Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta
If you love the flavors of chicken Parmesan but don’t love all the breading, frying, and dishes that usually come with it, this Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta is about to become your new favorite shortcut dinner. Tender shredded chicken cooks low and slow in marinara sauce, then gets tossed with pasta and plenty of melty mozzarella and Parmesan. It’s cozy, cheesy, and ridiculously easy.
And because the chicken cooks right in the sauce, there’s no need to brown it first. Put everything in the slow cooker, walk away, and come back several hours later to dinner that practically makes itself. Now that’s my kind of cooking.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy slow cooker dinner: The chicken and marinara do their thing while you do literally anything else.
- No breading or frying: All the delicious Italian-inspired flavor without the extra work.
- Tender, flavorful chicken: Slow cooking makes the chicken easy to shred right in the crock pot.
- Cheesy comfort food: Mozzarella and Parmesan melt over the pasta for the perfect finishing touch.
- Family-friendly: It’s hard to argue with chicken, pasta, marinara, and melted cheese. Especially when they’re all in the same bowl.
Making Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta
Cook the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Season both sides with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
Pour the marinara sauce over the chicken. Add the water to the empty marinara jar, give it a good shake—or swish it around like you’re trying to rescue every last drop—and pour it into the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Shred the Chicken: Once the chicken is cooked through, leave it right in the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. No need to dirty another bowl. The chicken will shred easily and soak up even more of that delicious marinara sauce.
Add the Pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well.
Add the cooked pasta to the slow cooker and stir gently until the pasta is evenly coated with the chicken and marinara sauce.
Add the Cheese: Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top, followed by the Parmesan or Asiago cheese.
Cover the slow cooker again and let it sit for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and wonderfully gooey.
Serve: Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve warm. Also, I highly recommend serving with a side of Parmesan Garlic Toast for extra scrumptiousness.
And if a little extra Parmesan mysteriously finds its way onto your serving, well… that’s between you and the cheese.
Pro Tips
Don’t overcook the chicken. Slow cookers vary, so start checking around the 5-hour mark. The chicken is ready when it reaches 165°F and shreds easily.
Don’t skip the water. It helps loosen the marinara sauce and provides enough liquid for the chicken to stay moist while cooking. Plus, it gets every last bit of sauce out of the jar. Waste not, want not.
Use freshly shredded mozzarella if possible. It melts beautifully over the pasta and gives you that classic cheesy finish.
How to Customize It
Switch up the pasta shape depending on what you have in the pantry. Rotini, penne, rigatoni, or even shells would work beautifully. Additionally, you can use stuffed pasta, such as ravioli or tortellini.
Want more vegetables? Stir in sautéed mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, or zucchini before adding the cheese.
You can also use a combination of mozzarella and provolone for an even cheesier Italian-style finish.
Looking for More Easy Dinners?
If you love recipes that deliver big comfort-food flavor without requiring you to spend all evening in the kitchen, be sure to browse the rest of my slow cooker recipes and easy chicken dinners. There are plenty more simple, delicious recipes waiting for you.
If you tried and love this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment below. Thank you so much.
Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 3)
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 24 oz. jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup water
- 8 oz. dry pasta, such as penne or rotini
- 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup Parmesan or Asiago cheese, grated
- OPTIONAL: fresh chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Season both sides with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.Pour the marinara sauce over the chicken. Add the water to the empty marinara jar, give it a good shake—or swish it around like you're trying to rescue every last drop—and pour it into the slow cooker.Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, leave it right in the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. No need to dirty another bowl. The chicken will shred easily and soak up even more of that delicious marinara sauce.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well.Add the cooked pasta to the slow cooker and stir gently until the pasta is evenly coated with the chicken and marinara sauce.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top, followed by the Parmesan or Asiago cheese. Cover the slow cooker again and let it sit for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and wonderfully gooey.
- Optional: sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta
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