These Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts are so moist and flavourful! They cook in just minutes and are coated in a creamy sauce of Italian herbs, chicken broth, cream, and roasted red peppers. Perfect over pasta, rice or potatoes!
Ever since I first made these frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot, I’ve been hooked. Instant Pot chicken breasts are so much better than out of the slow cooker, and so much easier than anything on the stove top or oven. Especially from frozen!
Find more Instant Pot Chicken Recipes here!
Table of Contents
I’m still sharing plenty of basic Instant Pot recipes (like this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, Instant Pot Pulled Pork and this Instant Pot Whole Chicken from a couple weeks back!), but every now and then I like to branch out and add in some big flavour.
Can you blame me??
Ever since Stella was born in November, I’ve been trying to get back to healthier eating (but, as you know, it’s all about balance!), and cooking real dinners, and keeping my freezer well-stocked.
This Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts do have a bit of cream in them, but a little goes a long way and I like to tell myself a little fat is part of a healthy diet 😉
The herbs and roasted red peppers in here add so much flavour, that you really don’t need much cream at all, and I didn’t even add any cheese. As hard as that is to believe!
It’s been a struggle to get our 5 year old to eat (and not complain about!) any kind of chicken for dinner for the last 2 or 3 years, but in spite of her skepticism she loved these chicken breasts over egg noodles. Even the 3 year old ate her dinner! I’m counting that a win 🙂
How to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot:
If you have frozen chicken breasts and you want to use those to make this in your Instant Pot, follow the directions here, and add in your sauce ingredients after cooking, or see my recipe notes.
Keep in mind that frozen chicken breasts will release significantly more liquid during cooking, so you’ll want to drain some out before adding in the cream and all of that delicious flavour, otherwise it will be diluted significantly.
Tips and Tricks for Making these Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts:
- Feel free to add in additional vegetables to make this a one pot meal — mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli would be great in here! Or serve it with a side salad to round things out.
- We love this over egg noodles, but the options for serving are endless! You could serve it over rice, potatoes, or use it to make quesadillas, pizza or sandwiches!
- You can use a lighter cream or even evaporated milk in this recipe, but it’s a small amount so I usually use 30% or heavy cream if I have it.
- You can easily freeze any leftovers you have for another day, so go ahead and double the recipe if you like! The higher the fat content of your cream, the better it will freeze and thaw, so keep that in mind as you’re cooking if you’re planning to freeze.
Make these Creamy Italian Chicken Breasts in the Slow Cooker:
To make these chicken breasts in the slow cooker, add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken, then cook for approximately 2 hours on high or 3-4 hours on low, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Make these Creamy Italian Chicken Breasts on the Stove Top:
To make this chicken breast recipe on the stove top, add the chicken breasts, broth, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to a large, deep pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat until chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Whisk together the cream, red peppers, corn starch and pesto and gradually stir into the broth in the pan. Stir continuously until thickened.
Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (see notes above)
- 1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add broth and sprinkle with garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Place lid on the Instant Pot and turn valve to sealing. Select Manual, high pressure (the default), and set the timer to 8 minutes (for frozen chicken breasts, add 2-3 extra minutes). The pressure cooker will take about 10 minutes to build pressure and begin counting down.
- Once the cook time is over, turn the Instant Pot off and let pressure release naturally for 5 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 or unappetizing chunks left over)
- Stir together cream, red peppers, corn starch and pesto 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
Nutrition Information
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Chris says
It was great, I keep using this recipe and just adding different liquids.. tonight it was half cup of broth with half cup verde salsa and I’ll shred the chicken and make enchiladas 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Oh that’s a great idea!
Linda Whyard says
OMG this is do die for!!
SO good!
Ashley Fehr says
thank you Linda!
Mat M says
So easy, so delicious. I did mine with red and green peppers along with some halved cherry tomatoes. Next time I’m going to shred the chicken and some more seasoning. The chicken was very tender. We did ours in a bowl served over white rice.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Mat!
Test Kitchen says
Your creamy Intalian instant pot chicken breast is the healthy and suitalble for all ages and all people. I love the way that you mix and prepare the raw smaterial. The way that you cook is really simple and easy to understand for me. It helps me be well prepare for my son for each busy morning. Thank so much for your sharing.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you!
Perry says
Thank you for this recipe – it was SOOO good! I confess to being another substitutor. I didn’t have the roasted peppers but did find a jar of sun dried tomatoes. Times being what they are, I figured I’d give it a shot and it was delicious! Served with linguine and a salad. I only had two chicken breasts but still made the whole sauce. Definitely recommend following the tip to double the sauce if serving with pasta. Can’t wait to use the other half of my tomato jar to make this again! And to try it as intended once things get back to normal. Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Perry! I’m glad you liked it and thanks for sharing your swaps!
