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
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.
Chelsea S says
Did this recipe change?? This was my family‘s favorite dish and I’ve been making it for years. Just pulled up the link to make it again and the recipes totally different! Is there anyway to find the original slow cooker chicken fettuccine that used to be at this link?
Melissa says
Looks super yummy but the recipe is missing 🙁 I was hoping to make this for dinner tonight.
Deborah says
Hi Melissa – the recipe has been added back in. Sorry about that.
Melissa says
Thank you so much!
Mandee says
Have this in the crockpot right now! I have made it twice and it is so delicious my husband and I were both eating it straight out of the crockpot! Lol I’m making a green salad to go with it tonight. If you haven’t tried, its a MUST!! 🙂
janis says
Just wondering, are you supposed to dump out the liquid leftover from cooking the chicken in the crockpot or are you supposed to keep it in once you add the sauce & put the shredded chicken back in? Thanks.
Deborah says
@janis, You’ll want to just keep any liquid and juices in the slow cooker, and use that to make your sauce.
Becki @ Becki's Whole Life says
I probably use my slow cooker 2-3 times a month – maybe more in the winter time. This sounds wonderful – lots of good flavors going on here!
Chelsea says
OK, I made this tonight and it was DELISH!! A big hit with the family too. My chicken only took 2 hours to cook (from frozen) so the cook time for me was not quite as long as in the recipe. It was also a bit salty, so I might cut back on the salt next time. The chicken was so good, I had to stop myself from eating it straight from the pot before I added the sauce. I’m glad I waited though, because the finished product was great!! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe, I will be making this again!!
kita says
I saw this today and drooled. I just drug out my slow cooker and its smaller cousin the other day and are pep talking them for the fall season. This is a must make!
Cassie [Bake Your Day] says
I already have my slow cooker out and this might the the fall’s first dish in it. This is perfect, I love everything about it!
Vivienne says
ive never used a slow cooker before..i think. this is the first time ive seen a pasta sauce made using slow cooker…the sauce looks so dreamy…must’ve been the tastiest fettuccine 😀
julia says
I actually used my sow cooker yesterday for salsa chicken. I use it, maybe about once a week. Love it! Haven’t tried pasta in it yet, this looks so good, it might just convince me too 😉
Angie@Angiesrecipes says
Love slow cooker recipes…the chicken must have tasted really tender and succulent.
newlywed says
Wow. Looks great, and I love, love, love finding new slow cooker recipes. I use mine a few times a month, but would love to use it more.
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says
Never would have made a pasta sauce like this in a slow cooker – great recipe!
Mrs. L says
I rarely use my slow cooker in the summer, but once fall comes around, I start using it 3-4 times a month. I too, have a new slow cooker cookbook to try!
Maris says
This looks great and I can’t believe you made it in the slow-cooker! How delicious.
Lauren B. says
Ok, this recipe is brilliant! Must make this….
Kim says
This time of year I get my slow cooker out at least once a week. Plus, I just got a new cookbook, The Slow Cook Book, and it’s full of insane and unique recipes that I’m dying to try.
This looks delicious and is definitely one the family would love.
Aimee Berrett says
how did you get that little pin it button at the top of the post? I have people pin some of my recipes but that would make it even easier for them.
Also, I love using my slow cooker but don’t use it that often. Maybe 2 times a month. This fettucine looks great though!
Chelsea says
@Aimee Berrett,
Kim, go to the pinterest website. At the top click on About, then help then select Goodies on the side bar You can find the directions there.
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos says
YUM! I love love love pasta dishes and making sauce in the slow cooker sounds absolutely awesome!
Joanne says
I actually RARELY use my slow cooker anymore…it has to be a really killer recipe to get me to take it out…and this looks like it fits the bill!
Rachel says
Looks good! I’ll have to try this one! I use my slow cooker once or twice a month. I’d use it more if I had more good recipes for it!
Christi's Chirps says
Loving these unique slow cooker recipes! I’ll let you know when I try this! Thanks for sharing your recipe! Yum!
Heather of Kitchen Concoctions says
I love this condensed soup free version of this recipe! I absolutely love my slow cooker and probably use it at least once a week. In fact I have something in my crock right now!
Kim says
I LOVE my slow cooker! I used it just last night to make a cajun pork roast! So good. I use mine once a week or so. Thanks for the pasta recipe, the husband would really like this.
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray says
Love that you can make this in the slow cooker! This is one of my husband’s favorite dishes! Thanks for sharing!
Magen says
This looks great. I’ll definitely have to try it. I use my slow cooker 2 or 3 times a month. Usually it’s on a Sunday.
One question though. How much butter do we put on top of chicken?
Deborah says
@Magen, i didn’t realize the butter was missing, so thanks for pointing it out! The recipe has been fixed.
Bev Weidner says
Oh, my heart has stopped. This is screaming at me, MAKE ME THIS WEEKEND FOR THE LOOOOOOVE.
wow.
Mallika says
Fettuccine is one of my favorites among pastas. I drown them in Arabiatta sauce. Your looks drool worthy!
Katie says
This would be perfect for my busy class days. Thanks!
Cassie says
I know that I would love this. You had me at “cream cheese”! 🙂
I use my slow cooker at least a few times a month. Most often I use it to cook up a big batch of chicken breasts to shred and freeze for upcoming meals. A few weeks ago I made a cake in the slow cooker, which was interesting and surprisingly delicious!
Jill says
I’m horrible at remembering that I own a slow cooker. Even worse at figuring out what to put in it so I love picking up tips from other bloggers. 🙂 I never would have thought to do alfredo sauce in there….So, my question is, how was it? Just as good as the stuff you slave over the stove to make with a bottle of cream and a container of cheese? 🙂
Deborah says
@Jill, I really liked this. It’s definitely a little different than the kind you cook on the stove, but I think that’s why I liked it so much!