Slow Cooker Angel Chicken
6 Comments Sep 05, 2022
Updated Oct 02, 2022
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Take the guesswork out of what to cook on that busy weeknight with this Slow Cooker Angel Chicken recipe. This delicious dish packs all the flavors of chicken and cheese with an Italian undertone. This is sure to be one of your new favorite crock pot recipes.
Enjoy chicken and pasta recipes? You’ll also love my Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.
Table of Contents
What is angel chicken?
Angel chicken gets its name from the angel hair pasta that is tossed with cooked chicken (usually cut into bite-size or shredded). The cream sauce is made from a combination of butter, Italian dressing seasoning, chicken stock, heavy cream, cream of chicken soup, and cream cheese.
Making crockpot angel chicken is the traditional way to make the dish. You can practically make most of the dish while you are away!
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken Tenderloins: These are the long muscle strips under the chicken breasts, they are perfectly sized for recipes like this one. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs if desired.
- Angel Hair Pasta: Cooked according to the package directions and then added at the end to make the angel chicken pasta.
- Creamy Sauce Mix: Softened cream cheese, butter, minced garlic, cream of chicken soup, Italian salad dressing mix, Chardonnay (or your favorite white wine), heavy cream, chicken stock, garlic salt, and pepper all combine to make a delicious flavor.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – In a medium bowl, toss the chicken tenderloins in olive oil and 2 teaspoons of the Italian dressing seasoning mix.
Step Two – Sear tenders on one side for 1 minute. Flip the chicken and sear the other side for an additional minute.
Step Three – In a saucepan, combine softened cream cheese, butter, minced garlic, and cream of chicken soup.
Step Four – Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir often, and cream cheese begins to melt. Stir in the remaining Italian dressing seasoning, Chardonnay, heavy cream, chicken stock, garlic salt, and pepper.
Step Five – Place seared chicken into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step Six – Top with diced onion.
Step Seven – Pour sauce over chicken and onion.
Step Eight – Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
Step Nine – Once cooking time is complete, remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.
Step Ten – Cook angel hair pasta according to the box directions.
Step Eleven – Pour cooked pasta over into the soup mix.
Step Twelve – Add shredded chicken and toss until everything is well mixed and coated. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Broccoli – Use cream of broccoli soup and add a few cups of chopped broccoli to the recipe at the beginning of the cooking time.
- Mushroom – Substitute the cream of chicken soup for Campbell’s golden mushroom soup and add chopped fresh mushrooms at the beginning of cooking time. Or you can use the classic cream of mushroom soup.
- Pasta – Other noodle types go perfectly with this chicken pasta. Linguine, fettuccine, and capellini pasta make great pasta substitutions.
- Flavored Cream Cheese – You can add an additional flavor by trying flavored cream cheese like spicy jalapeno or chive and onion. You can even use a block of Boursin cheese for an added flavor punch!
How to Serve
Of course, you can’t go wrong by serving angel chicken by itself, but if you’re looking to add a bit more to it, here are some suggestions:
- Serve alongside a few vegetables like green beans, asparagus, zucchini, or Brussels sprouts.
- Add a topping or two of fresh chives, freshly shredded parmesan cheese, and a dash of Italian dressing.
- When it comes to a good breaded side, a piece of baguette or ciabatta seals the meal as a side for crockpot angel chicken.
Recipe FAQs
Of course! You can cut them into slices, or leave them as is. The cooking time should be long enough to ensure they are done and ready for shredding.
As with most meats, they can be overcooked. Though with the slow cooker, the meat only gets more tender the longer it cooks. Just don’t cook longer than the directed time.
You can. It may change the flavor a bit but actually sounds pretty good!
Place any remaining angel chicken in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. It will keep just fine for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
You don’t need to brown the chicken; simply toss the chicken in the Italian dressing mix and olive oil and place in the slow cooker.
No, the slow cooker does not get hot enough, fast enough to cook pasta properly. It will be mushy and chalky. For the best taste and texture, cook your pasta in boiling water on the stovetop.
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Slow Cooker Angel Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz. softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. chicken tenderloins
- 0.70 oz. packet Italian dressing seasoning, divided (we use good seasons zesty Italian dressing mix)
- 2 Tbsp. Chardonnay wine, (optional)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 lb. angel hair pasta, (cooked according to package directions, see below)
For Garnish
- chopped parsley
- parmesan
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine softened cream cheese, butter, minced garlic, and cream of chicken soup. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir often. Stir in the remaining Italian dressing seasoning, Chardonnay, heavy cream, chicken stock, garlic salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a frying pan over high heat.
- Toss the chicken tenderloins in olive oil and 2 teaspoons of the Italian dressing seasoning.
- Sear tenders for 1 minute per side,
- Add chicken to the crock pot. Cover with onions, then pour the contents of the saucepan over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
- Once 15 minutes remains, prepare the angel hair pasta according to package instructions al dente.
- As the pasta finishes up, remove chicken from the crockpot and shred. Return to the crock pot and stir.
- Drain the pasta and add to the crockpot. Stir well to combine.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and shredded parmesan. Enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
- If desired, ranch mix can be used instead of the Italian dressing mix.
- Place any remaining angel chicken in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. It will keep just fine for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
- Chicken breasts can be used instead of chicken tenderloins if desired, with the same amount of cooking time.
- Cream of chicken with herbs or cream of broccoli soup can be used instead of cream of chicken.
- If desired, you don’t need to brown the chicken; simply toss the chicken in the Italian dressing mix and olive oil and place in the slow cooker.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Hi! Do you think the heavy cream can be omitted or substituted with milk or something?
Yes, I think milk would work fine.
DELICIOUS!!! I did none of the prep work – just threw everything in the crock pot and walked away! Too many dishes for me…just whisked the sauce after I shredded the chicken and then turned the crock pot to warm once I put the chicken back in. Definitely will be making this again! Thank you for sharing!
I made this. The flavor was great. But a pound of pasta for that small amount of sauce was way too much. Now I have to make the sauce all over again before we can have leftovers….grrrr. Otherwise, very good.
Can the cream cheese be omitted or reduced? Or is there a substitute? Marscapone? Too much cream cheese is an issue for me.
You can reduce it, add some chicken broth if needed.