This Easy Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe is made with a flavorful broth, shredded chicken and tender noodles. A bowl of hot chicken noodle soup is the perfect comfort food when you are feeling cold, sick or even lonely.
Another go-to crock pot recipe of mine is this crockpot chicken breast and crock pot shredded chicken!
This slow cooker chicken noodle soup recipe… I have so many fond memories of watching my grandmother cook her chicken noodle soup. I picked up a lot of her tricks. And now, I am so happy to share my crockpot version of it with you!
For the perfect stovetop chicken noodle soup, my grandma taught me that you should always leave the lid half open and skim the foam from the top. You can’t do this with crockpot chicken noodle soup, so I was a little concerned that it would turn out cloudy.
Not the case at all. This slow cooker chicken soup comes out crystal clear and as delicious as always! A must make during a soup season.
I now use her tips and tricks to make the best Instant Pot chicken noodle soup and post-Holidays turkey noodle soup.
Ingredients for Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
To make homemade chicken noodle soup in a crockpot, you will need just a few simple ingredients. Many of them are fridge and pantry staples meaning you can make this soup anytime!
- Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can also use boneless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken like chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks or chicken legs. Or a combination of both. You can also cut whole chicken and use those pieces. Dark meat will yield a more flavorful broth.
- Onion: Trim not the hairy end of a whole onion and peel the outer peel. Keeping onion whole makes broth flavorful, clear and easy to discard at the end.
- Other vegetables: Carrots, celery and garlic to flavor the crockpot chicken noodle soup.
- Liquids: Use low sodium chicken broth or chicken stock with boneless chicken breasts. Or use cold water with dark meat as it builds more flavor during slow cooking.
- Pasta: I used extra wide egg noodles. They cook faster than regular pasta. You can use any small pasta or gluten-free pasta. Cook time might have to be adjusted a bit.
- Seasonings: Bay leaf, whole peppercorns, salt and ground black pepper. You can add dried herbs to taste or use 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup in Crock Pot
Here is a step by step overview how to make chicken noodle soup in slow cooker. There is a full recipe card below.
I recommend using a large slow cooker to fit all ingredients in and make a large batch. I use my favorite 7 quart Crock Pot.
- Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker: Place chicken breasts, whole onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, whole peppercorns, salt, pepper and chicken broth into a large crockpot. There is no need to stir or saute anything.
- Slow cook: Cover with a lid and cook on Low heat for 8 hours or on High setting for 4 hours.
- Remove chicken breasts, onion, bay leaves and peppercorns: We will shred the chicken. Discard seasonings and onion to improve the taste appeal of our crockpot chicken noodle soup. No one wants to chew on a bay leaf.
- Add dry noodles: Add uncooked egg noodles right into the slow cooker and stir. If you were cooking soup on low heat, crank up the heat to high setting. Cover crockpot with a lid and let pasta cook for 20 minutes undisturbed.
- Shred chicken: While egg noodles are cooking, shred tender chicken breasts with two forks on a cutting board or large plate. Also chop fresh parsley or dill.
- Check on pasta and add chicken: Check if your egg noodles are soft and tender. If yes, return shredded chicken to the crock pot. If not, cook a bit longer.
- Garnish and season: Also add parsley, stir and adjust any seasonings to taste. With any soup recipes, I always taste and season with salt and pepper at least 2 times.
Tips and Variations for the Best Results
Here are tips and tricks for the best crockpot chicken noodle soup from my grandma and my kitchen to yours.
- Use chicken breasts with broth: Chicken breasts are lean cuts of meat but less flavorful. If you use them, you have to use chicken broth or chicken stock.
- Not low sodium chicken broth: Add less salt in the beginning and season more at the end. It is always a good idea to season your crockpot chicken soup a few times.
- Use dark meat with water: My grandma always used bone-in chicken and water to make chicken noodle soup. You can keep some or all of skin on those part, just keep in mind soup will have more fat and flavor. In this case, use water as a liquid.