Patti says
Fast and delicious! Slice the chicken breasts and pour the sauce over for a beautiful plate; serve with mashed potatoes. For added color, I used a red/yellow/green peppers mix in small strips instead of chopped. Asparagus as a side. Family loved it!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Patti! I’m glad you liked it!
Julie says
Looking for a recipe that I didn’t have to go out and be around anyone (social distancing and all) and use up some pantry items. WOW!!! Chicken in the Instapot (electric pressure cooker) that didn’t taste like an eraser with seasonings! I didn’t have any roasted red peppers, so I substituted petite diced tomatoes with the basil, garlic seasonings added. I also used evaporated milk as I didn’t have any heavy cream. It was delicious!!! I was so happy!!! Thank you so very much for an excellent and different meal! It will be added to my go to recipes! It was so fast to make!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Julie! Those are great swaps and I’m so glad you liked it!
Dianne Rabkin says
Just take a whole pepper and put under your broiler on the rack. In a few minutes you will see the skin blister and then you can turn the pepper over to do the other side. Easy to do, and you can save the slices you don’t need in a little olive oil in a jar. https://toriavey.com/how-to/roasted-bell-peppers/#wprm-recipe-container-44521
Here is a link that you can see how its done.
I never purchase jarred its easy to do your own. Some people do theirs on top of the stove. I am sure there are other ways to do this.
By the way if I could give this recipe 10 stars I would.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Dianne!
Whitney Findley says
We tried this recipe last night. We weren’t able to find any roasted red peppers anywhere. I was so disappointed. I don’t know if that’s what makes or breaks this recipe but I thought overall it was a little lack luster. I mean it was good. I would totally make it again and eat it but I felt like it was missing something. My husband wants to add a ranch packet next time but I saw in the comment cream cheese was also a good extra. I think I might add that next time. Thank you for the recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry to hear that! Roasted red peppers are usually with all of the jarred and pickled peppers, and most grocery stores carry them. They do add a ton of flavor!
Olivia says
Hello! I’m making this tonight and I’m just a little confused by your picture. Do we cut the breasts in strip before or after cooking?
Ashley Fehr says
You will cut them after, if you want to.
Olivia says
Awesome thank you!!! 🙂
Tonya says
Do i cook the chicken breast whole the cut it up before adding it back to the sauce or do i cit it up before i cook it. I seen a pic of sliced breast in the sauce
Ashley Fehr says
You cook them whole
Sarah says
Instant pot newbie. Is it possible to make this and rice at the same time? Hoping to make this during the week and trying to not make too many dishes dirty.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Sarah! I haven’t tried, though I supposed it’s possible if the cook times are similar.
Ashley Wilson says
I used the pampered chef clay pot and cooked the chicken, broth, and Italian seasoning in that. Then did sauce on stove top. I doubled the recipe because I doubled the chicken… I have teenage boys lol! I added a tad of cream cheese to the sauce and included mushrooms in mine but it was great!
Ashley Fehr says
That sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing those additions!
A. Whipp says
I am hoping to cook this recipe this week for a group of 10. I would like to double the entire recipe. Does that impact the time in the instantpot?
Thanks
Ashley Fehr says
The cook time should remain the same!
Jacqui says
How long should I cook the chicken breasts if they are still frozen?
Ashley Fehr says
I would add a couple minutes for frozen chicken breasts
Elle says
Hello, we used frozen chicken and thought it was confusing to follow this recipe to be honest. We followed the link on this page on how to cook frozen chicken and we did it separately…and then followed this receipe. Needless to say, chicken was quite dry. It might beneficial for the readers to know that all it takes it add a few extra minutes for frozen chicken as opposed to clicking on the new link. Sauce was good though. Thanks for sharing.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your feedback Elle! You’re right — I’ll add a note in the recipe.
Amy says
I’m wanting to try this recipe but there are only two of us and I’m afraid we’ll waste the cream, tomatoes and basil pesto that’s left over after making the recipe. Any suggestions on substitutes or other ways to use those ingredients? This will be my first recipe in our new instant pot!
Ashley Fehr says
Of course! I use pesto in almost everything! It’s also great as a pasta sauce all on its own, or with a touch of cream. Leftover cream can be whipped and used or frozen in dollops for hot chocolate, and there are no tomatoes but roasted red peppers, which are great in soup, pasta or on pizza
Barbara Kean-Williams says
i am planning on making this recipe tomorrow. I am in New Zealand, and have a question, which may seem a little “odd”. You mention “instant pot”. Is this what we would call in New Zealand, a “pressure cooker”.?
