Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo is a 30-minute dinner recipe with tender fettuccini and juicy chicken breast in a heavenly, white cream sauce. This dump-and-start chicken Alfredo recipe was made for busy people AND pressure cooker beginners, just like my Instant Pot Taco Pasta!
The Best Chicken Alfredo Pasta
You know that dreamy restaurant-style chicken alfredo pasta you crave on the regular and wish you could make at home? Now you can with minimal effort and a fraction of the cost! The best part, it’s made in your beloved Instant Pot!
If you’re a pressure cooker beginner or a very busy person, you’ll have no problem crushing this dump-and-start chicken pasta recipe to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes. It practically makes itself and produces rich, creamy, delicious results every time!
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Ingredients
- fettuccini noodles
- water
- heavy cream
- butter
- garlic
- boneless skinless chicken breast
- salt and pepper
- parmesan cheese
Summary of how to make chicken alfredo in the Instant Pot
* See full recipe below
- Break and scatter uncooked pasta into the Instant Pot.
- Add liquid ingredients and press pasta noodles under to submerge.
- Scatter butter pieces over the noodles.
- Place uncooked chicken pieces on top of pasta and sprinkle in seasonings. (I leave my pieces whole and shred later)
- Pressure cook for +5 min on high pressure, followed by a 10 min NPR (natural pressure release).
- Open the lid, transfer chicken to a plate, confirm 165° minimum internal temperature, let it rest a minute, and shred it.
- Use tongs to stir the pasta noodles and liquid together.
- Add parmesan cheese, stirring until sauce thickens.
- Add shredded chicken to the pasta, serve, and devour.
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Alfredo Pasta Instant Pot Cooking tips
Before you close the lid
There's no pre-cooking: Calling all non-cooks and Instant Pot newbs…this Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo is a dump-and-start recipe. I got you!
How to prevent pasta clumping: When adding the uncooked fettuccini noodles to the Instant Pot, break them in half and scatter them in the pot, avoiding stacking them in bundles. Once you've added the liquids, don't stir, just press the noodles down under the liquid surface.
Do I use raw or cooked chicken for Chicken Alfredo? This Instant Pot chicken recipe was developed using raw chicken. You could use pre-cooked chicken if you like, but you would add it to the alfredo pasta after the cook cycle has completed to prevent drying out.
Chicken breast or chicken thighs: Your choice! Chicken breast is the leaner cut, so it's quite popular. But chicken thighs seem to never dry out, even as reheated leftovers. Either cut will rock this Instant Pot chicken recipe, but make sure to use the boneless skinless version of either. It's more convenient than removing bone and skin and reduces the total fat and cholesterol.
Cut up the raw chicken before or after cooking? You are welcome to cut the uncooked chicken breast or thighs into pieces before pressure cooking. However, I prefer to pressure cook them as whole pieces and shred after cooking. This reduces raw-chicken handling, produces fewer dishes, AND helps prevent drying out. FYI, if you go this route, you'll want to confirm a minimum internal temperature of 165° with a meat thermometer at the end of the pressure cooking cycle.
After you open the lid
It's just not very pretty at first: When you first open the lid after pressure cooking Chicken Alfredo, it does NOT resemble a creamy, finished product. Trust me, it’ll get there. First, test your chicken and pasta to make sure they're adequately cooked before doing the final step that taking this dish to the delicious ending.
Confirm 165° internal temperature of the chicken: If you choose the cook-whole-shred-later option with the chicken in this recipe, you'll want to confirm a 165° minimum internal temperature of the chicken pieces with a meat thermometer after the cook cycle is complete.
Test the pasta for doneness: Before adding parmesan cheese, test the texture of the pasta noodles to make sure they’re to your liking. They should be fully cooked at this point, as in, slightly beyond al dente. But, if you're the super-soft pasta type, no prob! Just return the lid, close the valve, and add another +1 minute to the instant pot (this time with quick pressure release).
Stir in parmesan: Once you've confirmed that the pasta and chicken are adequately cooked, it's time to stir in the parmesan cheese and the sauce will naturally thicken. If you want it thicker, add more parmesan cheese. If you want it thinner, add more liquid.
Add chicken, toss, serve and devour!
Not all pasta brands are equal: I’ve definitely found that different brands of pasta noodles produce different results. This is why I recommend testing the noodles for doneness before thickening the sauce with cheese and pressure cook another minute if needed.
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Alfredo Pasta Storage and Reheat tips
The pasta soaks up the sauce: When Chicken Alfredo rests after being cooked, it naturally continues to absorb the moisture of the alfredo sauce and can appear dry. I promise you, it's not dry. It just needs a splash of cream, chicken broth, or plain water during reheat to revive that glistening creaminess that makes alfredo pasta so irresistible.
