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Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta

Chicken thighs and a pantry-friendly creamy sauce make slow-cooker pasta that stays rich, tender, and easy to time.

Creamy short pasta with shredded chicken, wilted spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes in a slow-cooker insert.

This is the kind of slow-cooker dinner that earns its keep on a busy day: chicken thighs become tender in a garlicky, sun-dried-tomato broth, then turn into a creamy pasta sauce. Adding the pasta only after the chicken is done keeps its texture in your control and avoids the mushy finish common to all-day pasta recipes.

Start with forgiving chicken

Boneless, skinless thighs are especially well suited to the slow cooker because they stay succulent through a long, gentle cook. Arrange them in one layer and let the broth heat around them, so the seasoning stays put while the meat becomes easy to shred.

Make the sauce smooth first

The cooking liquid has enough savory depth from garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to support the cream cheese without condensed soup. Whisk the softened cheese into the hot liquid before the pasta joins; a smooth sauce at this point is the best insurance against a grainy or separated finish.

Shredded tender chicken is folded into creamy sun-dried tomato sauce in a slow cooker. — Tender chicken is shredded beside the slow cooker before pasta joins the creamy sauce.

Give pasta a short window

Short pasta needs a much shorter cooking window than chicken, so it goes in near the finish and gets checked often. Stop when the center still offers the slightest resistance: carryover heat and the resting sauce will finish the texture without pushing it into softness.

Fold in the greens off heat

Spinach wilts quickly in residual heat, which makes it the final ingredient rather than something to cook for hours. Fold it in gently after switching the cooker off, and the sauce stays glossy instead of taking on an oily, broken look.

Glossy creamy sauce coats short pasta with spinach, shredded chicken, and sun-dried tomatoes. — Creamy sauce clings to short pasta with wilted spinach and sun-dried tomato pieces.

Serve while the sauce is loose

A brief uncovered rest thickens the sauce enough to cling to the pasta, but it should still look supple when served. Keep warm broth nearby for any portion that tightens as it sits, and stir it in gently rather than reheating the entire cooker.

Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta

6 servings

310 minutes total

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 12 oz short pasta, such as penne or rotini
• 5 oz baby spinach

Method

Season the chicken
Season the chicken thighs on both sides with the salt and black pepper, then arrange them in an even layer in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
Look for: The thighs sit in one layer so they cook evenly.
Build the slow-cooker base
Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken, then scatter in the finely diced yellow onion, minced garlic cloves, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and pour the chicken broth around, not over, the seasoned thighs.
Look for: The broth comes about halfway up the chicken without washing off the seasoning.
Cook until tender
Cover and cook on low until the chicken is very tender and reaches 175 F, about 4 hours; avoid lifting the lid during this time because trapped heat keeps the cooker steady.
Look for: The chicken pulls apart easily with two forks and registers 175 F in the thickest piece.
Shred and enrich the sauce
Transfer the chicken to a bowl and shred it, then whisk the softened cream cheese into the hot cooking liquid until smooth before returning the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
Look for: No white cream-cheese lumps remain and the sauce looks smooth and lightly thickened.
Add pasta near the end
Stir in the short pasta, choosing penne or rotini, and press it below the sauce; cover and cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring once midway only if dry pieces float above the liquid.
Look for: Most pasta is submerged and the sauce still moves freely around the pieces.
Check pasta frequently
Check the pasta every 5 minutes and stop cooking when it is just tender with a faint firm center, usually 5 to 15 minutes more; do not wait for it to become fully soft in the cooker.
Look for: A sampled piece is tender at the edge with a slight bite at its center.
Wilt the spinach
Turn off the slow cooker, fold in the baby spinach, and cover for 3 minutes just until the leaves wilt; gentle folding keeps the creamy sauce from breaking.
Look for: The spinach is dark green and wilted while the sauce remains glossy rather than oily.
Rest and serve
Let the pasta stand uncovered for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce, then stir gently and serve; if it thickens too much, loosen each portion with a spoonful of warm broth.
Look for: The sauce clings to the pasta in a creamy layer without pooling oil.