Also our grand daughter is coming to stay, and we always have time cooking together (Paige is 12). I am sure she will want me to help her make the oreo truffles.
Many thanks. I do enjoy trying out the recipes, . Thanks again.
Barb
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Barb! Sorry I am late getting to your comment. The Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker
Molly Logemann says
I have several chicken thighs that are thawed. Would this affect the cook time? Thanks!!
Ashley Fehr says
Not by much! Since they’re smaller, you could likely take a couple minutes off the cook time but it won’t hurt them being in the Instant Pot for the full cook time
Kelly Anne says
I didn’t have any pesto or roasted red peppers but added a lot more herbs and garlic, and it was delicious! We used them in tacos and will definitely come back to this recipe for many other dinner options. Thank you so much for sharing this! I’ve peeked at some of your other recipes and know I’ll be back. 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kelly Anne! I’m so glad to hear you liked it!
Amanda says
Quick question, I’m wanting to make this tonight. Can you please tell me how many lbs of chicken this calls for and also I am wanting to have extra sauce for the noodles, do I double all the seasonings along with the cream? Also would I cook the noodles separately?
Ashley Fehr says
One pound of chicken breasts is usually about 3, so likely 1.3 lbs chicken breasts. And if you’re doubling the sauce, then yes I would double all the seasonings as well! For this recipe I cook the noodles separately.
Lindsey says
Any tips for getting a thicker sauce with the crockpot version? My chicken breasts were thawed but it was still really watery. Perhaps making a slurry with the cornstarch and adding it at the end?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, you can definitely do that if your sauce isn’t as thick as you would like!
Britney says
When you say red peppers do you mean bell peppers or spicy peppers?
Making this recipe tonight and I just want to get it right!
Ashley Fehr says
Just regular jarred roasted red peppers! No seasoning. I supposed you could use the spicy ones if you like 🙂
TONI says
I just received my first instant pot for my 78th birthday. My son in law tells me it is 3qts. I cook mostly for myself. How would I cut the recipies in half.?
Ashley Fehr says
You can definitely just halve the ingredients and the cook time will stay the same. I hope you enjoy it!
Tiffany says
If I cut large breasts in half, should I change the cook time? I want them to have more exposure to the flavor. ? Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
I don’t think you’d need to change it!
Elizabeth says
Would doubling the entire recipe (including the chicken) fit in the 6 qt Instant Pot?
Ashley Fehr says
It should, yes!
Liz says
What would you substitute in for the pesto, we don’t like pesto?
Calvin says
I don’t have any pesto so I am going to try some Parmesan-Romano.
Ashley Fehr says
I would add some extra herbs and garlic, as without the pesto there won’t be as much flavor
Stacey says
I can’t wait to try this! Just curious, how much pasta did you use?
Ashley Fehr says
It depends on how you like your pasta to protein ratio! 🙂 I would probably do about 1-2 cup dry pasta per chicken breast.
Dana says
When you double the sauce do you double the broth
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, you’ll double everything!
Amanda says
Including the chicken or everything other than that?
Mary says
If I wanted to add frozen broccoli or fresh zucchini, when would I put that in?
Ashley Fehr says
It depends how soft you want it to be. Both would be vert soft (too soft) if you add at the begin of pressure cooking. Your best bet may be to add them in when you’re finishing the sauce.
Angela says
My chicken breasts are not frozen…is the cooking time will the same? Sorry…new to Instant Pot cooking!
Ashley Fehr says
No problem at all! This recipe as written starts with fresh or thawed chicken breasts
CocoaJeff says
Hi, Ashley!
I just purchased my first Instant Pot last night, and I am trying this as my very first recipe based on a friend’s suggestion. I can’t wait to taste it. I will come back and let you know how it turned out.
Quick question… in the pictures, it looks like you’ve garnished the finished chicken with something… fresh chopped parsley, maybe?
Ashley Fehr says
yes, fresh parsley! I’d love to hear how it turns out!
CocoaJeff says
Hi, Ashley;
I tried to do a direct reply to your message, and it didn’t seem to work… so I am trying to reply to my own message this time.
The recipe came out fantastic!! I really enjoyed it. I took the advice to double the sauce, and I’m glad that I did… it was the perfect amount. I served it over egg noodles as you did in your pictures, and it was yummy.
The only thing I might suggest adding to the instructions is to cut up the roasted red peppers into small pieces, unless you really like huge chunks of them.
I have bookmarked this site, I will be back! Thank you for your recipes.
Jeff
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jeff! I’m glad you liked it and thanks for your feedback about the instructions!
grills says
This is so delicious, simple recipe to follow, I will make this for my family on weekend. Thanks a lot.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks!
