Chicken Spaghetti
This recipe for the best Chicken Spaghetti calls for sliced chicken, spaghetti that gets lathered in a delicious creamy sauce! A family favorite!
An Easy Family Favorite Dinner Recipe
This recipe is one I’ve been meaning to share for a while but it needed some tweaking. The original recipe I had for it was, well, kinda bland. I know chicken spaghetti usually calls for Rotel but it doesn’t add much flavor in my opinion. So I switched it up for my favorite salsa and I think it made ALL the difference! I also use grilled chicken (store bought or freshly grilled can be used) and that took the flavor up another notch too!
The best chicken spaghetti!! So much more flavor than the Rotel kind. Loved it, thank you!
– Diana
Frequently Asked Questions:
I decided I would switch out the can of Rotel (which is basically tomatoes and green chiles that is in most recipes) and replace it with salsa. That really added some yummy flavors. I also think that bit of taco seasoning really creates a super flavorful dish!
Angel hair pasta does not have to be used. You can use thin spaghetti or regular spaghetti or even fettuccine noodles. Although I haven’t personally tried it, I’ve had readers share that they have used spaghetti squash instead of traditional spaghetti and it turned out perfect.
Save yourself some time by using precooked chicken. Whether it be rotisserie chicken or the cooked chicken that is sold in the deli department. This will make this meal come together easily!
I have never tried it in a crock pot to be honest! Pasta can be really weird in a crock pot sometimes – ha! You could MAYBE try it like I do my crock pot spaghetti and meatballs but you have to had a lot of water for the pasta to cook properly and that might really water down the sauce for this. Or you could maybe put it in cooked, but again, the pasta will still want to absorb any liquid around it and it could turn gummy. If you try it, share how it turns out in the comments.
Sure, if you want even more creamy, cheesy, tasty sauce, add a little more sour cream and some of the water from the cooked pasta, just to make it very saucy!
Store them in a covered container in your fridge for up to 3 days.
Yep! It’s just important to cover it well to protect against freezer burn. It will freeze well for up to 3 months.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- angel hair pasta – I tend to like the thinner angel hair pasta for this but you can use your favorite pasta here like regular spaghetti or fettuccine or linguine.
- cooked chicken – a store-bought rotisserie chicken or the fully cooked grilled chicken you find in the refrigerator section all make this so easy to put together and adds flavor!
- cream of chicken soup – you can also use Cream of Mushroom or even make your own homemade cream of chicken soup. You could even use cream of celery soup if that is what you have on hand.
- salsa – my absolute favorite salsa is mild Herdez – it has the perfect flavor for this recipe but you can also use Rotel if that is what you prefer. I think salsa brings much more flavor though.
- sour cream – this is really going to add a lot of creaminess here. You could use plain Greek yogurt as well.
- Mexican cheese blend – I just pick up the store-bought pre shredded cheese but you can shred your own or use a different flavor blend.
- taco seasoning – you can use store-bought or make your own taco seasoning.
How To Make Chicken Spaghetti:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pasta according to package directions (remember, you are only using half the box of pasta.) Once pasta is cooked, drain well. Place pasta back into the pot (with heat turned off).
Add diced chicken and cream of chicken soups.
Stir in salsa and sour cream.
Add 1 cup of Mexican cheese blend and taco seasoning. Stir well to combine (this will take a few minutes.)
Pour combined mixture into your prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and a sprinkling of dried parsley.
Cover with nonstick aluminum foil. Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes. Then enjoy!
Craving More Recipes?
Originally published: June 2016
Updated photos and republished: March 2026
The Best Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta (half of a 16 ounce box)
- 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup Mexican cheese blend, divided use
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup Mexican cheese blend
- dried parsley (for topping, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook 8 ounces angel hair pasta according to package directions (remember, you are only using half a box of angel hair pasta here.) Once pasta is cooked, drain well.
- Place pasta back into the pot and add 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken, 2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup, 1 cup salsa, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 cup Mexican cheese blend, divided use and 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning.
- Stir well to combine (this will take a few minutes.)
