Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo with heavy cream - Creamy pasta with juicy chicken made in the pressure cooker! Everything is cooked together, so there will be no draining or washing multiple dishes! We do this ninja style, quick and nimble!
Why this recipe works
1. Everything cooks together. You only wash one dish.
2. No store-bought sauces.
3. It has cheese, chicken, and noodles, and that's a win!
Who doesn't want an easy weeknight meal that nobody in the house fusses over? This is the perfect recipe. From your toddler to your picky eater, everyone will love it.
It's cheesy, it has noodles, it has chicken that you throw in along with the spaghetti, and the sauce makes itself in the instant pot. No need to break out that freezer meal we all have saved for the apocalypse. ps: Mine is the butter chicken, also made in the Instant Pot.
The recipe takes your classic Alfredo and converts it into a fast meal. The sauce, pasta, and chicken cook together, making this recipe truly effortless!
But the best part? It's made from scratch! No need for store-bought Alfredo sauce filled with preservatives. With simple, fresh ingredients, you can enjoy a homemade dinner that's both comforting and wholesome.
If you are into these sorts of throw-together recipes, visit my Instant Pot page. A couple of other family instant pot meals that I suggest to everyone are this Tuscan style pasta, this meatless vegetarian pasta, and my New York street style chicken and rice.
Sauce tip
As the pasta cools down, the sauce will thicken. If it’s too thick, add a splash of milk to it.
Ingredients
This one-pot meal can be made with simple pantry ingredients.
Spaghetti
I have tried this recipe with several different kinds of pasta. I love making it with spaghetti or fettuccine noodles. I avoid using pasta made of alternative ingredients such as chickpeas and edamame because they tend to cook differently.
You can swap regular spaghetti with different pasta shapes. Any short pasta like shells or penne pasta will work too. Do not use fresh pasta. It will disintegrate completely.
The best way to arrive at this time is to look at the time given on the package. Usually, it is a range, for example- 9-12 minutes. In such a case, select the lower end of the range, halve it, and subtract 1 minute. That's your pasta cooking time.
Chicken
For this recipe, I have used skinless chicken breasts sliced thin. You can also use slightly thicker-cut chicken tenders instead. One super-easy hack to cut chicken is to freeze the chicken breast for 15 minutes and slice it against the grain.
You can use precooked rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breast. In this case, you can skip the sauteing of the chicken step. Precooked deli meat, ham, and sausage are also great quick options.
Italian Seasoning
Italian seasoning with dried herbs and garlic powder is my most-used seasoning for pasta. You can also add dried herbs separately.
Fresh garlic and herbs are also an option. You will have to sauté these along with the onions to make them release maximum flavor.
How to Make Alfredo Pasta in the Instant Pot
The Instant Pot does all the heavy lifting, leaving you with a dish that looks and tastes like it came from a five-star restaurant.
Step 1: Prep & measurements
Measure out the liquids and the pasta. You must get this right. Otherwise, the pasta can be over- or undercooked.
Also, slice the chicken breast as thin as possible. Once the chicken is cooked, the chicken pieces will double in size, so it’s best to cut them into thin strips.
The easiest way to do this is by sticking the chicken breast in the freezer for a bit. This makes slicing uber easy.
Step 2: Saute
Heat the Instant Pot in saute mode. To the inner pot, add butter and olive oil. We add olive oil so that the butter doesn't burn.
Add the chopped onions next and cook till they are soft. There is no need to brown it. This will take about 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken next and sauté it till it's partially cooked. It will change color from pink to white.
This step will give the pasta a lot of flavor, but if you are short on time, you can skip this bit and dump the butter, oil, onion, and chicken in the pot.
Step 3: Pressure Cook
The next step is to add the chicken broth. You can use water, too, but chicken stock adds flavor. I usually make chicken stock from leftover chicken bones. Make sure to rub the bottom of the pot so that no brown, burnt bits of chicken or onion are stuck to it.
Add the salt and Italian seasoning and give everything a good mix. Now break the spaghetti into two pieces and place it in the stock.
Make sure you spread the spaghetti out. Press the top of the pasta down so that most of it is wet.
Close the Instant Pot. Select pressure cook, high pressure, for 3 minutes. This time will change if you use any pasta other than regular spaghetti.
