This Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta is an easy slow cooker recipe that is light yet super satisfying. The cream cheese sauce is flavored with lemon and thyme and filled with tender chicken and pasta in every bite.

Thanks to the slow cooker, this recipe only requires a few minutes of prep time. And as long as the pasta is kept separate, it can be made in advance and even frozen. If you’re looking for more lemon chicken, you’ll love this Baked Lemon Chicken recipe.

A crockpot full of creamy lemon chicken pasta, garnished with fresh parsley.

If you’re looking for more pasta recipes, be sure to try this Creamy Pumpkin Pasta. It’s a fall favorite every year. And If you’re looking for more lemon and chicken pasta recipes, try this Lemon Ricotta Pasta, Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake, or our Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce.

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

During the spring and summer, I am always craving lighter pasta recipes. This creamy lemon pasta completely hits the mark. The sauce is made with cream cheese and butter, but because it is also packed with fresh lemon and thyme it is deceptively light. 

The tender chunks of chicken and pasta soak up the sauce with plenty left to cover each bite in cheesy goodness. Top with a little Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley and you’ll be good to go. 

Steps for making creamy lemon pasta in the slow cooker.

Key Ingredients

  • Chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breasts are perfect for cooking in a slow cooker where they can soak up loads of flavor and stay nice and juicy. Chicken thighs would also work great. 
  • Cream Cheese – in order to make sure the cheese spreads and melts as the slow cooker cooks, cut this into small chunks and scatter over the chicken.
  • Butter – adding a little extra butter keeps the sauce for this pasta extra creamy.
  • Fresh Lemons – don’t skimp on the fresh lemons! You’ll need about 2-3 large fresh lemons to make this recipe.
  • Thyme – fresh thyme can be scraped off of the stems with your fingers so that you just get the leaves. You can also toss 1-2 sprigs in while it cooks, just be sure to remove the sprigs.
  • Chicken Broth – adding chicken broth gives an extra layer of flavor to this pasta recipe.
  • Pasta – cook the pasta separately so that you can control how done it gets. Penne, fusilli, gemelli, cellentani, orecchiette, farfalle, or any similarly sized pastas all work great.

How to Make Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

  1. Add ingredients to the slow cooker. Lightly spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, then add all but the pasta.
  2. Cook. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through— about 2 ½ hours on high or about 4 hours on low.
  3. Whisk the sauce. Once cooked, remove the chicken and whisk the remaining sauce in the crockpot. 
  4. Combine with the chicken and pasta. Add the cooked chicken and pasta back in, stir, and serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Enjoy!
A serving bowl full of crockpot chicken pasta—a light and easy lemon chicken recipe for spring and summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make this ahead of time?

If you want to make this recipe ahead of time, you can cook the chicken and lemon thyme cream sauce the night before, cool, and store in the fridge. Cook the pasta separately, cool, and store separately.
 
About an hour before you are ready to serve, either return the lemon and thyme chicken to the crockpot set on warm or place in a large pot and warm gently over medium low. Once warmed, add the cooked pasta, stir, and serve.

How do you make lemon chicken pasta on the stovetop?

If you would rather make this on the stovetop, cook the chicken and pasta separately and set aside. In a large pot, add the rest of the ingredients and heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a simmer. Simmer and whisk together to create a sauce, then add the chicken and pasta back in.

What’s the best pasta to use for lemon chicken pasta?

The best pasta to use for this lemon chicken pasta recipe is anything that is bite-sized such as penne, gemelli, bowtie (farfalle), medium or large shells, or similar. These will have the best ratio of sauce to pasta. 

Storing and Reheating Instructions

  • Refrigerator: store leftover lemon chicken pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Freezer: as long as the pasta has not yet been added, this lemon and thyme chicken can be frozen for up to 2 months in freezer bags. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
  • To reheat: reheat in a microwave or a small pot with a little extra chicken broth or water. Warm over medium low, stirring often.
lemon thyme chicken pasta recipe
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Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe

Author The Carefree Kitchen
This lemon chicken pasta is an easy slow cooker recipe that is light yet super satisfying. The creamy lemon and thyme sauce is filled with tender chicken and pasta in every bite.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Yields8 people

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds chicken breast, cut into 1/2" chunks
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1" chunks
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 pound pasta, cooked

Instructions
 

  • Spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add the diced raw chicken, cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh thyme, onion powder, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.
  • Cover and cook the chicken for 2½ hours on high or about 4 hours on low—until the chicken is tender and cooked throughout.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, rinse, and set aside.
  • Once the chicken has cooked, remove from the slow cooker using a slotted spoon and set aside. Whisk together the cream cheese and broth mixture that is in the slow cooker until well-combined.
  • Stir in the cooked chicken and pasta, then top with parmesan cheese and parsley if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing leftovers: store leftover lemon chicken pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Lemon and thyme chicken without the pasta can be frozen for up to 2 months in freezer bags. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
Reheating: reheat in a microwave or a small pot with a little extra chicken broth or water. Warm over medium low, stirring often.

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 695mg | Potassium: 427mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 553IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
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More Easy Chicken Pasta Recipes

If you’re in the mood for lemon chicken pasta, this easy slow cooker recipe is one of my absolute favorites. It’s made with a creamy lemon thyme sauce and filled with juicy chicken breast and cooked pasta.

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Welcome! I'm so glad you're here!! My name is Jill Baird at The Carefree Kitchen. I love food, nearly all food, and love to celebrate every day with food and the people I love! I love being creative in the kitchen and discovering new ways to switch up old favorites and coming up with new favorites. My hope is that you will find recipes you love on my site and maybe even find some inspiration to create something new! Have fun in the kitchen!

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