- Pour combined mixture into your prepared baking dish.
- Top with 1 cup Mexican cheese blend .
- Cover with nonstick aluminum foil.
- Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes (until hot and bubbly.) Optional: and a sprinkling of dried parsley
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Hi! I made this tonight and it was a hit with my picky family. I have two teenagers and a hubby that is allergic to any and all fruit for finding a recipe that pleases all three of them if a difficult task. My daughter (14 yrs old) had 2nd and 3rd helpings. My hubby had 2nds. Even my 17 yr old son that doesn’t like his food to touch each other really enjoyed it. Thank you so much! I will be making this again for my family, I’m sure.
That makes my day to hear Jessica! I know ALL about those picky eaters – ha! Thank you so much for leaving me a sweet comment!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love cream of chicken soup and for those who don’t like cream of anything soup, we bought some all natural cream of mushroom soup by Pacific. They must make cream of chicken too. I like Campbell’s.
Anyway, I don’t like Salsa but love diced tomatoes, especially Fire Roasted. Even mild is to spicy for a super taster like me. I also don’t like sour cream but I can leave it out. Otherwise, the rest of the recipe, especially the angel hair which we love, sounds so yummy! I can’t wait to try this. When my mom feels better we will try this for sure. I don’t know if her stomach can handle it right now.
This sounds wonderful, but I’m not a big fan of Cream of Anything soup. Is there a substitution I could use? I saw in the comments that someone used Rotel, but would that be in place of both cans? Plus the salsa? Sorry for all the questions!
Hey Becky – I have only made it this way. I know a lot of folks are against cream soups these days, but personally, I think it adds to not only the creaminess but to the awesome flavor. I personally have never substituted so I can’t really help you there. Perhaps you could make your own cream of chicken soup? I’m sure there are tons of recipes for it on the internet. 🙂
Thanks for your reply, Brandie! I just don’t care for the taste, but maybe the other ingredients will taste so good together that I won’t even notice the soup! Can’t wait to try it!
Oh ok – gotcha! Well, if it isn’t because of an allergy then I think you should definitely give it a go. I really think you will love it! 🙂
Made the mistake of using the whole packet of taco seasoning instead of just a tablespoon. However, everyone loved it still. Only other thing I did different was to use mini penne pasta instead of angel hair since the penne is easier for the kids to handle. Thanks for a great recipe!
Yep, it was delicious. My picky family loved it. I did rename it Mexican Spaghetti Bake for my recipe card. For real, this made it into my recipe box! Thanks a bunch for sharing!
wanted to switch from my traditional chicken spaghetti and made this one last night…BAM!! Everyone loved it!! We only have a little left and that will be my lunch today! This was really quick and easy…I haven’t used those frozen chicken strips before but it was SOOOOO much better than stripping a rotisserie chicken!! Thanks for sharing this!! We have it on our favorites list!!
My husband and I weren’t fans of this. The combination of taco seasoning, salsa, spaghetti and cream of chicken weren’t right. :/ Next time I will use Alfredo plus parmesan on top and make it Italian.
Very pleasantly surprised by this recipe! I only made minor changes such as only using 1 can of cream of chicken (all I had on hand) and used Rotel instead of salsa. I did take the foil off and baked another 5 minutes. My husband and I liked how the taco seasoning made its presence known without being overwhelming. I just wrote this recipe in my keeper book! Thanks for this wonderful, yummy gift!
Thank you for coming back to let me know Jen! So happy it was a winner for ya!
Made this EXACTLY for a Church Potluck. No leftovers!
That is wonderful Lisa! So glad everyone enjoyed it.
Made last night and it was amazing!! New favorite dish!
That’s wonderful Shelby! So glad you have a new recipe to add to the rotation.
I just made this with gluten-free spaghetti and homemade gluten-free cream of chicken soup. Can’t wait to try it.
What kind of salsa do you use? Tostitos in a jar or fresh from the produce section?
