Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Fettuccine is a great spicy recipe for pasta night!
Hi all! This slow cooker Cajun chicken fettuccine was one of the those recipes that changed after the ingredients were bought. I had planned to make a dish called chicken lazone, but decided to add a few more Cajun seasonings then add pasta and Parmesan cheese to the pot at the end of the cooking time along with the cream.
Below is what the dish starts out looking like before cooking. I start with chicken broth and a few seasonings to make it Cajun flavored. I do have a premade Cajun seasoning I could have used but it is too salty by the time you add enough to make a dish spicy.
After the chicken is done cooking, I shred the chicken and add heavy cream, cooked fettucine noodles and parmesan. I let this cook for 20 minutes more to let the sauce thicken a bit and the flavors of the sauce get into the pasta.
This pasta has a bit of a kick to it, mostly from the cayenne. It was a nice change from my regular pasta recipes.
This recipe has received so many rave reviews I hope you give it a try. Besides making this recipe I plan on trying this recipe from a friend of mine called Crock Pot Salsa Ranch Chicken Pasta, I can’t get enough slow cooker pasta meals!
Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Fettuccine
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. dried leaf oregano
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1½ tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 small white onion diced
Add at the end:
- 1 lb. fettuccine noodles cooked according to package directions
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese divided
Instructions
- Add the chicken broth to the slow cooker, add the cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir.
- Add the chicken breasts and flip them around in the seasoned chicken broth to get the seasonings on the chicken.
- Sprinkle the onions over the chicken and broth.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- After the cooking time is done, add the heavy cream and shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker.
- Add the cooked and drained pasta and a ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir.
- Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan cheese. I added a touch more paprika and also parsley flakes to the top of my pasta to make it look pretty. Cover and cook for 20 more minutes. Cooking for a bit longer helps the sauce thicken from the gluten in the pasta.
- Serve and enjoy!
Val says
September 18, 2017 at 2:29 pmHi Sarah. I am wondering “how much” of a kick this has. We love Cajun spiced dishes, but just not to hot. I tend to steer away from red pepper flakes for that reason. Would adding just the 1/4 tsp. of cayenne be enough to make it mildly spicy. Thanks for your help. BTW I love your site.
Sarah Olson says
September 18, 2017 at 5:03 pmHi Val, I would omit the red pepper flakes and even decrease the cayenne a bit. Should be fine. I hope you like it.
Sarah says
September 24, 2017 at 7:24 amDoes 3 hrs on high work as well?
Sarah Olson says
September 25, 2017 at 9:39 amI would do 3.5-4 hours on high. I don’t think 3 hours would get the chicken tender.
Eleanor Grubbs says
September 24, 2017 at 8:25 amThis was fantastic! Seasoning was perfect…spicy enough to give a kick but not too hot. This will be added to my rotation of meals! Love the magical slow cooker!
Alie says
September 25, 2017 at 9:12 amThank you for the recipe! I made this on Saturday and I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it didn’t come out quite like I was expecting. With all of the seasonings being in such a small amount, I do not think it had enough spice. I see that someone else has made this with success but I was just wondering if you could check the measurements? Additionally, your images make the dish look pink and mine was not pink at all. I’m thinking about trying again because it’s entirely possible I messed something up but I think I might double all the seasonings. I’m so thankful for people who post recipes because I cannot cook a meal without one. I don’t mean to meanly question the recipe, I just feel like either I missed something or maybe it should be 1 1/4 tsp of cayenne? Thank you.
Sarah Olson says
September 25, 2017 at 9:36 amA 1 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne would be stomach turning hot, or could be your cayenne may be milder than mine. It is the type of recipe that more seasonings could be added at the end to taste.
Alison says
September 25, 2017 at 9:44 amOk, thank you! You know, I’ve had my cayenne for a year, at least. Maybe it lost potency? Plus it’s Kroger brand, perhaps that makes a difference as well? Either way we loved it and I’m looking forward to trying again, with a bit more kick. Thanks!
Lisa says
April 12, 2019 at 6:04 pmI made this and it is FANTASTIC!! I added a bit more of the seasonings than called for and I think when I make it again I will double
Sarah says
October 8, 2017 at 11:24 amI agree from previous post about not seeming like enough spices. Yeah the heat maybe could have been kicked up a notch but I was more disappointed with the overall lack of flavor with this dish. Next time I plan on doubling all seasonings except the cayenne and red pepper flakes.
Jeanine says
October 23, 2017 at 9:30 amDO you suggest regular grated Parmesan cheese or from a bag?
Sarah Olson says
October 23, 2017 at 9:40 amI used the kind in a shaker jar. Either would be great though.
Sandy says
October 30, 2017 at 12:47 pmOct 30, 2017
Delicious! I did add a drained can of Rotel tomatoes with habanero for color and a little extra heat. Perfect. Served with garlic bread
Sarah Olson says
October 30, 2017 at 12:59 pmgreat idea Sandy! Thanks for sharing!
Diego Lopes says
November 7, 2017 at 3:00 amBeautiful! Made me hungry again just to look at it… maybe I’ll just bookmark this for no reason at all… thanks for the recipe!
Ilana Bailey says
November 10, 2017 at 12:35 pmHello,
So I’m planning on making this dish with the chicken, but since my mother can only eat fish I want to try and make her this dish but maybe with Salmon. Do you think that would be good?
Thanks
Sarah Olson says
November 10, 2017 at 2:06 pmI haven’t tried seafood in that slow cooker! Sorry
Erica says
November 13, 2017 at 3:20 pmIf I just want to use Cajun spice instead, how much would you recommend? Thanks!
