Description
Crock Pot Angel Chicken is an easy and comforting dinner featuring tender, seared chicken breasts simmered in a creamy Italian-inspired sauce, served over delicate angel hair pasta. This dish combines simple ingredients and slow cooker convenience for a flavorful meal perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Chicken and Sauce
- 1-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large chicken breasts)
- 4 ounces (½ block) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (low or no sodium recommended if sensitive to salt)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup chicken broth (low or no sodium recommended if sensitive to salt)
- 1 (0.7 ounce) packet Good Seasons Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix (or your favorite Italian seasoning mix)
Pasta and Garnish
- 16 ounce box angel hair pasta
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- Cracked black pepper (optional)
- Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Sear the chicken: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil, swirling to coat the pan. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, sear the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter until smooth. Add the cream of chicken soup, minced garlic, chicken broth, and Italian salad dressing mix. Whisk thoroughly to combine into a creamy sauce.
- Combine chicken and sauce in crock pot: Spray the inside of the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place the seared chicken breasts at the bottom of the crock pot, then pour the creamy sauce mixture evenly over the top of the chicken.
- Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Longer cooking will make the chicken more tender and may cause it to fall apart, which is fine if you prefer shredded chicken.
- Cook the pasta: Shortly before serving, prepare the angel hair pasta according to package instructions until al dente, then drain.
- Serve: Either serve the chicken breasts whole topped with sauce or shred the chicken and toss together with the pasta and sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, cracked black pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Use low or no sodium cream of chicken soup and chicken broth if you need to control your salt intake.
- Always rely on internal temperature (165°F) to determine doneness of chicken when using a crock pot due to variance in cooking temperatures.
- Cooking longer than 4 hours may cause chicken breasts to fall apart, which works well if you prefer shredded chicken style.
- You can customize the seasoning mix if you don’t have Good Seasons Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix on hand.
- To make cleanup easier, spray the crock pot with non-stick spray before adding ingredients.
- Feel free to add additional garlic or Italian herbs to enhance flavor.
