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Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo penne pasta made from scratch in the pressure cooker is a delicious easy dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes!

instant pot chicken alfredo penne pasta on white plate with parsley

Let me say right now that this pressure cooker chicken Alfredo is not a diet recipe. But it’s definitely one of those easy Instant Pot recipes that’s simple, delicious and very kid friendly. Best of all, it only takes about 30 minutes to make!

The Hubs adores fettuccine Alfredo. It’s his favorite meal, and even though I prefer pasta with tomato sauce, I make homemade chicken fettuccine Alfredo for his birthday every year. I’m nice like that!

It’s really a super simple recipe, but because it’s also rich, we usually save Alfredo for special occasions — like birthdays! Since I’ve been converting a lot of my recipes to pressure cooker recipes, I decided to make chicken Alfredo in the Instant Pot. You guys, this one’s a keeper!

How to make chicken Alfredo pasta in the Instant Pot

Traditional fettuccine Alfredo is heavy on the butter, and so is this Instant Pot version. You really need it to make the sauce rich and creamy. So even though you may be tempted to use jar sauce or cream cheese, you really don’t need it!

Just cut up the chicken, and cook it for about 5 minutes on the Saute setting — just until it’s no longer pink. Then, season it, and add pasta, water and butter.

instant pot alfredo with penne pasta and butter in pot

Pressure cook the pasta for 4 minutes, then do a gradual quick release. This recipe tends to spurt out all over the place, so unless it doesn’t bother you, stick with a controlled release.

On a side note, I only seem to have a problem with pasta water making a mess when I use my 6-quart Instant Pot. When I use the 8 quart, it’s fine.

instant pot chicken alfredo pasta on spoon

Next, add some heavy cream, more butter, Parm and a little bit of nutmeg. The sauce looks thin at first, but it firms up in no time. You can even go back to Saute mode and reduce the sauce for a few minutes if you want.

Personally, I like to add heavy cream in the Instant Pot at the end, after pressure cooking. I just think it works better this way.

The sauce thickens as it rests, and by the time you eat it, you get an incredibly rich and creamy Instant Pot chicken Alfredo pasta.

instant pot chicken alfredo penne pasta on plate

Check out more Instant Pot chicken and pasta recipes

Recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

instant pot chicken alfredo penne pasta on white plate with parsley
5 from 7 votes
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Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo penne pasta is made from scratch in the pressure cooker with heavy cream, pasta, chicken, butter and spices in about 30 minutes!   

Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Keyword instant pot chicken alfredo
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
time to pressurize 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 350 kcal
Author Dee

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed -- about 2 medium or 3 small
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 16-ounce box penne pasta -- uncooked
  • 8 tablespoons butter, divided -- 1 stick
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Press SAUTE button, and when it reads Hot, add the olive oil, then the chicken. and cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently

  2. Add sea salt, garlic powder and pepper, and stir, making sure no chicken bits are stuck to bottom. then hit Cancel

  3. Add penne pasta over chicken, then pour water over and around the sides of the pasta. Top with 4 tablespoons of butter 

  4. Cover, turn valve to Sealing position, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 4 minutes

  5. When pot beeps, do a gradual quick release to minimize liquid spurting out of valve. When pin drops, remove lid, and stir

  6. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons butter, heavy cream and nutmeg. Mixture will be thin, but will thicken up as sauce cools. You can hit SAUTE for about 5 minutes to help sauce reduce if you want.

  7.  Gradually stir in grated Parm, and add more, if desired. Taste, and add more salt, if desired. Serve with more Parm and fresh parsley, if desired. Sauce will continue to thicken as it stands

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Recipe was made in 6-quart Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. Can also be made in an 8 quart using same ingredients.

I hope you enjoy this easy Instant Pot chicken alfredo pasta as much as we do!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  12. Tried it tonight and the flavor & consistency of the sauce was terrific, but my noodles were a little mushy. What is a “gradual” release. I tried a 10 minute natural/quick release (let it continue to warm for 10 minutes and then turn to venting) and I think it was too long. How long before you switched to venting?

    Reply

    • Hi Mary. I’m so sorry about the mushy pasta! For any pasta, you always want a quick release or gradual quick release, which means you turn the vent a little bit at a time instead of all at once. This just prevents the water from spraying everywhere from a sudden release. So, after the pasta is done cooking, turn the vent a little at a time to minimize water spraying, then turn it all the way for a full release. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. 🙂

      Reply

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