The best way to arrive at this time is to look at the time on the package. Usually, it is a range, for example, 9-12 minutes.
In such a case, select the lower end of the range, halve it, and subtract 1 minute. That's your pasta cooking time.
Quickly release the remaining pressure after the pressure cooking time is over.
Step 4: Emulsify
Open the lid and add the cream and the parmesan. Switch to saute mode. Give it a gentle mix.
If the sauce looks too watery, don't worry. Keep stirring. At this stage, the starch from the pasta will emulsify(thicken) the sauce and make a rich, creamy cheese sauce.
If after this, you feel the sauce is still too watery and the pasta is undercooked, cook it out for 2-3 minutes.
Serving
Serve the pasta hot, with a generous amount of parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, alongside some crusty bread. We love making quick garlic bread in the air fryer as a side to pasta dinners. Add a simple lettuce or arugula salad on the side for fiber.
If you like your food spicier, sprinkle red pepper flakes on top. You can also add a splash of hot sauce instead.
Another brilliant topping that we love on this pasta is crispy leftover bacon bits. It just lifts the whole dish to another level!
Storing Leftovers
Who doesn't love leftovers? And this recipe is perfect for a packed lunch the next day!
You can store this chicken alfredo pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
To heat, add a tablespoon of milk and microwave it to cover it. The pasta will return to its creamy goodness in no time!
If you make this easy instant pot pasta, please leave a review. I appreciate every rating and review comment!
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- 1 White onion around 1 cup of chopped onion
- 1 Chicken breast Cut into 1 inch thin slices
- 8 ounces Spaghetti or fettuchini
- 2 cups Chicken broth
- ½ cup Heavy cream Use ¼ cup more if you like your pasta saucy
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper optional
- Salt as per taste ; about ¼ teaspoon.
Instructions
- Heat the instant pot in sautemode. Add the butter and oil.
- Once the butter has melted, add onions and cook till translucent. About 2 minutes
- Add the sliced chicken and saute. Cook partially.
- Add the broth, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt. Mix it up. Be sure to scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon in case there are any burnt bits.
- Break the spaghetti into 2 halves.Place it in a fan like fashion.Spreading it as best you can.Gently press down the spaghetti to dip it into the liquid.
- Close the lid.Select pressure cook for 5 minutes (if using any other type of pasta, check the time below)
- Quick Release after 5 minutes are over. Add the cream and parmesan cheese. Give is a good mix.
- Select the saute mode and keep tossing the spaghetti. in about 2-3 minutes, the sauce will emulsify and stick to the spaghetti.
- Garnish with pepper and fresh parsley.Serve hot.
Notes
Swaps and Alternatives
Chicken Breast- You can leave the chicken out altogether if you want. It can also be replaced with chicken tenders. You can also double the amount of chicken used. A hack to cut Chicken- Throw it in the freezer for 15 minutes. This will make the chicken firm and easier to slice. Pasta Swap- You can use other types of pasta here too. The only difference will be the cooking time. In general, Instant Pot Pasta Cooking Time -->(Half the time on the package)-1 minute.Serving Suggestions and Add ins
Serve this pasta with a simple lettuce salad. You can also add some crunchy air fryer vegetables like this broccolini. Or you can stir in some steamed broccoli at the end, too. Garnish the Alfredo pasta with bacon bits or fried onions for crunch. During the holiday season, I add a pinch of nutmeg to it. To Double the Recipe You can easily double the ingredients but follow the same pressure cooking time.Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
You can add broccoli and peas to it after the pressure cooking step.
You can add seasonings like Cajun or smoked paprika.
When you first open the Instant Pot, the sauce will look runny. Give it a mix and let the pasta cook for 2-3 minutes in saute mode after. The parmesan needs to emulsify, giving it a thick, luxurious finish.
Charis says
Thank you for using spaghetti in this recipe! That is the only pasta I had on hand and all other IP alfredo recipes I found called for linguine or another thick noodle. My onions burned a bit during the sauté step, which caused the Instant Pot to cut short my pressure cooking time. But, I just let it sit for about 8 minutes before releasing the steam and the pasta was perfect. I could not find the amount of salt to use, so I added 1/2 tsp. - that was plenty. Overall, it was easy and delicious 🙂
chhavi says
thats great...Next time, deglaze the pot very well before pressure cooking.That way you wont get the burn message..