Cooking chicken in tomato sauce, shredding it, and finishing it with spaghetti all in one pot makes this One Pot Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan an easy weeknight winner.
Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Recipe
This fuss-free crock pot meal is perfect for busy schedules. With only about ten minutes of hands-on prep, you can set it and forget it until dinner. The slow cooker does the heavy lifting: it cooks and tenderizes the chicken, and later the pasta cooks right in the sauce for an effortless one-pot meal.
The result isn’t fancy restaurant chicken parm, but it’s full of comforting flavor and family-friendly. It borrows techniques from classic slow-cooker pasta dishes—cooking and shredding the chicken in the crock saves time, and leaving the pasta uncooked until later eliminates extra pots and draining.
After the chicken is cooked and shredded, stir in fideo or broken spaghetti pieces and cook until tender, about 30 to 50 minutes on low depending on your pasta. Serve with a simple green salad or steamed broccoli for a complete family meal.
This recipe is flexible and forgiving—swap marinara or pizza sauce if you prefer, use more or less garlic to suit your taste, and top with extra cheese for a cheesier finish.
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – Trim well so the cooked chicken shreds easily.
- Pasta sauce – Marinara or pizza sauce both work. Frozen homemade sauce can be added straight from the freezer; just extend the cook time slightly.
- Tomato juice – This provides the liquid the pasta will absorb; don’t skimp. A little extra is better than not enough.
- Granulated onion – Adds flavor without the need to sauté fresh onion.
- Minced garlic – Refrigerated minced garlic is convenient; adjust the amount to taste.
- Italian seasoning – A blend of herbs like oregano and parsley works great.
- Parmesan cheese – Grated parmesan blends into the sauce; you can also add freshly shaved or shredded parmesan when serving.
- Spaghetti – Break long spaghetti into bite-sized pieces or use fideo (small broken spaghetti). No need to cook before adding.
- Mozzarella cheese – Adds melty richness; increase for a cheesier dish.
- Italian breadcrumbs – Optional for a bit of crunch; panko works if you prefer a lighter texture.
Step By Step Instructions
Trim the chicken breasts and place them in a greased or lined slow cooker.
Mix the tomato juice with granulated onion, minced garlic and Italian seasoning in a measuring cup, then pour this mixture over the chicken.
Add the pasta sauce so the chicken is covered, then sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the top.
Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is fork-tender and reaches 165°F. Shred the chicken with two forks once it’s done.
Check that there is still plenty of tomato juice in the cooker before adding the pasta. If it looks dry, add another cup or two of tomato juice. Stir the shredded chicken into the sauce, then add the uncooked spaghetti or fideo.
Top with mozzarella and breadcrumbs, cover, and cook on low another 40–60 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
When ready, keep the crock on warm if you need to hold the meal for a short time. Serve warm and enjoy.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- This filling also works well in stuffed peppers for a different presentation.
- For easy meal prep, trim and place chicken in a slow cooker liner in the fridge the night before. Add juices, spices and sauce to the bag and keep it in a bowl to avoid spills; then place the liner in the crock the next day.
- Fideo is simply broken spaghetti (usually 1–3″ pieces). If you can’t find it, break regular spaghetti by hand.
- If the chicken looks dry at any point, stir in additional sauce or tomato juice and warm through before serving.
- This recipe hasn’t been tested with larger shaped pastas like penne; cooking time and liquid may need adjustment.
More Easy Family Meals with Chicken:
Try other simple one-dish dinners like cheesy chicken pasta casserole, chicken and dumpling casserole, or a chicken and twice-baked potato casserole for easy weeknight options.
One Pot Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
Equipment
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Slow cooker
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Slow cooker liners (optional)
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 1/2 cups pasta sauce
- 2 cups tomato juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup spaghetti Fideo or broken into pieces
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
Instructions
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Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock.
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Add onion, garlic and Italian seasoning to the tomato juice. Stir and pour over the chicken.
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Add sauce to the crock and top with Parmesan cheese.
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Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours, until the chicken is fork tender and shreds easily.
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Once the chicken is shredded, stir in the tomato mixture and uncooked spaghetti.
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Sprinkle mozzarella and breadcrumbs on top. Cover and cook for another 40–60 minutes until the spaghetti is tender. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and can vary depending on specific ingredients and brands used. Use a nutrition calculator if exact values are important to you.
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