This Crock Pot Crack Chicken Pasta is about to be your new favorite slow cooker meal! It’s loaded with shredded chicken, smoky bacon, and zesty Ranch seasoning in a velvety Alfredo sauce that you won’t be able to get enough of.
Nothing beats an easy pasta dinner on a busy weeknight, especially if it’s a meal the whole family loves! Even the pickiest of eaters will love this creamy and cheesy chicken pasta with bacon. It’s a great meal that doesn’t require a lot of prep work and has easy-to-find ingredients from your local grocery store.
If you like easy chicken dinner recipes, you will love my crock pot BBQ chicken and slow cooked chicken and broccoli too.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy, Dump and Go Meal: This crack chicken crock pot pasta is a simple recipe with hardly any prep work, aside from cooking up some bacon. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal after a long day or lunch on the weekend.
- Flavors the Whole Family Will Love: You can’t go wrong with ingredients like bacon, cheese, and ranch! Even the pickiest little eater will love this pasta. It’s one of our family’s favorite kid friendly crock pot meals. For a dish with a bit more heat, try this crockpot jalapeno popper chicken next!
- Budget Friendly: Many pasta dishes are great for families on a budget because the ingredients are affordable and easy to find. This recipe calls for simple, inexpensive foods that won’t break the bank.
Ingredients
- Bacon: Fry up some of your favorite bacon to use in this pasta. You can also use bacon bits if you don’t have time to cook the bacon.
- Ranch Seasoning: Give this crack chicken pasta its zesty Ranch flavor with a packet of Ranch seasoning.
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are best for this recipe because they are easy to shred once cooked. You could also use boneless, skinless thighs instead.
- Alfredo Sauce: Give this creamy pasta dish a rich sauce full of flavor with two jars of your favorite Alfredo sauce.
- Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese adds a sharp, cheesy flavor and texture to the dish.
- Pasta: Any pasta with ridges that will trap the creamy sauce is best for this recipe. I use penne pasta, but ziti, cavatappi, or shells are great alternatives.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Make It Spicy: Add a can of green chiles or jalapenos to give the pasta a spicy kick! You may not want to make it spicy if you’re serving it to children, though!
- Add Some Vegetables: Sneak in some veggies by adding fresh spinach, broccoli, or frozen peas. They add a little color and pair perfectly with the pasta.
- Use Cream Cheese: If you don’t want to use jarred Alfredo sauce, use cream cheese instead! It tastes tangy and creamy, plus it will make a rich, velvety sauce.
How to Make Crack Chicken Pasta in the Crock Pot
This slow cooker crack chicken pasta is one of our family’s favorite easy crockpot chicken pasta recipes! It’s so simple to throw the ingredients together, let the chicken cook, and then spend less than 30 minutes finishing up dinner.
- Step 1: Cook the Bacon. Fry your bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it’s brown and crispy. Chop the bacon into little pieces and set it aside for later.
- Step 2: Combine the Ingredients. Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and season with the Ranch dressing packet. Then pour the Alfredo sauce over the top of the chicken.
- Step 3: Cover and Cook. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. About 20 minutes before the chicken finishes cooking, cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the pasta package. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Step 4: Shred the Chicken and Stir. Remove the cooked chicken and shred it into pieces. Mix the shredded chicken back into the sauce along with the cooked pasta, half of the shredded cheese, and the bacon. Stir until all of the ingredients are covered in sauce.
- Step 5: Top with Cheese and Bacon. Top the chicken crack pasta with the remaining cheese and bacon. Then cover it and cook for an additional 20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle a little diced green onion over the top before serving with a side of homemade focaccia in the slow cooker or garlic bread.
Expert Tips
- Shred Chicken with a Mixer: Make less work for yourself and let your electric stand mixer shred the chicken for you! Add the cooked chicken to the bowl and use the paddle attachment on low to shred the chicken quickly.
- Don’t Over Shred: Be careful not to shred the chicken too small! It will turn mushy and gummy if you break it down into tiny pieces.
- Use Leftover Chicken: Skip cooking the chicken altogether and use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This is also a great recipe to make with leftover turkey at the holidays!
Storage Directions
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months, but don’t freeze the pasta. It will turn to mush when you reheat the dish.
- Reheating: Reheat the dish in the microwave in 60-second increments until it is fully cooked. You can also reheat it in a pan on the stove with a little bit of cream cheese or sour cream added to keep it creamy. Be sure to thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating them.
- Make Ahead: Cook the bacon up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. This is also a great meal prep recipe! You can cook the chicken and sauce, store them for 1-3 days in the refrigerator, then heat them and add the pasta and remaining ingredients for a quick meal.
Serving Suggestions
This crack chicken pasta in the crock pot is sure to be a new family favorite! The zesty ranch, smoky bacon, and tender chicken in a rich, creamy sauce with pasta are too delicious, no one will be able to resist it! It’s so easy to whip up and tastes amazing paired with a variety of side dishes, appetizers, and dessert.
- Skip the pasta and serve this chicken over a bed of slow cooked white rice instead.
- Pair chicken crack pasta with crock pot Ranch potatoes and slow cooked green beans.
- Don’t forget dessert! We love this crock pot cherry cobbler after eating savory pasta!
Recipe FAQs
Sure thing! This crack chicken pasta is ready in less than 20 minutes in the Instant Pot, which is perfect for those busy days when you forgot you planned a crock pot meal for dinner! Add the chicken, Ranch seasoning, and Alfredo sauce to your Instant Pot. Cook them on Manual Mode on High for 6-8 minutes, then Quick Release the pressure. Once the pressure is fully released, shred the chicken, then stir it back into the sauce with the pasta, cheese, and bacon.
Yes, you can! This is a pretty easy dish to make on the stove as well. Especially if you use leftover chicken. Cook the chicken by either sautéing it or boiling it, then shred it into pieces. Warm the Alfredo sauce in a separate pan with the Ranch seasoning. Once the sauce is hot, stir in the shredded chicken, cooked pasta, shredded cheese, and bacon. If you want a browned, melty cheese top, use a pan you can pop in the oven and broil for a minute or two, like cast iron or a Dutch Oven.
Unfortunately, you can't! You cannot place frozen chicken directly in the crock pot. It sits at an unsafe temperature for too long, and you run the risk of bacteria growing on the meat. If you're using frozen chicken, thaw it out before adding it to the crock pot.
More Delicious Crock Pot Pasta Recipes
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Crock Pot Crack Chicken Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon chopped, cooked, drained, and divided.
- 1 ounce packet of ranch seasoning
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 (15 ounce) jars of Alfredo sauce
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded and divided
- 3 green onions diced
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until browned. Slice and set aside until the end.
- Add the chicken to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Then, add ranch seasoning, garlic, and Alfredo sauce on top.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
- 20 minutes before the chicken is done cooking. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Then add shredded chicken, cooked pasta, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, and bacon. Reserve ¼ cup of bacon. Toss until coated in sauce.
- Top with remaining cheese and bacon. Continue cooking for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Before serving, top with green onions and enjoy!
Notes
- Use your stand mixer to shred the chicken using the paddle attachment on low.
- Don’t over-shred the chicken, or it will turn mushy and gummy.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen says
The perfect chicken recipe when you are craving comfort food, but don't want to spend a lot of time cooking.