Make dinner easy and delicious with this Slow Cooker Chicken and Spaghetti! Creamy sauce, tender chicken, and spaghetti come together for the ultimate comfort food perfect for busy families.

Dinner time just got a whole lot easier (and tastier) with this Slow Cooker Chicken and Spaghetti recipe! Imagine tender, shredded chicken simmered to perfection in a creamy, flavorful sauce made with cream cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, and a hint of oregano. It’s all tossed together with perfectly cooked spaghetti for a comforting dish that feels like a warm hug at the end of a busy day. This is a pasta dinner you’ll want to keep on repeat!
The best part? The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting! With minimal prep, you can come home to a meal that’s ready to serve and sure to please the whole family. Whether it’s a hectic weekday or a cozy weekend night, this dish is quick, creamy, and packed with flavor—a true lifesaver for busy families craving something delicious.
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A Favorite Weeknight Dinner
If your kids are like mine, it doesn’t take much to sell them spaghetti, but there are so many reasons to love this recipe!
- Minimal Effort, Maximum Reward: The slow cooker does the heavy lifting, so you can set it and forget it while managing your busy day.
- Family-Friendly Flavors: Creamy, savory, and comforting, this dish is a guaranteed hit with both kids and adults.
- Perfect for Busy Weeknights: With just a little prep in the morning, you can come home to a ready-to-serve dinner.
- One-Pot Convenience: Fewer dishes mean less cleanup, giving you more time with your family.
- Customizable for Your Needs: Add extra veggies or switch up the pasta to suit your family’s preferences.
- Crowd-Pleasing Comfort Food: It’s hearty, flavorful, and feels like a warm hug after a long day.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Leftovers reheat beautifully, making it great for meal prep or next-day lunches.
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
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- Chicken Breasts – I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Thaw frozen chicken breasts in the fridge 24 hours in advance.You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
- Chicken stock or chicken broth – You can substitute with vegetable stock or broth or even beef stock or broth. You can also use water mixed with a chicken bouillon cube or chicken base.
- Diced tomatoes – I like the chunks of tomato that you get with diced. However, you can substitute in pureed, crushed, diced, or whole tomatoes that you crush with your hands. Tomato sauce will work too. You can also add a tablespoon of tomato paste for more deep flavor.
- Garlic Cloves – Fresh is best when it comes to garlic, but you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! If you do not have fresh garlic, you can substitute dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Dried Oregano – You can also use basil or Italian seasoning.
- Cream Cheese – Cream cheese brings depth, tang, and creaminess and helps to thicken it up. You can substitute with plain greek yogurt, which will also give the tanginess. You can also substitute in mascarpone for the creaminess, but you will not get the same tanginess.
- Sour Cream – You can substitute with plain greek yogurt or mascarpone.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is used to create a cornstarch slurry. This is the thickener for this sauce.
- Dry Spaghetti – If you have another pasta on hand, you can substitute another shape.
See recipe card for quantities.
Simple Equipment
For this recipe, you need a slow cooker. However, you could also make it in the oven in a dutch oven or casserole dish with a lid.
Oh, and mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
Cook the spaghetti to al dente. Drain and set aside
To the slow cooker insert pot, add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes with liquid, salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Add the chicken breasts. Cook on high for 4 hours.
Shred the cooked chicken breasts using two forks and then add it back to the slow cooker.
Talking Tip!
You can add Frozen peas or baby spinach in with the shredded chicken at this point to balance this out with veggies!
In a bowl, combine the sour cream and cornstarch. Mix in the cream cheese and combine until smooth. Add ¼ cup of the hot cooking liquid, then whisk it all into the slow cooker mixture.
Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker. Let the mixture cook on high for 30 minutes until thickened.
Mix in the spaghetti. Season with salt as needed, then serve and garnish with parsley.
Variations on this Chicken and Spaghetti
As you can imagine, there are so many things that you could add to this recipe to change it up. These simple tweaks allow busy parents to turn this comforting classic into a versatile meal that never gets old!
- Cajun – Spice it up for a Southern-inspired version, adding Cajun Seasoning.
- Bacon or Ham – Stir in crumbled bacon or diced ham for extra flavor.
- Veggie Boost: Add diced bell peppers, zucchini, frozen peas, broccoli florets, or fresh spinach to the slow cooker for extra nutrients. Stir the veggies in during the last hour of cooking so they don’t overcook.
- Cheesy Upgrade: Stir in shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese at the end for a cheesy twist. You can even sprinkle some on top and broil it in the oven for a few minutes for a golden finish.
- Spicy Kick: Add a little heat with diced jalapeños, red pepper flakes, or a splash of hot sauce. This variation is perfect for families who love bold flavors.
- Protein Swap: Replace chicken with ground turkey, Italian sausage, or even shredded rotisserie chicken to keep things fresh and exciting.
- Herb Lover’s Dream: Swap out the oregano for a mix of fresh or dried herbs like basil, thyme, or rosemary to change up the flavor profile. Add fresh parsley or chives as a garnish for extra color and freshness.
Check out this spicy chorizo pasta on my website next!
Recipe FAQs
While you can adjust a recipe (and add more liquid) to cook pasta in the slow cooker, I don’t recommend when using a creamy sauce, but when using a broth-based liquid.
Yes, frozen chicken breasts will work in this recipe but you may need to let it cook longer than I recommended in the testing of the original recipe.
Just like classic spaghetti, you can add a vegetable – whether in the crock pot, or on the side, such as a Shallot Vinaigrette salad with Parmesan crisps.
Want More Recipes like this?
If you enjoy a pasta dinner, even some prepared in the morning and slow cooking until its time to serve dinner, you will love these recipes too!
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken Breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 ½ cups Chicken Broth or Stock Can also use Vegetable or Beef broth or stock
- 14-15 ounces Diced tomatoes
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 16 ounces Dry Spaghetti
- Optional Fresh Parsley for garnish
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- Mince the garlic.
Cooking Steps
- To the slow cooker insert pot, add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes with liquid, salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Stir to combine. Add the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
- Cook the spaghetti to al dente. Drain and set aside.
- When the chicken is done cooking, remove it, shred it using two forks and then add it back to the slow cooker.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the sour cream and mix in the cornstarch until dissolved. Add the softened cream cheese and mix to combine until smooth. Add ¼ cup of the hot cooking liquid and mix it in until smooth, then repeat. Then whisk into the slow cooker liquid until combined.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and set the slow cooker on high for just another 30 minutes until thickened. Finally, mix in the spaghetti. Season with salt as needed, then serve and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
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