A big hot bowl of slow cooker chicken noodle soup is the perfect comforting meal on those chilly days! It’s an easy set-it-and-forget recipe with lean white meat, hearty root vegetables, flavorful herbs, and large egg noodles.
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We’ve all been there when the cold and flu season hits, and you feel like a zombie. I know all I want is a big warm bowl of comforting soup. This crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe is one of those simple mom-approved remedies that bring a little relief when you’re not on top of your game.
Using a crock-pot makes the preparation nearly effortless. Just place chicken breast pieces in the vessel and a classic combination of onions, carrots, and celery. Drop in some thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf to add depth and pleasing aromatics when you lift the lid. Big, tender egg noodles swim in the savory soup base, giving you that extra energy you need.
Slow cooker size
This recipe makes a large batch of chicken noodle soup. I use a 6-quart Crock-Pot which works nicely. If you have a smaller unit, cut the recipe in half. It takes about 3 ½ hours to cook on “high” or 5 ½ hours on the “low” setting.
Chicken selection
I prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts. The thick pieces of lean meat gently cook in the hot soup liquid. Alternatively, you can use boneless or bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe. Note that if cooking with the skin on, it will add more grease to the liquid. Fresh or leftover roasted chicken also makes for a quick and easy protein add-in at the end of cooking.
Add vegetables and herbs
A mirepoix consisting of carrots, onions, and celery creates the classic chicken noodle soup flavor. If desired, add other vegetables like fennel, butternut squash, any type of potato, zucchini, green beans, or corn to the soup. Make sure to cut each vegetable into similar bite-sized pieces for even cooking.
Dried and fresh herbs add fragrant aromatics and dimension to the soup. I use rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves to infuse into the cooking liquid. Minced garlic adds a hint of spicy allium notes that mellows out over time. Use chicken broth or stock as a flavorful simmering liquid. I prefer chicken stock as it adds more richness and flavor from the gelatin in the bones.
Choosing the right pasta for slow cooking
Wide egg noodles are a top choice for chicken noodle soup. They have a soft -yet tender bite that complements the proteins and vegetables. If you don’t have any in the pantry or want to switch it up, other types of pasta can be used. Ditalini and rotini are good substitutes. Even broken pieces of thin fettuccine work well.
Just note that semolina-based pasta may take a little longer to cook as it is more durable than egg noodles. You’ll add them to the Crock-Pot after the chicken and vegetables finish cooking. Alternatively, you can cook the noodles separately on the stovetop to speed up the overall cook time.
How to make chicken noodle soup in a crock-pot
This homemade chicken noodle soup is straightforward to prepare! Add the chicken, vegetables, herbs, and stock to the slow cooker—cover and cook for about 3 ½ hours on high or 5 ½ hours on low setting. Chicken breast is very lean and can dry out if left too long in the pot. Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness every 30 minutes past the recommended cook time.
Keep the chicken covered after removing it from the vessel. Don’t shred the chicken until ready to serve to prevent moisture loss. Add the dried egg noodles and cook until tender, about 30 minutes on high setting. Add back the shredded chicken to warm it up. Grab a bowl and spoon and dig in!
Serve this with
More slow cooker recipes
FAQ
Yes! Add the dried pasta to the slow cooker about 30 minutes before serving to prevent the noodles from turning too soft and absorbing too much chicken stock.
Raw chicken can be cooked along with any other flavorful ingredients for soups. This gently cooks the poultry in the simmering liquid, adding more flavor to the meat and soup. Ensure the chicken is fully cooked, between 160 to 165ºF (71 to 74ºC), before shredding and serving. It’s easy to see if the meat is still raw and pink. If using frozen chicken, defrost it first.
The dried pasta can be cooked in chicken stock and broth along with the other ingredients. This should be done at the end of cooking, right before serving. If the starchy pasta absorbs too much liquid, add more stock and season with salt as needed. The pasta could also be cooked separately, then added to the soup.
Preventing mushy noodles
Cook the pasta in the slow cooker at the end of the recipe process on the “high” setting right before serving. Depending on the size and shape of the noodle, the time may vary. I find 25 to 30 minutes gives a nice tender egg noodle. If using a different type of pasta, check at 10 minutes, then every 10 minutes after that time to gauge the doneness.
Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 ½ cups yellow onion, ½-inch dice
- 1 cup celery, ¼-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped, or ¾ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 8 cups unsalted chicken stock, or broth
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Add Ingredients – In a 6-quart slow cooker, add chicken, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and chicken stock.
- Slow Cook – Cover and cook on the high setting for 3 ½ hours, or on the low setting for 5 ½ hours. Cook until the chicken reaches 160ºF (71ºC), adding more time as needed.
- Shred Chicken – Remove chicken and transfer to a clean plate. Cover with plastic wrap to keep warm. Shred into smaller pieces right before serving.
- Cook Noodles – Add pasta to the slow cooker and cook on high setting for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
- Warm Chicken – Add shredded chicken back to the slow cooker, cover, and let cook for 5 minutes on high heat to re-warm. Season the soup with more salt and pepper as needed.
- To Serve – Garnish the chicken noodle soup with chopped parsley before serving.
Recipe Video
Equipment
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 8 cups
- Serving Size: 1 cup chicken noodle soup
- Storing: Completely cool the chicken soup. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Add more stock if needed for reheating.
- Reheating: Cook over medium heat on the stovetop until hot.
- Freezing: Store in individual containers or resealable bags for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or run the container over cool water, then reheat.
Lynn says
I just started getting your recipes and appreciate the time and effort you and your husband put into publishing all the recipes and information. Do you recommend any particular brand of chicken stock to use in your recipes? Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much for your support Lynn! I like Swanson unsalted chicken broth or stock, or for an organic brand Pacific is good. I use swanson for most of my cooking.
Marie Czarnecki says
Lynn: Yes “SWANSONS” IS THE TOP OF THE LINE!, but you can make your own if you want to take the time as i did this weekend for my Sheltie and good for joints. As i said I would do “SWANSON’S” I would because I am lazy at 80 yrs young and work part time.. as for my Sheltie I will make my own broth because I put in all the veggies (with their tops) with neck bones (beef) (whole chicken)because she has arthritis and it helps. Just saying.
Maggie Morris says
Jessica,
Just made a crock pot full of your chicken noodle soup! It is a cold rainy night here in St. Louis. The soup was perfect. And we have leftovers for the weekend. Keep you wonderful recipes coming!
Love,
Maggie (Katie’s sister in St. Louis)
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so glad that you had a warm and comforting soup to come home to Maggie! Enjoy your holiday week 🙂 If you are in town for christmas we should all go out for dinner!
Judy says
Hey Jessica,
This recipe was one of our favorites so far. I used a wide egg noodle I got at Trader Joe and it was a fantastic addition as they tasted home made. We enjoyed it to the last drop.
Judy
Jessica Gavin says
I’ll definitely have to try the Trader Joe’s noodles! Thank you for trying the recipe, so happy to hear you like it!
Lora Roosevelt says
Hello ,
Do you cook the egg noodles in a pan and then add them to the crock pot or just put the whole ag in the crock pot and the crock pot will cook the noodles??
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Lora! I cook the noodles in the crockpot until tender 🙂
Sue G. says
I am wondering if the noodles get mushy if leftover soup is served the next day.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Sue- Great question! I use the large wide egg noodles, so it may soften a little but I never felt that they got mushy. If you are preparing the day before perhaps go to al dente or just a little less cooked so the next day when reheating it will be perfect. Or you can cook the noodles fresh the day of eating.
Juanita says
Can this be frozen? Would love to stock up my freezer ❤️
Jessica Gavin says
I think you could definitely portion out the soup once cooled and freeze them for eating later!
Shelby says
Im on my way to store to grab some stuff for week and the ingredients for this. I actually made my own soup witch turned out awesome a few weeks ago. My whole house was sick. And it was so comforting! Now my mom is at home alone, sick with the same thing. I feel her pain and want to make her something that wont take as long as mine did. Something to make her feel loved and help speed up her recovery. (I swear chicken noodle soup helps make you better!) So I’ll be throwing all the stuff in in about an hr. Looking forward to trying it. I will keep you posted on how it turns out. Ty for a quicker easy recipe!
