Chicken and Tortellini (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)

Made in the slow cooker or stove top, this hearty dish combines tender chicken with cheese-filled tortellini in a creamy sauce, perfect for a comforting meal. It’s an easy and flavorful option for any weeknight dinner.

A 30-minute one-pan weeknight dinner when you want something simple, elegant, and rich.

This Italian-inspired quick Chicken Tortellini recipe is made with cheese tortellini, chicken breasts, Alfredo sauce, and spinach, and topped with parmesan. For its flavors and simplicity, this dish is often labeled a Marry Me dish.

I will share how to whip this super delicious chicken tortellini recipe on the stovetop or in a slow cooker.

What Is Tortellini?

Tortellini is a type of stuffed Italian pasta, typical for the Emilia-Romagna region.

It has a round, plump, ring-looking shape and is filled with cheese, cheese spinach, or prosciutto, and is usually served in broth. Common cheeses in tortellini are Ricotta and Parmesan.

A legend says that the shape is inspired by Venus’s body. She once stayed in a room where the owner tried to take a sneak peek, but all he could see through a keyhole was her belly button.

In Italy, tortellini brodo (tortellini in broth) is a common dish for Christmas Eve.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One-pan meal means no clean-up. It also means every single ingredient gave all the flavors in the dish and we can dig in. Kids absolutely love this dish.
• Easy to customize with different choices of tortellini filling, cheese, or more veggies. The serving style can also be adjusted.
• Quick and yummy – thanks to modern technologies and refrigerated tortellini pasta we can make delicious restaurant-level dishes at home in no time. This recipe takes 30 minutes including prep and cooking time! The slow cooker method will take longer, but the stovetop method is my go-to for a mid-week dinner.

Chicken Tortellini Ingredients List

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken breast is the best for this dish as it turns out to be so succulent and has a lot of meat for each portion. A close alternative is chicken thighs (without skin or bones).
• Dry tortellini, (frozen tortellini needs to be thawed). You can use any variety of tortellini you like! I love cheese tortellini but spinach tortellini would be a great option too. If you are lucky to have a homemade pasta shop around or know how to do it, make some fresh tortellini for this recipe. That would be absolutely delicious!

Season

• Olive oil, for stove top method only. Instead of olive oil, you can use butter. Garlic simmered in butter is next-level good.
• Minced garlic or garlic powder. Fresh garlic or jarred minced garlic – both work perfectly.
• Italian seasoning blend – store-bought or homemade. The blend usually has dried marjoram, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried sage, dried oregano, and dried basil. You can use some fresh basil to decorate as well.
• Alfredo sauce. I use a store-bought version, 1 jar is enough for making 4 portions. You can make the sauce from scratch too. You can replace Alfredo sauce with tomato-based pasta sauce.
• Chicken broth or chicken stock to add flavor to the sauce. It is key to delicious flavor as pasta will cook in the broth and cream instead of just salted water.
• Diced tomatoes. Canned diced tomatoes work just fine. Adding sun-dried tomatoes gives a more traditional Italian flavor, a more concentrated tomato taste, and an orange-ish color to the sauce.
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I love adding cheese even though I use cheese tortellini. Cheese melts into the cream sauce seamlessly and it is simply very good.
• Coarsely chopped fresh spinach
• Salt and pepper, to taste. If you love some heat, add red pepper flakes (chili flakes) or cayenne pepper but it is not how I make it. It is a great recipe without the spicy kick in my opinion.

For accurate measurements, see my recipe card below.

Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need

For making this recipe on the stove:

• Large skillet

For making this recipe in a slow cooker:

• Slow cooker

How To Make Chicken and Tortellini On The Stove

1: Fry The Chicken

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. 

Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Add chicken to the skillet and cook until completely done, about 5-7 minutes. 

Remove the chicken and cut it into pieces (min 1 in cubes). Then, return the chicken to the skillet.

2: Build The Creamy Sauce

Add garlic and Italian seasoning, cooking for another minute until fragrant.

Pour the alfredo sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for about 3-5 minutes.

3: Add Tortellini And Finish Cooking

Add the tortellini and cook according to the package instructions, usually about 5-7 minutes, until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low or medium heat.

Add Parmesan cheese and spinach. Stirring occasionally, cook until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted.

How To Make Chicken Tortellini In A Slow Cooker

Slow-cooker version is an easy dump-and-go recipe, that takes 4-5 hrs to cook on low.

1. Prepare the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. 
2. Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker and season with Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
3. Add the alfredo sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes on top of the chicken.
4. Cover the slow cooker and cook the dish on low for 4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the sauce.
5. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted.
6. Add the tortellini to the mixture, cover, and continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until the tortellini is tender.
7. Before serving, add the spinach and cook just until wilted.

What Is Traditionally Served With Chicken Tortellini?

Serve chicken tortellini with garlic bread, salads, and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

A luxe serving option is to top this pasta with some toasted pinenuts.

Additional parmesan cheese and drizzle with lemon juice never hurt the dish either.

Storage

You can store leftover Chicken Tortellini in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of broth or water to moisten bulked-up pasta.

Cold leftovers work great in a pasta salad recipe.

I don’t recommend freezing this dish, but if you want to make it ahead, prepare and freeze chicken and sauce separately and use refrigerated pasta. You can freeze the components for up to 1 month.

The dish will take 20 minutes to assemble and cook.

Substitutions

• Do not substitute heavy cream with whole milk. It will make the sauce runny and watery.
• For a super quick meal, use leftover rotisserie chicken.
• Adding shallots is an easy tip for adding more flavors.
• To make a gluten-free version of this easy recipe, use gluten-free tortellini.
• The creamy sauce is perfect for chicken and tortellini. If you want a creamier sauce, add some heavy cream, cream cheese, or heavy whipping cream.
• Make this dish complete by adding more veggies: roasted red peppers, peas, and broccoli are an amazing addition to this recipe.
• To make a chicken tortellini recipe vegan swap protein with tofu, use vegan coconut cream and vegan cheese or nutritional yeast.
• If you want more meat, add bacon (or its Italian brother – pancetta), or Italian sausage. After such a hearty meal, you will need a nap!
• Other cheese options: While Parmesan is the best choice, Alloutte, mozzarella, and Boursin Cheese are great substitutes.

Tips To Make The Best Chicken And Tortellini

• To thicken the sauce add 2 tsp of cornstarch.
• For stovetop recipe: To give chicken golden brown crispy skin, you can cook chicken lightly coated in flour mixture and seasoning.
• Chicken is done when its internal temperature is at least 165º F.
• No matter the method, I don’t recommend cooking tortellini separately. I like them to really soak up all flavors while cooking together with chicken and pasta sauce.

Stir carefully, as the tortellini could tear apart. 

If you love this comfort food dinner recipe, you’re going to love these other dinners too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Tortellini Recipes

Pesto with Tortellini

Instant Pot Spinach Tortellini Soup

Sausage Tortellini Soup – Instant Pot

Deep Fried Tortellini

---

---