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Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
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This family favorite recipe is quick and easy in the Instant Pot. Everyone will love Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo and it will be ready in 30 minutes with only one pan dirty! Tender chicken breasts and fettuccine noodles that cook right in the Alfredo sauce for an easy dinner.
We love Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups, don’t you?!! Well how about Chicken Alfredo made in your Instant Pot! Can I get a heck yes? It’s as easy as my Instant Pot Spaghetti and just as wonderful. Literally 30 minutes or less and it’s done. You won’t regret trying out this Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo for dinner tonight!
You all have been loving the Instant Pot recipes lately and I need to get on making more of them! These French Dip sandwiches that I made in my Instant Pot are the latest hit.
This pressure cooker Chicken Alfredo does require you to brown the chicken breasts before you throw the rest of the ingredients in, but you still do it right in the Instant Pot so you aren’t making any extra dirty dishes. After that just throw the rest of the ingredients in and let it do it’s thing.
Why this recipe works:
- Is all cooked in your Instant Pot for a one pan meal.
- Uses jarred Alfredo Sauce to make it quick and easy.
- It’s ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients Needed
- Olive Oil
- Alfredo sauce – I use the garlic flavor Alfredo sauce to give it even more flavor, but grab your favorite jarred alfredo sauce.
- Garlic – You can either mince a bulb of garlic or use the pre-minced jarred garlic.
- Chicken Breasts
- Fettuccine Noodles – If you use a thinner noodle they will cook to long and become mushy so make sure to use fettuccine.
- Pepper
- Water – You could also use chicken broth to give it more flavor but this would increase the sodium level.
Steps to Prepare
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Brown Chicken – Add olive oil to instant pot. Turn instant pot on to saute function. Season chicken with pepper, then place chicken in pan when the oil is hot. Brown chicken on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from Instant Pot and set aside until later.
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Mix Ingredients – Add water to garlic to pot and cook for about 1 minute. Add water and deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pot to avoid the burn message. Add chicken breast back to pot. Then the fettuccine noodles broken in thirds. Then pour Alfredo sauce and water over the top. Try to make sure the noodles are covered.
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Cook – Place lid on Instant Pot making sure valve is turned to the sealed position. Then turn to high pressure for 8 minutes and let cook.
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Release Pressure – When done cooking quick release pressure (I cover with a towel because the release valve can spray starchy water when cooking pasta). Let sit 5-10 minutes for sauce to thicken. Remove chicken during this time and slice. Add back in and stir. Serve.
Pressure Cooker vs Instant Pot
Another popular question about pressure cookers is the comparison of it to a slow cooker. Why do I need a pressure cooker if I already have a slow cooker?
The main difference is that you let your slow cooker cook all day. The pressure cooker requires minimal cooking time and gets similar results as the slow cooker in my opinion.
When thinking about purchasing a pressure cooker you have to ask if you would rather put your meal in the slow cooker at the beginning of the day or middle of the day and let it cook or if you’d rather come home and throw the recipe in a pressure cooker and let it cook for approximately thirty minutes.
That’s really the big difference.
Some people like coming home to the meal mostly done cooking and ready to go. I was like this when I was working outside the house. I just would rather take the time in the morning to mix it up and then come home to the meal almost done because my kids are always starving the minute we walk in the door.
Other people don’t want to take the time in the morning or they are at home during the day and don’t want to smell the food all day (that would be me!) so they prefer the pressure cooker method of cooking.
Expert Tips
- If you’d like to double this recipe make sure you have the 8 qt IP. You should be able to double it without changing the cooking time.
- Want a thicker sauce? Add a few cubes of cream cheese.
- Prefer a more al dente noodle? Reduce cooking time to 6 minutes.
- Skip the chicken or substitute it for shrimp or sausage. If using sausage make sure to brown it first in the Instant Pot.
- If it is to thick when you reheat leftovers add a splash of milk to the sauce to thin it out.
Can’t get much easier than this! 30 minutes and seven ingredients later you’ll have delicious pressure cooker Chicken Alfredo!
More Delicious Instant Pot Dinner Recipes:
- Skip the box and make Instant Pot Hamburger Stroganoff!
- Instant Pot Spaghetti is another family favorite recipe. Spaghetti with a homemade meat sauce prepares in your pressure cooker.
- Tender, juicy French Dip sandwiches are so easy when you use this Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches recipe!
Try it and love it? Rate it, please! Seriously though a five-star rating below will make my day!
If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats!
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
Your favorite chicken alfredo recipe made right in the Instant Pot for an easy dinner recipe the family will love.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 8 oz fettucine noodles broken into thirds
- 15 oz jar garlic Alfredo sauce
- 2 c. water
Instructions
- Add olive oil to instant pot. Turn instant pot on to saute function. Season chicken with pepper, then place chicken in pan when the oil is hot. Brown chicken on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from Instant Pot and set aside until later.
