You know those days when you just can’t? Can’t deal, can’t cook, can’t even think about what to make for dinner? Well,
First published Feb. 24, 2022. Last updated Feb. 12, 2025 for editorial improvements and more helpful tips.
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Table of Contents
- 🎥 Watch the Magic Happen: step-by-step video tutorial
- ...it’s a family favorite...
- 🗝️ Key takeaways
- 🧾 Ingredients
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🥄 Equipment
- 🥫 How to store leftover angel chicken
- Table template
- 📖 Variations
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 🍝 Angel hair vs spaghetti: What's the difference?
- 🫗 Help! My sauce is too thin
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ What to serve with Angel Chicken
- 📞 The last word
- 📖 Recipe
- Pin it now
- 💬 Comments
Picture this: It’s 5 PM, and you’re staring into the fridge like it might magically spit out dinner if you squint hard enough. (Spoiler alert—it won’t.) But what if I told you that with just a handful of ingredients and a trusty
Angel Chicken is pure comfort, a creamy, savory, soul-warming dish that practically cooks itself while you do, well… anything else. It’s buttery, rich, and absolutely impossible to mess up—like a warm hug from your
🎥 Watch the Magic Happen: step-by-step video tutorial
Hey, y’all! If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is basically a cheat code for nailing this recipe. Watch me walk you through every step—because let’s be real, sometimes written instructions just don’t cut it. Grab a snack, hit play, and let’s make some seriously good comfort food together!
(And if you love it, check out my full Restless Chipotle Kitchen playlist on YouTube for even more deliciousness. Because one great meal is never enough. 😉)
🗝️ Key takeaways
Crockpot Angel Chicken is the weeknight hero you didn’t know you needed. It’s rich, creamy, wildly easy, and requires almost zero effort—just toss, cook, and bask in the compliments.
Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Ridiculously easy – Minimal prep, barely any cleanup, and the
slow cooker does all the work. - Crowd favorite – Family-approved and a hit at potlucks (plus, 2,500 five-star reviews don’t lie).
- Budget-friendly – Check out the variations to swap in proteins that won’t make you cry at checkout.
- That. Sauce. – Velvety, buttery, and so good you’ll be licking your plate like it owes you money.
- Perfect for busy nights – When you’re too tired to cook but still want something homemade.
The boneless chicken breasts soak up all that creamy goodness until they’re fork-tender, and the sauce is so divine you might just consider drinking it. (No judgment.)
Honestly? It’s one of my all-time favorite crockpot recipes—and judging by the thousands of rave reviews, I’m not alone.
Oh, and if you’re looking for a dish that’ll steal the spotlight at a church potluck? This is the one. 😇
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients for this angel hair pasta and chicken recipe. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Soften butter and cream cheese.
Mix until smooth.
Add seasonings and soup.
Add chicken stock.
Whisk until smooth.
Put chicken and garlic in
Cover with sauce mixture.
Cook on low 6-8 hours.
🥄 Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Large
mixing bowl - Whisk
🥫 How to store leftover angel chicken
Store leftover angel chicken in an airtight container (or covered with plastic wrap) in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheat it in the microwave for 2 minutes, stir, and then heat in 30 second intervals until hot. You can also warm it gently on top of the stove, stirring often.
Don't freeze the leftovers. The sauce can become grainy.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up
Tossing in some sliced mushrooms is delicious, adds nutrition, and is pretty!
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
Table template
📖 Variations
- Boneless chicken thighs can be substituted for chicken breast.
- So can boneless pork.
- Add some vegetables to this chicken, by adding a bag of frozen mixed vegetables at the last hour of cooking.
- If you are a mushroom fan, switch out the cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom soup or a can of Campbell's golden mushroom soup. Or just try this slow cooker chicken stroganoff.
- Change up the flavor of this delectable sauce completely by using a ranch packet or a zesty Italian dressing packet.
- Parmesan cheese makes a great addition to this delicious dish, I recommend using freshly grated parmesan, you can add it to the
slow cooker with the cream soup mixture. - Out of chicken stock? Chicken broth, vegetable broth, or white wine can be used instead, I like to add extra garlic if I am using chicken broth instead of chicken stock.
