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With just 5 minutes of prep, this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Spaghetti is an easy dinner recipe that the kids will love! Made with red sauce, plenty of zesty seasoning and smooth cream cheese, it’s a family-friendly Crock Pot meal that satisfies even your pickiest pasta lovers!
Trust me, y’all. This Chicken Spaghetti recipe is about to become your new go-to weeknight dinner. It’s so simple, so full of flavor, and so darn gooooood!
Unlike other chicken spaghetti recipes that bake in a casserole dish and include a creamy white sauce, I put an Italian spin on the meal and I’ve adapted it for the slow cooker! You know that I love any dinner that I can just “dump-and-bake!”
How to Make Chicken Spaghetti in the Crock Pot:
First, let’s start with the Chicken Spaghetti ingredients! You’ll need about 2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) and 2 packets of Italian dressing mix. Don’t prepare the salad dressing — you only need the dry seasoning!
Place the chicken in a slow cooker and sprinkle the dressing mix over top.
Since this is a Chicken Spaghetti with Red Sauce (or Tomato Sauce), you’ll also stir together the following ingredients: 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 can petite diced tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce.
Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover the pot, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
When the chicken is cooked through, remove it to a cutting board. While the chicken rests, stir 1 block of cubed cream cheese into the sauce.
Cover the pot, cook for about 5-10 more minutes, or just until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
Slice or shred the chicken, return the meat to the slow cooker, and your sauce is ready to serve!
Toss the chicken and sauce with cooked spaghetti, garnish with Parmesan and herbs, and your family will be in pasta heaven!
Can Chicken Spaghetti be frozen?
I do NOT recommend freezing the leftover chicken spaghetti. It’s best served warm — right after it’s made! Cream cheese has a tendency to “break” when it’s frozen and defrosted, so you would end up with chunks of cream cheese in your thawed sauce (not appetizing)!
What to serve with Chicken Spaghetti:
Wondering what goes with chicken spaghetti? Here are a few ideas to round out the meal:
- 3-Ingredient Breadsticks
- Garlic bread
- A simple green salad dressed with Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 2-Ingredient Italian Sugar Snap Peas
- Garlic Roasted Broccoli
- Southern Slow Cooker Green Beans
COOK’S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS — CREAMY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI:
- Be careful not to overcook your chicken breasts. I find that the chicken breasts have the best texture when cooked in my slow cooker on HIGH for about 2 hours. That keeps them moist and juicy, and prevents them from drying out. If you would like a dish with a longer cooking time, try using 2.5 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of the breasts. The thighs tend to stay juicy when left in a Crock Pot for extended periods.
- Also remember — every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact times). Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the meal is best when cooked on HIGH for about 2 hours or on LOW for about 5 hours. Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
- Wait to add the cream cheese to the sauce until the end of the cooking time. If you add the cream cheese at the beginning, it will separate and curdle.
- For a lighter meal, try serving the creamy chicken spaghetti sauce over zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice instead of the cooked spaghetti.
Other chicken spaghetti dishes that you might enjoy:
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Spaghetti
- Dump-and-Bake Healthy Chicken Parmesan
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Pot Pie Pasta
- Dump-and-Bake Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Cream Cheese Chicken Crock Pot Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 packets (0.7 ounces each) dry Italian dressing mix (I prefer Good Seasons brand)
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup (I use Campbell's Heart Healthy)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed and softened at room temperature
- Optional, for serving: cooked spaghetti or rice; grated Parmesan; crushed red pepper flakes; chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or basil
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and sprinkle with the Italian dressing mix.
- In a large bowl, combine the marinara sauce, condensed soup, and diced tomatoes. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. While the chicken rests on the cutting board, add the cream cheese to the slow cooker, stir, and cover. Continue cooking the sauce for about 10 more minutes, whisking regularly, until the cream cheese melts and smoothly incorporates into the sauce.
- Meanwhile, shred the chicken with two forks. Return the chicken to the creamy sauce and stir.
- Toss the chicken and sauce with cooked spaghetti or spoon over rice. Garnish with grated Parmesan, crushed red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
- Nutrition Information is an estimate using online calculators for 1/8 of the chicken and sauce. This does not include any pasta or garnish.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in April, 2013. It was updated in January, 2019.
My wife and I love pasta!! We love trying out new recipes. I just texted her this link, I’m excited to give this recipe a try, thank you!
Hi Blair. Can you sub the dry Italian seasoning with bottled?
Hi, Gail! You can probably use some Italian salad dressing, but it will change the texture of the sauce since it will add liquid to the pot (which you don’t get with the dry seasoning packets). Let me know if you give it a try!
Made this last night and it was AMAZING! Even my picky toddler ate it, so good!! Followed the recipe exactly and will make again.
Thank you so much, Lauren! We’re happy it was a hit.