-Shelby in Mi.
Kevin McCauley says
Hi Jessica,
What is the serving size? 1-1/2 cups?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Kevin- About 1 1/2 cups is the serving size.
Kurt Stryker says
Hi – I have tried many other chicken noodle soup recipes and was always disappointed. Then I found yours and now it’s my go-to for perfect chicken noodle soup. I have made it many times this fall/winter.
I have swapped out rosemary for oregano and I have made it with rosemary. Either way it’s great!
Thank you for such an easy recipe for a much-loved comfort food!
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the recipe Kurt! It’s always good to have a chicken noodle soup recipe whenever you need it!
Joey says
Can u use gluten free noodles in this recipe? If so do I need to do anything different to prepare the noodles?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Joey- Yes, you can definitely use gluten free noodles. I would just check at 20 minutes to see if the noodles are tender, sometimes gluten free pasta cooks faster than wheat.
Joey says
Yeah!! I know sometimes the GF pasta we use boils over out of pan, I have no idea how it will do in a slow cooker. Thanks gonna try this soon!!
Maeve says
Great base recipe!! The ratios ARE perfect! I am really into crock pot cooking these days and lower food bills. Too much waste! So this recipe is our go to formula for all sorts of cleaning out the fridge and using left overs cooking hocus pocus lol.
Christine says
Thanks Jessica! Our family loves soup and this recipe was so easy and so yummy! My kids just loved it and so we ate it for lunch and dinner. I actually used precooked sliced herbed chicken from Trader Joe’s. 😉
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome Christine! That’s so great that it was a family hit, so important! I often feel like I’m cooking three separate meals to make everyone happy, ha! Great idea with using TJ chicken.
Scott says
Can you use any different types of noodle or orzo…my wife does not like egg noodles
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can use different noodles but the cook times may be different.
Marie Czarnecki says
LOVE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP, THANK YOU..
Brandon Jones says
Hi,
I’m looking at making this recipe to bring to work for our break. Would I be able to keep the slow cooker on the “warm” setting and not have to worry about overcooking the soup or completely destroying the egg noodles? It’d be on warm for about 4-5 hours
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Brandon- The warm setting can range between 165-175ºF, which will keep the food nice and warm. However I think the chicken may be ok, but the noodles may get mushy after 4-5 hours. Perhaps you could add that in later, or cook some and store in a plastic bag and add it in to rewarm an hour or so before serving?
Linda says
We were expecting lots of snow, which we got, so I thought a good chicken noodle soup. I would be really good. One of those that made your nose run, in a good way. I think I would add a few more spices though, maybe oregano or sage. It was real simple to make and heart warming on a cold snowy day.
Jessica Gavin says
Adding in some more spices like oregano and sage would be delicious for the chicken noodle soup, thanks for making the recipe!
Grsce says
Two questions:
Can I use pre shredded, cooked chicken?
Can I make this on the stove?
Thanks
Grace
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, just add the pre-cooked and shredded chicken when you add in the noodles to warm them up before serving. Yes, this can be made on the stovetop.
Ann Seipel says
Thanks for this suggestion on a snowy no-school day. Found boneless skinless thighs in the freezer—had everything else. Oh, I added some poultry seasoning. Crock pot is on—I’m going to read my book! Love your recipes. Thanks again!
Sue El says
I would love to try this. Could you let me know whether the broth should be hot before I pour it in or should it be cool? I have just got my slow cooker and would appreciate advice on this. Many thanks.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Sue- How exciting, time to break in the slow cooker! I usually add the broth at room temperature.
Sue El says
Thank you so much. I am going to do it soon – it will be ready for supper tonight (I live in London!). Best wishes, Sue
Jessica Gavin says
I can’t wait to hear what you think, Sue!
Sue El says
The soup was delicious and it was so nice to put the vermicelli in towards the end and not have to use another saucepan. A real one pot recipe. I did it on the high setting but left it for another half-hour because I found the carrots weren’t quite soft enough for my taste after 3 1/2 hours. As a crock pot beginner I am learning all the time! Thank you for your advice and great recipes. Best wishes, Sue
Cassie says
My noodles turned out gummy. What did I do wrong?