Sarah Olson says
November 13, 2017 at 4:44 pmI’d say a teaspoon? It’s really hard to tell. It can be salty.
Claudia says
November 15, 2017 at 12:42 pmHi Sarah! Do you think I could use my frozen chicken breasts that I have on hand or should I thaw them out first? Looking forward to this meal!! ❤️
Sarah Olson says
November 15, 2017 at 4:38 pmI think frozen would probably work fine!
Ashlee says
February 4, 2019 at 8:46 amHi! Did u try the dish with frozen chicken? I was gonna try that also so just checking
Alex says
November 27, 2017 at 10:21 amWhat kind of parmesan. Cheese! Grated (like speghett] or shredded
Sarah Olson says
November 27, 2017 at 11:10 amI used the grated (the finer kind)
Morgan says
December 11, 2017 at 6:04 pmIf I’m using gluten free noodles would it not need to be cooked 20 additional minutes?
Sarah Olson says
December 12, 2017 at 6:41 ampossibly not. I know egg noodles would fall apart in that extra 20 mins, so possible the gluten free would do the same.
Lori says
December 29, 2017 at 1:37 pmDo you fully cook the fettuccine, and then put it in the slow cooker for another 20 MINUTES? Won’t that overcook the pasta?
Sarah Olson says
December 29, 2017 at 3:15 pmNo, the slow cooker heats very slowly and the heavy cream that was added cooled down the sauce.
Carl says
December 30, 2017 at 11:48 pmHey stupid question I am new into the cooking game. If I want to down size this for 2-3 people would I just half all the ingredients listed right? Thanks for any advice I am excited to try this tomorrow or monday!
Carl says
December 31, 2017 at 8:43 amIf I lower this to 2-3 people I would just half the ingredients right? New to cooking so making sure
Sarah Olson says
December 31, 2017 at 9:38 amIt’s hard to tell without testing it. I apologize.
Jillian says
January 3, 2018 at 7:31 pmThis sounds delicious and I cannot wait to try making this recipe for an upcoming date night. I do have a question for you on cooking time. By the time I would set my crockpot on to the time I would arrive home from work, it would be 10 hours. Any recommendations? Would it ruin the dish if I cooked it on low for 10 hours? Sorry, I’m very new to cooking and am not sure how crockpots work.
Sarah Olson says
January 4, 2018 at 1:52 pmI think 8 hours would be the longest I would try cooking this for, sorry!
Becky says
January 21, 2018 at 9:20 amHow can you make the sauce thicker and no so thin and runny?
Sarah Olson says
January 21, 2018 at 10:21 amDid you make it? Add more cheese maybe, mine thickened up after the pasta sat with the sauce for a bit.
Kaler Chandler says
April 2, 2018 at 11:05 amDo you think you could freeze this meal ahead of time and then throw everything into the crockpot with the exception of the noodles?
Sarah Olson says
April 2, 2018 at 3:41 pmI’d wait on the cream and cheese, but yes you could do the other ingredients.
Devon says
April 16, 2018 at 9:50 amCan I use heavy whipping cream instead?
Sarah Olson says
April 16, 2018 at 11:23 amYes! that’s what I often find and use.
Devon says
April 16, 2018 at 12:06 pmThanks!!! I dont know if there is a difference, but it is all I can ever find when a recipe calls for it. Trying this tomorrow!!
A says
May 3, 2018 at 3:40 pmWhat kind of heavy cream did you use?
Sarah Olson says
May 3, 2018 at 3:51 pmI’m unsure, I usually use the store brand.
Megan says
May 16, 2018 at 6:34 pmI made this for dinner last night. My husband absolutely loved it. I myself like a little more flavor in the dish and thought it could use a bit more spice. Overall it’s a good dish and we will definitely be making it again.
Geeta Singh says
August 17, 2018 at 8:24 pmI made this last night and it turned out great. I did add a can of Rotel’s roasted tomatoes like someone had commented. I used frozen chicken breasts instead. I cooked it on high for 3 hrs, but 2.5 hrs should be good enough. Just check the temp with a meat thermometer. The only thing I’d do different is add less whipping cream. Maybe 1 cup instead of 2. Took forever to thicken and was kind of soupy. You can also add mushrooms and spinach at the end with the cream.
Sarah Olson says
August 19, 2018 at 8:21 amThanks for the tips, sounds great with the mushrooms and spinach.
Anonymous says
January 30, 2019 at 5:55 pmMy husband loves this meal. We just add some cooked peas to it in the end and really like it.
Sarah Olson says
January 31, 2019 at 8:22 pmPeas are such a great idea! My family loves peas.
Anna Fay says
February 16, 2019 at 2:59 pmDo you think it would be okay to use half n half instead of heavy cream. Its told me either or on a different recipe and its all I have
Sarah Olson says
February 17, 2019 at 1:56 pmI will be thinner, but would work fine.
Kristi says
February 21, 2019 at 2:13 pmThis recipe is delicious! We have it for dinner every couple of weeks. I find it is seasoned perfectly according to the recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Michelle says
February 27, 2019 at 5:19 pmIf I were to use gluten free pasta how can I still get it to thicken at the end ?
Dina Mata says
May 10, 2019 at 1:29 amCan you use chicken stock instead of chicken broth?
Sarah Olson says
May 10, 2019 at 6:31 amYes!
Anonymous says
May 19, 2019 at 6:30 pmIt was great!