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Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo is a one-pot creamy chicken pasta for the whole family. If you want a meal that practically makes itself, add this chicken Alfredo Instant Pot recipe to your pressure cooker collection!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Calling all busy people and pressure cooker newbies! Get ready to crush dinner with the best Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo.
Just like my Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole, this toss-and-go pasta recipe practically makes itself into a delectable dinner in minutes. It's creamy, comforting, and family-loved, even the little ones devour it!
In fact, many families have told me it rivals my Taco Pasta in convenience, comfort, and flavor. I concur wholeheartedly.
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo ingredient notes
- fettuccine - You can use any pasta of equal thickness, such as elbow macaroni or bow ties. I don't recommend thin varieties, such as shells, angel hair, or spaghetti noodles because they'll likely overcook in said cooking time.
- water - Any cooking liquid will work, such as chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- heavy cream - This is the one dairy liquid that actually holds up in the pressure cooker without curdling. Visit the 'Recipe Variations' section below for alternatives.
- butter - Or olive oil in equal amounts.
- fresh garlic - Garlic powder is fine if it's what you have on hand, but fresh garlic adds a more authentic, robust flavor to this entree.
- boneless skinless chicken breast - Boneless thighs can also be used, however I do not recommend bone-in chicken because it requires longer cooking time, which overcooks the pasta.
- salt and pepper - These can be added before pressure cooking, or to taste at any point after cooking.
- shredded Parmesan cheese - This essential ingredient gives Alfredo sauce its creamy texture and rich, nutty flavor. Grated Romano can be used in its place.
- parsley - Optional, of course, but recommended for a pop of color and flavor.
How to make this recipe
This Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo recipe is simple and straightforward as you will see in these step by step photos with instructions. Feel free to skip down to the full, printable recipe below.
Step 1. Break fettuccine noodles in half and scatter in crisscross patterns in the Instant Pot. Add water and press pasta under liquid to submerge.
Step 2. Lay chicken breasts flat on top of noodles. Add heavy cream, butter, salt, and pepper.
Step 3. Close and lock lid. Set pressure release valve to "Sealing" position. Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" 5 minutes on HIGH.
Steps 4-7. Let the pot sit undisturbed for a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). Carefully turn pressure release valve to "Venting" to release any remaining steam. Press "Cancel", open the lid and insert a meat thermometer in the chicken breast to confirm a 165 degrees Fahrenheit minimum internal temperature. Transfer chicken to a covered dish and set aside for a few minutes.
Step 8. Gently stir the pasta to combine ingredients. It won't look pretty – yet. There will be very little, if any, excess liquid that will naturally absorb into the pasta. Loosely cover and rest pasta a few minutes, if needed.
Step 9. Add Parmesan cheese to the pasta. Gently stir everything together to melt the cheese and coat the noodles.
Step 10. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add back to the pasta. Gently stir to combine. Feel free to adjust flavor with more salt and pepper, or add more cheese as desired.
To serve, garnish with fresh parsley, serve warm, and watch it disappear!
Recipe tips
This chicken Alfredo Instant Pot recipe is well-tested and well-loved by countless readers, including Instant Pot beginners! Take it from them, if you stray from the recipe, or if your cooking process is interrupted, even accidentally, you can expect unintended results, such as overcooking, under-cooking, too wet, too dry, clumpy, etc etc.
- It is important to use fully thawed chicken breast for this recipe in order for it to reach the safe minimum internal temperature with given instructions.
- Do not skip the full 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR) because the chicken and fettuccine are still cooking.
- If the chicken breast doesn't reach the minimum temperature, which is uncommon with this recipe, place it back on top of the pasta and run another 1-minute high pressure cook cycle with 5-minute natural release until it's fully cooked.
- To reheat, use a medium heat setting on your microwave or stove, adding a splash of dairy liquid to revive the moisture, as needed.
Recipe variations
- If you double the chicken, I recommend doubling the entire recipe for optimal results, which also requires an 8-quart pressure cooker in order to stay under the 'max fill' line.
