This Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta is an easy, one-pot meal that’s ready in under 20 minutes. It’s creamy, flavorful, cheesy, and loaded with tender bites of chicken.
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This Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta is a new favorite around our house. It’s so easy and so creamy, and makes the perfect hearty meal. The whole family loves it!
Plus, if your kiddos are tired of sandwiches for lunch, the leftovers make a great thermos lunch the next day
No instant pot? Try my Chicken Broccoli Alfredo or Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.
Ingredients Needed:
- Oil: you’ll need a little bit of oil to sauté the chicken before cooking.
- Chicken: you can use boneless and skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Cut them into 1/2″ cubes so they cook quickly.
- Garlic: use freshly minced garlic for the best flavor.
- Seasonings: a blend of salt, dried parsley, dried oregano, and black pepper gives the sauce that classic Alfredo flavor.
- Chicken Broth: I use low sodium chicken broth to control the saltiness of the pasta.
- Pasta: penne pasta is my favorite, but any other short pasta shape will work.
- Water and Cornstarch: whisked together to form a slurry which helps thicken the sauce.
- Cream Cheese: the secret to the perfect creamy Alfredo sauce.
- Cheeses: we’re melting shredded mozzarella and shredded parmesan for the Alfredo.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
- Brown the chicken: Turn the instant pot to sauté and heat a drizzle of oil. Add in the chicken and cook until no longer pink, then season with garlic, salt, parsley, oregano, and pepper.
- Add the broth and deglaze the pot — scrape the bottom with a metal spoon to remove any browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the uncooked pasta: simply press down into the liquid but do not stir.
- Pressure cook: Cover with the lid and cook on manual or pressure cook for 2-3 minutes. When the cook time is up, release the pressure, then turn the instant pot back to sauté.
- Make the sauce: Mix together water and cornstarch until smooth, then stir that into the pasta. Turn the instant pot off, cut the cream cheese into small cubes, then add that into the pot along with mozzarella and parmesan.
- Stir until melted and creamy.
FAQs for Chicken Alfredo in the Instant Pot
What seasonings are good in Alfredo?
We’re seasoning our Alfredo sauce with a simple combination of salt, dried parsley, dried oregano, and black pepper, which adds just the right amount of flavor!
How do you keep chicken Alfredo moist?
The key to moist chicken Alfredo is to serve it right away. As it sits, the sauce will thicken up and dry out slightly. If this does happen, you can add a splash of milk or cream to moisten it up again before serving.
How to store:
Leftover chicken Alfredo will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, warm with a splash of milk or cream on the stove or in the microwave until heated through.
Tips and Notes
- Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses don’t melt nearly as smooth and creamy. I recommend shredding your own for the best texture.
- Know your instant pot. Not all instant pots cook the same way. I have a 6-quart instant pot, and that’s what I use to test my recipes. Keep in mind that the 8-quart may have a different liquid requirement and cook differently. This particular recipe should work just fine in either.
- Cook time: I set the timer for 2 minutes and it comes out perfectly, but if you prefer softer noodles, or if you’re using bowtie pasta, set the timer for 3 minutes instead.
Variations
- Swap the meat. You can use chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe depending on your tastes. You can also mix it up and swap the chicken for precooked sausage or ham instead.
- Switch it up. This is a basic Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta recipe, so feel free to mix in other things to add more flavor. A spoonful of basil pesto, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, or even a drizzle of Sriracha would be delicious.
- Add veggies. Try mixing in cooked broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, or frozen mixed veggies to boost the nutrition.
- Make it vegetarian. Just leave out the chicken and use veggie broth in place of the chicken broth.
- Lighten it up. I use light cream cheese to make my sauce because it makes it thick and creamy, but you can also use a thickened milk mixture. Just whisk together two tablespoons of flour and a cup of milk, then cook until thickened. You can also swap the cheese our for a low-fat variety.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo next to a pile of Roasted Green Beans, Roasted Vegetables, or of course, Garlic Bread or Breadsticks!
