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 fettuccine 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
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
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!
Is it okay to cook longer than 6 hours? Around 8-9? Only because I like to do slow cooker meals during the week with work so we don’t have to do so much cooking in the e evenings.
I think it may be ok for 8, hard to tell without trying.
How about using Mostaccioli or penne pasta instead of fettuccine
what all could I substitute the heavy cream with?
You can do cream cheese or even sour cream
Be careful with the cream cheese. I used it in a recipe that called for low for 6 to 8 hours and the cream cheese soured.
This recipe is a favorite in my house. I add extra spices like garlic powder, onion powder, creole seasoning, and old bay seasoning. I use more cayenne because I really like it spicy. I also add bell peppers in the last hour of cooking. Finally, when adding the cheese, I add a lot more than what the recipe calls for.
I agree we would have liked it more spicy. How much did you put in of each spice you added? I like the idea with the peppers!
Would the heat tempature and time be the same for an instant pot?
I’ve made this a few times & loved it! But do think I could substitute Kraft shredded Parmesan in the bag instead of the powder shaker?
I only have cut up chicken breasts..would I still cook it for 6 hours on low?
You probably could get away with 5 hours on low.
Stupid question… Do you put the chicken in the crock pot raw? Beginner cook here
Not a stupid question!! Yes, for this recipe you put the chicken in raw.
Not enough sauce for me. Slightly bland but still very good. Needs a tiny bit of tweaking for our house. Thank you!
Great recipe, thanks for sharing! Will make again but might use more spices, wasn’t spicy enough for us.
What would be the adjustment on time if I’m not using chicken or any other meat?
Can you use angel hair pasta? Just what I have in the cabinet so figured I’d ask!
I don’t see why not! Make sure to drain it extra well!
Can this be cooked on high for half the time?
I would do 4 hours on high
It’s okay. The sauce is runny which is disappointing.
Use 500ml of whip cream in a frying pan. As it heats, add your parmesan into it. Stir constantly with a whisk for about 5 mins, or until you see a film starting on the edge of the pan. Add this to your slow cooker now.
Would gluten free pasta work in this recipe?
If you are used to cooking with gluten-free pasta I’d say yes, it would be like stirring gluten-free pasta into any other sauce.
Thanks. I have only been gluten free for a couple of months so it is still a new process. I usually top the gf noodles with sauce. I have not put gf noodles into a sauce in the slow cooker before and did not know if this would make them too mushy or have other issues.
My chicken absorbed all the sauce that was in there from the chicken broth and seasonings. Is that okay to add the cream and noodles to? Or should I add more chicken broth and seasonings?
I would add the cream and noodles then go from there. See if it needs more broth or seasonings.
I am making this now! My slow cooker only has 4 settings. 4hr high, 6 hrs high, 8 hrs high and 10 hrs high. What setting should I use since I do not have a 6 hr low setting?
Set it for 8 hours on low and set a timer. Turn off the slow cooker after 6 hours.
Thank you!
What kind of parmesan did you use – the powdery type, or petals, or grated from brick?
powdered type 🙂
This turned out to be one of my favorites. It was AMAZING!!