Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti (Easy Weeknight Dinner)

Creamy and comforting, this slow cooker chicken spaghetti is a no-nonsense, easy weeknight meal for busy families.
Instead of canned soup, this recipe uses Boursin to create a rich, flavorful sauce, along with a simple pasta water technique to keep it creamy and thick.
Full of flavor, this Boursin cheese chicken pasta comes together effortlessly in the slow cooker and makes getting a homemade dinner on the table simple, even on the busiest nights.
This recipe has been kitchen-tested to ensure consistent, reliable results.

What Is Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti?

This slow cooker chicken and spaghetti recipe is a creamy dish made by cooking chicken in a seasoned broth, adding Boursin and tomatoes, and then finishing it with pasta. My version uses simple, all-natural ingredients to thicken the sauce instead of canned soups.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A simple and easy weeknight dinner that fits into busy schedules.
• Minimal prep and mostly hands off; the slow cooker does the work.
• Small pieces of chicken cook faster and absorb more flavor; eliminating the need to shred it later
• Chicken stays tender and doesn’t overcook.
• Creamy sauce made with Boursin and pasta water, no canned soup needed.
• Thickens naturally using a simple pasta water technique that you can use for other sauces.
• Can be partially made ahead to simplify busy evenings

How Do You Make Chicken Spaghetti Creamy Without Canned Soup?

This slow cooker chicken spaghetti recipe uses Boursin cheese and a small amount of pasta water to create a smooth, creamy sauce. The starch in the pasta water naturally thickens the sauce, so you don’t need canned soup.

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Ingredients

Refer to the printable recipe card below for ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.

• Chicken Breast: cut into bite-sized pieces so it cooks faster and absorbs more flavor.
• Onion, Garlic and Italian Seasoning: infuses the stock with flavor.
• Boursin Cheese: or other herbed cream cheese; creates a creamy base
• Cherry Tomatoes: add brightness and balance to the rich sauce.
• Spaghetti: cooked beforehand al dente, so it holds its texture and doesn’t turn mushy when added to the slow cooker

How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti

1. Add stock, chicken, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Cook the chicken until tender, then add the Boursin and stir it into the broth.
3. Stir until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce base.

4. Add the tomatoes and reserved pasta water and cook until the tomatoes soften.
5. Add the cooked pasta and toss with the sauce to coat.
6. Let the pasta rest, then toss again until everything is coated and creamy.

Substitutions & Variations

• Turn this into a gluten-free chicken spaghetti by swapping the pasta for your favorite gluten-free spaghetti or short pasta like penne.
• Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts
• You can use any garlic herbed cream cheese, to get the same flavors from this Boursin cheese chicken pasta. If you only have plain cream cheese, add an extra clove of garlic to step 1.

Recipe Testing Notes (What Worked Best)

The first time I tested this recipe, I tried making everything in one pot by adding uncooked pasta directly to the slow cooker and letting it cook in the sauce. While the pasta did cook through, the result was an overly gummy sauce.
As appealing as a one-pot recipe sounds, the excess starch released from the pasta during cooking was simply too much for the sauce.
Cooking the pasta separately at a higher, more controlled heat and adding it at the end gives much better results; perfectly cooked pasta and a creamy sauce that isn’t too heavy.

Make Ahead and Storage Info

Make Ahead: Cook the chicken and sauce up to 2 days in advance, then refrigerate. Before adding the pasta, reheat the sauce in the slow cooker until hot.
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat the Boursin cheese chicken pasta in the microwave, adding a splash of broth to loosen the sauce, as the pasta will have absorbed some of it.
Freezer: Freezing is not recommended, as it can affect the texture of the pasta once thawed.

Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti FAQs

Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti

Creamy slow cooker chicken spaghetti made without canned soup, using Boursin for a rich, flavorful sauce.

*Quick Note Before You Dive In: This recipe card covers the basics, but if you want to know how to create a thick and creamy sauce, naturally, scroll back up! Everything you need for foolproof results is in the post.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Dinner, Mains

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 6

Calories 282 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ cups (355ml) chicken stock
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 large breasts)
• 1 cup diced cooking onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti
• 5.3 ounces Boursin cheese (Fine Herbs & Garlic) or other herbed cream cheese
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes

Equipment

• 7-quart slow cooker

Instructions

 

• Pour 1 ½ cups broth into the base of a 7-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken, onions, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
• Cover and cook on low for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 2 to 2 1/2 quarts of water to a boil; just enough to cover the pasta (see note below). Cook the pasta for about 7 minutes, until al dente. It should still have a slight bite, as it will continue to soften slightly in the slow cooker.
• Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta. Set aside.
• Cut the Boursin into quarters and add it to the slow cooker. Stir until combined. Add the tomatoes and reserved pasta water. Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened.
• Add the pasta and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cover and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken and become creamy.
• Give the pasta a final stir, then serve. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Notes:

Unlike other Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti recipes, the chicken is cut into small pieces from the start, so it cooks quickly and doesn’t need to be shredded later.

Use just enough water to cover the pasta when boiling. This creates a more concentrated, starchy pasta water, which will help thicken the sauce and make it creamier. If there’s too much water in the pot, pour off a little so the pasta is just covered.

You are not limited to spaghetti; you can use any type of pasta you wish, as well as shaped pastas such as rigatoni, farfalle, penne, etc.

The broth may look congealed or curdled after cooking the chicken, but it smooths out once the cheese is added.

If any chicken pieces have stuck together during cooking, simply stir and separate them with a spoon.

Nutrition

Serving: 403gCalories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 28gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 383mgPotassium: 701mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 682IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg

Keyword boursin, comfort food, creamy, easy recipe, from scratch, garlic herb, slow cooker, weeknight dinner

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If you love the rich, creamy flavor in this recipe, you might also enjoy my Mashed Potatoes with Boursin cheese; just as rich and creamy. For another easy slow cooker chicken dish, try these Chicken Fajitas with homemade seasoning!