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
written by Ashley Fehr
This Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta is an easy, one-pot meal that's ready in under 20 minutes. It's creamy, flavorful, cheesy, and loaded with tender bites of chicken.
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 6 servings
Calories 520cal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2" cubes (about 1½ lbs)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 375 grams penne pasta or other short pasta (4½-5 cups)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 250 grams light cream cheese (1 8oz package)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute. When it reads "hot" add oil and let the oil heat for a couple minutes.
- Add the chicken breasts and cook just until no longer pink, about 2 minutes each side.
- Add the garlic, salt, parsley, oregano and pepper and stir and cook 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth, and scrape the bottom of the pot with a hard metal spoon to remove any stuck on bits. Turn the Instant Pot off.
- Add the pasta — don’t stir — and press down into the liquid. The liquid will just barely cover the pasta.
- Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and select Manual or Pressure Cook for 2 minutes (3 for bowtie pasta or a softer texture).
- When the cook time is over, do a quick release (open the valve all the way) and remove the lid. Turn the Instant Pot to saute.
- Stir together the water and corn starch and stir into the pasta. Allow to cook and thicken slightly.
- Turn off the Instant Pot. Cut the cream cheese into small cubes. (You can warm it slightly in the microwave to make it easier to incorporate as well)
- Stir in the cream cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Stir until melted. Serve.
Notes
Tips and Variations:
- Feel free to add in different flavors you enjoy! You could sprinkle some Cajun seasoning on the chicken before cooking, use flavored cream cheese, or explore your spice drawer.
- I find 2 minutes is perfect for Instant Pot pasta — we don’t want it overcooked because we do need a little time to thicken the sauce and melt the cheese. If you prefer softer pasta, you might find 3 minutes is more to your tastes.
- Try swapping the chicken for Italian sausage or bacon (browned first)!
Nutrition Information
Serving: 365grams | Calories: 520cal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 872mg | Potassium: 608mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 385IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Keywords chicken alfredo, instant pot chicken, instant pot pasta, pressure cooker alfredo
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Jamie says
This was amazing and so easy to prepare on a busy weeknight! My husband and son both said it was the best I’ve made in a long time. Thank you!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Jamie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Haylee says
I made this tonight. And it was fantastic. My seven year old is very very picky and she loved it so much she asked to take some leftover for her lunch tomorrow. I forgot to add the salt and pepper in and cut the parsley in half and it came out awesome. This will become a regular dish at my house.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Haylee! I’m so glad to hear that!
Kim Sarhanis says
If I’m unable to use cream cheese, will this still turn out fine? Probably not as creamy?
Ashley Fehr says
It will be quite liquidy, so I would probably thicken with additional corn starch and cream for a nice creamy sauce
Jill says
I think this would have turned out great but for my mistake. I used regular chicken broth not low sodium AND I added salt! Huge mistake. It was too salty for me to eat. So I’m going to try it the right way soon. Just wanted to warn everyone to pay attention to the part I didn’t and I’m sure it would be awesome! I think if I used regular broth but alleviated the added salt it would have been fine.
Ashley Fehr says
Oh no! Thanks for sharing and I hope you try again soon!
Nancy says
How can I go about using shrimp instead of chicken? Do I follow the same steps?
Ashley Fehr says
Shrimp cooks very quick so I would add it in with the pasta and not cook beforehand.
Kelsey says
I’m not sure how much 375g of pasta is – can you tell me how much this would be in cups??
Ashley Fehr says
It’s roughly one 5 serving box of whole grain pasta — roughly 3-3.5 cups
Marilyn Hukill says
So very good. Used shrimp instead of chicken. After I sauteed it with some cayenne, thyme, sea salt and fresh ground pepper, i set it aside and continued with the recipe. I did use shrimp bouillon in place of the chicken. Then after everything was combined i added the shrimp back with any liquid from the bowl.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Marilyn! Love the idea of using shrimp!
