Need an easy chicken spaghetti with Rotel recipe? This slow cooker chicken spaghetti is fantastic for a busy weeknight when you need an easy dinner idea. Creamy, cheesy with a hint of spice, this delicious Rotel chicken spaghetti will be loved by everyone in the family.
Why you’ll love this easy crock pot chicken spaghetti recipe
This creamy Rotel chicken spaghetti is a fantastic way to chance up your pasta game. This recipe is easily made in the slow cooker with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The sauce comes together with simple ingredients that you likely already have in your fridge and pantry.
This crock pot chicken recipe is also a great weeknight dinner option. The chicken mixture cooks in the slow cooker so you can prep the chicken mixure at lunchtime, and come back and have most compontents ready to go for dinner.
This slow cooker chicken spaghetti is also a great and different way to use chicken breasts. So often we get stuck in the same rut with the same chicken recipes over and over again. This creamy spaghetti and chicken with Rotel is a nice way to change up your dinner line-up.
What do I need to make chicken spaghetti with Rotel?
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – this cut of chicken is great for cooking in a slow cooker. You can also substitute breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Rotel Diced tomatoes and chilies – Rotel is found near the canned tomato products in your local grocery store. These come in original, mild and hot. Feel free to use what best suits your tastes.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – found with the rest of the canned soups, Cream of Chicken helps achieve the creamy consistency for this pasta recipe.
- Sour Cream – the addition of sour cream to this recipe helps create a wonderfully creamy sauce texture. You can substitute Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, if needed.
- Shredded Colby Jack cheese – cheese is added to the chicken mixture just before serving to create a rich and creamy sauce mixture.
- Spaghetti – cooked according to package directions, the spaghetti is added to the chicken mixture just before serving. You could substitute the spaghetti with another long noodle, like linguini or fettuccini.
Spices Needed for this chicken spaghetti recipe:
- Garlic salt
- Ground pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe. Thanks!
Ingredient Variations and Swaps:
- Onions and Bell Peppers: adding chopped white or yellow onion and bell peppers (green, red, yellow or orange), is a fantastic addition for adding texture and flavor. Add the uncooked onion and bell peppers in with the chicken breast to cook fully.
- Cream Cheese: many people love the extra creaminess of cream cheese to this dish. Add this in during the last 30 minutes of cooking. You can add this with the sour cream or in addition to the sour cream. I would recommend adding just 4 oz. if your using both cream cheese and sour cream.
- Velveeta: many people really love the combination of Velveeta and Rotel. If you would like this as well, substitute 8 oz. of cubed Velveeta in place of the shredded Cobly Jack cheese.
- Rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken: you can certainly use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken for this recipe, instead of cooking the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. If you want to use this short-cut, you can skip the slow cooker altogether and cook everything in a skillet on the stovetop. Add in the spaghetti at the very end.
How do I make slow cooker chicken spaghetti?
To make this chicken spaghetti in slow cooker recipe, begin by seasoning the chicken breasts with a mixture of spices. Coat the chicken on both sides with the spices before adding to the bottom of your slow cooker.
To the top of the chicken, add the Rotel and cream of chicken soup. Add a lid to the slow cooker and set on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Love a great slow cooker dinner recipe? Be sure to check out our Slow Cooker Beef Stew, Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef, and our Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup.
Once the chicken has cooked (4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low), remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat. The chicken breast meat will be very tender and will easily shred with a couple of forks.
Add the shredded chicken back to the sauce mixture in the slow cooker.
To the cooked chicken and Rotel mixture, add in the sour cream and shredded cheese. Stir together and let this cook on low.
While the cheese and sour cream melt together with the chicken, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. When done cooking, drain from water, and add the cooked noodles to the chicken and Rotel mixture.
Stir the sauce and noodles together so everything is evenly coated and distributed with the sauce and noodles.
If you love a great spaghetti recipe, be sure to try my Ground Turkey and Spaghetti recipe.
