Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta
98 CommentsOct 02, 2026
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Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta combines tender chicken thighs, carrots, peas, and rotini in a buttery garlic sauce. The chicken and vegetables cook in the crockpot, then you stir in cooked pasta at the end for an easy family dinner.
Chicken pasta recipes are so versatile and if you’re looking to put together a complete meal plan, add my Pesto Chicken Pasta and Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta to your list.
Table of Contents
- Why This Recipe is a Keeper
- The Ingredients
- How to Make Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta
- Tips and Variations
- Can I Cook the Pasta in the Slow Cooker?
- Should I Add Liquid to the Crockpot?
- How to Store and Reheat?
- Best Ways to Serve Slow Cooker Pasta
- More Slow Cooker Pasta Recipes
- Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe
Featured Comment
"This was absolutely delicious! I make crockpot meals at work and this one was another hit for us at the office. I’ll make it for my family soon. Absolutely delicious."
- KURT
Why This Recipe is a Keeper
- One of the things you'll like most about this easy garlic butter chicken pasta is that it's a complete meal. Loaded with tender chicken, pasta, vegetables, and a homemade garlic butter sauce, you’ll barely have to lift a finger for dinner.
- This is a great meal to cook while you're not home; just add the cooked pasta and you're ready for dinner.
- It's a great meal for kids - it's got the buttery noodles they love, but also lots of protein and veggies.
- Want a version of this without pasta? Try my Garlic Butter Chicken and Veggies.
The Ingredients
Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this; they make the pasta taste extra buttery.
Butter Sauce: Butter, garlic, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper make for a great sauce for the slow cooker pasta.
Vegetables: Carrots and onions cook all day with the chicken. Stir in the peas at the end.
How to Make Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta
- Place the thighs, carrots, onion, butter, and seasonings into the slow cooker.
- Cook until the chicken is ultra tender and shred.
- Add the cooked pasta and peas, stir and serve!
Tips and Variations
Less Butter: Reduce the butter slightly if you prefer, then add a splash of chicken broth at the end if the pasta needs more moisture.
Other Vegetables: You can add leeks, mushrooms, or green beans to this (add at the beginning of the cooking time).
Pasta Shape: This recipe is great with small pasta shapes like rotini; try bow-tie, penne, or wagon wheels for a change.
Chicken Swap: You can use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs, though you may need to add a touch more butter before serving.
Can I Cook the Pasta in the Slow Cooker?
No, this recipe was tested with the pasta cooked on the stovetop. Cooking it directly in the slow cooker can give it a chalky texture or cause it to fall apart, so cook it separately before adding it.
Should I Add Liquid to the Crockpot?
No additional liquid is needed. The butter melts, and the chicken and vegetables release liquid as they cook.
How to Store and Reheat?
Transfer the cooled leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3–4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if needed to prevent dryness.
Best Ways to Serve Slow Cooker Pasta
Here is how my family enjoys this meal:
We typically eat this as-is! Yes, no sides, since this has all you need in one bowl.
You can add sides such as a green salad or bread to round out the meal.
Another option is to skip the pasta and serve the garlic butter chicken over a bed of steamed rice.
More Slow Cooker Pasta Recipes
Chicken Parmesan Pasta and Slow Cooker Million Dollar Spaghetti are rich, cheesy dishes perfect for pasta lovers craving comfort food.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles is a cozy, old-fashioned favorite with tender chicken and thick egg noodles in a savory broth.
Slow Cooker Stuffed Shells and Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta both bring bold, Italian inspired flavors with melty cheese and herby sauces that make dinner feel special with little effort. Or serve my Slow Cooker 40 Clove Garlic Chicken over angel hair pasta.
If you tried this Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Happy Slow Cooking!
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into slices about ½ inch thick
- 1 white onion, diced
- ½ cup salted butter, cut into slices
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas, ADD AT THE END
- 1 lb. rotini pasta, cooked al dente, ADD AT THE END
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Add the chicken, garlic, onion, carrots, butter, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
- When the cooking time is done, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Shred the chicken with two forks. Stir in the frozen peas and cooked, drained pasta. Cover until the peas are heated through, this will only take a few minutes.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve!
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.
Great recipe my husband said we could add broth and have it as soup somtimes
going to try this recipe, do you think a cup of chicken broth would be right? or more
this web site has too many pop-ups and spam …not coming here again
These are FREE recipes. The ads are how I support my family.
Some people don’t understand that …. lol….
I haven’t made this yet, but im going to for dinners next week! Do the frozen peas get warm fast enough by just adding them at the end with the pasta?
Yes, they thaw and get warm very quickly.
My kids loved it! I used canned corn instead of peas becuase we don’t use frozen vegetables and didn’t have any peas. It tasted great!! We will make this again ❤
Can you use corn instead of peas?
Yes, that will work fine.
Just added a couple of tbsp chicken base and it was delicious!
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was a huge hit. I didn’t add the peas. I did add some rosemary, a little Italian seasoning and a little extra garlic. I didn’t even have to shred the chicken. It just fell apart.
It was delicious.
No taste. I even added Italian seasoning. It tastes like nothing and has no flavor. Only thing that was good was that chicken was moist. Horrible recipe! Never would make again!
We used 4-5 boneless thighs, and followed rest of the recipe closely. We chunked the thighs after cooking rather than shred, and cooked on High for 4.5 hours. It was okay, but rather “mild.” If we make this again, we’re going to add a lot more garlic and spices… it needed to be kicked up a notch, but it was a good basic recipe to start with, then edit to individual tastes.
I made this tonight for dinner. It was easy enough and turned out fine but I found it to be too dry. I added a 16 oz. can of low sodium chicken broth. It helped some but I still felt as if something was missing. Not sure I will make again. This recipe makes a lot.
Add one or two cans of cream of chicken or mushroom soup
Made this last night, it was awesome! I didn’t add the peas cuz we don’t like them but I’ll be making this again! Served it with corn and poured the juice over, delicious!