Slow cooker cream cheese chicken is just a few basic ingredients and quick to prep, with a deliciously creamy sauce that coats every piece. Perfect for an easy, hands-off family dinner!
My kids have had a loooong fall break, and we really packed in some fun.
We snuck up to the mountains for a couple of nights of camping in some truly gorgeous weather. Then we had some city fun heading to our local amusement park and going out to dinner with my parents.
I think I might be ready for school to start back tomorrow just to catch a breather!
But let's talk FOOD.
Today, I’m so excited to be sharing this slow cooker cream cheese chicken with you.
It’s a crock pot version of my super popular easy cream cheese chicken, a stovetop recipe that comes together in about 25 minutes.
It’s a family favorite and a regular go-to in my house.
And transforming this into a slow cooker recipe means it can cook away while you’re at work, running errands, hanging with the kids or whatever.
The chicken also comes out tender, super creamy and so delicious.
It’s shredded or chopped and mixed into the sauce and the whole thing is covered in mozzarella cheese to bring it all together.
I mean, what’s not to love about that?
Bonus, this recipe is just 6 basic ingredients and only takes about 15 minutes to prep!
That’s perfect for throwing together on a busy weekday. And then dinner is waiting for you!
(Check out this slow cooker honey garlic chicken for another delicious and easy weeknight dinner. Or crock pot crack chicken for an addictive and creamy, cheesy dinner.)
OK, let’s get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make crock pot cream cheese chicken. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
(And y’all know I like to help you make a recipe your very own!)
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Recipe Notes:
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you could substitute chicken thighs or use a mix.
- Shred or chop: You can either shred the chicken breasts once they are cooked or chop the chicken breasts. Either way, the chicken gets mixed back in with the sauce and that’s where the magic happens.
- Mushrooms: I love the mushrooms in with this recipe but you could skip them if you don’t have any on hand – or don’t like them. I’ve made this without mushrooms before and it was still delicious.
- Sauté: I prefer to sauté the onions and mushrooms before adding them to the slow cooker. It just gives a different depth of flavor. However, feel free to skip this step if you’re short on time or not feeling very picky.
- Cream cheese: The recipe calls for the ⅓-less fat cream cheese and it’s deliciously creamy. Go for the real deal if you prefer, but I don’t recommend using fat free cream cheese.
Thanks to the slow cooker, we don’t need to add any liquid to this recipe. The chicken will give off some as it cooks and that’s the perfect amount to create the sauce.
(And it means this does not end up at all soupy. )
Also, I really do recommend adding the mozzarella cheese on top at the end of the recipe. It takes just a couple of minutes to melt down and it gets so cheesy and yummy!
Really helps finish the dish off.
Also, just to mention, this recipe is gluten-free, low carb and keto-friendly as is.
OK, let’s get ready to serve this up.
This chicken doesn’t really need much else, but a bit of fresh chopped parsley adds a nice fresh flavor to finish it.
And this dish can be paired with so many things.
Serving Ideas:
- We love this best with steamed brown rice (white would of course be fine, too).
- Or serve this chicken alongside or over quinoa, polenta or mashed potatoes.
- Add some steamed broccoli or some warmed peas for a veggie side dish. Both take no time at all to make so you can save them until you’re letting the shredded chicken mix with the sauce and allowing the mozzarella cheese to melt on top.
- This cream cheese chicken would also be great with a mix of sautéed or roasted veggies. Or just a nice green salad.
Finally, let’s talk about what to do with any leftovers. Cause they keep great!
How to store and reheat:
– Place any leftovers, once cooled, in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
– You can reheat the chicken in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s warmed through. (It may take longer if you are reheating a large amount. Stir and add 30 seconds as needed.)
– You can also try reheating this chicken with cream cheese in a skillet on the stove. You may want to add some extra splashes of chicken broth to help loosen it up and create a sauce again so it doesn’t dry out or thicken up too much.
– I’ve also frozen leftovers of this creamy chicken and it freezes really well! Once cooled, place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 4-5 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat.
There you have it, another family favorite made even easier thanks to the crock pot.
I hope you give this a try for a delicious, cozy meal your whole family will surely love.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. You can check out all of my slow cooker chicken recipes for more easy dinner inspiration.
Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 8 oz. white button mushrooms, halved (or sliced if very large)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 oz. plain cream cheese, regular or ⅓ less fat
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper and add to the insert of the slow cooker.
- In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Add the onions and mushrooms to the slow cooker on top of the chicken. Dollop the cream cheese on top.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 ½ to 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken breasts and either shred or chop the chicken. Stir the cream cheese into the liquid in the slow cooker until combined and saucy. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir to coat in the sauce.
- Top the chicken with the mozzarella cheese, cover the slow cooker and let sit on warm (or even turned off) for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve hot and enjoy!
Melissa
I made this in my instant pot, I only had one large chicken breast and a pack of chicken thighs 1.6 lbs so that’s what I used. 2 hours on high and it was perfect, and lots of extra sauce. Made this for my family and they loved it!! Served over rice and I made oven roasted broccoli on the side.
