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!
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.
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Notes
*Please Note: if you want a lot of extra sauce to serve over pasta, potatoes or rice, you will want to double the sauce.Tips:
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.
Storage: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.