Marye's Tip o' the day
Y'all be sure to spray the crockpot well with no-stick cooking spray or use a
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Be sure to use the packet of dry Italian seasoning. Add it to the crock pot DRY.
- Keep the cover on the crockpot! Every time you take it off you let the heat out and it needs to build up again.
- If you are out of garlic cloves, you can use one teaspoon of garlic powder in place of the cloves.
- Add a dash of white wine to this dish to make a rich sauce.
- Be sure that you do not melt the butter and cream cheese. You only want to soften them so that you can mix them together.
- For extra flavor, you can season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper before adding them to the
slow cooker . - I always like to cook my chicken breasts on low heat so that they don't become tough.
🍝 Angel hair vs spaghetti: What's the difference?
The difference between the two noodles is that angel hair is much finer than spaghetti noodles. Angel hair pasta is best for light and creamy sauces instead of a hearty tomato-based sauce.
🫗 Help! My sauce is too thin
I've been really confused by comments that the sauce is too thin. I'm not sure why that would be but here are my suggestions:
- Shred the chicken in the sauce about 30 minutes before you plan to serve it. It's meant to go over rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes so the shredded chicken will help thicken in up.
- Make sure you're using dry Italian dressing mix and not liquid Italian dressing.
- Use regular Philadelphia brand cream cheese. Do not use low fat or fat free. Do not use an off brand. You can use up to 8 ounces if you wish.
- Add just ¼ cup of chicken stock and see if you like the consistency better.
- If it's too thin you can save it by removing as much of the sauce as possible, mixing in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and heating it in a pan over the stove until it gets as thick as you like.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Cooking chicken in a crockpot is generally done on the low setting. This will ensure that the meat is not overcooked or tough.
Yes, you can overcook chicken in a crockpot. If left on too long, the chicken may become dry and tough.
Yes, you can but I recommend that you thaw it first, so that your sauce doesn't become runny.
I like angel hair pasta but rigatoni is nice, too, because the sauce gets stick inside the noodles :::swoon:::
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
Use chicken tenderloins instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts and you can reduce the cooking time down to four hours on the low setting!
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
Slow cooker angel chicken is a family favorite but here are some other recipes we love!
- Crockpot ranch chicken is a fantastic slow cooker recipe that your entire family is going to love.
- Cheesy crockpot chicken spaghetti is my favorite crock pot recipe of all time, this dish is always a winner with everyone.
🍽️ What to serve with Angel Chicken
Try this delicious Italian green bean salad to give the meal some crunch!
Soft garlic breadsticks or garlic knots are the perfect blend of soft doughy goodness and buttery garlic flavor. These breadsticks are always a crowd pleaser.
Y'all know I have a sweet tooth! This lemon bundt cake is the perfect ending!
📞 The last word
No time for the
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Angel Chicken
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast, boneless and skinless
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped or left whole
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup butter
- 0.6 ounces Italian dressing mix, I used Good Seasons
- 1 pound angel hair pasta
Instructions
- Spray the inside of the crockpot with no stick cooking spray.
- Add the chicken breast.
- Add the garlic.
- Soften the butter and cream cheese in the microwave.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in the cream of chicken soup (don't dilute it).
- Add the Italian dressing mix and the chicken stock.
- Whisk until well mixed.
- Pour over the chicken breasts.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- OPTIONAL: 30 minutes before the cooking time is finished shred the chicken breasts with two forks and continue to cook in the sauce.
- Just before chicken is done cook the angel hair pasta. Drain.
- Serve the chicken over the pasta.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Pin it now
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Ann Wirtz says
Want to try this! Can it be doubled in Crock Pot? Increase time?
Marye says
Sure. the cook time should be the same.
Chrissy says
I'm making this for the third time right now, and the sauce has never been too thin. Maybe they used frozen breasts, which would add a lot of water to it while cooking. Or maybe they added too much chicken stock (I use broth), thinking the sauce was too thick when adding it to the crock pot (it dilutes as the meat cooks). And I do use the reduced fat "cream cheese", with no problem. As is, this recipe is great! It makes great leftovers, my husband and I love it.
