Easy Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Tortellini
This Slow Cooker Chicken and Tortellini is a delicious, easy dish perfect for busy weeknights. It’s full of tender chicken, cheesy tortellini, fresh spinach, and a creamy sauce. You can’t go wrong!
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My family loves pasta, and they especially love tortellini. While this recipe has become a family favorite, some of our other go-to tortellini recipes are Chicken Tortellini Casserole, Marry Me Chicken Tortellini, and Instant Pot Tortellini Sausage Soup.
Ingredients For Slow Cooker Chicken and Tortellini
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. You can find the full list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast – You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and black pepper
- Fresh garlic cloves – I like to use fresh garlic; however, you can use the jarred kind or garlic powder instead.
- Italian seasoning blend
- Alfredo sauce – I used the jarred sauce because it’s easy. Feel free to use your favorite homemade variety like this Cottage Cheese Alfredo Sauce.
- chicken broth – chicken stock or vegetable broth can also be used
- diced tomatoes
- frozen cheese tortellini – You can also use the refrigerated tortellini.
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh spinach
How To Make Crockpot Chicken and Tortellini
This is a quick overview of the instructions to make this recipe. You can find the full steps in the recipe card.
Add the chicken to the slow cooker, then top with garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Pour the Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Remove the chicken and cut it into cubes. Add the parmesan cheese and tortellini to the slow cooker. Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Add the spinach right before serving and cook until wilted. Garnish with more parmesan cheese when serving.
- Prepare the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker and season with garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the alfredo sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes over the chicken.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the sauce.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Add the tortellini to the mixture, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the tortellini is tender.
- Prior to serving, add the spinach and cook just until wilted.
- Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
What To Serve With Chicken and Tortellini
We love to serve this hearty slow cooker recipe with a side of Air Fryer Dinner Rolls, a simple side salad, or a green side dish like this Roasted Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts. And, these Chocolate Chipless Cookies are a great dessert to enjoy after this meal.
Storage
- Storage – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Freezing – Because the tortellini becomes mushy when thawed, I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers.
- Reheating – You can reheat single servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a large pot on the stovetop over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until warm all the way through.
Tips For Making Crockpot Tortellini
- Use a slow cooker liner to save time on cleanup.
- If your family isn’t a fan of spinach, you can leave it out.
- Use similar-sized chicken breasts so everything cooks evenly. If yours are on the thick side, slice them in half lengthwise before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Cook this on low instead of high. The creamy sauce is much less likely to separate, and the chicken stays tender.
- Wait to add the tortellini until the last 30 minutes. Any earlier and it turns mushy. Start checking it around the 20-minute mark since every slow cooker runs a little differently.
- Grate your own Parmesan. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents that can leave the sauce grainy instead of smooth.
- Drain the diced tomatoes if you want a thicker, creamier sauce. Leave the juice in for a lighter, more tomato-forward one.
- Try not to lift the lid while it cooks. Every peek lets the heat out and can add 15 to 20 minutes to the cook time.
- Adjust the sauce at the end. If it is thinner than you like, leave the lid off for the last 10 minutes. If it is too thick, stir in a splash of chicken broth or milk right before serving.
FAQs
For this recipe, I recommend that you use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
Yes. Refrigerated tortellini works beautifully and cooks in about the same 30 minutes, though I would start checking it around 20 minutes. Dried tortellini works too, but it soaks up more liquid, so add an extra splash of chicken broth and give it a few extra minutes.
You can cook the chicken on high for about 2 hours instead of 4 hours on low, then continue with the recipe as written. Low is still my preference here because the creamy alfredo sauce is less likely to separate and the chicken turns out more tender.
More Tortellini Recipes You May Enjoy
Slow Cooker Chicken and Tortellini
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- knife
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breast
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
- 22 ounces alfredo sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes
- 19 ounces frozen cheese tortellini thawed
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker and season with garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Over the chicken, add the alfredo sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the sauce.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Add the tortellini to the mixture, cover, and continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until the tortellini is tender.
- Prior to serving, add the spinach and cook just until wilted.
- Serve with additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Disclaimer:
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.