Crockpot Angel Chicken
Crockpot Angel Chicken serves whole chicken breasts over angel hair with a pale, creamy sauce made from cream cheese, condensed cream of chicken soup, broth, and dry Italian dressing mix. A brief skillet sear gives the chicken light golden patches before it cooks on LOW.
Boil the angel hair separately just before serving so the strands stay distinct. Slow cookers and breast sizes vary, so check the chicken with a thermometer rather than relying on the clock.
Ingredients for Crockpot Angel Chicken
- 4 thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts, similar in size, about 1 3/4 pounds total (800g)
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 8 ounces plain cream cheese, softened and cubed (225g)
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, preferably reduced-sodium (300g)
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (30g)
- 1 packet dry Italian salad dressing mix, about 0.7 ounce (20g)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
- 10 ounces dry angel hair pasta (285g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Use dry Italian salad dressing mix, not bottled dressing or plain Italian seasoning. The soup and dressing mix both contain salt, so taste the finished sauce before adding any more.
How to Make Crockpot Angel Chicken
- Mix the sauce: Whisk the softened cream cheese with the condensed soup, broth, butter, dressing mix, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until mostly combined and pourable. A few cream cheese streaks are fine.
- Lightly sear the chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the breasts without crowding the pan, about 2 minutes per side, until they have scattered light-golden patches. They will still be uncooked in the center. Transfer them to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker in a reasonably even layer.
- Slow-cook: Pour the sauce over the chicken and cover. Cook on LOW for approximately 3 to 5 hours. Start checking the thickest part of each breast at 3 hours, or earlier if the breasts are small or the cooker runs hot. Remove each breast when it reaches 165°F (75°C); do not leave it cooking to reach the end of the time window.
- Cook the pasta: Near the end of the chicken’s cooking time, boil the angel hair separately according to the package directions. Reserve up to 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain. Cook it close to serving so the thin strands do not sit and clump.
- Smooth the sauce: Lift the cooked breasts onto a plate, using a wide spatula to help keep them intact. With the slow cooker on WARM or switched off, whisk the sauce until smooth. If it is too thick to spoon over pasta, stir in reserved pasta water or warm broth 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. Taste before adding salt.
- Serve: Divide the angel hair among four shallow plates and place a whole breast over each portion. Spoon sauce over the chicken and some of the pasta, leaving strands visible around the edges. Finish with parsley and a little more black pepper.
How Long to Cook Angel Chicken
The 3- to 5-hour LOW window is a guide, not a guaranteed finish time. Check each breast with an instant-read thermometer and remove it at 165°F. Leaving cooked breasts in a hot slow cooker can dry them out or cause them to break apart when lifted.
Use thawed chicken for this method. Frozen chicken is not covered by the timing and can heat too slowly in a slow cooker.
How to Keep the Sauce Smooth
Softened cream cheese is easier to distribute through the sauce. If streaks remain after cooking, remove the chicken before whisking so the breasts stay whole. The finished sauce should cling to the pasta but still flow from a spoon; add liquid gradually only if it needs loosening.
What to Serve With Angel Chicken
A green salad, broccoli, or green beans works alongside the rich sauce. For a different serving base, use rice or mashed potatoes in place of the angel hair.
Angel Chicken Variations
Mushroom-and-wine version: Use condensed cream of mushroom or golden mushroom soup and replace the 1/2 cup broth with 1/2 cup dry white wine. This makes a distinct sauce with a different color and flavor from the cream-of-chicken version.
Shredded version: Shred the fully cooked breasts and stir them into the sauce instead of serving them whole over the pasta.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in airtight containers for 3 to 4 days. Store the pasta separately when practical; angel hair absorbs sauce as it sits. Reheat the chicken and sauce gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot throughout, adding a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened. If making the chicken ahead, cook fresh angel hair for serving.
Cool and freeze the cooked chicken and sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, and make fresh pasta to serve with it.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 4 servings: 840 calories, 60g protein, 40g fat, and 62g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g of prepared dish: 170 calories, 12g protein, 8g fat, and 12g carbohydrates. Values vary with ingredient brands, chicken size, and the amount of sauce served.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- 4- to 6-quart slow cooker
- Whisk
- Instant-read thermometer
- Large pot
- Colander
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Sauce
- 4 thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts, similar in size, about 1 3/4 pounds total (800 g)
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 8 ounces plain cream cheese, softened and cubed (225 g)
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, preferably reduced-sodium (300 g)
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (30 g)
- 1 packet dry Italian salad dressing mix, about 0.7 ounce (20 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
For Serving
- 10 ounces dry angel hair pasta (285 g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Whisk the cream cheese, condensed soup, broth, butter, dressing mix, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until mostly combined and pourable.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken without crowding the pan for about 2 minutes per side, until it has scattered light-golden patches.
- Transfer the chicken to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker in an even layer. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cover.
- Cook on LOW for approximately 3 to 5 hours. Start checking the thickest part of each breast at 3 hours, or earlier for small breasts or a hot-running cooker. Remove each breast when it reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Near the end of the cooking time, boil the angel hair according to package directions. Reserve up to 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Lift the chicken onto a plate. With the slow cooker on WARM or switched off, whisk the sauce until smooth. If needed, stir in reserved pasta water or warm broth 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.
- Divide the pasta among four plates and top each portion with a whole chicken breast. Spoon sauce over the chicken and pasta, then finish with parsley and additional black pepper.
Tips
- Use thawed chicken; frozen chicken is not covered by this slow-cooker timing.
- Check each breast with a thermometer and remove it at 165°F (75°C) rather than relying on the full cooking window.
- Soften the cream cheese before mixing to help it blend into the sauce.
- Cook the angel hair close to serving time so the strands do not sit and clump.
- Taste the sauce before adding salt because the soup and dressing mix contain salt.
Variations
- Mushroom-and-Wine Version: Use condensed cream of mushroom or golden mushroom soup and replace the 1/2 cup chicken broth with 1/2 cup dry white wine.
- Shredded Version: Shred the fully cooked chicken breasts and stir them into the sauce instead of serving them whole.