- If using precooked chicken or turkey, add it after the pasta is cooked because it will dry out in the pressure cooker since it's fully cooked.
- When heavy cream isn't an option, other dairy liquids, such as half and half or milk, may be added after pressure cooking. Do this during step 8 of the recipe, using half the stated amount of heavy cream.
- You can stir in 4 to 8 ounces of cream cheese to the cooked pasta add even more flavor and richness.
Serving ideas
Any of these sides can be made while the chicken Alfredo cooks in the Instant Pot. They're so convenient and definitely delicious!
- Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
- Lemony Kale Salad
- Garlicky Oven Roasted Mushrooms
- Homemade French Bread
- Crostini Bread
Recommended pasta recipes
- Chicken Penne alla Vodka
- Homemade Beef Stroganoff
- Lasagna Soup for Instant Pot or Stove
- Baked Feta Pasta [Tiktok viral pasta]
- One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
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Ingredients
- 1 pound Uncooked Fettuccine Noodles
- 4 cups Water, or broth
- 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast(s), leave whole
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cut into chunks
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, shaved, shredded, or fresh grated
- Parsley (optional for garnish), ¼ cup chopped
Instructions
- Break FETTUCCINE noodles in half and scatter in crisscross patterns in the Instant Pot. Add WATER. Push the pasta under the liquid to submerge.
- Lay whole CHICKEN BREASTS on top of the noodles. Add HEAVY CREAM, BUTTER, GARLIC, SALT, and PEPPER.*See recipe footnote to substitute heavy cream.
- Secure the lid. Turn pressure release valve to the "Sealing" position. Select "Manual" or "Pressure cook" on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.
- When pressure cook cycle completes, let the pot sit undisturbed for a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
- Carefully turn the pressure valve to the "Venting" position to release any remaining steam. Press "Cancel" on the Instant Pot and carefully open the lid.Note: When you open the lid, it's normal to see excess liquid on top of the pasta. This gets absorbed by the pasta AND helps develop the sauce texture.
- Insert a meat thermometer into chicken to confirm a minimum temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.Note: It may actually be several degrees higher, especially if using smaller breasts.
- Transfer chicken to a covered dish and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gently stir the pasta to distribute the excess liquid throughout. Cover the cooker and rest for five minutes until the pasta absorbs the liquid, as needed.
- Add PARMESAN CHEESE and gently toss to coat the noodles.
- Shred the chicken and stir it back into the pasta. Garnish with PARSLEY, serve, and devour!
- To store, cool the pasta completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to five days.
Recipe Notes
- It is important to use fully thawed chicken breast for this recipe in order for it to reach the safe minimum internal temperature with given instructions.
- Do not skip the full 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR) because the chicken and fettuccine are still cooking.
- If the chicken breast doesn't reach minimum temperature, which is uncommon with this recipe, place it on the pasta and run another 1-minute high pressure cook cycle with 5-minute natural release until it's fully cooked.
- To reheat, use a medium heat setting on your microwave or stove, adding a splash of dairy liquid to revive the moisture.
- Here are some noteworthy recipe variations you might enjoy!
Diana says
I really liked this recipe, it was very creamy and came out perfect. My only comment is I think it could use another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of shaved Parmesan as that flavor didn’t really come through, but I’ll experiment with adding a bit more. It really is a great recipe and works perfectly if you follow the directions (I did).
Traci says
Great! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. Parmesan is one of those things you can measure with your heart, as they say. Thanks for sharing your experience and feedback!
Lizzie says
really good very tasty 🤤
Traci says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for the review. Cheers!
Nairel says
Some things were not clear.
For example, how much liquid is too much liquid.
you mention broth can be used as a replacement for water, but don't mention how many. Because 4 cups of broth was nog enough to submerge the pasta.
