Crock Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken

Name: Crock Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 190 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 cup butter (sliced); 6 oz. jar of Pesto; 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 8 oz cream cheese (cubed); 16 oz cooked pasta; 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

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Tired of making the same boring old weekly dinners? Looking for an effortless yet delicious meal that will satisfy your entire family?

Crock Pot Pesto Chicken can be your new go-to dinner recipe. With just a few simple ingredients and your trusty crock pot, you can create a savory and mouthwatering Italian feast that will take less than 10 minutes of prep time.

You'll be amazed at how simple it is to make this scrumptious crock pot chicken recipe for dinner – let's get cooking!

long vertical image of a bowl of pesto chicken and pasta dish in a red bowl.

Ingredients

Here is a quick look at the ingredient list and instructions. You can find the full ingredient quantities and full directions in the recipe card below. P. S. You can also save your favorite recipes to your personal recipe box! ⬇️

I made this recipe with store bought pesto but if you have lots of fresh basil growing at home you can check out this How to Make Fresh Basil Pesto recipe and make it yourself.

Creamy pesto chicken and pasta ingredients in small bowls.

the chicken: boneless skinless dark or white chicken meat
butter: unsalted or salted butter will work
the Pesto: I used a 6 oz. jar of basil & garlic pesto
the seasonings: salt, ground black pepper and red pepper flakes
the cheeses: Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, Mozzarella cheese
the pasta: this dish can be made using any shape pasta you have on hand. I used Angel hair pasta a rigatoni, Fettuccine and even spaghetti pasta can be used.

👇See the step by step directions below!

Directions: How to make Crock Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken

Step 1: Place the chicken pieces into the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Spread the pesto over the top of the chicken and arrange the butter over top.

Step 3: Cover and slow cook for 2 to 3 hours on high or 3 to 4 hours on low. It only took 2 ½ hours for my large boneless pieces of chicken to cook completely.

Check with an instant read thermometer. Do not over cook.

Step by step photos of cooking pesto chicken in a slow cooker.

Step 4: Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly remove the chicken from the crock pot and place in a bowl to rest for 15 minutes before shredding with two forks.
Do not discard the liquids in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Two pieces of cooked chieken smothered in pesto resting in a bowl before shredding.

📌Pro Cooking Tip

📌You should always allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before trying to shred. Very hot chicken will be difficult to shred.

Step 5: While the chicken is resting boil the pasta following the directions on the box. Drain well. If you haven't already use two forks to shred the chicken.

Shredded chicken flavored with pesto in a bowl.

Step 6: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Add the shredded Parmesan and cubed cream cheese. Stir to combine the chicken with the pesto and cheeses.

Steps to mixing the pesto chicken and cheeses.

Step 7: Recover the slow cooker and turn the temperature to low. Heat for 15 to 30 minutes to melt the Parmesan cheese and the cream cheese.

Once the cheese has softened use a large spoon to stir the melted Parmesan and cream cheese into the shredded chicken.

Mixing creamy pesto sauce with shredded chicken.

Step 8: Add the cooked pasta to the slow cooker and stir into the chicken, the pesto and the cheeses. Mix until the pasta is evenly coated.

Looking into a crock pot filled with a pesto chicken pasta meal.

Step 9: Sprinkle the top with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Recover and serve as soon as the mozzarella cheese has melted.

Overhead image looking down into a slow cooker filled with Pesto Chicken with melted cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Without doubt, the Crock Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken and pasta is a meal that will tantalize your tastebuds. It is easy to prepare, and immensely delicious.

Using a few simple ingredients and your trusty crock pot, you can whip up a meal in no time.

The combination of the creamy sauce with the pesto, chicken and cooked pasta makes it a satisfying, hearty, and flavorful meal.

The best part is that it is versatile and can be served for a variety of occasions. With this dish, you can make meal times hassle-free and enjoyable.

So, if you're looking for something new and different for dinner tonight, try this Crock Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken and pasta – your family will thank you for it!

Recipe FAQs

What is creamy pesto sauce?

Creamy pesto sauce is regular pesto sauce with the addition of a creamy dairy product. For this recipe cream cheese is added and mixed in to make the pesto sauce rice and creamy.

Is pesto and alfredo sauce the same?

No. Pesto sauce and Alfredo sauce are two different types of pasta sauce. Pesto sauce is made using pesto which is made of fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese and olive oil that is blended until almost smooth. While Alfredo sauce is a thick and creamy pasta sauce made from cream, milk or another dairy, Parmesan cheese, seasonings and a thickener.

📌Pro Cooking Tips

Avoid dry chicken: Avoid overcooking boneless chicken in the slow cooker. Depending on the thickness of the pieces of chicken the cooking time could be from 1 to 4 hours.
What type of pasta to use: Any type of pasta can be used for this creamy chicken pasta dish.
Resting meat before shredding: Hot chicken is difficult to shred. Letting it rest for 5 to 10 minutes will make shredding it with a fork into bitesize pieces so much easier.

Serving creamy chicken pesto with pasta in a casserole dish.

More Crock Pot Chicken & Pasta Meals

Are you in the mood for something delicious and easy-to-make for dinner? Look no further than the classic combination of crock pot chicken and pasta.

This go-to weeknight meal is guaranteed to please everyone in the family, requires minimal effort, and can be made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Check out more chicken and pasta meals below.