This slow cooker chicken noodle soup has tender chicken, vegetables, and plenty of noodles. Adapted from a 1972 Betty Crocker recipe, it works in any crock pot, from a 2-quart mini to full-size.
It’s an easy, dump-and-go crock pot chicken noodle soup you can tailor—your choice of chicken, more broth, more noodles, or scale it down for two. A stovetop version is included if you want the classic approach.
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Featured Comment by Taylor:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Everything turned out perfectly…. Wonderful recipe-and one of the few I have found that are made to accommodate a small cooker."
⭐ Recipe Summary
What it is:
Slow cooker chicken noodle soup with tender chicken, vegetables, and broth. Small-batch friendly.
Why you’ll love it:
Easy prep, reliable results, and cozy homemade flavor without watching the pot.
How to make it:
Add everything to the crock pot, cook on low, then add noodles near the end. Jump to the recipe card for details.
Jump to the Recipe Card or continue reading for tips and options.
🐓 Ingredients
- Chicken — boneless skinless breasts or thighs
- Chicken broth — low-sodium preferred
- Vegetables — carrots, celery, and onion
- Seasoning — salt, black pepper, and one bay leaf
- Dry noodles — standard commercial egg noodles work best
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
1. Prepare the vegetables and trim the chicken.
✅ Pro tip: Use boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Trim into 1-inch cubes, or cook them whole and shred when you add the noodles.
2. Add everything to the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
✅ Pro Tip: Use low-sodium chicken broth so you can control the final seasoning—add salt at the end to taste.
3. After 3 hours, or when the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender, add the egg noodles, add the egg noodles and cook for the final hour, or until the noodles are tender.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
👍 Options and Pro Tips
Chicken options:
- This recipe uses cubed boneless chicken breasts or thighs for the easiest version.
- For shredded chicken, cook whole breasts or thighs. When the chicken reaches 165°F for breasts or 180°F for thighs, remove, shred, and return it to the slow cooker when you add the noodles.
- Using rotisserie chicken? Add it at the same time as the noodles since it’s already fully cooked.
Broth & noodle adjustments:
- IMPORTANT: Only add the pasta after the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender. Adding it earlier will give you mushy noodles and undercooked vegetables.
- If you want a soup with plenty of broth, add 1–2 cups of additional chicken broth.
- For a noodle-heavy soup, add both extra broth and extra noodles—use a ratio of about 2 cups of broth for every ½ cup of dry pasta. Don’t add more noodles without adding more broth or you’ll run out of liquid.
- After adding noodles, cook for the final hour or until tender, checking every 15 minutes. Quick-cooking or non-standard pasta needs more frequent checks.
↕️ Scaling: Half or Double and Crock Pot Sizes
- Full Recipe: Makes about 10 cups (5–6 servings). It works in a 3½-quart slow cooker.
- Half recipe: Fits in a 2-quart slow cooker.
- Double recipe: Needs a 6½-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Use the recipe card to scale the ingredients to half or double.
- Measure from the ingredient list, not the step-by-step instructions—those don’t auto-adjust.
- Cooking time stays the same for all sizes.
- If you add extra noodles, be sure you add extra broth (see “Options and Pro Tips”).
- Don’t fill the crock pot more than 75% full. When adding extra broth, hold some back until after the soup is fully cooked—then add more at the end if you want it soupier.
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♨️ Stovetop Version
- Add everything except the noodles to a Dutch oven.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender—about 60 to 90 minutes.
- If using whole chicken breasts or thighs, remove when they reach 165°F (breasts) or 180°F (thighs). Shred and return to the pot.
- If using rotisserie chicken, add it now.
- Bring the soup back to a boil, add the noodles, and cook according to the package instructions until the noodles are tender.
🧊 Storage and Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers for 3–4 days. The noodles will continue to absorb broth, so you may need to add a splash of broth or water when reheating.
- Freezer: For the best results, freeze the soup before adding the noodles—it keeps the texture right. Portion the soup you plan to freeze before the noodle step. It freezes well for 3–4 months.
- If freezing with noodles: It’s safe, but the pasta will soften. Expect a thicker texture when thawed.
🍲 More Soup Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this recipe, you might like these reader favorites:
- Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup — another classic from the same 1972 Betty Crocker cookbook.