Hi Kim! Not sure if you can see in my ingredient picture up there but I use Herdez. It’s my favorite 🙂
Hi! I’m hoping to make this tonight, it looks absolutely amazing! Is the Herdez mild salsa really spicy? Spicy food truly irritates my stomach. If so, any suggestions for replacements?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Xiomara! I get have pretty bad acid reflux so I can say with all honesty that the Herdez mild is very mild and doesn’t upset my stomach. I know everyone is different with that though! You could always use diced tomatoes if you are super concerned 🙂
How much is one serving??? Half cup? Cup?
How can I print your recipes?
Super excited to try it tonight, looks wonderful! Plus it's coming from another Brandie w/ an "ie" so I know it will be great!
Making this tonight. It looks wonderful.
Cant wait to try it. My son said it sounds yummy
I hope it is everything you hoped for! Enjoy!!
Does it have to be baked or can it just be mixed up on the stove and served like that?
In my opinion it would be better if it was baked.
While cooking the chicken do you add any seasoning to it? Or is it just cooked alone? Any salt or pepper?
Can you cook it in the crockpot?
Followed this exactly except for giving it a few extra minutes uncovered in the oven. It was delicious!
I made this last night following the recipe exactly and thought it was very good. Only baked part of it and put the rest in small casseroles and froze for later. I did bake longer than 25 minutes as I like it really nice and bubbly and it didn't seem enough at 25 minutes. Thank you a bunch. Love your recipes.
I made this. This was a hit. Used Rotel original, curly pasta, green peas, can of chicken because that's what I had on hand. Very good. Will make it again with few more adjustments. Leftovers for another meal.
In a world full of pinterest fails, thank you soooo much for this pinterest hit! My pickiest eater (the hubs) loves it! He even told me that I could make it again. (Highest compliment from him!) Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this.
I think this would be good with a can of green chiles in place of the salsa. Sounds yummy for a hot lunch, either way.
I made this and it was an awesome fast, easy meal! My husband and I got 3 full meals off of it! I may cut the recipe in half next time. Loved it!
Made this today…simple and delicious!
I made this tonight. I really liked the flavor and how filling it was. I did add frozen corn, maybe a handful to strainer and then poured the spaghetti and water over it. I did add dried cilantro over the top rather than parsley. Thank you for sharing, very tasty P.S. I froze portions of the dish after it cooled Used a spatula to cut and lift easily into dishes.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Does the mixture go on top of the spaghetti in the baking dish or do you mix in the pasta?
You mix it all up. Hope you get to try it and love it.
Can cream cheese be used instead of sour cream?
I have never made it with cream cheese but if you try it, let us know how it turns out.
Heck yes! I also add chopped up roasted red peppers from a jar. Really makes it wonderful
This was great!!!I made it last week and my 8yr old son asked for it again last night!! Definitely a keeper. So sad I can only have a little taste because of the spaghetti.
Love it! When they ask for it, you know its a good one!
Just wanted to comment if you mix 1/2 spaghetti squash 1/2 pasta you can have a full serving with half the carbs my family doesn’t notice the change
It's not too salty with the can of soup and taco packet?
Mine was exactly right. You don't add the entire taco packet though.
epicure makes taco seasoning in a jar, perfect for this!
When I made this is knew it was good because my children devoured it all
Love it! That is definitely a good sign.
I made this amazing meal and I put my own twist on it, It came out great but one problem I don't remember all of the twist that I put in it ????….. Oh well it will be better next time my family loved it….. Thank you for the new way to cook Chicken ☺
So glad it was a hit with your family.
Does the chicken have to be pre cook before mixing it with the other ingredients?
Yes, you will want to use cooked chicken.
If you use the Tyson precooked you suggested do you heat up according to package before dicing and adding to pot?
This was delicious! My kids call it chicken taco spaghetti because of all the taco-like flavors we also put some crispy southwest style tortilla strips on it for crunch yum yum! Will make again
lovely post. thanks
I commented earlier but forgot to add that in a pinch I used two cans of all white meat chicken in water, drained well and it was just as fabulous.
I cannot wait to make this. I've made chicken spaghetti, but it didn't include some of the ingredients this recipe has.
