Creamy, delicious and totally easy. Learn how to make Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo in just two easy steps!
What is Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo?
Chicken Alfredo is a creamy Italian dish made with chicken, veggies and pasta in a creamy parmesan sauce. Many recipes include subtle variations, but in the end, it's comfort food at it's finest.
With the Instant Pot (affiliate), we can cut a lot of the labor out of the process. The pressure cooker does most of the work for us, leaving us with just two easy steps! Quick enough to make after work and delicious enough that your whole family will love it!
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Why I love this recipe
There are two reasons this is my go-to recipe for Chicken Alfredo. First, it's flat out delicious. We cut out a lot of the work but don't sacrifice anything in flavor. That brings us to the second reason - ease! This thing is so simple I can easily cook it with my four year old's help. A quick cook of the chicken, dump everything in and let it work it's magic. From there, it's a stir, sit and enjoy a delicious meal!
Check out some of our other great recipes, like cajun shrimp and grits, smoked gouda mac and cheese, chicken tikka masala, or 29-hour, super tender sous vide chuck roast. Or, try one of my wife's favorites, my Bacon Lamb Sliders which are 100% flavor-bombs. .
Mike's Recipe Rundown
- Taste: Rich sauce with freshly grated parmesan gives a nice sharpness to the bite. Broccoli lends some freshness and chicken soaks up the flavor of everything around it.
- Texture: Creamy and soft. Our noodles are cooked until just firm, the broccoli and chicken still have some bite but are otherwise quite tender. This is an absolute full bite.
- Difficulty - Easy! This is as close to dump-it-and-forget-about-it as you can get. Just cook your chicken in the pan, then dump everything and stir when it's done. The Instant Pot does all the hard work for you!
- Pros: All the taste of restaurant grade Chicken Alfredo with a quarter of the effort!
- Cons: This isn't exactly the lightest meal in the book, and isn't going to be at the top of your dietitians recommendations. But it's also MUCH better than the same meal out at a restaurant.
- Would I make it again? Oh yeah! This one stays in the rotation, especially when we want a fulfilling meal without taking all night to cook it.
Tips and Tricks
- Like I said above, there are several variations to this. You can add in some sauteed mushrooms if you like. Some frozen peas at the very end add a nice pop of flavor, too. If adding spinach, I would fold it in at the end so that it wilts only in the heat of the cooked noodles. We use broccoli because somehow, against all odds, it's one of my 4-year-old's favorite foods. She may be an alien, I'll let you know.
- You have a couple options for your broccoli. You cut a head of it and steam it yourself for about 5 minutes. That's what I did, mostly because I had a head of broccoli in the fridge. For an even easier option, you can heat frozen broccoli and stir it in when it's done. You simply do want to make sure it's cooked until just tender before stirring it into the pot.
- You may be tempted to skip sauteing the chicken. I wouldn't recommend it, though. By cooking the chicken until no longer pink, you keep it from getting coming out all stringy in the end. The saute gives you little bites of chicken, instead.
- I do recommend buying a small block of parmesan cheese and grating it fresh yourself. Freshly grated cheese brings an added sharpness that you simply don't get from that powdered stuff that comes from a can.
How to Use an Instant Pot
Before you start this recipe, make sure you are familiar with the instructions and safety manual for your model of Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker). Instant Pot itself offers a nice set of videos on How to use an Instant Pot.
While pressure cookers are awesome tools, they have to be used correctly. Take the time to be familiar with how to use yours before you begin to avoid injury and give you the tastiest results.
What you need to make Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
Equipment wise, you'll want an Instant Pot (affiliate) or similiar electric pressure cooker for this one and a good stirring spoon (affiliate). A measuring cup will cup in handy as well.
For ingredients, gather together:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 16 oz penne pasta
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 1 head broccoli, steamed (or 1 14 oz package frozen, steamed)
- 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan
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How to make Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
Cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into ½ inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, turn on your Instant Pot to Saute (More) mode.
When the display reads "Hot", add in olive oil. Allow 30 seconds to heat and add chicken. Stir every couple minutes and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Add minced fresh garlic cloves and stir in. Cook another minute until fragrant. Add in chicken broth and penne pasta and stir together with chicken. Pour in heavy cream on top. Close lid and set vent to "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
When timer goes off, allow 5 minutes for a natural release. Then, flip the vent to release any remaining pressure.
When indicator valve has gone down, open lid carefully. Stir in fresh shredded parmesan, then steamed broccoli until sauce becomes consistently creamy. Let sit three minutes to thicken and enjoy!
What to serve with Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
A nice green salad goes great to balance the heaviness of chicken alfredo. Likewise, a good crusty garlic bread if a perfect pairing.
Print
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Creamy and delicious Italian comfort food. Toss everything in the Instant Pot and let the pressure cooker work it's magic for an awesome weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 16 oz penne pasta
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 1 head broccoli, steamed (or 1 14 oz package frozen, steamed)
- 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan
Instructions
- COOK: Turn Instant Pot on Saute->More. When warm, add olive oil, then chicken that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is no longer visibly pink. Add garlic cloves and cook one minute more. Pour in chicken broth and penne pasta and stir together. Pour heavy cream on top. Close lid and set vent to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
- FINISHING TOUCHES: When timer goes off, allow a 5 minute natural release. Then flip the release valve to "venting" and release all remaining pressure. Open lid and add in parmesan cheese and stir together. Next, add steamed broccoli and stir in. Let sit 3 minutes in Instant Pot to thicken and serve.
Equipment
Buy Now →Notes
Save leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, microwave on half-power until warmed through.
- Prep Time: 5 mintues
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Instant Pot Pasta, Easy Chicken Alfredo, Family Dinners