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!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
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 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 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.
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.
Sunny says
don’t have jnstant pot. can this be made in a regular pressure cooker.
Julie Evink says
I’m sorry I haven’t tested the recipe like that.
Jamie says
Do you put water in with the sauce it says pour sauce over noodles but nothing about the water
Julie Evink says
In step 2 it calls for the water to deglaze the pan.
Tina says
Will this work with gluten free pasta? Either the brown rice or the corn pasta? Thanks!
Nicole says
I have made this several times and it is a family fave. One question, if I wanted to half the recipe, would reducing the liquid (water) to just one cup be enough?
Julie Evink says
I think it would, but I haven’t test it like that I’m sorry!
Dominique S Colson says
Did you put the chicken in thawed or frozen?
Michelle Sperr says
Hi Dominique, thanks for your question. I use thawed chicken for this recipe! Using thawed chicken works best for the saute function on the instant pot! Hope that helps.
Shari says
Sounds amazing! I have some frozen brocolli I would like to add, not sure best way to do this in Instant Pot ..
I am very new to cooking in general, & just got my Instant Pot.
Michelle Sperr says
Let me know how it goes!
Jason says
Hi Shari. I did this, but just microwaved/steamed the broccoli and added it after. I’m thinking it may get too mushy if it was left in during the pressure cycle.
Katherine says
Would anything change about the recipe if I wanted to use a different type of pasta? I prefer penne. Thank you! I’m excited to try it!
Michelle Sperr says
Hi Katherine! This recipe should work well with penne. You may have to adjust cooking time slightly to cook your pasta to your desired doneness! Let me know how it turns out!
Fonda says
WHat Would cooking time be if using natura release?
Michelle Sperr says
Hi Fonda, I haven’t tried using natural release for this instant pot recipe. Let me know if you give it a try!
Jameica says
Trash. Noodles raw.
You need to mix noodles into liquid or they don’t cook
Michelle Sperr says
Hi Jameica. Sorry this didn’t turn out for you. When you added your noodles, did you break them into thirds and pour the alfredo sauce over the top, making sure the noodles were covered?
Angela Helms says
I am making this recipe for the first time. This is the also the first time using my instapot…is it supposed to make noises while cooking? Lol
Julie says
It should be pretty quiet but it may make some noises as it comes to pressure.
Kathy R. says
I doubled the recipe, as 4 servings was not going to do it for my family. (2lbs chicken and 16 oz. of pasta) Since comments were of people saying the fettuccine noodles would clump and stick, I used penne pasta. Instead of cutting up the chicken at the end, I cubed it and sautéed it with the garlic and olive oil for about 4-5 minutes (until it was not pink- but not fully cooked). This allowed me to keep the chicken in the pot and not remove it (and no burn warning). After I sautéed, I added (low sodium) chicken broth (4 cups) and stirred well to make sure nothing was sticking to bottom of pot. I then added the pasta and alfredo sauce (2- 15 oz. jars) and cooked for 12 minutes on high. The sauce was a little runny, so I added a heaping spoon of cream cheese (as suggested) and I sprinkled shredded parmesan cheese in and covered for 10 minutes to thicken. The noodles were perfect and IT WAS AMAZING!!
I will be keeping this as a go to recipe for my family – thank you!
Corinne says
I’m making this tonight with your change to cubing the chicken beforehand! Can’t wait to see how this turns out. ☺️
Julie says
I hope you enjoy it!
Julie says
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kathy! Thanks for sharing!