This Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta is a proposal-worthy dish! The decadent sauce is made with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, and marinara slow cooked with chicken to perfection. Then you add cheese, fresh spinach, and pasta for a meal that feels luxurious without a lot of work.

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Whether you’re making dinner for the family or trying to impress your significant other, this crock pot marry me chicken pasta recipe is your ticket to a memorable meal. The flavors are rich and savory with a generous helping of melted cheese and tender chicken. It tastes like an elevated date-night pasta, but it only takes a few minutes to mix and then the crock pot does all the work. Your family won’t be able to get enough!
If you like easy crock pot pasta dinner recipes, you will love these Crock Pot Stuffed Shells, my Crock Pot Goulash, and Creamy Crock Pot Tortellini!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Take on a Popular Dish: Marry Me chicken and pasta have gone viral all over social media over the years. It’s a flavorful and decadent pasta with a creamy sundried tomato sauce that everyone loves. This is a simple take on the popular dish made in the crock pot.
- Family-Friendly: You really can’t go wrong with pasta dishes for family dinner and this Marry Me chicken is no exception! Since it’s made with your family’s favorite jarred Alfredo and marinara, everyone is sure to love the flavors.
- Great for Families on a Budget: This Marry Me chicken recipe with pasta is a great inexpensive meal because it uses jarred sauces and accessible ingredients. Families can buy their favorite budget-friendly ingredients to make a delicious and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are ideal for this recipe, but you may also use boneless chicken thighs. The thighs are fattier and can be cooked longer than the breasts.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic adds a punch of flavor to this pasta recipe. You can also use jarred garlic.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: These are ripe tomatoes that have been dehydrated to amplify their sweet and tart flavor. For this recipe, use jarred sun-dried tomatoes stored in oil. Just drain and chop them before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Alfredo Sauce: Keep dinner simple and easy by using your favorite jar of Alfredo sauce to make the creamy Marry Me chicken pasta sauce.
- Marinara Sauce: Add another layer of flavor to this rich dish with a jar of your favorite marinara sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: This sharp salty cheese is full of so much flavor.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Give this dish a gooey and cheesy consistency by adding some freshly grated mozzarella cheese.
- Spinach: Don’t forget your veggies! Spinach is the perfect vegetable to stir right into the sauce to add a little color.
- Cavatappi Pasta: This spiral tube pasta with ridges is ideal for Marry Me chicken because it holds so much sauce. This ensures you get a mouthful of flavor in every bite! You can also use your favorite pasta shape or make Marry Me chicken spaghetti with spaghetti noodles.
- Seasonings: No Italian recipe is complete without some Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, and pepper.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Try Marry Me Pork Chops: Add boneless pork chops to the slow cooker instead of chicken for a different style of Marry Me pasta. Be sure the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit before serving them.
- Add More Veggies: Pasta dishes are great for adding vegetables! In addition to the spinach, try this pasta with peas, mushrooms, or roasted red peppers.
- Skip the Alfredo Sauce: If you aren’t a fan of jarred Alfredo you can use heavy cream, sour cream, or cream cheese instead. This will make the pasta creamy without the flavors of jarred Alfredo. It is better to cook these ingredients on low to keep them from curdling.
How to Make Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta
One of my family’s favorite chicken and pasta crock pot recipes is this Marry Me chicken. It’s flavorful, cheesy, and so simple to make. Everyone loves it and begs for it again and again.
- Step 1: Season the Chicken. Place your chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and add your seasonings and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Step 2: Add the Sauces. Pour the Alfredo and marinara sauces over the chicken and tomatoes.
- Step 3: Cook and Shred. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2½ - 3½ hours or on low for 4-5 hours. After the chicken is finished, shred it with two forks and mix it back into the sauce.
- Step 4: Add the Spinach and Cheese. Stir in the parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and spinach. Then place the lid back on the slow cooker and let it cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Step 5: Stir in the Pasta. Finally, prepare your pasta according to the package instructions. Once it is al dente, drain the pasta, and mix it into the Marry Me chicken sauce. Serve and garnish with fresh parsley, basil, or parmesan cheese.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Overcook the Chicken: Overcooked chicken is chewy and rubbery, so you want to be careful to avoid that. Towards the end of your cooking time, check the internal temperature of your chicken. Chicken is completely cooked when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, so try not to go too far beyond that temperature.
- Low and Slow is Best: While you can cook this crock pot chicken pasta on high, it is best to cook it low and slow. This gives the chicken enough time to soak up the sauces and helps it not overcook.
- Sear the Chicken: To make your chicken more flavorful sear it before adding it to the crock pot. Season the chicken on each side and then place the chicken in an oiled skillet over medium heat. You only need to sear them for 2-3 minutes on each side, but it locks in so much flavor and gives the chicken a better consistency.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: The sauce may separate as it reheats, so be sure to reheat it slowly. Reheat the Marry Me chicken and pasta in the microwave at 50% power in 60-second increments until it is heated through. Stir between each increment to ensure it reheats evenly and doesn’t separate too much. You can also reheat the pasta in a pan on the stove at medium heat for 10-20 minutes until it is heated through. Be sure to thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This Marry Me chicken pasta recipe is sure to be your new dinnertime favorite. The rich, creamy sauce tastes like a fancy date night dish, but it’s so low-effort you can make it any day of the week. The whole family will be begging for seconds!
- Garlic bread or focaccia are the perfect additions to pasta! Use them to soak up all of the tasty sauce!
- Serve this cheesy, flavorful pasta with a side of veggies, like green beans or glazed carrots for a fully balanced meal.
- Skip the pasta and serve Marry Me chicken with a side of white rice or crock pot garlic mashed potatoes instead!
- Make this crock pot pasta for date night and serve it with chocolate lava cake for dessert!
Recipe FAQs
Technically, you can cook pasta in the crock pot, but with this recipe, there isn’t enough liquid to cook the noodles. It’s best to just add the al dente pasta at the end.
If you aren’t a fan of sun-dried tomatoes or don’t have any on hand, you can use chopped fresh tomatoes and a bit of tomato pasta. These don’t have the same robust flavor as sun-dried tomatoes, so the dish will taste a little different.
Yes! Since this recipe uses jarred Alfredo instead of cream you can pressure cook it. Place the chicken, seasonings, sun-dried tomatoes, and sauces in the Instant Pot. Cook them on high pressure for 10 minutes and then naturally release all the pressure. Shred the chicken directly in the pot. Set the Instant Pot to saute and add the cheese and spinach. Saute for 10 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the cheese is melted, then stir in the pasta and serve.
More Delicious Crock Pot Chicken Pasta Recipes
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Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
- 1 (15 ounce) jar alfredo sauce
- 1 (15 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta
Instructions
- Add chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker and season with garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Pour Alfredo and marinara sauce over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 2½-3½ hours or low for 4-5 hours.
- Shred chicken with two forks, then add spinach, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Cook pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and add into the slow cooker. Toss to coat.
- Garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Notes
- Avoid overcooking your chicken by checking the temperature as you reach the last hour of cooking time. Chicken is completely cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, so don’t cook for long beyond that temperature.
- It is best to cook this slow cooker Marry Me chicken pasta low and slow so the chicken has enough time to soak up the sauces and doesn’t overcook.
- Make your chicken more flavorful and sear it before adding it to the crock pot. Season each piece of chicken on each side. Then sear it in an oiled skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.
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
This is going to become your new favorite pasta recipe.