How can I print this recipe…. looks so yummy!
At the bottom of the post you will see "Printable Recipe Here" Just click it and you will be able to print.
Great idea on switching out the soup for rotel. Love your variation.
I use 16 oz.of thin spaghetti when I don’t have angel hair to the other tweeks above.
I am currently on a Paleo diet so I substituted Spaghetti squash for the pasta spaghetti. It was a big hit and I love the "tweeking" that you did. Thanks.
That is awesome, so glad you were able to make it work for you!
Big hit household. I did add some diced bell pepper and for a little crunch; I added some sliced / diced water chestnuts; drained well.
You're a genius! This was a huge hit in my house. My kids are super picky so to have them ask for seconds was music to my ears. Thank you so much for sharing!
Score one for Mom!! So glad they enjoyed it so much.
How many servings is this .. I'm feeding 8 people so should I double everything ?
I would double to be on the safe side. Besides if you have extra, you have leftovers!!
Oh my gosh this is the best thing I've ever made! My husband has always said "it's alright" when I've asked him if something I've made was good but for the first time in 18 years he said "it's good"! Just needs a different name. This is way better than any chicken spaghetti I've ever tried. Thank you!
So happy to hear it met his approval! It is so good, its just crazy!
Looks amazing and easy!! Will have to try this tomorrow after church ❤️
It will knock your socks off! Hope you enjoy!
Is this something to can make up ahead and then put it in when you get home?
I think it would be just fine
Omg I just made this recipe and it came out so good! My family loved it. Plus is so easy 🙂
Yay, so glad it was a hit with the family!
Just made this I had open not total in the fridge so used that instead of sauce. It was delicious.
Can you make this ahead of time and freeze it, and then thaw to cook it?
I haven't tried doing this yet but I can imagine it would work just fine! If you do, make sure you come back and let us know how it turned out for you.
I make the same Chicken Spaghetti using Rotel tomatoes in place of the creamy soup,. I will try this. I do split the spaghetti after making it into 2 8×8 glass dishes. I cook 1 & freeze the other for later. Then thaw & cook like you would if it was fresh. Just as good…
How did this turn out? Did you end up freezing it? I’m due with baby #4 in 2 months and looking to see how this would turn out as a make ahead freezer meal.
You should make it for dinner & save a little to freeze & see what you think. Good luck!!
Absolutely! I usually prepare two, one for serving and one for the freezer! Only have to clean kitchen mess up once.
That looks creamy and delicious! We are always happy to try a different pasta dish, so we'll have to give this one a go.
I hope it is a hit!
I love chicken spaghetti and I am always looking for new variations. I will have to try this one as it sounds delicious and even better easy!
Enjoy!
For the salsa, did you use mild, medium, or hot?
This is for sure a keeper my family loved it !!!
So glad it was well loved! It is a keeper!!
Gm. I want to do this for my family for Christmas whould it be fine if I prep it Saturday and then on Sunday heat it up?
What is the serving size for the nutrition facts plz?
What is the serving size for the nutrition facts?
I made this recipe today for my family and they loved it, even the picky eaters gobbled it down. It’s going in my special recipe book for regular rotation. I call it my vault of recipes. Thank you for posting this delicious meal.
Can use taco sauce instead of salsa?
I just made this ❤️❤️❤️
I did add more pasta and I used canned chicken breast as that’s what I had on hand. I used linguine too as I prefer that to angel hair pasta !
Will make this again !!!Super easy!
I used 2 chicken halves purchased at a chicken BBQ, 16 oz multi grain thin spaghetti and homemade salsa (I used 2 cups). Turned out amazing. When I make it again, will possibly add more chicken.
This was my first time making chicken spaghetti and it was great. We had garlic breand and a salad on the side.. The only thing I would change for sure is not to use angel hair spaghetti because it seems to loose its texture because it is so thin. I will make this again but use regular spaghetti or linguine so tht the pasta keeps it firm better. But it was goooood. I also like veggies so I added brocoli and it was just as good.