- Add dried herbs: Sure you can add about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of your favorite dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary. I personally love to flavor my crockpot chicken noodle soup with fresh herbs at the end. You should try!
- Chop the onion: If you are used to adding chopped onion to the soup, please do. We never did and I am not a fan of small onion pieces in a soup.
- Add garlic at the end: Grate one close of garlic and add to a cooked soup along with herbs. If you are a garlic lover, you will love this variation!
Can I Cook Noodles in a Slow Cooker?
Yes. Just make sure to add dried pasta to a slow cooker at the end. If you add them along with chicken, broth and vegetables, they will turn into a mush while slow cooking for 4 to 8 hours.
Egg noodles are the fastest to cook in a crockpot. You will have big, tender noodles in just 20 minutes. So is any gluten-free pasta. White pasta or whole wheat pasta takes about 5 to 10 minutes longer to cook.
Turn off soup and add back shredded chicken and herbs when noodle are al dente. Pasta will continue to cook with residual heat of hot broth.
What to Serve Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup With?
This crock pot chicken noodle soup is a complete meal in itself. If you are looking for something to serve the soup with, try grandma’s Ukrainian garlic bread recipe or serve with a slice of crusty bread to dip into.
Serve a big bowl of hearty soup with a simple garden salad or any green salad on a side. Make grilled cheese on a cold winter day, my favorite!
How to Store, Freeze and Reheat
Store: Store slow cooker chicken noodle soup leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Truth be told, pasta gets mushy as it sits in a broth for too long. So, 2-3 days would be the maximum to keep this soup on a fresh side.
This crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe makes a large batch, so if you need it to last for a few days I recommend to cook pasta separately. Then heat up leftover soup and add noodles to each individual bowl right before serving.
Freeze: I would recommend to freeze it without the pasta. Cooked pasta doesn’t taste good thawed. If you plan on freezing this soup, just don’t add pasta at the end. You can freeze chicken noodle soup in any airtight container for up to 3 months.
Reheat: I usually warm up cold or defrosted soup on the stove by simmering desired amount in a small pot on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. That’s it.
FAQs
No. Only if you are planning to eat soup for more than 2 days, do not like mushy pasta next day or would like to freeze leftovers.
Yes. Just add raw chicken breasts to slow cooker. It is a safe method unlike with cooking frozen chicken in slow cooker.
No. USDA Food Safety Guidelines for Slow Cookers recommends to always defrost raw meat or poultry before slow cooking. The long slow temperature at which crockpot heats up puts your frozen meat in danger of growing bacteria if left at a certain temperature for a long period.
Yes. If you are using cooked rotisserie chicken, add meat and bones to the slow cooker and cut cook time in half.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes to Try
Warm up with some of my other slow cooker recipes. Enjoy!
Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts 1.5 pounds
- 1 medium onion whole and peeled
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 2 large celery stalks diced
- 2 large garlic cloves slivered
- 3 bay leaves
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
- 10 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 6 ounces egg noodles wide
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley or dill finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, add chicken breasts, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, pepper and chicken broth.
- Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
- After remove chicken breasts on a large plate and set aside. Discard bay leaves, peppercorns and onion.
- Add egg noodles, stir, cover and cook on High for 20 minutes or until pasta is ready. Shred chicken breasts and return to slow cooker along with parsley.
- Stir, taste and adjust any seasonings to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
- Store: Store slow cooker chicken noodle soup leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you need it to last for a few days I recommend to cook pasta separately. Then heat up the soup and add noodles to each individual bowl right before serving.
- Freeze: I would recommend to freeze it without the pasta. Cooked pasta doesn’t taste good thawed. If you plan on freezing this soup, just don’t add pasta at the end. You can freeze chicken noodle soup in any airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: I usually warm up cold or defrosted soup on the stove by simmering desired amount in a small pot on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. That’s it.
I’ve been using this recipe for about 4 years now!
So happy to hear this, glad you have been enjoying it!
Making this today! I did not add potatoes
I am using brown rice fusilli so I will make it separately and add
Awesome! Don’t be shy to leave a comment and star review once you have cooked the recipe!