Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo (Printable)
Tender chicken and fettuccine in a rich parmesan cream sauce, made quickly in the Instant Pot for an easy comforting meal.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), cut into bite-size pieces
→ Pasta
02 - 12 oz fettuccine or linguine, broken in half
→ Dairy
03 - 1 cup heavy cream
04 - 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
05 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Liquids
06 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Seasonings
08 - 1 tsp salt
09 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
10 - 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
→ Garnish
11 - Fresh parsley, chopped
12 - Extra parmesan cheese
# How-To Steps:
01 - Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Melt butter, add chicken pieces and cook 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
02 - Cancel Sauté mode. Pour in chicken broth, scraping browned bits from bottom. Add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
03 - Arrange pasta over chicken mixture. Press lightly to submerge slightly but do not stir.
04 - Seal Instant Pot and cook on Manual or Pressure Cook (high) for 6 minutes.
05 - Quick release pressure. Open lid, add heavy cream and parmesan. Stir vigorously 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats pasta.
06 - Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley and extra parmesan if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything cooks in one pot, which means practically zero cleanup and that gorgeous starchy pasta water gets incorporated right into the sauce instead of going down the drain.
- The way the pressure infuses the pasta with flavor from the chicken broth and garlic means every single bite is seasoned through, not just coated on the outside.
02 -
- Do not stir the pasta into the liquid before pressure cooking, even though every instinct will tell you to. Layering it on top prevents sticking and ensures even cooking.
- The sauce will look thin immediately after quick release, but keep stirring and it will thicken dramatically as the pasta releases its starch and everything cools slightly.
03 -
- Grate your parmesan from a wedge rather than buying pre-shredded cheese, it makes a shocking difference in how smoothly the sauce comes together.
- If your Instant Pot tends to display the burn warning, add an extra 1/4 cup of broth and make sure you really scrape up all the browned bits before adding the pasta.