- Add water to garlic to pot and cook for about 1 minute. Add water and deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pot to avoid the burn message.
- Add chicken breast back to pot. Then the fettuccine noodles broken in thirds. Then pour Alfredo sauce and water over the top. Try to make sure the noodles are covered.
- Place lid on Instant Pot making sure valve is turned to the sealed position. Then turn to high pressure for 8 minutes and let cook.
- When done cooking quick release pressure (I cover with a towel because the release valve can spray starchy water when cooking pasta). Let sit 5-10 minutes for sauce to thicken. Remove chicken during this time and slice. Add back in and stir. Serve.
Notes
- If you’d like to double this recipe make sure you have the 8 qt IP. You should be able to double it without changing the cooking time.
- Want a thicker sauce? Add a few cubes of cream cheese.
- Prefer a more al dente noodle? Reduce cooking time to 6 minutes.
- Skip the chicken or substitute it for shrimp or sausage. If using sausage make sure to brown it first in the Instant Pot.
- If it is to thick when you reheat leftovers add a splash of milk to the sauce to thin it out.
Nutrition
Calories: 561kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 35gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 194mgSodium: 905mgPotassium: 557mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 70IUVitamin C: 1.8mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
I’m making this recipe this weekend on a camping trip in our RV! Nice and easy, but a yummy home cooked meal. Perfect for camping.
If using fresh broccoli, would you add it before the cook time or add it after it’s cooked, and close for a bit to let them steam?
That depends how you like your broccoli – if you want it soft, I would add it before the cook time. If you don’t mind it left a little crunchy, add it after the fact and let it steam a bit.
Hi I’m trying this now hoping it comes out good
I hope you enjoyed it!
Hello. Trying this recipe for the first time. Just finished the 8 minutes at high pressure. Released pressure, removed lid and mixed the ingredients. Noodles are not done. Some still hard (yes they were covered with liquid) and lots are stuck together. Any idea why?
Also, you don’t mention if the 5-10 minutes of sitting time should be covered or uncovered. I’m thinking it will go cold so I put lid on. Fingers crossed.
Thank you.
Hmmm, I’ve never had this issue, the noodles should have been cooked. My only guess would be maybe it was set to low pressure instead of high? And yes I do leave mine covered for the 5-10 minutes.
It was at high pressure. I’m thinking maybe too many noodles. How on earth do you measure 8 oz of dry noodles? Unless I crush them all up and put in a measuring cup?? Lol. I used about 1/2 of a 500 gram pkg.
That could have been the issue, it is tough to measure noodles!
Julie, can you use this recipe in a regular pressure cooker? Thank you.
I have only ever used an Instant Pot for this recipe so I haven’t tested it using any other pressure cookers. If you do try it, let me know how it goes!
I love this recipe! It works great with gluten free pasta as well, just add a couple minutes to the cook time.
So glad you enjoyed it Tammy! Thanks for coming back and commenting and rating it!
I have cooked a lot of the recipes that you post. They have all been very, very good!! I keep checking back for new one’s. I now have an instant pot so looking forward to more recipes from you. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for the rating and review, Terri!
Can you use fresh chicken
I’m not sure what you mean by fresh chicken, it calls for 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
How can you use frozen chicken breasts to make the chicken alfredo?
I have not tested it with frozen chicken breasts.
I made this recipe last night and it was so easy and SO tasty! Definitely a keeper. Thank you!
You’re welcome! It is definitely a favorite of ours!
If I double the recipe, do I change the cooking time?
I haven’t tested it, but looking at some other comments it looks like if it’s doubled, cook for 12 mins instead of 8. If you do plan to double it, I would recommend using an 8 quart Instant Pot instead of a 6 quart.
The noodles were hard. It had a very strange taste. It was all liquid. Will not make this again.
I made this with penne noodles and it worked out great! Don’t underestimate the need for the towel over the vent, though. Good advice which I didn’t do. Made a bit of a mess.
So glad you enjoyed it! Live and learn right? It got me the first time too!
I tried this recipe in my insta pot. I could never get it to reach pressure before it would start beeping, and display the word burn. I followed your directions to a T. I also made sure the little wire thing used to pressure cook meat was in. I ended up trying to finish the cooking in the oven. Over all I pretty much wasted food. Is there a special insert or step that maybe wasn’t mentioned used to prevent the burn display?
Hi, I’m curious what metal wire thing you use for cooking meat? I’ve never heard of this before.
The metal rack that came with it. It’s the only accessory that my instapot came with, although I have seen where you can buy steamer racks as well as other things.
Ah I understand now. I typically don’t use that for meat. In most recipes the meat is cooked mixed with the other ingredients, as it is in this one. As for your burning issue, my guess would be that you need to scrape the bottom of your pot after sauteing the meat. It’s not mentioned in the recipe, but it’s definitely something I do after I saute anything in the pot.