This slow cooker chicken noodle soup is made with a whole chicken, egg noodles, and plenty of vegetables. It’s the perfect, slowly simmered soup to warm you up!
Crock pot chicken noodle soup is make-ahead friendly, and best of all, it freezes incredibly well. So make a big batch and stock up for soup season!
The best part about this delicious slow cooker chicken noodle soup recipe is that it’s made with a whole chicken. Slow cooking bone-in chicken gives the broth so much more depth, and the meat turns out incredibly tender and flavorful.
It’s loaded with all the classic veggies: carrots, celery, and onions. Plus aromatics and fresh herbs that really infuse the broth with rich flavor, and the tender egg noodles add that touch of comfort.
I usually make this slow cooker chicken noodle soup version on weekends when I have more time, and on busy weeknights, I’ll reach for my quicker Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup instead. Both are always a hit at my house!
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Why I Love This Recipe
- Using a whole chicken (bone-in) is essential for flavor and richness to the broth.
- It warms your soul! There’s truly nothing better than chicken noodle soup, especially if it’s cooked low and slow for hours.
- Easy one pot meal. The slow cooker does all the work for you! No need to sauté or anything, it all goes into the crock pot at once.
- Prep ahead and freezer friendly.
Ingredient Notes
Below, I included a few ingredient and substitution notes from testing our slow cooker chicken noodle soup recipe. I hope you find these helpful!
- Whole chicken: I recommend using a small chicken, like a 3-pound chicken, to ensure we can fit enough water. You can also use bone-in chicken pieces like thighs, breasts and drumsticks.
- Carrots, celery, and onions: Can’t miss this trio, but feel free to add any extra veggies, such as green beans.
- Garlic: No need to mince, just grab a few fresh peeled cloves and smash them.
- Wide egg noodles: These are an excellent and classic choice, but feel free to use any type of short pasta like bowties or rotini.
- Thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, Italian parsley: Fresh herbs infuse the chicken noodle soup broth with amazing flavor.
- Water: This liquid base. You can also do half water and half canned chicken broth if you want a richer broth.
- Better Than Bouillon adds a boost in flavor, salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon: A squeeze at the very end, really adds brightness and takes this crock pot chicken noodle soup to the next level!
As always, ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card down below.
How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup in the Crock Pot
For this slow cooker chicken noodle soup recipe, you need a large slow cooker so that everything fits nicely. Let me show you how to make it!
Step 1: Add vegetables. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, salt and pepper to a large slow cooker. I use a 7-quart slow cooker.
Step 2: Add chicken and liquid. Place the whole chicken on top. Add water, leaving about 1.5-inch space from the top to allow room for simmering.
Step 3: Add herbs. Add the rosemary, thyme, Italian parsley and bay leaves around the chicken. You can tie them with kitchen twine for easy removal later. Push gently to submerge.
Step 4: Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 hours.
Step 5: Add egg noodles, shred chicken. Remove the chicken, shred, and discard the skin and bones. Add the egg noodles, Cover and continue cooking them for 20 minutes or until tender.
Step 6: Bring everything together. After the noodles are done, return the shredded chicken, season more as needed, and finish with chopped Italian parsley.
Serve your with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice! It adds brightness and really brings out all the flavors. It’s amazing! Serve with bread, or even better, pair with my favorite Cheesy Garlic Italian Bread!
Tips for Success
- Use a small 3-pound whole chicken so that the ratio between chicken and liquid is adequate. If your chicken is too large, break it down and use half or three quarters.
- For an extra boost of flavor, add 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon (chicken base flavor). I love it!
- Use a large slow cooker, ideally a 7 or 8-quart. If using a smaller one, you can just adjust the ingredient quantities accordingly.
- Do not start with a frozen whole chicken. It must be fully thawed first for even and safe cooking. Thaw in the fridge for 1-2 days, or as needed.
- Add the egg noodles at the very end. They only need about 20 minutes to cook.
Recipe FAQs
Not necessarily. You can also use individual bone-in chicken pieces, such as thighs, drumsticks or breasts.
