These Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts are moist, flavorful, and ready in minutes! Tender chicken breasts are coated in a creamy sauce made with chicken broth, cream, Italian herbs, and roasted red peppers!
Table of Contents
We love the pressure cooker for basic Instant Pot recipes, like Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, Instant Pot Pulled Pork, and Instant Pot Whole Chicken, but every now and then I like to branch out and add in some big flavor.
These Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts definitely give big flavor! This recipe is made with juicy chicken breasts pressure cooked in a rich, flavorful cream sauce flavored with herbs and roasted red peppers.
This instant pot meal is ready in under 20 minutes and perfect over Buttered Noodles, rice, or potatoes!
Ingredients Needed:
- Chicken Breasts: use boneless and skinless chicken breasts for quick cooking.
- Chicken Broth: I like to use low sodium chicken broth to control the saltiness of the rest of the dish.
- Garlic: you can use freshly minced garlic or keep it convenient with jarred, pre-minced garlic.
- Seasonings: we’re using a simple trio made up of Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to season the cream sauce.
- Heavy Cream: you can use a lighter type of cream for this recipe, but it won’t have the same richness as heavy cream.
- Roasted Red Peppers: be sure to chop them roasted red peppers up so they incorporate nicely into the sauce.
- Cornstarch: helps thicken the cream sauce.
- Basil Pesto: a tablespoon of basil pesto gives the cream sauce a little something extra.
How to Make Instant Pot Italian Chicken Breasts
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the broth, roasted red peppers, pesto, garlic and seasonings.
- Sear the chicken: this is optional but it does add flavor. If you do sear it, be careful not to overcook the chicken since we will be cooking it further.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook the chicken: Set the timer to 8 minutes and cook. When the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5-10 minutes and remove the chicken.
- Thicken the sauce and serve: Whisk together the cream and corn starch and add to the sauce. Cook on saute until thickened.
Instant Pot Chicken Breast FAQs
You’ll set the timer on the instant pot for 6 minutes. However, the pot will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure. During that time, the chicken will be cooking!
If you did not sear the chicken, add 2-3 minutes.
If you are using frozen chicken, add 4-5 minutes.
Yes! It’s okay if the chicken breasts are layered a bit in the instant pot. Just make sure you season them thoroughly all over so you get flavor in every bite.
Totally! Frozen chicken works great in this recipe. Just add 4-5 minutes to the cooking time. Keep in mind that frozen chicken breasts will release significantly more liquid during cooking, so you may want to drain some out before adding in the cream, otherwise it will be diluted significantly.
Absolutely! No instant pot? This recipe is as simple as ever to make on the stove as well. Simply sear the chicken in a bit of oil until golden.
Meanwhile, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients including the cream and corn starch and add to the chicken. Simmer until sauce is thickened and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
Yes! To make these chicken breasts in the slow cooker, simply add the chicken into the crockpot. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients, pour the sauce over the chicken, then cook for 2 hours on high or for 3-4 hours on low.
Leftover chicken and cream sauce will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then warm on low on the stove until heated through.
Tips and Notes
- Strain it. Straining the broth after cooking is optional, but it does remove any excess fat leftover after cooking.
- Check the temp. Finished chicken should be 165ºF. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature before serving!
- Lighten it up. You can use a lighter cream or even evaporated milk in this recipe. Keep in mind that the higher the fat content of the cream you use, the richer the sauce will be.
- Add veggies. Feel free to add veggies into the pot to make this into a one-pot meal. Try mushrooms, zucchini, or broccoli! You could also round it out with a simple side salad.
Serving Suggestions
We love these. Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts over egg noodles, but the options for serving are endless! Try them over rice, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or slice them up and use them in quesadillas, pizza, or sandwiches!
Looking to bulk your meal up even more? Serve the chicken next to Roasted Green Beans, Air Fryer Broccoli, or a simple side salad.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (see notes above)
- 1 ½ tablespoons corn starch
Instructions
- Whisk together the broth, roasted red peppers, pesto, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- (OPTIONAL) Turn the Instant Pot to saute. When it reads "hot", drizzle oil in the bottom. Sear the chicken breasts on each side for 2 minutes until light golden brown. This step is optional but does add flavor. Be careful not to overcook!
- Place the chicken on the trivet (again, optional! You can also cook it right in the sauce) and add the sauce.
- Place lid on the Instant Pot and turn valve to sealing. Select Manual, high pressure (the default), and set the timer to 6 minutes. The pressure cooker will take about 10 minutes to build pressure and begin counting down. *If you did not sear the chicken, add 2-3 minutes. For frozen chicken, add 4-5 minutes.
- Once the cook time is over, turn the Instant Pot off and let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release and open the lid.
- Remove the chicken breasts and place on a cutting board or serving platter. Turn the Instant Pot to saute. (OPTIONAL: strain the broth if there is fat left over)
- Stir together cream and corn starch and add to the pot. Whisk and cook for 3-4 minutes, until thickened. Add chicken back to the sauce or serve with the sauce over top if desired.
Notes
- Strain it. Straining the broth after cooking is optional, but it does remove any excess fat leftover after cooking.
