This cozy Crockpot Chicken Tetrazzini recipe is made for those lazy days when you want comfort in a bowl without much effort. Just add chicken, veggies, broth, and seasonings to your slow cooker while you go about your day. Then, when the time’s right, add the pasta (breaking some strands in half if needed…sorry, Nonna, it’s gotta fit), top with cream cheese, cook, and stir it together for the creamiest, dreamiest spaghetti dinner. Finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan and parsley, and you’ve got a dish that’s meal prep-approved and big family-ready for just $1.92 a serving!
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A Cozy Chicken Pasta Made in the Crockpot
Chicken tetrazzini is an Italian-American creamy chicken spaghetti that feels like pure comfort food. Some versions call for canned soup, but I like to make mine from scratch with cream cheese and broth for the silkiest, creamiest homemade sauce. I also use my slow cooker to make this recipe with simple pantry and fridge staples (think dried spaghetti, chicken, mushrooms, onion, and Parmesan), for an almost effortless dinner with leftovers I actually look forward to. 😉 For a similar recipe but made in the oven, try my ham tetrazzini next!
Recipe Success Tips & Suggestions
- Feel free to add other vegetables you may have on hand with the mushrooms; bell pepper, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, canned artichoke, or peas would be great veggie additions. (I’d add the peas at the end!)
- You can also season with whatever spices or herbs you’d like. I went with garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper, but onion powder, dried thyme, dried parsley, an Italian blend, and even dried tarragon would be nice! Use what you’ve got in your spice cupboard!
- Break the spaghetti in half, if needed. I know the Italians will come for me, but I did need to break some of the spaghetti in half to fit it into the slow cooker!! I tested leaving all of the pasta whole, but some of the ends didn’t fully submerge in the liquid. As a result, those pieces took longer to cook and cooked unevenly. Just break the strands that need it, then make sure all of the pasta is fully submerged.
- After 4 hours of cooking, it’s crucial to push the uncooked pasta down into the liquid to ensure it cooks properly. Then, after the pasta and cream cheese have cooked on low for 30 minutes, I like to stir it all together, then let it sit for 5 minutes to meld. You can let it sit for longer if you prefer your spaghetti softer (I like mine al dente), but you may need to add ½ cup of water or broth if there’s not much liquid left in the crockpot.
- Budget-saving tip: Parmesan can be a little pricey, so feel free to use mozzarella or provolone to garnish with!
Crockpot Chicken Tetrazzini
Cost $11.52 recipe / $1.92 serving
Ingredients
- 2 lb. chicken breasts (cut into cubes (boneless, skinless, about 3 large breasts, 907g) $5.14*)
- 1 onion (medium dice (290g, 2 cups) $0.99)
- 8 oz. mushrooms (cleaned and sliced, $1.94)
- 2 tsp garlic powder ($0.07)
- 2 tsp dried oregano ($0.09)
- 1½ tsp salt ($0.06)
- 1 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.16)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.26**)
- 4 oz. cream cheese ($0.78)
- ½ lb. spaghetti (uncooked, $0.62)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated, (50g) $1.26)
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, $0.15)
Instructions
- Gather and prepare all ingredients.
- Place the cubed chicken, onions, mushrooms, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and chicken broth in the crockpot. Fold all the ingredients together, place the lid on, and cook on high for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, break the uncooked spaghetti pasta in half (if needed) and place it in the crockpot. Gently stir, pushing the pasta down to fully submerge it in the liquid.
- Cube the cream cheese and place it on top of the chicken and pasta. Place the lid on the crockpot and turn it on low. Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, fold all the ingredients together, incorporating the cream cheese into the sauce until fully melted.
- Place the lid back on and turn the crockpot off. Let it sit for an additional 5 minutes to cook the noodles through.***
- Plate and garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley.
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Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Crockpot Chicken Tetrazzini step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients. Cut 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes, dice 1 onion (about 2 cups), clean and slice 8 oz. mushrooms, and chop 2 Tbsp fresh parsley.
Add to the crockpot: Place the 2 lb. cubed chicken breasts, 1 medium diced onion, 8 oz. cleaned and sliced mushrooms, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1½ tsp salt, 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and 2 cups chicken broth to the slow cooker. I use a 6-quart crockpot for this recipe.
Cook the chicken: Gently fold everything together so the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated in the seasonings and surrounded by broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
This is what your slow cooker should look like after 4 hours of cooking on high!
Add the spaghetti: After 4 hours, add ½ lb. uncooked spaghetti to the crockpot, breaking the noodles in half only if needed to help them fit. Gently stir and push every strand beneath the liquid. This is important because any pasta sticking up above the broth can cook unevenly.
Add the cream cheese: Cut 4 oz. cream cheese into cubes and scatter them over the chicken and spaghetti. Cover the crockpot, turn the heat to LOW, and cook for another 30 minutes. The spaghetti will soften as it absorbs the seasoned broth, and the cream cheese will become very soft.
Stir and rest: After 30 minutes, gently fold everything together until the cream cheese has completely melted into the broth and no white chunks remain. Turn off the slow cooker, replace the lid, and let the tetrazzini sit for another 5 minutes. The sauce will continue to coat the pasta as it rests.