Susan R says
Oh my gosh, this was excellent! It was creamy and goey. I added an extra breast (4 in total) and it was perfect. I also used Epicure chicken broth and wow, the flavor was amazing.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Susan! I’m so happy to hear you liked it!
Pam says
I can’t use corn starch what would you recommend? Arrowroot starch or just flour
Ashley Fehr says
You can use a little flour, just be sure to whisk it into some liquid before adding it.
Taylor says
I’m wanting to cooking this for more people and wanting to double the recipes. I am new to my instant pot. Would I just double the cooking time as well? Can’t wait to try!
Ashley Fehr says
You don’t need to double the cook time! I’d love to hear how it turns out 🙂
Torie Knighton says
Oh my goodness! I made this tonight for my family & it was amazing!!! My only regret was that I didn’t make breadsticks- it was so creamy we could’ve used them to get every yummy cheesy bit!! Thank you!
Jennifer says
This looks delisj. Is it possible to make this in a slow cooker. If so are the instructions similar to your most recent post. Thanks a bunch.
Ashley Fehr says
You could definitely make it in a slow cooker but I haven’t tried this one yet! I’ve done quite a few other slow cooker pastas so I’m sure it would work fine, and yes, I’d use the Crockpot Chicken and Noodles recipe as a guide! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Kanesha says
I’m confused. It says to brown the chicken breasts on both sides. Yet, the recipe calls for chicken breasts cut up into cubes. So, do you cut it into cubes after browning the whole chicken breasts?? Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
The recipe calls for the cubes of chicken breasts to be browned on both sides 🙂 Let me know if that helps!
Tenley says
So am I adding the uncooked chicken to the instant pot or cooking it first? Or does the first step on sauté is what is going to brown the chicken?
Ashley Fehr says
The first step on sauté will brown the chicken somewhat, but it goes into the Instant Pot raw.
Cindy says
Tried this last night, so creamy, easy and delicious! My two year old devoured it and asked for thirds!
Thank you for sharing!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy even the kids approved! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Ellen says
Can you use ‘regular’ cream cheese
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, definitely!
Jason says
I’m still new to the instant pot. I made this tonight. I sauté the chicken for about 4 min after it was all cut into pieces in the pot. The chicken seemed a little chewy when done. What could i do different next time? I also made a pot roast and browned the roast for 2 min all sides and cooked for 1hr 10 min. It was also a little dry and the pot was filled with vegetables and beef broth.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Jason! It’s a tricky question! Often a few extra minutes under pressure can help to tenderize meat — if you find it’s a little tough, I would turn it back on for a few minutes (not possible with pasta recipes as it would overcook, but pot roast would be fine!). As for the chicken, I would try cutting into smaller pieces so that it pressure cooks more efficiently in the time it takes to cook the pasta. I hope that helps!
Rachelle Fincher says
At what point do you cut up the chicken?
Ashley Fehr says
The recipe calls for chicken breasts that have been cut into cubes.
Julie perry says
I made this tonight it was every easy to make. My first dinner in the Instant Pot so I was worried. Need to learn more about the pot but the dinner was great. Thank you
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad Julie! It can be a learning curve but is definitely worth trying!
Savannah Lamar says
I don’t see oregano in the ingredients list…. how much do I use? I’m new to cooking, and unfortunately will need to find a different recipe to use today.
But this looks so good!!! I will definitely make it in the future! Thank you for posting it for us that aren’t as adventurous in creating recipes!!
Ashley Fehr says
Sorry! I’ve updated the post now! I’d love to hear if you try it 🙂
Tamara H. says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I am thrilled that I can make this in the Instant Pot. Could you please share with me how you send the leftovers in a lunch thermos? Do you heat up with more liquid and add it to the Thermos?
Ashley Fehr says
I would add a touch more liquid when reheating to add to a thermos, yes. I hope it turns out well for you!