Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo (Print)

A comforting slow cooker dish with tender chicken, pasta, and rich creamy Alfredo sauce.

# What you'll need:

→ 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 - 1.5 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 - 0.5 tsp black pepper
13 - 0.5 tsp dried Italian herbs
14 - 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Place chicken breasts at the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, Italian herbs, nutmeg, and add minced garlic.
02 - Pour heavy cream and whole milk over the chicken. Distribute butter pieces and cream cheese cubes evenly atop.
03 - Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours until chicken is fully cooked and tender enough to shred.
04 - Remove chicken and shred using two forks, then return shredded meat to the slow cooker.
05 - Incorporate uncooked pasta, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and frozen peas if using. Mix thoroughly to combine.
06 - Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once halfway, until pasta is tender and sauce is creamy.
07 - Ladle into serving dishes and garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely hands-off—throw it together and your slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you live your life.
  • The cream cheese and butter create this impossible-to-replicate richness that tastes like you spent hours perfecting a sauce when you actually spent minutes.
  • Everything cooks in one vessel, which means minimal cleanup and maximum contentment.
02 -
  • Don't skip the second cooking phase with the pasta—uncooked pasta needs those extra minutes to soften and thicken the sauce, turning it from liquid to luxuriously creamy.
  • Stir halfway through the pasta cooking so nothing sticks to the bottom and everything cooks evenly.
  • If your sauce seems thin after the first 3 hours, don't panic—it will thicken as the pasta absorbs liquid during the final cook.
03 -
  • Room-temperature cream and milk blend more smoothly than cold, so pull them from the fridge a few minutes before assembling if you have time.
  • Real Parmesan makes a noticeable difference in taste—it's worth seeking out the good stuff for this one special recipe.
  • Leftovers reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk stirred in, bringing the sauce back to silky perfection.
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