I like my spaghetti to be al dente (still firm to the bite). You can leave your pasta for longer if you prefer it softer. If needed, you can add an extra ½ cup of water or broth to the crockpot and continue cooking until the pasta is done to your liking.
Garnish and serve: Top your slow cooked chicken tetrazzini with ½ cup grated Parmesan and 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley. Serve it while the sauce is creamy and the pasta is hot. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This crockpot chicken tetrazzini is filling enough to serve on its own, so I usually keep any sides nice and simple. Sautéed green beans are ready in about 15 minutes, or I’ll make oven roasted broccoli if I already have the oven on. A simple side salad adds something fresh and crisp to the plate without adding much extra work. And, of course…a side of garlic bread never hurts! All of these sides are easy to prep once you add the cream cheese to the crockpot, so everything can be ready to serve at about the same time.
Storage & Reheating
Leftovers of this slow cooker chicken Tetrazzini are just as cozy, but the pasta does soak up a lot of the sauce as it sits. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers gently in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. If the tetrazzini looks a little dry, stir in a splash of milk, cream, or broth to loosen the sauce.
Freezing
Freeze individual portions in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Just keep in mind the cream cheese sauce may separate a bit after thawing, and the pasta will be softer.
Try These Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipes Next:
- For another creamy chicken and spaghetti dinner, this Chicken Spaghetti is baked with a cheesy sauce and plenty of tender chicken.
- When I’m craving an extra-rich pasta night, this Creamy Chicken Alfredo is another favorite, with seared chicken, fettuccine, and a homemade Parmesan cream sauce.
- For something a little more veggie-packed, Chicken Pasta Primavera combines tender chicken and colorful vegetables in an easy creamy pasta.
This dish is going into regular rotation! I used bucatini because it is what we had on hand. I definitely had to add additional broth, but the results were 10/10. Noting that some felt it was bland, I added in extra Italian seasoning. We used low sodium broth and it honestly tasted a little salty, so next time I’ll omit the teaspoon and salt to taste. Finally, it’s a lactose-free home, so I just swapped the cream cheese with a plant-based version. Hope others find this helpful!
Thank you, Mae! Always great to hear when a recipe is a win. You made very smart substitutions, and I’m so glad it turned out. Thanks for the comment.
The sauce was way too thick.
Hey Samantha! I’m sorry the sauce was too thick. I know the cream cheese makes it thick, and if it sits too long the pasta absorbs the liquid. I suggest adding broth until it reaches the consistency you like. I hope that helps!
I made this for my husband who’s a fairly picky eater and he liked it. I used a different shape pasta and left the mushrooms out as he hates them but other than that I followed the recipe, just scaled down for less servings. He said it was good and he would want to have it again!
Thanks, Melissa! That’s a win if a picky eater enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment.
This was just okay. It reminded me a lot of tuna noodle casserole, just with chicken instead. Also, like someone else mentioned, it tasted strongly of cream cheese.
Thank you for the input, Mel! I tried to stay away from canned soup to make it creamy and used cream cheese instead, so I’m sorry it tasted strongly of cream cheese. It seems like the broth I used was well-seasoned, too. If you remake it, feel free to season as desired. Thank you, and I appreciate the comments because they always help me out.
This was great! I opted to 1/2 the recipe and use canned chicken. I also used the no yeast pizza dough recipe to make a quick batch garlic knots
Thank you, Bridget! The canned chicken is a great time saving and budget-friendly idea and I love the garlic knots addition!
How long do you cook it for with canned chicken instead of raw chicken breasts? Did you still do it in the crockpot?
Loved this recipe! I added about 1/2 tsp of garlic salt but otherwise followed the recipe as written. After adding the noodles I did add the suggested extra 1/2 cup of chicken broth and cooked on low for an hour (rather than 30 mins) to get the pasta tender.
There were no leftovers!
I’m glad you loved the recipe, Kate! The garlic salt is a great addition, wonderful idea. Glad everyone enjoyed it and thanks for the comment.
Loved it! Skipped the mushroms because my family is weird about them, and added extra onion instead. I also used some leftover chive & onion cream cheese (along with the regular) which added a nice kick.
Thank you so Sarah! I love onions and the addition of chive & onion cream cheese, what a great idea! Glad you loved it.
A very nice update of an old favorite. Versions of this recipe have been around for more than 75 years. The earliest versions I found yesterday were very luxurious with lots of cream and sherry. Every version from the beginning included mushrooms. In the 1950s, cream and wine had been replaced with condensed cream of mushroom soup and more cheese. I remember this from my childhood and young adult years, and from the beginning the recipes included pimento, probably for color and during my early years, also green peas–may have been regional. Kudos to this version for no high sodium canned soup! The cream cheese, which I didn’t see in early recipes, makes a delicious and velvety sauce. This crockpot version makes cleanup easy. This recipe is easy to divide, and I made a half recipe with only 1/4 tsp salt in my little crockpot that I use for queso. I did add 2 T diced pimento and 1/3 c frozen peas, at the end as suggested in the recipe. Broccoli would have been good in this recipe, but DH doesn’t like it.
I absolutely love your comments. I have a minor in anthropology, so I appreciate the history of the dish! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and love the additions you made. Thank you!
I do appreciate this lovely recipe–I forgot to mention that given the small size of my cooker, I actually broke the spagetti into thirds–keep these yummy adaptations coming!