- Check the temp. Finished chicken should be 165ºF. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature before serving!
- You can use a lighter cream or even evaporated milk in this recipe. Keep in mind that the higher the fat content of the cream you use, the richer the sauce will be.
- Feel free to add veggies into the pot to make this into a one-pot meal. Try mushrooms, zucchini, or broccoli! You could also round it out with a simple side salad.
Nutrition Information
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Thelma says
I tried this recipe but made a few changes. Monday is Mexican night, so I substituted Mexican spices and roasted jalapenos, omitting the pesto and substituting parsley. It turned out great!!! Thanks for the basis!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback Thelma!
laurie says
Hi Ashley, Your site is WONDERFUL and I have made many of your recipes. A question on this one. Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs? if so what would you suggest on the cook time.
Thank you
Have a great Summer
laurie
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks so much Laurie. I haven’t tested it with boneless skinless chicken thighs before but I have used bone-in chicken thighs and that was at 10 mins. You likely will be doing 6 mins or less, but I can’t say for sure. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Karissa Piotrowski says
We absolutely love this recipe, but I couldn’t help but notice some changes to it since the last time I was here. Searing, cooking in the sauce, etc. Did you just find a more efficient way to make it?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Karissa! Yes, I’ve updated the recipe slightly but made it all optional. I really like how the chicken taste after searing it! So glad you enjoy the recipe!
Jackie says
oh my I love this recipe. I will be making it again and again
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jackie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Erica says
OH MY GOSH! This meal is so great!!! So much flavor and cooked to perfection. I used half & half. It was still creamy and flavorful.
Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂 added to the list of nightly favorites!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Erica! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Becky says
Just to confirm…when you say in your notes that if you want a lot of extra sauce that you will want to double the sauce, does that mean to double everything except the chicken? Thanks
Becky says
I went ahead and doubled everything except the chicken since that made sense to me. It turned out great! Next time I think I’ll just make 1 and 1/2 times the recipe for the sauce. We are big sauce/gravy eaters and it was more than we needed.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Becky! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Becky! Yes that’s correct, you would just double all of the sauce ingredients!
Becky says
When you say roasted red pepper, do you mean red bell pepper or a hot pepper of some sort? Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Becky, that is roasted red bell pepper.
Kristina McVicars says
My whole family enjoyed this recipe. They said the sauce tasted like one they had at a wedding. The chicken was so tender. The juices just ran out of it I’m not a fan of cream sauces because they have so many cheeses in them This I really loved. Next time I will double the sauce up. Im not a big lover of cheese. I gave it a 5 star if my daughter who loves cream sauces says it awesome I believe her. In fact we are having it again for dinner tonight. My daughter suggested it.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kristina! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Amy says
Love this recipe! I think it’s best over egg noodles! I have 3 picky kids, and they all like this! I also add crushed red pepper for some spice, delicious!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Amy, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
jjm_mcmillin@yahoo.com says
I had no idea if the broth was meant to be in the sauce but I left it in.
Very delicious, simple!
Had no heavy cream, so I used cream cheese.
Honestly prefer cream cheese over heavy whipping cream.
Tastes amazing!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad your substitutions worked out for you!
Jenx says
Loved this recipe but changed it a little. I used forks to separate the chicken, I used sun dried tomatoes instead of basil. It was great using the sauté part of my pot to make the sauce I then mixed it all together with lots of pasta, delicious.
Kate B. says
This is a fabulous week night dinner! Easy, flavorful, served it with saffron rice and it made a beautiful plate! Will definitely add mushrooms and zucchini next time.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kate! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Savannah says
Poured the chicken/sauce over spaghetti noodles. Perfect!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Savannah!
Fiona says
Delicious and easy!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Fiona!
J says
I accidentally added the heavy cream before cooking chicken. Is it ruined?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi J! Only time will tell 🙂 The problem with adding heavy cream and then pressure cooking is it may curdle. Did that happen? It will still be safe to eat, it just won’t look as nice.
Mike S. says
I made this tonight. Great chicken dish but it was a tad bland for me. Next time I’ll use marinated cherry peppers!
Ashley Fehr says
You can definitely increase the seasonings as you prefer!
Gina Mueller says
You say you can add veggies, when do you add them??? I was going to add fresh mushrooms and zucchini. Do I add them when I cook the frozen chicken??
Ashley Fehr says
This recipe uses fresh or thawed chicken chicken. Zucchini would be quite soft if started with the chicken, I would add them when you thicken the sauce. Mushrooms could be added at the beginning.
Emilie says
This was ok but won’t be making it again. We felt like there were too many competing flavors, and the Italian seasoning flavor was super strong.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your feedback! We all have different tastes 🙂
Brandie T says
Great recipe! I used sundried tomatoes instead of red peppers and threw in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach at the end. It was delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
I love that idea!
Angela says
You may not see this in time but I’m making this tonight. I have all the ingredients except basil pesto. Do you think it will matter much? What could I use instead that I may have on hand? THANKS!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Angela! I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I would just sub in some Italian seasoning or dried basil instead 🙂
Natasha says
How long would I cook in the instant pot for just 2 chicken breast?
Ashley Fehr says
The cook time would be the same