Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo (Printable)

A comforting slow-cooked dish with tender chicken, pasta, and creamy Alfredo sauce.

# What You 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 - 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)

# How To Make It:

01 - Place chicken breasts at the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with salt, black pepper, dried Italian herbs, and ground nutmeg. Add minced garlic evenly over the chicken.
02 - Pour heavy cream and whole milk over the seasoned chicken. Distribute unsalted butter pieces and cubed cream cheese evenly atop.
03 - Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked and can be shredded easily with forks.
04 - Remove chicken from the slow cooker, shred using two forks, then return shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
05 - Add uncooked penne or rigatoni pasta, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and frozen peas if using. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
06 - Cover and cook on high heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until pasta is tender and sauce has thickened into a creamy consistency.
07 - Dish out portions hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's genuinely hands-off once it starts cooking, freeing you up for the whole afternoon or evening.
  • The chicken comes out so tender it practically falls apart, and the sauce doesn't break or separate like it can on the stovetop.
  • You get a complete dinner in one pot with minimal cleanup, which feels like a small miracle after a long day.
02 -
  • Don't skip that stir halfway through the pasta cooking time—it prevents the bottom from sticking and the pasta from clumping together.
  • Uncooked pasta is essential here; cooked pasta would turn to mush, but uncooked pasta cooks to perfect tenderness while it absorbs the sauce and thickens everything.
  • If your sauce looks too thin after cooking, leave the lid off for the last 10 minutes on HIGH to let some liquid evaporate and thicken naturally.
03 -
  • Cut the cream cheese into small cubes rather than trying to use it whole—it melts faster and distributes more evenly through the sauce.
  • Fresh nutmeg makes a surprising difference here, so if you only have it ground, measure carefully because it's more potent than the pre-ground version.
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