Traci says
Hi there, thanks for asking. To answer 'how much liquid is too much?', I can see how it might not seem clear, so I reworded it in the recipe card above. As for broth quantity, water and broth can be substituted in equal amounts. Lastly, regarding the 4 cups amount, I have to ask...did you break the pasta in half as indicated? Or are you using a different pasta? It's ok if a few pieces stick out as you can see in my step-by-step photos above. Let me know if I need to further clarify anything. Thanks and enjoy!
Res1 says
I tried it with chicken broth and did not like it. I think the four cups was overkill. The pasta tasted like chicken noodle soup and not alfredo.
Traci says
I personally don't love it with broth either, but I offer it as an ingredient option for those who do. To me, the heavy cream and Parmesan give it plenty of rich and satisfying flavor. Let me know if you end up going for it again. Cheers!
Maria says
Just made this tonight! Amazing!!! I subbed heavy cream with 2/3 cups lactose free whole milk and 1/3 cup light olive oil. So good! This is going into our meal rotation immediately!
Traci says
Yayy! So glad you went for it! Great to know those subs worked for you. Thanks so much for the feedback and I love it that it's going into your rotation 🙂 Cheers!
Elizabeth says
Have you ever tried adding broccoli to this? Can it be cooked in the IP at the same time? This is our favorite alfredo recipe, but we're missing the broccoli in it now. I tried cooking it separately & adding it in, but the flavor just wasn't the same.
Traci says
Hiya! We love broccoli with Alfredo too but, sadly, it overcooks with this recipe, so we we always cook it separately and mix it in before serving 🙂
Colleen says
I plan on making this tonight! I tested Chicken Alfredo (not in the instant pot) because my picky kids needed to keep things separate...LOL, but after a trial of some alfredo sauce they actually liked it. So now I am going all in....
Do you really ONLY pressure cook the chicken/noodles for 5 minutes and let it rest for 10? I don't know why that makes me so nervous...probably because other instant pot chicken I know I have cooked for longer, but perhaps it rested for a shorter time?
Traci says
Hi Colleen, yes, you read the directions correctly and this recipe has been tested countless times with those exact instructions. Let me know if I can answer any more questions for you. Enjoy!!
Jeff Silversmith says
I made this tonight. Substituted garlic broth for chicken broth and was outstanding and super easy. After trying a different Alfredo recipe from a popular instant pot cook book author a while ago which was way too liquidy I had all but given up on this dish in the instant pot. So glad I found this, enjoyed by all.
Traci says
Hi Jeff, I'm so glad you tried my recipe and that it was enjoyed by everyone. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Thank you 🙂
Pat says
OMG.....I made this chicken alfredo the other night. It was sooooo good and even better the next day. Hubby loved it. Very easy recipe.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad to hear it was a hit! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
Debbie says
This is the second time I have made this recipe. This time I added peas after cooking. It is so good and so easy. Definitely a keeper.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! Yeah, this is definitely one of our favorite Instant Pot dinners. I'm so glad you're enjoying it and thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Janice Daughtry says
I always bought alfredo sauce in the jar. Never realized it is so easy to make yourself and tastes soooo much better. This recipe turned out great and we loved it. Thanks for sharing.
The Kitchen Girl says
I'm so glad you found your way to this recipe because, you're right, you don't need the jar sauce at all 🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback. I'm happy you're enjoying it!
Lala says
This was so good! I didn't think so few ingredients would turn out like this! I didn't have the heavy cream so I followed the direction for that and used half cream cheese and half milk. This is the first pasta recipe I've made where all the noodles are cooked evenly!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! I'm so glad you're enjoying it and I really appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
Robin says
I was surprised at how good this was since it was so easy! Layering the pasta as directed—all cooked perfectly and separated easily. I got sidetracked and left the natural release for 14 minutes, don't think it had any effect.
We did add a little cayenne pepper to the leftovers (along with a splash of cream as directed) and I think it enriched the flavors without being spicy.
