooler. Smaller ones will heat more quickly, larger ones more slowly.
- Don’t overcook your pasta. Pasta takes some time to cook in the slow cooker (about 15-20 minutes), but you will want to check it every 5 minutes or so after the first 10, just to be sure you take it off the heat once it’s done. No one likes mushy pasta!
- This isn’t a crockpot meal you can leave to cook all day, but if you need to let it go longer while away from the kitchen, try adding in frozen chicken breasts and cooking for 6 hours on low before adding your spaghetti. With crockpot chicken recipes, it’s very important not to overcook your chicken.
- If you need to speed things up, you can chop up your chicken before adding to the slow cooker, and it will cook more quickly.
Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 large carrot peeled and shredded
- ½ onion finely chopped
- ½ green pepper chopped
- 1/2 red pepper chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 375 grams whole wheat spaghetti (1 small box)
- 3/4 cup 1% milk
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add carrot, onion, peppers, salt, garlic, paprika, pepper and chicken broth to a 4-6 quart slow cooker and stir until combined. Add the chicken breasts and press down into the liquid.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Uncover and shred chicken in the crockpot. Turn it to high.
- Break spaghetti noodles into halves or quarters and stir into the crockpot (this is easier to do when using a bigger slow cooker!). Put the lid on and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Stir, cover, and continue cooking another 5-10 minutes until al dente.
- Whisk together milk and corn starch and add to the crockpot along with the cheese. Stir to combine, then cover and let cook on high for 5 minutes. Remove lid and stir to distribute sauce. Serve.
Nutrition Information
Want to save this recipe?
Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel —
I love to see what you’re making!
Tag @thereciperebel
kendra says
If I were to cut the recipe in half (3 servings), if it would affect the cooking time?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kendra! Maybe a little. The chicken might not need as long but I would check the internal temperature just to be sure.
Amy says
Could I try this without adding the noddles? Could I cook the noddles separately and then pour this on top? We eat GF over here so am afraid the noddles wouldn’t cook well in the slow cooker. 🙂
Amy says
*noodles 🙂
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Amy! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so it would be hard to say. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Ashton says
Hi! This sounds delicious and I’m excited to try for my family! However, my son is allergic to milk. Would soy milk work as well? Or would that ruin the taste?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t tried with soy milk, so I can’t say for sure but I think it would be fine! If in doubt, you can always use just a little and sub some of the milk out with more broth.
Ariel says
I used almond milk and it turned out great! We thought the flavor was a little bland, we added some garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and little more paprika to spruce it up some. No offense to the creator!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ariel, glad the almond milk worked for you!
Ed says
I love this recipe! I nixed the corn starch and added 4oz of cream cheese to make it creamier and add a little fat. I also added a teaspoon of Tony Chachere to give a bit bolder taste as I found it was a little bland flavor wise without. My personal taste though.
Ed says
I also use 1 c of milk and 1/2 c of half n half. And doubled the garlic heehee.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Ed!
Rebecca says
I made this. The 2 tablespoons corn starch is way to much and made this dish super thick I ended up having to add more milk to try and thin it out then I let it cook 3 minutes longer and still had to add more milk and again 3 minutes longer. The more milk I had to add the more the noodles got soggy. Before adding the milk once it cooled down everything stuck together the noodles were one big lump of whatever. Now I have soggy noodles.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Rebecca! I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like your chicken did not release as many juices as mine usually does, which would result in a thicker sauce.
Emily says
I am cooking this recipe next week, and want to ensure it will work with the 4 quart sized Crockpot? I hope it does as it looks so very yummy!
Emily says
Please disregard my question, I found the answer in the recipe. My bad!
Ashley Fehr says
No problem!
Brittney Collins says
It was a really easy recipe with great ingredients but it didn’t taste how I expected it too. It was very bland.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Brittney! The recipe is mild as my children like it. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your tastes if you prefer more kick.
Tiffany Nkezabahizi says
Thank you so much for the great recipe. It was perfect use my my left over shredded chicken breast. I don’t have a crock pot or any cheese on hand and I sub fettuccine noodles. Tasted fantastic!
Tiffany Nkezabahizi says
Oh yeah and a terrific way to sneak in those yummy veggies for my husband to eat
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Tiffany! I’m glad you liked it!
Ashley says
My husband has a gluten free diet, could this recipe be used with gluten free spaghetti? If so, how long would you cook the spaghetti in the crock pot?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Ashley! I have never cooked gluten free pasta in the slow cooker. I would be worried that it might turn mushy, but maybe if you have a brand you love it will be fine. I would probably check every 10 minutes or so once you add the pasta in.
Nicole gauthier says
Not a fan of wheat pasta. Can I use regular pasta instead?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes it will work fine
jessica says
Hi! this crockpot chicken spaghetti recipe looks great. do you have the instructions for an instant pot??
Ashley Fehr says
I don’t yet but hopefully soon!
Tony Mowatt says
This was so good that I want to make it again!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Tony! It’s one of my favorites too!
Katie says
I only have mozzarella cheese. Do you think that will work?
Ashley Fehr says
That will work fine!
Barbara Barnes says
This is an awesome recipe. I added extra chicken broth because the spaghetti wasn’t quite done enough for us. But absolutely a delicious meal. Served with side of green beans.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Barbara! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Debboe says
IN the video, the veggies appear to be about 1/2 cup each. Would you say this is fairly accurate?
Ashley Fehr says
That is likely pretty close, yes.
Jenny says
I know the recipe calls for 2 chicken breasts, but how many ounces do you think?
Ashley Fehr says
Probably 5-6 ounces per chicken breast.
Nancy Ezolt says
Making this tonight but sorry I wish the recipe would just have said what size box of pasta instead of using grams. Have been searching the website to see how many ounces in 375 and get conflicting results. Please no more grams Thank you.
Ashley Fehr says
Sorry Nancy, but I’m Canadian and we use grams, and our boxes of pasta come in grams. It’s relatively easy to do a Google search and convert grams to ounces, but if you are having trouble with a particular recipe next time send me an email and I can help you convert it.