This Crockpot Chicken with Egg Noodles is the perfect meal for a busy day. And best yet, it cooks up in only 4 hours so dinner has never been easier. Now that my son is getting older and enjoying more finger foods, I’ve found myself needing to come home as soon as possible on days when he’s awake and still wanting to cook him something.
CROCK POT CHICKEN AND NOODLES
This recipe for Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles is pure comfort food. Egg noodles and seasoned chicken breast in a delicious, creamy broth!
A SIMPLE SLOW COOKER MEAL
This Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles is a simple, humble recipe that is pure comfort in a bowl. The leftovers heat up well and it is best served with some crusty bread to dip into the broth or maybe with a side salad.
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS EASY SLOW COOKER MEAL:
What can I serve with chicken and noodles?
I will usually serve this with a side salad or some steamed vegetables. Or sometimes we just eat it with some Butter Biscuits.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes, you certainly can.
What kind of egg noodles should I use?
I usually get a wide egg noodle but you can use pretty much egg noodle you enjoy. No yolk egg noodles work fine here too. Most egg noodles come in a 12 ounce bag – you’ll just need about ¾ of the bag for this recipe. Just be careful if you purchase the flat, Amish-style dry egg noodles. They soak up more liquid than a traditional egg noodles so you’ll need more chicken broth.
What if I don’t like cream of chicken soup?
You can really use any cream soup you think might work with the flavors in this. Cream of mushroom or even cream of onion would work with this.
How do I store leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that the noodles continue to soak up the liquid so the mixture will be thicker than when you first made it. You can always thin it out with a bit more chicken broth if you prefer. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- cream of chicken soup (with herbs)
- salt and pepper
- poultry seasoning
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salted butter
- chicken broth
- medium egg noodles
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN AND NOODLES:
Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot, then top with the cream of chicken soup.
Sprinkle salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder on top.
Add butter slices to the top, then pour in the chicken broth.
Cook over low heat for 5-6 hours, or high heat for 3-4 hours. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred into chunks with two forks (do not remove any liquid from the pot.) Add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the dry egg noodles and stir.
Cover and continue cooking for 30-45 minutes, until noodles are tender. If necessary, add additional chicken broth to thin out the mixture.
Serve and top with dried parsley (optional).
Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
Crockpot Chicken and Noodles is the perfect dinner to come home to. Made with simple ingredients and only 10 minutes hands on time, this will be a winner in your house.
Today I’m sharing a very easy recipe with you that my kids totally love. In fact, they love it so much they are even excited about leftovers for lunch the next day which is the true test of a recipe in my house.
Crockpot Chicken and Noodles requires only about 10 minutes of hands on time, and is total comfort food. With chicken, noodles, and some simple veggies you have a whole meal in your slow cooker when you get home.
How to Make Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
- Combine ingredients in the slow cooker. To your slow cooker add chicken, cut up carrots, garlic, condensed chicken soup, chicken broth, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
- Add the noodles. Stir in egg noodles and cook for 25 minutes.
- Stir in the peas. Finally, stir in some frozen peas. Serve it up and enjoy.
Chicken Shredding Hack
Recently a friend of mine told me how much she loves my Chicken Enchilada Soup that it is even worth having to shred chicken at the end. And then I blew her mind with my secret for shredding chicken.
At the end of this slow cooker chicken and noodles recipe, you need to shred the chicken. Remove it from the slow cooker, and throw it in a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Then using a hand mixer or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, shred the chicken.
If you are thinking that this isn’t worth washing those extra dishes, I will respectfully disagree. This crockpot dinner is just one dish to clean at the end of the night, so adding one more bowl so that I don’t have to shred chicken by hand is absolutely worth it.
Using Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
For those who want to make a dinner full from scratch, I suggest using my Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup in this recipe. You will need to double the recipe for this, but it still will only take about 25 minutes to make.
Benefits of making this from scratch include:
- Making it lower in sodium. You can completely control the sodium of this when you make it yourself.
- Making it dairy free. If you have a dairy allergy in your house, you can replace the butter in this recipe with vegan butter, and the milk with soy milk.
Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Make this Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup to replace that can from the grocery store. If you want a completely from scratch dinner, this recipe will replace that can with the exact same amount.
Adding Frozen Peas
The peas in this recipe don’t really get much cooking time. In fact it is only about a minute from when they are added to the slow cooker to when you serve the recipe. But this is perfect. The heat from the recipe will warm them and they will still be bright green and the perfect texture. Nobody wants overcooked peas.