Thanks for the recipe!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Robin! I'm so glad you made it and even better that you loved it! The ease and comfort of this pasta really make it a winner for us too. Thanks for the feedback .. much appreciated 🙂
Meredith says
Yum!!! So good! I used 2 cups chicken broth and 2 cups water! Came out perfect! Even the 3 year old enjoyed it! Thanks for the extremely detail instructions it made it almost foolproof!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awww yayyy Meredith! I'm so glad you enjoyed this and especially love to hear when the kiddos give the thumbs up. That is wonderful and I appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Thank youuuu 🙂
Jeff says
Made this again recently and a huge hit as always. Chicken Alfredo in the Instant Pot, yep I'm sold on one pot dinners!
Amy says
Do you think I could add broccoli for the full time and it wouldn’t be mushy?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hiya, actually it will overcook and be mushy using the full cook time. I would cook it separately and add before serving. Let me know if you have more questions. Enjoy! 🙂
Vicki says
Hi, if I omitted the chicken, would any other changes be needed?
Thanks!!
The Kitchen Girl says
No, you can make it exactly as it is without the chicken 🙂 Thanks and enjoy!!
Karla says
Halved the recipe but as usual didn't have everything as written! After adding the half & half (substituted for heavy cream) and parmesan after pressure cooking I stirred rotisserie chicken (substituted for chicken breast) into the noodles (substituted for linguine). It turned out great and my husband confirmed it's a keeper recipe! I was worried about mushy pasta so cooked for 4 minutes instead of 5, but some of the noodles were a little chewier than I like so will cook for the 5 minutes next time. Pretty easy, too!
The Kitchen Girl says
So glad you both enjoyed ... it's a favorite over here for sure! Yes, 5 minutes is the minimum for the chicken and fettuccine noodles. We've tested it extensively to get the cook time right, but if you make changes, you may have to adapt. Sounds like you did 😉 Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. Cheers!
Elissa says
Hi! I used a substitute for heavy cream (nonfat Greek yogurt and milk) and followed your substitute instructions and it didn’t come out good. Next time I’ll try the recipe as written.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Elissa! I love NFGY and use it a lot, but I don't think it would create an ideal texture or flavor for chicken Alfredo. I hope you'll give this recipe another go and please let me know if you have questions about other substitutions in the future. Cheers!
Lauren says
I got the burn notice twice because the noodles stuck to the bottom. 🙁 How could I have avoided this?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Lauren, the IP user manual indicates that burn notices usually get sorted out without any action needed. In your case, it sounds like your cooker didn't pressurize properly. The sealing ring not seated properly is THE biggest culprit of this. Make sure to check the ring all the way around the lid before closing it. Hope this helps. Got more questions? I'm here for it 🙂
Mike says
Just made this and awesome is an understatement!
The ease of this dish doesn't match how delicious it is.
Thanks for sharing
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy!! I'm so glad to inspire your Chicken Alfredo happiness 🙂 Sounds like you love it as much as I do! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. I super appreciate it!
Amanda says
Have you are anyone you know of tried gluten free noodles with this? Or could I just cook the noodles separately?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Amanda, I've had good reports from my readers that say yes, but I haven't tried it myself. Also, there are SO many gf noodles out there. I do recommend going with a thicker GF pasta, one that you know cooks at the same rate as regular pasta 🙂 Also, I recommend cutting the recipe in half when testing. Lmk how it goes!
Lisa says
Could I double the recipe in an 8qt instant pot?
The Kitchen Girl says
I have not, but others have done it with great success. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂 Enjoy!
Deborah says
Do you need to half the recipe if you have a 3 qt Instant Pot, or can you make the whole recipe in a pot that size?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hiya! I believe this recipe can be made as-is in the 3 qt without going over the max fill line. Also, make sure the noodles are short enough to be under the liquid. Enjoy!!
Jennifer says
Made this for supper tonight per the recipe. I got a thumbs up from the whole clan. It’s a keeper!👍🌟
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayyy! I love it when the family approves and so glad you found a keeper for your Instant Pot collection. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. I really appreciate it 🙂