Brittany says
This recipe was so good! My only issue was I cooked it on low for 8 hours and when I shredded the chicken, there was no sauce left. I used all the
Proportions in the recipe. Is it because I used 2 large breast and didn’t cut them in half? I loved it, just wish I had sauce for the pasta.
Marye says
If the sauce soaks into the chicken too much you can add a bit of chicken stock to loosen it up.
Angela says
What could I substitute for the Italian dressing pack? Could you make yourself?
Marye says
Italian seasoning blend... but it won't be the same. You could make it yourself. Google - Homemade Zesty Italian Seasoning
Tammy Merriner says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome. I will definitely make it again.
Terri L Goodman says
My daughter-in-law is vegan. Do you think adding mixed vegetables with the pasta and sauce would work? Also, do you have any vegan recipes?
Marye says
Hi Terri- Vegan means she eats no animal products at all. No butter, no milk or cream, no cheese, no meat, no eggs. Most of this recipe is dairy plus you can't cook the chicken in the sauce and then just fish out the vegetables for a vegan person. I don't have any vegan recipes per se but I know this vegan blogger and her recipes are very good. https://www.veggiessavetheday.com/
Marisa says
I made this tonight and it came out delicious! My 8 year old son loved it! I used 3 chicken breasts with all the recommended proportions and cooked on low for 6 hours. It was moist and flavorful with plenty of “sauce.”
Iris Goodson says
Can I use Leftover roasted chicken, I have a half of roasted chicken and after looking at your recipe I was wondering about using everything BUT using leftover chicken, combining all the ingredients together in the crock pot allowing it to cooking for a while then shred up the leftover chicken adding it cooking for about 30 to 40 minutes on high , I'm going to try it and SEE.
Marye says
I don't see why not.
J says
Would this work with whole chicken legs?
Marye says
I'm sure it would.
Valerie Bristow says
Did it work Iris? I want to know too!
Kayla says
I can only use my crockpot on high it doesn’t cook good on low at all. How long should I cook it on high?
Marye says
4 hours on high, or until the chicken is fall apart tender and 165F.
Maureen says
This was just fabulous the sauce is so good. I added a can of mushrooms just because I love them, gave some to my neighbors and they raved about it too. Thank you for a great recipe.
Jamie says
Could this be made in the instapot and for how long.
Marye says
I'm sure it could but I don't have an instapot so I really don't know.
Amanda says
Absolutely delicious! ❤️
Jennifer says
Have you ever used cream of mushroom soup instead just curious I prefer it over cream of chicken.
Marye says
You certainly could.
Pamela says
I’m trying this tonight but I have 4 people eating with only 2 chicken breast, can you shred the chicken in the mix and serve it over the pasta?
Marye says
Yes! I do that all the time.
Carol Meola says
I made this once and it was wonderful, but I think I made it in the oven. I think I put the sauce over the chicken, covered it and baked. I can’t remember exactly. Do you think this would work?I
Marye says
Im sure it would.
Michele says
Delicious!
William says
I need to cook too much chicken (ten large breasts), so can I cook the chicken in the oven and make the sauce on the stove, as directed, and mix them together and let them sit for a while to thicken up?
Marye says
You can do it that way but it will not be the same. It won't be as tender, and it won't have as much flavor. I don't recommend it.
Marcia L says
Made this today. I did use 4 Oz of cream chz but my sauce was still thin.
Diane says
This was very good and I enjoyed it for a couple of days and froze the rest for another evening. The sodium does 'sneak up' on you later. It doesn't taste salty but you feel it later, likely because of the salad dressing. I did use low sodium broth and heart healthy soup. Next time I'll use unsalted butter to try to take a bit more of the salt out, but I will make this again.
Maria says
I'm going to try this but I'm going to use boneless skinless chicken thighs we like them better
Mary says
Just a thought. There was some mention about most people’s sauce being to thin. I think that maybe because I did notice you wrote 1/4 cup (2 oz) cream cheese but in the video you used 1/2 of an 8 oz package of cream cheese or roughly 1/2 cup (4 oz). Could this be the part of the problem? Just curious. I used the larger amount because I like more.
Marye says
Absolutely! I'll fix it now. I also know that at least a couple of people who contacted me use Italian dressing in the bottle not the dry mix.