Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo (Print View)

Tender chicken and pasta in a creamy Alfredo sauce cooked slowly to perfection.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz uncooked penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Dairy

03 - 2 cups heavy cream
04 - 1 cup whole milk
05 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
06 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
08 - 4 oz cream cheese, cubed

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

09 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 cup frozen peas (optional)

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp salt
12 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
13 - 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
14 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# Method:

01 - Place chicken breasts evenly at the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, Italian herbs, nutmeg, and sprinkle minced garlic over the top.
02 - Pour in heavy cream and whole milk, then distribute butter pieces and cream cheese cubes evenly over the chicken.
03 - Cover and cook on low for 3 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender enough to shred.
04 - Remove chicken from the cooker, shred finely with two forks, then return to the slow cooker.
05 - Add uncooked pasta, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and frozen peas if using. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
06 - Cover and cook on high for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once halfway, until pasta is tender and sauce is creamy.
07 - Serve warm, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chicken becomes impossibly tender while the pasta soaks up every bit of that silky Alfredo sauce without any separate stovetop cooking required.
  • You spend maybe 10 minutes prepping, then walk away guilt-free knowing dinner will be ready and waiting when you need it.
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes like you spent hours fussing when really the slow cooker did all the work.
02 -
  • Don't cook the pasta beforehand no matter how much your instinct says to—uncooked pasta absorbs the sauce and finishes to the perfect texture in the slow cooker.
  • Cream cheese is absolutely necessary here, not optional, because it's what prevents the sauce from breaking and keeps everything creamy and luxurious instead of looking curdled.
03 -
  • If you're in a real time crunch, rotisserie chicken from the store shaves off hours—just add it at step 6 and reduce the initial cooking time to 1 hour so nothing overcooks.
  • Use full-fat cream cheese and dairy products because the reduced-fat versions won't give you that silky, luxurious texture that makes people ask for seconds.
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