Freezing alfredo pasta: I’ve never tried it (because…no leftovers lol), therefore I can’t recommend it based on experience. You’re welcome to try…lemme know if you do!
Chicken Alfredo Ingredient Substitutions
- Use half and half or milk in place of heavy cream (you may need to add more parmesan cheese to balance the flavor).
- Substitute linguini noodles for fettuccine if you like a thinner noodle.
- Use shredded chicken, canned chicken, or rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breast. You'll add it at the end when you stir in the cheese and allow it to get warm.
Recommended tools
- 6 quart Instant Pot
- oven mitt (optional to use to open pressure valve)
- tongs
- meat thermometer
More Instant Pot pasta dinner recipes
- Instant Pot Taco Pasta
- Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
- Lasagna Soup for Instant Pot or Stove
- Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
- Orzo Italian Sausage Soup
- Instant Pot Shrimp Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce
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Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
Chicken alfredo ingredients for a 4 cup yield
- 8 oz Fettuccini Noodles broken in half
- 2 cups Water or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter cubed
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (about 1/2 lb.) leave whole, shred after it cooks
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Recipe Instructions
- Break FETTUCCINI in half and scatter inside the Instant Pot.
- Pour WATER and HEAVY CREAM over the pasta. Push the pasta under the liquid to submerge it.
- Scatter BUTTER pieces and GARLIC over the pasta noodles.
- Lay CHICKEN BREAST on top of the pasta and sprinkle SALT and PEPPER over it. (Yep, we cook chicken breast whole and shred it later so it retains its juices) *see recipe footnote
- Secure the lid; turn pressure valve to "Sealing" and pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
- When cook cycle completes, let the pot sit undisturbed for a 10-minute (NPR) natural pressure release. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! *see recipe footnote
- Safely turn pressure valve to "venting" position and release any remaining steam. Open the lid and transfer chicken to a plate.
- Insert a meat thermometer in the center of the chicken breast to confirm a MINIMUM internal temperature of 165° then cover with foil and rest it a few minutes. *see recipe footnote about chicken temperature
- Stir the pasta and liquid together (it's not a pretty alfredo yet, but it will be).
- Stir in PARMESAN CHEESE and adjust SALT and PEPPER, if needed.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and stir it in to the pasta alfredo.
Chef's note: The fettuccini may take a few extra minutes to absorb the excess moisture, but trust me, it will happen if you followed this recipe to a tee. If you're rushed, you can speed the thickening by adding more parmesan cheese. It's a balancing act.
Serving, storage, and reheating instructions
- Serve Chicken Alfredo pasta warm garnished with parsley.To store, cool the pasta and refrigerate in an airtight container up to five days.To reheat, add a splash of liquid to revive the creaminess. If you add too much, stir in more parmesan to get the thickness you want.
RECIPE NOTES
- Use chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts for even juicier results.
- Use half and half or milk in place of heavy cream (you may need to add more parmesan cheese to balance the flavor and fat).
- Substitute linguini noodles for fettuccine if you like a thinner noodle.
- Use shredded chicken, canned chicken, or rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken (just add it at the end when you stir in the cheese and allow it to get warm).
Nutrition
Chicken Alfredo is a creamy, alfredo pasta dish made with chicken, pasta noodles, and a velvety white cream sauce. It's a very popular Olive Garden pasta entree that's very easy to make at home!
You can use any pasta you like with Alfredo sauce. For this Chicken Alfredo Pasta, we're using a fettuccine noodle because it's sturdy and holds up nicely in the Instant Pot.
Serve Chicken Alfredo with a mixed greens Italian salad. Side dish could include broccoli, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts that have been roasted or steamed. Crusty French bread is always a hit with Italian pasta.
You can use boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs for chicken alfredo in the Instant Pot. Either one will yield great results, it just depends on which one you prefer. Both will require the same amount of cooking time.
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I made this, but I doubled the noodles and water. I also added sour cream, spices, mushrooms, onions and broccoli. Sooo good! I was nervous that the pasta would stick together or be too hard, but it was perfect!
Thank you!!
Awesome, Mkenzie! So glad you gave it a go and experimented. Love those add-ins...we do something similar 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to review...much appreciated! 🤩
I'm taking one star off because it needed a lot more seasoning (I used Tony's, red pepper and more black pepper) but the ease, consistency and creaminess make adding the extra spices so worth it! After I doctored it up to my taste, it was easily the best chicken alfredo I've ever made!
Hi Cindy, well this chicken alfredo is intended to be a no-frills classic lol. I'm a super fan of creole, but my Cajun Chicken Alfredo just hasn't hit the blog yet. Anywho, glad you enjoyed!