I always ask for ratings out of 10 on my meals so I know how much they liked it or not, this got 10/10 by my 2 year old, 11 year old, and 31 year old husband lol. This will be in my rotation!
Kathryn Doherty
Oh I'm so happy to hear you and your family loved this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing; I really appreciate it! 😊
Heather
Can I use frozen chicken thighs out of the bag ? And if so , how much longer in the crockpot , it’s what I have on hand
Kathryn Doherty
Yes, that should work just fine! And I think timing-wise, you'll still be OK with the max side of the cooking times suggested (so 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low). I've done it with thin-ish frozen chicken breasts and it's been the same cook time. If your chicken thighs are large or you're not sure your slow cooker cooks accurately/on time, you could add an extra half hour and then check with a meat thermometer. I hope that helps!
amy
the recipe says cream cheese mixture.....I assumed it was from a block just cut up, but the word "mixture" makes the think differently. Def want to try!!
Kathryn Doherty
Nope, that was just inadvertently copied into the recipe instructions. I'll remove that word "mixture" now. You're correct that it's just the cream cheese cut up and put on top.
Sam
I would like to make some frozen broccoli with this tonight for dinner - do you think the broccoli would hold up in the slow cooker, or should I cook it separately and add it at the end?
Kathryn Doherty
I think frozen broccoli is likely to get very wet and soggy in the slow cooker, so I wouldn't recommend adding it. Cooking it separately and then serving it alongside or with some of the sauce spooned over it would probably be the best bet. Hope that helps!
Myra
Do you think you could add chopped spinach (fresh) at the end there maybe mix in before sprinkling cheese on top?
Also wondering about the use of greek yoghurt in place of cream cheese ... I'm thinking probably not as it would separate? (Thinking of subs coz we live rural and my kids ate most of the cream cheese already!)
Kathryn Doherty
Yes, I think it would work well to add the fresh spinach and mix it in with the chicken and mushrooms and sauce before adding the cheese on top. It will wilt as the cheese melts.
Agreed on the Greek yogurt, however, I don't think that would work as a substitute since it might curdle.
Murray Hilyard
Does the cream cheese hold up in the slow cooking process? I’d always heard it cuddles, and to add it at the end, just long enough to melt, and stir it in. Not griping, just curious! 🙂
Kathryn Doherty
Yes, the cream cheese does hold up! Yogurt and milk can curdle more easily, but cream cheese doesn't tend to have a problem in the slow cooker.
Sarah
Would frozen corn and peas be ok to add to the crockpot ?
Kathryn Doherty
Sure! You could definitely add those in!
Nancy
This dish is out of this world and I’m making it this weekend for best friends who I haven’t seen in months. It’s so easy, so tasty and simply delicious. Thank you.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you love it Nancy, and I hope your friends do, too! Thanks so much for sharing and enjoy your time together! 🙂
Angie
Made this for the first time. Turned out excellent. I added some cooked cavatoppi noodles at the end. I need to figure out what flavor it is missing...some seasoning. I did season the chicken with pepper & slap-ya-mama, but still missing something. Thoughts?
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you liked it! Did you add salt? I'm guessing there's some in that seasoning mix, but not sure if there was enough for the recipe. That can be a simple way to turn up the flavor. You could also add some paprika if you like - I put that on all kinds of things for just some extra flavor that's not overpowering. Hope that helps!
Val
Do I need to adjust anything if I use skinless, boneless chicken thighs? I'm thinking they might make more broth as they cook and the sauce might be runny. Thoughts?
Kathryn Doherty
Hey Val! I think it's fine to swap in chicken thighs for the breasts here without any other substitutions. I've not found they tend to give off significantly more liquid (and we need some to make the sauce). Frozen chicken of any kind sometimes gives off extra, but I still think it would be fine. Hope that helps!
Kelly
I made this and I didn’t get a lot of juice from the chicken
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Kelly! You just need a little liquid to be able to stir the cream cheese in and help coat the chicken. It shouldn't be runny or too liquidy. My slow cooker tends to produce liquid with just about everything, but you could always add 1/4 cup of chicken broth to yours to mix in at the end if needed. Hope that helps!
Brenda Burton
Hello, How Are You, This will be my First Time Making The Cream Cheese Chicken and I Have Everything but Mushrooms, I Am Worried
Kathryn Doherty
You can just skip the mushrooms, that's fine!
Tammy Hoeck
I have been trying new recipes with chicken in my crock pot, this is the FIRST time I have left a comment. This recipe is AMAZING! I was not expecting much since I had not been successful in the past but these flavors all compliment each other nicely. I will def be making this a lot! Thanks!!!
Kathryn Doherty
Oh I'm so happy to hear that Tammy! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Kelly Stalker
Hi ! I can't rate at the moment but I plan to tomorrow. I myself haven't always the best of luck with my cooking lol specially with chicken . However I'm getting better. The only thing my daughter loves is chicken and hates onions. But when I throw some chicken breasts and cut up onions and drowned it in Italian dressing only . She eats the heck out of it and loves it. Simple but yummy lol !! So here's hoping! Fingers 🤞 ill repost tomorrow on our success! Thank you for the great idea.