This slow cooker chicken Parmesan penne is an easy, comforting dinner with tender shredded chicken, saucy penne, and plenty of Parmesan. Everything comes together right in the slow cooker with minimal hands-on time, and you’re going to love how cozy it is.
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy slow cooker dinner — add the chicken, sauce, and seasoning, then let the slow cooker do the work.
- No extra pan to wash — the chicken shreds right into the sauce.
- Cozy and cheesy — tender chicken, penne, marinara, and Parmesan make every bowl comforting.
- Serves six — stretch it further with a green salad, roasted broccoli, steamed green beans, or garlic bread.
Ingredient Notes
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are what I use here because they shred so nicely once they’ve cooked in the marinara. Pick breasts that are roughly similar in size if you can, but don’t stand there agonizing over it under fluorescent grocery-store lighting. Life is short.
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For the sauce, use a 24-ounce jar of marinara or pasta sauce you genuinely like. This is not the moment for the sad, watery jar that has been hiding behind the chickpeas. I tend to grab a basil-heavy marinara, though a plain tomato-and-garlic sauce works beautifully too. Since there are only a few ingredients, the sauce matters.
The Italian seasoning can be a regular store-bought blend, or you can use a dried basil and oregano blend. I’ve done both. I used to insist Italian seasoning was better, but honestly, that may have been me being dramatic.
Parmesan is the cheese here—not mozzarella, not a bag of mystery “Italian blend.” Shredded Parmesan melts into the chicken mixture and gives it that salty, savory chicken Parmesan feel. I buy it pre-shredded plenty of times. Yes, freshly shredded is lovely. So is having clean fingernails and a peaceful household; we do what we can.
Use penne pasta, cooked according to the package directions and drained well. The ridges and little tubes hold onto that sauce. Rigatoni would probably be nice, but this recipe is penne, and penne is what we’re making today. See? Confident. In most areas of life, not so much.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the slow cooker insert
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara or pasta sauce, whatever brand your family actually enjoys
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or a dried basil and oregano blend
- 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- 12 ounces penne pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained well
Instructions
Lightly spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. This is not strictly thrilling, but it makes cleanup much less irritating later, and I am firmly against scrubbing baked-on tomato sauce at 8:30 at night.
Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer across the bottom of the slow cooker. Mine usually overlap just a touch because my slow cooker is not enormous, but keep them as even as you reasonably can.
Pour the 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce over the chicken, making sure the breasts are covered, then sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the top. Do not add water. The chicken gives off juices as it cooks, and the sauce loosens up plenty on its own.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily with a fork. Slow cookers all seem to have their own personality, so start checking toward the earlier end if yours runs hot. An older one can turn a chicken breast into string before lunchtime if it isn’t watched.
About 20 minutes before you plan to eat, cook the penne according to the package directions, then drain it well. I usually set a colander in the sink before I start the pasta because I once drained a whole pot and realized the colander was still in the dishwasher. It stays with you.
Use two forks to shred the cooked chicken directly in the slow cooker, stirring the shredded pieces into the tomato sauce as you go. It should pull apart without much fighting; if it doesn’t, put the lid back on and give it a little more time.
Stir 1 cup of the shredded Parmesan into the saucy shredded chicken until it melts and the mixture looks creamy and cheesy. It may look a little loose at first, but don’t panic—the pasta is coming, and it all settles together.
Add the hot, drained penne to the slow cooker and gently toss until the pasta is coated with the chicken, sauce, and melted Parmesan. Be gentle-ish. You’re not folding a soufflé, but there’s no need to smash the penne into oblivion either.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Parmesan evenly over the top, cover the slow cooker, and let it sit on WARM for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cheese melts. Taste before serving and adjust the seasoning if needed, then spoon it into bowls while it’s hot and comforting.
Variations
If you have picky eaters, keep some of the cooked penne plain and serve the saucy chicken beside it. This works well for anyone who prefers less sauce on the pasta.
Stir in a handful of baby spinach during the last 10 minutes, which wilts down into the sauce without causing a family debate. Frozen peas work too, and they add a little sweetness. If your family likes a creamier sauce, you can stir in a splash of milk or a few tablespoons of cream cheese when you add that first cup of Parmesan.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can stand in for the chicken breasts if that’s what you have. They’ll turn out tender and flavorful, though I still reach for breasts most often here. I know, I know—I just told you thighs are great. Both things can be true, apparently.
A crunchy topping of seasoned breadcrumbs or crushed croutons is nice in each bowl. I tried adding breadcrumbs directly to the slow cooker once, thinking I was clever. They got soft and strange. Don’t do that. Keep the crunch on top where it belongs.
Storage & Reheating
Leftovers keep well in a covered container in the refrigerator for a few days. The pasta drinks up more sauce overnight, so it becomes thicker—still delicious, just less saucy. Add a small splash of water when reheating if it seems dry, then warm it in the microwave in short bursts, stirring once or twice.
You can also reheat a portion gently on the stove over low heat with that little splash of water. I prefer the stove when I have time, which I often don’t. The microwave is not a moral failure.
Final Notes
This is the sort of supper that doesn’t need much fanfare. A bowl, a fork, maybe a piece of garlic bread if you remembered to buy it. The chicken is tender, the sauce is warm, the cheese does what cheese does best—makes everybody a little less grouchy.
Make this on a busy day. Make it when it’s cold out. Make it when you have chicken breasts and no desire whatsoever to turn dinner into a production. Some meals are for showing off; this one is for sitting down, finally, and hearing the blessed sound of nobody complaining for at least ten minutes… maybe fifteen if you’re lucky.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Penne
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray for the slow cooker insert
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 jar marinara or pasta sauce 24 ounces; use a preferred brand
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or a dried basil and oregano blend
- 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese divided
- 12 ounces penne pasta cooked according to package directions and drained well
Instructions
- Lightly spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer across the bottom of the slow cooker, keeping them as even as reasonably possible.
- Pour the 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce over the chicken, making sure the breasts are covered, then sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the top; do not add water.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- About 20 minutes before serving, cook the penne according to the package directions, then drain it well.
- Use two forks to shred the cooked chicken directly in the slow cooker, stirring the shredded pieces into the tomato sauce as you go.
- Stir 1 cup of the shredded Parmesan into the saucy shredded chicken until it melts and the mixture looks creamy and cheesy.
- Add the hot, drained penne to the slow cooker and gently toss until the pasta is coated with the chicken, sauce, and melted Parmesan.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Parmesan evenly over the top, cover the slow cooker, and let it sit on WARM for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cheese melts; taste and adjust the seasoning if needed before serving.