Cooking Noodles in the Slow Cooker
It is easy to cook noodles in the slow cooker and it takes less than 30 minutes when your crockpot is on high. The liquid of the recipe is absorbed by the noodles as they cook in the hot recipe.
While noodles cooked in the slow cooker don’t have quite the same texture as boiled noodles, it works very well in this delicious recipe. For this recipe, 25 minutes was the perfect amount of time for the noodles.
FAQ
Is crockpot chicken and noodles gluten free?
This recipe is not gluten free. Both the condensed soup and the noodles contain gluten.
Can I use something other than egg noodles?
Yes, most small noodles (like penne, shells, rigatoni) will work in place of the egg noodles if you stick to using 8 ounces.
CROCK POT CHICKEN AND NOODLES
Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles is an easy dinner recipe with just 5 minutes of prep! The creamy broth coats the pasta and tender meat for a cozy, family-friendly meal that’s perfect on a chilly night!
We can all use more easy crockpot chicken recipes, and this one will not disappoint. The taste is similar to chicken noodle soup — minus the broth! Instead, you get a bowl of tender egg noodles and flavorful chicken all stirred together in a thick and creamy, yet perfectly light, sauce. Best of all, the pasta cooks right in the slow cooker!
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT CHICKEN AND NOODLES:
You only need a handful of basic pantry staples for this 5-minute recipe!
INGREDIENTS FOR SLOW COOKER EXTRA CREAMY CHICKEN AND NOODLES:
- Condensed cream of chicken soup
- Chicken broth and water
- Dried parsley, black pepper, and garlic powder
- Chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- Egg noodles
First, place the soup, broth, water and seasonings in a slow cooker. Whisk to combine, and then add the chicken.
Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 1 ½ – 2 hours. Then remove the chicken to a cutting board and dice or shred with two forks.
CAN I COOK NOODLES IN THE CROCK POT?
Yes! Once you remove the chicken from the slow cooker, turn the heat to the “HIGH” setting (if it’s not already there), and stir in a 12-ounce package of extra wide egg noodles.
Cover the Crock Pot and cook the egg noodles for about 10 more minutes (or until the noodles are almost tender, but not quite done). Then return the chicken to the Crock Pot, give everything a good stir, cover and continue cooking for about 5-10 more minutes — or just until the noodles are done.
The pasta soaks up most of the liquid in the pot, which gives the noodles so much great flavor. The noodles also release starches as they cook, which helps to thicken the creamy sauce.
Just give everything a good stir, garnish with fresh herbs if desired, and serve!
WHAT GOES WELL WITH CHICKEN AND NOODLES?
With a simple vegetable side, this easy crockpot chicken dinner is complete! Here are a few easy options:
- A simple green salad dressed with Buttermilk Dressing
- Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans
- Garlic Roasted Broccoli
- Southern Collard Greens
COOK’S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS — OLD-FASHIONED CROCK POT CHICKEN AND NOODLES:
- I used 98% fat free condensed cream of chicken soup, but you can substitute with any similar variety. You can also swap out the cream of chicken soup and use a different flavor. For instance, cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup would both work well!
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts (as shown here), or substitute with an equal amount of boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- How do you thicken chicken and noodles? It looks like there’s a lot of liquid in this recipe; however, the egg noodles will absorb a lot of that liquid when they cook. The noodles will also release starches, which help to thicken the sauce. The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits and cools for a few minutes, so I don’t recommend adding any extra thickening agent. That said, if you still find that you’d like a thicker sauce, you can use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the mixture. To do so, whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with about 2 tablespoons of cold water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the slow cooker at the same time that you return the diced chicken back to the pot. Cook and stir for the remaining 5-10 minutes, or until noodles are done and sauce is thick.
- Add vegetables to the slow cooker at the beginning of the cooking time to make it a one-pot meal!
- Know your slow cooker! Every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact times). Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the meal is best when cooked on HIGH for about 1 ½ hours or on LOW for about 3 hours (at the most). Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
- Be careful not to overcook your chicken breasts. I find that the chicken breasts have the best texture when cooked in my slow cooker on HIGH for about 1 ½ hours. That keeps them moist and juicy, and prevents them from drying out. If you would like a dish with a longer cooking time, try using boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of the breasts. The thighs tend to stay juicy when left in a Crock Pot for extended periods.
- Can you freeze chicken and noodles? I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, since the pasta tends to get mushy when thawed.
- Leftover chicken and noodles will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the leftover chicken and noodles, place them in a saucepan over low heat, just until warmed through. Be careful not to overcook the pasta, or it will become gummy.