Tips for the best slow cooker chicken spaghetti
- Avoiding mushy pasta: for best results, cook your pasta according to package directions, or even 1-2 minutes less than directed for an al-dente bite. Once the pasta is done cooking, don’t let it sit in the water – immediately drain, and add to your chicken mixture. Letting pasta sit in the water too long, or boiling longer than directed will result in mushy or over-cooked pasta. Mix the cooked pasta with the chicken and sauce so the pasta takes on some of the saucy, cheesy flavor.
- Checking chicken for doneness: cooking chicken breasts in a slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low will ensure your chicken is cooked through. If you’re unsure on doneness, use a digital meat thermometer, inserted into the thickest section of the chicken breast. The temp should read 165°F or higher for doneness. When you shread the chicken you should have a white chicken all through the breast meat. If you see pink, the chicken is likely still undercooked.
- Thickening a thin sauce: If your sauce is a little thin or runny for your liking, you can thicken it with a couple different ingredients. First, add some extra cheese or sour cream. These two ingredients will help create a thicker, creamier sauce.
Frequently asked questions about making slow cooker chicken spaghetti:
I don’t recommend cooking pasta in a slow cooker. The slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough to adequately cook pasta. The pasta will become sticky and unevenly cooked. For best results, cook the pasta according to package directions by boiling in water.
Chicken breasts need approximately 4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low to cook through. Keep in mind that chicken breasts vary greatly in thickness. To ensure chicken is properly cooked, cut into the thickest part of the breast and see there is no pink.
When chicken is overcooked in a slow cooker, it becomes very dry. The chicken is still edible, however, it will need some juices and/or sauce to help make it more palatable.
Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs are a great substitute for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Place them into your slow cooker and cook for the same amount of time that you would the breast meat.
You can make this chicken spaghetti more spicy in a few different ways. First, swap the original can of Rotel, for their spicy/hot version. When adding the spices, you could also add 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper, which will bring up the heat another notch. You could also add 1-2 Tbsp. of your favorite hot sauce, like Franks or Cholula. (I recommend starting with just ONE of these options, and gradually add more heat to your desired preference.)
Yes, you could certainly use rotisserie or leftover chicken instead of cooking raw chicken breasts. This would eliminate the need to cook the chicken in the slow cooker. If you’re using pre-cooked chicken, you could simply cook this in a skillet on the stove, adding all the ingredients (except the spaghetti) to the skillet, heating over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Add in the cooked pasta at the very end and stir to incorporate.
What goes with Rotel chicken spaghetti?
Chicken spaghetti is great served with a side salad or vegetables. Here are some of our favorite salad and vegetable sides that would go great with this pasta recipe:
- Sauteed Broccoli with Garlic
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
- Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad
- Blueberry Spring Mix Salad
- Roasted Carrot Salad with Apples and Pistachios
If you loved this pasta recipe, check out some of our other delicious pasta ideas:
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Video
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti (Creamy Rotel Recipe)
Equipment
- Slow Cooker My Cuisinart Slow Cooker / Multi-Cooker is on of my favorite appliances!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 3 large chicken breasts
- 2 (10 oz.) cans Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies
- 2 (10.5 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
- 8 oz. Colby Jack cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 (16 oz.) pkg. spaghetti
Spices for Chicken:
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the spices; garlic salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Place the chicken breasts directly into the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with the spice mixture.
- On top of the chicken breasts, add the two cans of Rotel (including the juice) and two cans of cream of chicken soup. No need to stir.
- Add the lid to the slow cooker. Set cooker for 4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.
- Once time has elapsed and chicken has cooked, remove chicken breasts from slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken and transfer back to the slow cooker. To the chicken mixture, add in the sour cream and cheese. Stir together, and set the cooker for another 30 minutes on low for ingredients to melt together.
- While chicken cooks for final 30 minutes. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain water from cooked pasta, and immediately add to chicken mixture into the slow cooker. Stir together to incorporate the spaghetti and chicken sauce. Serve and enjoy right away.
Notes
Nutrition
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