Creamy Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

Crock pot chicken and noodles is a slow-cooker dinner of boneless chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, low-sodium chicken broth and wide egg noodles, seasoned with black pepper. The chicken cooks until it is tender enough to shred, then the noodles finish in the creamy sauce. If you would rather cook on the stove, try this creamy chicken noodles as a stovetop alternative. For more slow-cooker chicken meals, see this crockpot chicken and dumplings.

Why You’ll Love This Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

• Hands-off cooking: the chicken, soup and broth go into the slow cooker in the morning, and the wide egg noodles are added near the end.
• Creamy sauce: the wide egg noodles soak up the cream of chicken soup and broth as they cook, so every bite is coated.
• A short ingredient list: chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, broth, wide egg noodles and black pepper are all you need.
• Easy to thicken or loosen: if the sauce is too thick after the noodles cook, a splash of warm broth brings it back.

What Is Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles?

Crock pot chicken and noodles is a slow-cooker version of a creamy chicken-and-noodle supper. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook on LOW in undiluted cream of chicken soup and low-sodium broth until they are tender and fully cooked. The chicken is shredded and stirred back in, then wide egg noodles cook on HIGH in the same sauce until they are tender. It is not a clear broth soup; the noodles stay in a thick, creamy sauce. For another creamy bowl, see this creamy chicken noodle soup. Because the dish is made with poultry, keep the chicken cold until it goes into the cooker and heat the finished pot thoroughly; see this USDA guide to leftovers and food safety.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cans (10.5 oz each) cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 oz wide egg noodles
• Black pepper to taste

Ingredient Notes

The list follows the original recipe. The cream of chicken soup is a plain condensed soup, with no brand name. A splash of warm broth, mentioned in the method, is used only if the finished sauce is too thick.

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: 2 lb, placed in the slow cooker whole. They will shred easily after the long cook on LOW. Keep the chicken refrigerated until you start.
• Cream of chicken soup: 2 cans (10.5 oz each), used undiluted. This is the body of the creamy sauce. A plain condensed cream of chicken soup is what you want here, not a ready-to-eat soup.
• Low-sodium chicken broth: 1 1/2 cups, poured in with the soup. Starting with a low-sodium broth helps you control the salt, since the soup already carries seasoning. Keep a little extra warm broth on hand in case the noodles thicken the pot.
• Wide egg noodles: 12 oz, added at the end and cooked on HIGH until tender. Wide egg noodles soak up the sauce and are the classic shape for this dish. Do not add them at the beginning, or they will overcook.
• Black pepper: add it to taste. A few good turns of black pepper in the sauce, and a little more at the end, is usually enough. The soup already provides salt, so taste before you add any extra.

How to Make Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

1. Add the chicken: place the 2 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
2. Add the sauce: pour in the cream of chicken soup and the 1 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth. Stir gently so the soup and broth are combined around the chicken. Season with black pepper to taste.
3. Cook on LOW: cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
4. Shred the chicken: lift the chicken out, shred it with two forks, and stir it back into the sauce.
5. Cook the noodles: add the 12 oz of wide egg noodles, stir to coat them, cover, and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Stir once or twice so the noodles cook evenly.
6. Adjust and serve: if the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of warm broth. Taste for pepper, then serve the crock pot chicken and noodles hot.

Hands-on time is about 15 minutes. The chicken cooks on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, and the wide egg noodles need 20 to 30 minutes on HIGH after that.

Tips for the Best Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

• Add the noodles at the end: wide egg noodles cook quickly and will turn soft if they sit in the sauce for hours. Wait until the chicken is shredded, then cook them on HIGH.
• Stir the noodles once or twice: this keeps the pasta from clumping and helps every strand cook in the sauce.
• Keep a little warm broth nearby: the noodles soak up a lot of sauce. A splash of warm broth loosens the pot if it gets too thick, as noted in the recipe tip.
• Do not lift the lid often during the long cook: the slow cooker needs a steady temperature so the chicken becomes tender in 6 to 7 hours.
• Start with cold, fully thawed chicken: the breasts should be kept refrigerated until they go into the cooker, and the finished dish should be hot throughout, following the USDA leftovers guidance linked above.

What to Serve With Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

Crock pot chicken and noodles is rich and creamy, so it sits well next to a simple green salad, steamed green beans or buttered peas. For another slow-cooker chicken dinner, try this crock pot chicken pot pie or this crockpot chicken and gravy. Serve the crock pot chicken and noodles hot, and loosen any leftovers with a little warm broth when you reheat them.

Variations

• Stovetop instead: if you do not want to use a slow cooker, make the stovetop creamy chicken noodles linked above, which is a separate recipe cooked in a pot on the stove.
• A little extra pepper: if you like a more peppery sauce, add more black pepper after the noodles are tender and taste again.
• Thicker or looser sauce: let the noodles sit for a few minutes after they are tender if you want a thicker sauce, or add a splash of warm broth if you want it looser.
• Smaller cooker: this amount is written for a standard family-size slow cooker. If your pot is smaller, check that the chicken sits in the sauce and is not packed tightly above the liquid.

Storage

Let leftover crock pot chicken and noodles cool, then store them in a covered container in the refrigerator. See the USDA leftovers guide linked above and this FDA guide to storing food safely for general refrigeration advice. Reheat portions on the stove over low heat, or in a microwave in short bursts, stirring in a splash of warm broth so the sauce loosens as the noodles warm. Do not leave the crock pot chicken and noodles out at room temperature for long. This crock pot chicken and noodles recipe does not freeze well; the noodles can turn soft after thawing.

FAQ

What is crock pot chicken and noodles?

Crock pot chicken and noodles is a slow-cooker meal of boneless chicken breasts cooked in cream of chicken soup and broth, then shredded and finished with wide egg noodles that cook in the creamy sauce until tender.

Can I use chicken thighs in crock pot chicken and noodles?

The written recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless thighs will also cook through on LOW in 6 to 7 hours and can be shredded the same way. Keep the total weight at 2 lb, and make sure the meat is fully cooked before you add the noodles.

Can I make crock pot chicken and noodles ahead of time?

You can cook the chicken in the soup and broth, shred it, and keep it covered in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, reheat the sauce until it is hot, then add the noodles and cook on HIGH until they are tender, so the pasta does not sit too long in the sauce.

Why are the noodles too soft in crock pot chicken and noodles?

The usual cause is adding the egg noodles too early, or leaving them on HIGH for longer than 20 to 30 minutes. Add the wide egg noodles only after the chicken is shredded, and start checking them at 20 minutes.

How should I store leftover crock pot chicken and noodles?

Cool the leftovers, then keep them in a covered container in the refrigerator. Reheat until hot, and add a splash of warm broth if the sauce has thickened. Follow the FDA and USDA storage guidance linked above, and do not leave the crock pot chicken and noodles out for long.