Hi, if I doubled the noodles, how would that affect the other ingredients and cooking time?
Hi Caitlin, if you double the noodles, you're going to need to double the other pasta ingredients (but not the chicken...unless you want to). You don't need to adjust the time. The Instant pot will take care of it for you.
Delicious!! Perfect for a night where I don't feel like cooking. The kids LOVED it. Next time I will add some bacon and serve with veggies.
Yay, Jessica! Always a WIN when the kids give it the thumbs up too! BIG thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. SO appreciated 💚 Happy 🇺🇸🇺🇸 to you and yours!
This chicken alfredo beats the socks off jarred alfredo and just as easy! I'm no cook, but this dish makes me look like one. Highly recommend following this recipe TO A TEE bc Instant Pot Alfredo can be tricky. Pro tip: add bacon or peas or whatever "after" everything has cooked 👌🏽
Awesome! I love it that a one-pot, dump-and-start alfredo pasta can make a rockstar dinner maker out of a non-cook. Win win!!! Thank you 🙂
Can I made this without the chicken?
Hi Sara, you sure can! You'll need to adjust the time to 2 minutes pressure cook (instead of 5 minutes) and still do the 10 minute natural pressure release. Enjoy!
Can I use silk almond (milk) ?
You're welcome to, but it will likely lack the richness. Could always add parmesan cheese.
I made it and I liked it but I needed a little more flavor so I added garlic salt. We served it with frozen mixed vegetables (Target, freezer section). And I used frozen chicken tenders from Costco and added on a few minutes. So fast, my daughter loved it. I think I'll use cream instead of half & half next time though. I wanted it creamier.
Blog on
Janet
Thanks, Janet...sounds like you'll have it dialed in for next time. Enjoy! 🙂
I miss read the noodle Measurements so now I have double ..... glad I did that was amazing......... I realized after I put the liquid in so just doubled the liquid again.
My husband is not normally a pasta kind of guy but is excited for lunch tomorrow he ask for the leftovers 👍winner in our house.
Best review evah! Seriously...I love the happy accident and BIG win with the hubs ❤️ Thank you for letting me know 🙏🏼
Very delicious alfredo pasta. So easy to just dump ingredients in and start. It cooks fast and keeps us from going hangry. Not really sure why I hear people say to NOT add dairy during pressure cook - we do it with this alfredo and it works every time!
Hi! If I was going to just use a jarred alfredo sauce (mixing in at the end) would I up the water instead?
Hi Nicole, that should work just fine, but you may need to drain some water out before adding the sauce at the end. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
This was simple to execute and was yum yum and as you stated at a fraction of the cost. Thanks for sharing!
You're so very welcome, Dale 🙂 Really glad you enjoyed and thanks for letting me know...cheers!
WOW, alfredo pasta in the instant pot - that is such a terrific idea. My pasta and cheese loving kids will love this. Thanks for sharing this easy IP dish.
Haha thanks, Pavani! Instant Pot alfredo is definitely revolutionary. I mean, hands-free alfredo, right? Enjoy!!!
I can make alfredo in an IP? GENIUS! Chicken Alfredo is one of my favorite things on the planet and this recipe makes it so effortless!
Haha thanks, Marie-Charlotte! I'm right there with you on IP Chicken Alfredo LOL. Cheers to that!
Totally drooling over your alfredo pasta - I'm getting my Instant Pot out ASAP!
Thanks, Deanne 😉 You GO girl! Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite comforting pasta dishes and such a great idea to do it in the instant pot.
Thanks, Danni...right there with you 🙂
This looks so good! I love finding new instant pot recipes to try out! Cannot wait!
Thanks, Haley! So glad you can enjoy this one...Cheers!
Looks great! Just one question - should we slice or cut up the raw chicken before placing it in the instant pot? What did you do? Thanks!
Excellent question, Janice. I just added notes to the recipe about this very thing. In short, you can do either. I prefer to leave it whole because it means less handling of raw chicken, fewer dishes, and juicier results. Thanks for asking! 🙂
Very cool I haven't tried this type of recipe in my IP so I'm excited to see it comes out.
Awesome, Heidy! So glad you can enjoy this recipe 🙂
I love chicken alfredo, and being able to make this in an instant pot is even better!
Thanks, Emily! I love chicken alfredo too! This recipe is so quick and easy too 🙂
Absolutely loved how fast and delicious this meal is!
Thanks, Pamela 🙂 Lovvvve hearing this!
What a gorgeous recipe! This is going to be a regular in our Instant Pot menu rotation, thank you!
Awww thanks so much, Elizabeth! I'm glad to hear it!!! 🙂
So quick and easy! This meal is perfect for weeknights!
Indeed, Toni! We can't believe how quick and easy it really is! Thanks 🙂