- One Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup — rich, creamy, and done in one pan.
- Soup Nazi’s Mexican Chicken Chili — bold flavor with easy ingredients.
- Crock Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup — light, simple, and family-friendly.
- Crock Pot French Onion Soup — slow-cooked sweetness with deep flavor.
❓ FAQs
Use standard commercial egg noodles. They hold their shape, cook evenly, and match the timing in this recipe. If you use quick-cooking or non-standard pasta, check it more frequently—it may cook much faster.
📖The Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup (1972 Betty Crocker Version)
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - (1 to 1½ pounds and may use thighs)
- 32–48 oz chicken broth
- 2 carrots - sliced
- 2 ribs celery - sliced
- 1 onion, medium - chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ cup dry egg noodles
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: Peel and slice 2 carrots, chop 1 medium onion; slice 2 ribs of celery.
- Prep the chicken: Trim 2 chicken breasts (1–1½ pounds) into 1-inch cubes, or cook them whole and shred them before adding the noodles.
- Load the slow cooker and cook: Add the chicken and vegetables to a 3½ quart or larger slow cooker. Add 32 oz chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.Cook: Cook on LOW for 4 hours total.👉 If you prefer a soupier result, add an additional 1–2 cups of broth.
- Add noodles: After 3 hours, or when the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender, add 1½ cups dry egg noodles. Cook for the final hour, or until the noodles are tender.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- If using precooked rotisserie chicken, add it with the noodles.
- Never add noodles early. The chicken must be fully cooked, and the vegetables tender first.
- Use commercial egg noodles for the most predictable results. Check early for doneness.
- For extra noodles, also add extra broth. Use 2 cups of broth per ½ cup of noodles.
- This recipe can be scaled up or down; see the Scaling section in the post for crock pot sizes.
- With each reheating, noodles absorb more liquid—add broth as needed.
- Storage: Refrigerate for 3–4 days. For freezing, remove the portion you want to freeze before adding noodles. Freeze for 3–4 months. If frozen with noodles, they will be mushy but safe.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
This is my wife's favorite chicken noodle soup recipe, but I added the conversion to a small crock pot. The original source is the 1972 Betty Crocker Cookbook.
Editor's Note: Originally published November 20, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Ashley Ayres says
What seasoning can be used if don't have bay leaf
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Ashley,
Welcome to the blog.
Just skip the bay leaf.
Dan
Patricia says
I make a similar recipe a lot. A tip is to cook pasta separate and add to each individual serving. Keeps broth from being all soaked up especially if you have leftovers.
Lonnie says
I've made this several times over the past year and I always, always forget the bay leaf. In all other soups, I remember. So, I just put this together this morning to eat later and remembered the bay leaf! Yay me!
I'm wondering if you've ever used different seasonings. I love thyme and in a chicken dish, I love to add poultry seasoning. Would those two things work well in this one? I don't like changing things up unless I know it'll work.
Thanks for such a simple, wonderful tasting recipe.
JOY MARIE GRAY says
Hello Dr Dan,
Made this Chicken noodle soup tonight for dinner, I loved that the recipe was so easy and I did follow it exactly. But after four hours and 10 minutes we served our dinner and the carrots were hard and the celery was semi-hard, we still enjoyed the flavor thank you for the recipe
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Joy,
Welcome to the blog.
A couple of things about the veggies not being done. Thinner cooks faster so cut thinner may help. Second, there is some variability in crock pots so you may want to check the veggies for tenderness before adding the noodles and cook a bit longer is needed.
Dan
Katlynn says
I followed the recipe exactly and my noddles are mushy. Any tips?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Katlynn,
Welcome to the blog.
Sorry, you are having an issue. About the only variables it could be is the type of pasta and the crock pot. Some pasta may cook faster although it has never happened to me. Also, if your crock pot runs hot, it would cook faster. So if that is the pasta you are going to use, do a quick test of the pasta every 20 minutes or so after you add it.
Dan
Amber says
Wish I would of cooked the noodles separately. It's mushy😬
Sharon says
If you double the recipe, how long do you think it should cook for? Thank you!
DrDan says
Hi Sharon,
Welcome to the blog.
Cooking time remains the same. I use a 3.5 qt crock pot for the single version but if you double, use at least a 6 qt crock pot.
Dan