Jessica Gavin says
What kind of noodles did you use and how long did you cook them for?
Kylie says
Can I use frozen chicken breasts for this?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, however, I would defrost the chicken breast first before adding to the slow cooker.
Michael Jones says
I’m making chicken soup. Should I cover the chicken and vegies in my Crock Pot with liquid?
Jessica Gavin says
I would add 8 cups of chicken stock or broth per the recipe instructions to make soup.
Nikkole says
I’m not sure what I did wrong. I followed the recipe to a T and it had no flavor. I am so bummed. It was all new spices and everything. Any ideas?
Jessica Gavin says
I would add more salt to taste to the stock to enhance the flavor.
Sophie says
I added some chicken boullion to it cause I like a super savory flavor and I liked that
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for your feedback! I’ve also found that some soy sauce adds extra umami and savory notes.
Marie says
Hi Jessica, I was looking for a crockpot recipe for chicken noodle soup, and I’m so glad I found yours. It turned out delicious! The only thing I added was some oregano. I will definitely be trying some of your other recipes soon!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback, Marie!
Will Bray says
Can you use frozen chicken breast if so how long should I adjust the cooking time if any?
Jessica Gavin says
I recommend defrosting the chicken first so the vegetables don’t become too mushy with the extended cooking time.
Tricia says
I recommend using chicken broth and not
stock as it ruins the flavor IMO. I’m actually going to toss it because it tastes kind of sweet. I think if you use broth it will taste fine.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Tricia. May I ask what brand of stock you used? I haven’t had the experience that it tasted sweet before.
Karen says
College Inn Chicken Broth gives soup a sweet flavor. I went back to good old Swanson broth.
Jessica Gavin says
Great to know!
Mike says
Can I use a dutch oven instead of a slow cooker? Same recipe?
Jessica Gavin says
I have a stove top chicken noodle soup version that I would recommend using instead. The temperature on the stove top is too variable, so I would not cook for several hours unless you are checking frequently.
Tom says
I have a question.. when is it safe to taste test the soup? I want to taste a little of the stock to see if the seasoning needs any adjustments, but I dunno if the chicken is done cooking yet. It’s been in on low for 2.5 hours. I’ll be sure to leave a review when I’m finished! So far, so good though! 😉
Jessica Gavin says
Great question! Salmonella is destroyed at temperatures above 150ºF. That would be a safe time to check the flavor of the liquid. However, I would look to see if the chicken has turned opaque. If it’s still raw, do not taste the soup. It’s best to adjust the seasoning level once the chicken is cooked and before you add the noodles.
Angela A says
Did you really mean 8oz of noodles? That’s not a lot at all. I got an 18 oz bag of wide noodles.
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, the noodles expand a lot. You can add more if you’d like.
Jim says
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but adding a little MSG and some red pepper flakes really popped off on the flavor. No where near enough to be spicy, but added a little something.
Also I was hungry and cheated with pressure cooking instead of slow cooking. Likely why the seasoning in my batch felt slightly lacking.
Either way, I love the final result. And only took like 30 mins prep to bowl. Will definitely make it again.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for sharing your flavor-boosting tips for the chicken noodle soup. I do something similar with some soy sauce for an umami flavor, but not to make it the dominate taste in the soup.
Michael Scampini says
Turned out great. I added chopped fennel and 4 spoonfuls of white miso paste and it was fantastic. Because I like the taste of celery in soup, I doubled it and added a tspn of celery seeds. I did use frozen chopped carrots that I had in my freezer because I wanted to get rid of them. They were a tad mushy at the end but still good. Fresh would have been better for this, or had I added the frozen halfway through.
I also added 2 cups of water with a bullion cube for a bit more broth and 4 diced mini potatoes because I had to use them. The combination of everything really worked well and tasted great. The fresh herbs are a must especially for the rosemary. M ok with dried thyme but nothing compares to fresh rosemary.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for sharing your tips! Your modifications, especially the miso paste sounds delicious to add to the chicken noodle soup.
Caprice Garcia says
My husband does not care for his chicken shredded can I cut them into cubes
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can remove the chicken after it’s fully cooked and cut into cubes.