Slow Cooker Chicken Carbonara
20 Comments Jul 16, 2025
Updated Jul 28, 2025
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This Slow Cooker Chicken Carbonara is a breeze to make compared to the classic version. It still has chicken, bacon, cream, pasta and peas – comfort in a bowl.
I order chicken carbonara every time I see it on a menu, and I’ve made it from scratch at home many times as well. With the knowledge of how it should taste, I created this slow cooker version just for you. If you’re a crockpot lover and enjoy easy pasta dishes, take note of how to make this slow cooker chicken carbonara.
The Key Ingredients
This may not all be the standard carbonara ingredients, but the slow cooker chicken carbonara method needs these:
- Chicken – Boneless chicken breasts shred up nicely for this recipe, and don’t make this sauce greasy.
- Bacon – We use cooked bacon in this recipe. If you add it to the slow cooker uncooked, it will have no flavor and just be greasy.
- Sauce Ingredients – Heavy cream and cream cheese are the sauce base, the chicken will also cook down and contribute its juices to the sauce. Note that there is no egg in my version!
- Cheese – Parmesan cheese for flavor, and will help thicken.
- Seasonings – Just garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Leeks – Add a mild onion flavor to the dish without being overpowering.
How to Make Chicken Carbonara in the Crockpot
- Load chicken, leeks, cream, Parm, seasonings, and half the bacon into the crockpot.
- Let it slow-simmer while you boil the pasta just before dinnertime.
- Shred the chicken, fold in noodles and peas, then finish with the remaining bacon and extra Parmesan.
Tips & Variations
- Pasta Note: The pasta must be cooked separately on the stove top – adding it dry to the slow cooker won’t turn out correctly.
- Mushrooms – are a great addition! It’s a personal preference. Add 2 cups of sliced mushrooms.
- Frozen peas thaw instantly when stirred into the hot pasta mixture, so there’s no need to worry about cooling down your meal
- Other additions: Baby spinach and sundried tomatoes go great with the other flavors in this easy chicken carbonara.
How to Serve Carbonara
Here are classic and unique ways to serve this meal, it’s great how ever you plate it.
Sides: Add sides such as a green salad, Caesar salad, and don’t forget the garlic bread.
Over rice: Want a change up from pasta? Serve the sauce and chicken over steamed white rice – I had a chef do this at a restaurant I worked at, it’s an ultimate comfort food.
Low Carb: Serve the chicken carbonara sauce over steamed broccoli, zucchini or green beans!
Finishing: Add a generous shave of Parmesan cheese to each serving – SO good!
Leftovers: Store in individual portions for easy lunches. Add a splash of cream before heating for it tends to thicken up in the fridge.
Slow Cooker Chicken Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 leek, diced (this is about 1 cup diced)
- 12 oz. bacon, cooked and chopped (divided)
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Wait to add
- 1 cup frozen petite peas
- 8 oz. spaghetti noodles
- additional shredded parmesan cheese for serving and garnish
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker, add the leeks, cream cheese, HALF of the bacon, heavy cream, parmesan, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- When the cooking time is almost done, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker.
- Add the cooked drained pasta to the slow cooker, add the frozen peas at this time too. Stir.
- Serve the pasta with the additional bacon and shredded parmesan cheese.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Slow Cooker Pasta Dinners
Try comfort-food classics like Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo, creamy Chicken Parmesan Pasta, or Slow Cooker Lasagna for easy weeknight dinners.
Mix things up with flavorful dishes like Chicken Pot Pie Pasta or Chicken Broccoli Pasta made effortlessly in your crockpot.
Don’t miss the fan-favorite Olive Garden Chicken Pasta—restaurant taste right at home! Try My Broccoli Chicken Pasta for a pure comfort dinner.
If using precooked rotisserie chicken, how long would this need to cook?
I would do 4 hours on low and add a 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth.
Is there a way to cut the amount of heavy cream/a substitution for some of it?
You could try cream of chicken soup – or use chicken broth instead.
Sear the chicken first? Or just put it in the crockpot?
Just put in the crockpot – no searing necessary.
What happens to the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded, I assume) that is listed in the first part of the recipe?
It goes in at the beginning of the recipe 🙂
Can you use homemade pasta noodles for this recipe?
Yes, just serve immediately and take the slow cooker insert off the heat.
Can you substitute Prosciutto for the bacon?
I hate to be that person, but I am that person…please stop borrowing names from other cultures/languages for things they are not. Thiscis not carbonara. Carbonara is eggs, guinciale, pecorino romano. There is no cream, cream cheese, leeks, chicken or peas and darn sure doesn’t get cookedcin a crock pot. Cant you just call it spaghetti with chicken and bacon parmesan sauce??? I mean this is literally 6 or 7 ingredients off from being carbonara. Its like taking a piece of wonder bread, putting ketchup and a slice of American cheese on it, baking it and calling it “pizza”. Words matter.
This recipe sounds delicious, you sound bitter why. Just be kind and in joy life.
We love this, and so do many people who enjoy making things in their crockpot – it truly tastes like carbonara. And yes, we would call a piece of bread, ketchup, with cheese on top, pizza.
If you “hate to be that person” then why choose to be that person? Everyone who loves carbonara knows this is not authentic. It doesn’t claim to be, but it is a very good substitute and tastes VERY similar. Why it’s important to you to make the point you’re making when it actually benefits noone is curious.
I have to totally agree with you. Definitely not carbanaro. Chicken Spaghetti would be a more accurate title. I am making it now…looking forward to it.
how much garlic powder plz
a half teaspoon.
Do you use Angel hair pasta or regular spaghetti? Picture looks like angel hair.
These are spaghetti noodles, – you can use anything you like – just use a half box.