Jenafer Roy says
We love this recipe. I like an extra cheesy flavor so I added cream cheese to the sauce. My whole family loves it!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that!
Illene Messer says
My granddaughter suggested I try this recipe,it is excellent! Made with chicken tenders that were frozen. Had with angel hair pasta. I will definitely make again!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Illene! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Lauren says
Really, really yummy! I made it with 2 frozen chicken breasts and doubled the sauce to serve over rice. 14 minutes on manual because my breasts were stuck together. It was delicious, even my picky 5 & 6 years old ate it. Next time I wont add any salt, as it was a bit salty for my taste. Definitely a keeper!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Lauren! I’m glad you liked it!
Jackie says
What if I have 2 thawed chicken breasts? What would the Cook time be? I could keep all other ingredients the same and just have extra sauce????
Ashley Fehr says
The cook time and everything will be the same for 2 chicken breasts, you’ll just have a little extra sauce which is fine!
rook brand cloth says
Nice recipe, it take not much time. I made it last week and I added double cream, because I love creamy taste. Thanks so much.
Cat says
This is my third time making this. Comes out perfect and delish every time. Even my teenage son whom is very picky, loves it. We love the sauce so we double it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Cat! I’m so happy to hear it’s well loved!
Lavinia says
Just made this and the flavors were phenomenal but the sauce was more watery and not so creamy… and I used heavy cream like the recipe called for. Any suggestions?
Ashley Fehr says
If you started with frozen chicken it may have released more liquid as it cooked, or you might just have really juicy chicken! Either way, it’s pretty easy to thicken with a touch more cream and corn starch if you prefer.
Jackie says
I don’t have cream can I use milk or ?
Ashley Fehr says
You can use milk! Higher fat is better for adding to heat, and it will be a little thinner but will still work fine.
Ali says
My husband and I love this recipe! We love the sauce, so we’ve doubled the ingredients, except the broth, and it makes a really delicious thick sauce. We’re getting through all of your instant pot recipes; neither of us is a particularly good cook, but your recipes are easy and delish. Thanks for all the great content!! <3
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Ali! That means the world to me!
Kelly Ienna says
I love this recipe, it has become a staple in my house because it is so easy, fast and delicious! I do always make double the sauce as the recipe suggests to serve over pasta. It’s always a winner with my husband, 4 year old and 1.5 year old!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kelly! It is one of our staples too!
Maggie says
Is it possible to cook 6 breasts in the same amount of time? How would I adjust the recipe? Thank you!
Kelly Ienna says
Yes you can make 6, you don’t need to adjust the recipe at all, but I do always make double the sauce to serve with rice or pasta 🙂
Hope says
This was the first recipe I tried in my Instant Pot. It turned out perfectly and the extra sauce was great over pasta!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that Hope!
habitat says
Instant Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts is great! It’s easy to do it, something I never thought about before. I was always attracted to chicken dishes, added to the menu this weekend. Thank you for sharing the recipe, it’s great for me
Mary Wood says
I want to make this with thighs that are not frozen. What would the suggested cook time be?
Ashley Fehr says
I generally cook thighs about the same amount of time, maybe a couple minutes less.
Edwin Pylant says
Is chicken sitting in the liquid? Or on the trivet/rack thingy?
Ashley Fehr says
Sitting in the liquid
Oldina says
I put too much pesto otherwise it was good
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Oldina!
eatfrysmith says
Can I use green peppers, does it affect the food?
Ashley Fehr says
Green peppers have a different flavor than red, and I personally would not swap them, especially since the recipe calls for roasted red peppers which are sweet and mild in flavor.
Kiran says
Are roasted red peppers canned?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, right from the jar!
Stephanie Gibson says
I do not have pesto… what could I add spice -wise to compensate?
Ashley Fehr says
Pesto is basically just basil and Parmesan (and a couple other things that don’t contribute much flavor-wise), so you could add a bit more seasoning and sprinkle with cheese at the end.
Julie says
This looks lovely but could you clarify something for me please.
When you say *Please Note: if you want a lot of extra sauce to serve over pasta, potatoes or rice, you will want to double the sauce”.
Do you mean double the chicken broth etc too (in other words everything except the chicken) or just from the cream downwards?
Ashley Fehr says
If you want a lot of extra sauce to serve, I would double all of the sauce ingredients, including the broth! Though if you want a very thick sauce, you could leave out the extra broth and just double the cream, etc.
Ah says
Do you double the broth before cooking or would you add the extra amount after, in order to double?
Ashley Fehr says
I would double everything as it’s called for in the recipe