Slow Cooker Rotel Chicken Spaghetti is a creamy, cheesy dinner made with shredded chicken breasts, Rotel tomatoes, Velveeta, cheddar cheese, and spaghetti noodles. It takes about 15 minutes to prep, and the slow cooker handles most of the work.
This easy crockpot chicken spaghetti recipe has a mild kick from the diced tomatoes and green chilies, plus plenty of rich, cheesy flavor. It is a practical slow cooker meal for busy weeknights, family dinners, or any night when you want a filling meal without standing over the stove.
For more easy, cheesy dinner ideas, try my Baked Rotel Chicken Spaghetti, Crockpot Velveeta Mac and Cheese, or Stovetop Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. My Honey Mustard Chicken is another easy slow cooker recipe that works well for a busy weeknight.
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Shortcut Notes
- Easy crockpot dinner: Add the chicken, seasonings, Rotel, and soup to the slow cooker, then let everything cook with very little hands-on work.
- Convenience ingredients: Rotel, canned cream of mushroom soup, and Velveeta create a creamy sauce without making one from scratch.
- Simple family meal: The recipe makes eight servings and uses familiar ingredients that are easy to find at most grocery stores.
Ingredient Breakdown
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: These cook directly in the slow cooker until tender enough to shred or cube.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper
- Rotel: A canned mixture of diced tomatoes and green chilies.
- Cream of mushroom soup: Creates the creamy base of the chicken spaghetti sauce.
- Velveeta cheese: Melts smoothly and gives the sauce its rich, creamy texture.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Adds sharper cheese flavor and helps thicken the sauce and creates a cheesy chicken spaghetti.
- Spaghetti: The noodles are broken in half before cooking so they are easier to stir into the slow cooker.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Crock-Pot Chicken Spaghetti
Season the chicken: Lightly spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the chicken breasts and sprinkle evenly with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Add the soup: Spread the Rotel and cream of mushroom soup over the top. Do not stir.
Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked 165°F (74°C) and tender.
Shred or cube the chicken: Remove the chicken and shred or cube it, then set aside.
Melt the cheese: Add the cubed Velveeta and shredded cheddar cheese to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10–15 minutes, then stir until smooth and creamy.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta: Boil the spaghetti according to package directions in salted water until al dente, then drain, reserving a little pasta water to loosen the sauce.
Combine: Stir in the cooked chicken breast and cooked spaghetti noodles a little bit at a time (it is a lot to stir in all at once). Add the reserved water one splash at a time to loosen the sauce, if needed. Serve warm.
Substitutions
- Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used for a richer flavor. The cook time may vary slightly.
- Rotel: Use another variety of Rotel tomatoes or plain petite diced tomatoes for a milder dish.
- Condensed soup: Cream of chicken soup can be used in place of one or both cans.
- Spaghetti: Pick your favorite pasta. Thin spaghetti, linguine, or penne can be substituted. Cook it according to the package directions.
Behind the Recipe
I like recipes that don't need much attention, and this easy chicken spaghetti does exactly that. My top tip is to cook the pasta just until al dente. The noodles will soften a little more after they are stirred into the hot sauce.
Also, add the spaghetti a little at a time. This makes it easier to coat the noodles evenly without making the sauce difficult to stir.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Please take a moment to leave a rating and review—it helps me create high-quality recipes and lets others know what to expect.
FAQ
I recommend cooking the spaghetti separately. Pasta can become overly soft or cook unevenly when added directly to the slow cooker with this sauce. Slow cookers also vary in how hot they run, which can make the pasta harder to cook consistently without becoming mushy.
If you are using precooked chicken, I recommend following my Baked Rotel Chicken Spaghetti instead. This slow cooker version is designed so the raw chicken cooks in the sauce and adds flavor as it becomes tender. Rotisserie chicken does not need several hours in the crockpot and can dry out or become stringy, so the baked version gives you better control over the texture and cook time.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Rotel Chicken Spaghetti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (10-ounce)
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (10.5 ounces each)
- 8 ounces Velveeta Original cubed
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 16 ounces spaghetti broken in half
Instructions
- Season the chicken: Lightly spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the chicken breasts and sprinkle evenly with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Add the soup: Spread the Rotel and cream of mushroom soup over the top. Do not stir.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked 165°F (74°C) and tender.
- Shred or cube the chicken: Remove the chicken and shred or cube it, then set aside.
- Melt the cheese: Add the cubed Velveeta and shredded cheddar cheese to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10–15 minutes, then stir until smooth and creamy.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta: Boil the spaghetti according to package directions in salted water until al dente, then drain, reserving a little pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- Combine: Stir in the cooked chicken breast and cooked spaghetti noodles a little bit at a time (it is a lot to stir in all at once). Add the reserved water one splash at a time to loosen the sauce, if needed. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Use thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts rather than frozen chicken in the slow cooker.
- Cook the chicken until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces after handling raw chicken.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of serving.
More Chicken Recipes
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Kelsey Smith says
I love the oven-baked version of this recipe when I have a rotisserie chicken on hand, but this slow cooker version is perfect when I want to start with raw chicken breast. I hope you all enjoy my recipe, and if you give it a try, please leave a review.