No. Start with a fully thawed whole chicken to ensure the chicken is thoroughly and safely cooke.d
Add the noodles towards the end, after everything is done cooking. For egg noodles, about 20 minutes is ideal. If using a different pasta, such as rotini, that may take a little longer.
You need a relatively small chicken, about 3 pounds is ideal for a large 7 or 8-quart slow cooker. If the chicken is too large, you won’t be able to fit enough liquid.
Stovetop Method
If you don’t want to wait on the slow cooker, you can make this chicken noodle soup on the stovetop in under 2 hours. Add the whole chicken, vegetables, aromatics, and seasonings to a large pot with water, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about 90 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken, add egg noodles and cook for 10 minutes, then shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
Prep Ahead and Freezing
Prep ahead: Peel and chop all the veggies, and store them in the fridge until ready to cook. Make sure to thaw the whole chicken as well, if previously frozen. When ready to cook, it’s all about throwing everything into the slow cooker.
Freezing: Store cooked chicken noodle soup (cooled completely) in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating: If frozen, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave oven or over the stovetop in a pot, adding extra broth as needed. You can also reheat from frozen in a medium pot.
More Homemade Soup Recipes
Looking for more slow cooker chicken recipes? Try my Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Slow Cooker Chicken Stew!
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds whole chicken (small chicken) - thawed if frozen
- 4 medium carrots - peeled and chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- 8 to 10 cups water - as needed
- 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon - adds great flavor
- 2 bay leaves - fresh or dried
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme and rosemary - tied with kitchen twine
- 1 small bunch fresh Italian parsley - tied with kitchen twine
- ½ pound extra wide egg noodles
- Chopped Italian parsley - for garnish
- 1 lemon - squeezed at the end for serving
Instructions
- Add vegetables: In a large slow cooker, add the chopped carrots, celery, onions, crushed garlic, 3 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper,
- Add chicken and water: Place the whole chicken on top. Then, add water (the exact amount depends on the slow cooker size, add enough leaving about 1.5 inches space from the top). The chicken doesn’t need to be fully submerged, just almost. Stir in 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon for even better flavor.
- Add aromatics: Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs, Italian parsley, and bay leaves around the chicken, gently pushing down to submerge.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook for 8 hours on LOW, or 4 hours on HIGH, until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender.
- Egg noodles: Remove chicken from the crock pot. Then, add the egg noodles, cover, and cook for another 20 minutes until al dente and tender.
- Shred chicken: Meanwhile, shred the chicken, discard the skin and bones.
- Bring everything together: Once the noodles are done, return the shredded chicken into the slow cooker. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Finish with chopped Italian parsley for that touch of freshness.
- Serve: Serve the chicken noodle soup warm, and if you'd like add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end.
Notes
- Use a small 3-pound whole chicken so the liquid-to-chicken ratio is adequate.
- If your chicken is on the larger side, cut it and use about half or 3/4 of it.
- Fully thawed chicken: Do not start a frozen chicken. It needs to be thawed before using for even cooking.
- Make sure to not overfill the slow cooker. Leave space for the broth to simmer.
- Prep ahead: Peel and chop vegetables then store in an airtight container. Thaw chicken up to 1 day ahead in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Place cooled chicken noodle soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat soup in a medium saucepan on the stovetop until warmed through. You can also reheat in a microwave safe bowl until warmed.
- Freezing: Place leftover soup without noodles in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating, or reheat from frozen over the stovetop.
- Whole chicken: Bone-in pieces breasts, thighs, or drumsticks.
- Egg noodles: Short pastas, like rotini, farfalle, or ditalini.
Camille says
Made as directed in the recipe except my chicken was bigger but all fit in my 7 qt. slow cooker. Sooo delicious.
Tania says
So glad you enjoyed it! We always love a good chicken noodle soup.
Tania says
We just made another big batch of this soup and froze it! The chicken is incredibly tender it just falls off the bone so easily.