Tender chicken thighs and egg noodles in a from-scratch cream cheese alfredo — the crock builds the sauce itself, and it holds happily for an hour or two.
Three things that make this alfredo work
The sauce builds itself in stages, and these are the three places it goes right or wrong.
- Boil the noodles 3 minutes only: They finish cooking in the sauce, so al dente going in is the whole game.
- Trust the runny stage: The whisked cream cheese and broth look thin until the pasta and chicken thicken it up.
- Lid off at the end: Uncovered is how the sauce reduces to creamy instead of staying soupy.
Oh man, to say that this crockpot chicken alfredo dinner is always a ginormous hit in our home would be a gross understatement.
In fact, I’ll be as bold as to say that this crockpot Chicken Alfredo is a favorite of the neighborhood kids even – yes, the neighborhood kids even go nuts when I make this chicken alfredo recipe.
Boneless chicken thighs and Italian seasoning are what really make this meal shine and the Crock Pot does all of the heavy lifting. So, my life is a-ok when this is on the menu.
The sauce here is made from scratch in the crock, no jar involved. Cream cheese, chicken broth, and zesty Italian dressing mix turn into an alfredo that tastes like far more work than it is.
Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Casserole
This slow cooker alfredo from scratch recipe came together as a little bit of a fluke. You might be familiar with my Crack Chicken Pasta recipe?
I was trying to replicate it but cook the noodles afterwards and add them in later.
As I was starting to retest this recipe, I decided I wanted to try to do a one pot chicken alfredo with a homemade alfredo sauce as the base as I got started.
So glad I went this route because this chicken alfredo pasta is now a favorite recipe of everyone in my house. The Bacon Chicken Ranch Pasta is still delicious, but this one is just as great!
But, can we talk about how slow cooker chicken alfredo from scratch is seriously also one of the easiest recipes that there is to make? And that it holds well if you need to serve it over an hour or two?
You’re going to love the salt from the chicken broth, the sweet from the cream cheese and instead of chicken breasts, I use boneless chicken thighs so that the meat is tender – you’ll love this!
Why this alfredo works:
The broth brings the salt, the cream cheese brings the sweet, and the dressing mix carries every seasoning in one packet. Three ingredients doing the job of a whole sauce recipe.
Thighs are the meat here on purpose, because they come out of a 6 to 8 hour cook tender instead of stringy. Chicken breasts cannot make that promise.
Crock Pot Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo ingredients:
This Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo Bake is about as easy as it comes and the leftovers are even better the next day! You’re going to love the Crock Pot Alfredo sauce and how easy it is, too!
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- (2) 1 ounce packages Zesty Italian salad dressing mix
- 32 ounce container chicken broth
- (2) 8 ounce packages cream cheese
- 16 ounces medium egg noodles cooked for 3 minutes
- salt & pepper to taste
How to make Crock Pot chicken alfredo:
- Place chicken thighs in the Crock Pot
- Sprinkle with dressing mix and pour chicken broth over chicken
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours
- Remove chicken to a plate and shred with two forks
- Add cream cheese to broth in the slow cooker
- Let sit with lid on for about 10 minutes
- Use a whisk to make a liquid out of cream cheese and broth**
- ** This will be very runny consistency, but once the chicken and pasta are added and it’s sat for about 30 minutes you’ll have the perfect creamy crock pot fettuccine alfredo sauce there is – guaranteed!
- Add the cooked al dente pasta and shredded chicken to the Crock Pot
- Leave uncovered and stir until pasta is coated and Crock Pot alfredo sauce is at desired consistency
What I’ve learned making this:
The noodles get only 3 minutes of boiling, and that is not a typo. They finish cooking right in the sauce, so fully cooked noodles going in come out mush.
When you whisk the cream cheese into the broth, it will look like a very runny mistake. Trust it, because 30 minutes after the pasta and chicken go in, it thickens into the creamiest alfredo there is.
For the final stretch, leave the lid off. This is how the sauce reduces to the consistency you want instead of staying soupy.
Can this sit before serving?
Yes, and that is one of my favorite things about it. It holds well for an hour or two, which makes it perfect for nights when everyone eats in shifts.
Any dinner that has the neighborhood kids going nuts is doing something right. This one does it with a crock, a whisk, and hardly any actual work.
Crock Pot Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Equipment
- 6 Quart Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 1-ounce packages Zesty Italian salad dressing mix
- 32 ounce container chicken broth
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
- 16 ounces medium egg noodles cooked for 3 minutes
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs in the 6-8 Quart Crock Pot
- Sprinkle with dressing mix and pour chicken broth over chicken
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours
- Remove chicken to a plate and shred with two forks
- Add cream cheese to broth in the slow cooker
- Let sit with lid on for about 10 minutes
- Use a whisk to make a liquid out of cream cheese and broth**
- ** This will be very runny consistency, but once the chicken and pasta are added and it's sat for about 30 minutes you'll have the perfect creamy crock pot fettuccine alfredo sauce there is - guaranteed!
- Add the cooked al dente pasta to the Crock Pot and shredded chicken to the Crock Pot
- Leave uncovered and stir until pasta is coated and Crock Pot alfredo sauce is at desired consistency
What can I serve with chicken alfredo?
When I make this chicken alfredo slow cooker recipe, to be honest I serve it by itself – it’s absolutely perfect as it’s own meal.
If you want to have more to the meal I’d recommend a salad and/or bread.
What are some good side dishes to serve with chicken fettuccine alfredo?
If you absolutely insisted, side dishes to serve with a crock pot alfredo pasta recipe like this one would be corn, steamed broccoli, or maybe even a chopped salad.
But, like I said, this crockpot alfredo pasta holds its own in the dinner department.
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