Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta is an easy dinner recipe made with tender chicken and pasta shells in a delicious creamy sauce. This Instant Pot chicken pasta is an easy one pot meal perfect for busy weeknights that your whole family will love!
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If you’re looking for an easy dinner recipe made with chicken and pasta, you’re going to love this delicious Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta.
It’s like a homemade Chicken Helper, and it’s super kid friendly. Best of all, it’s a one pot dinner, so there’s hardly any clean-up for you!
You guys, my family thinks this is one of the best Instant Pot chicken recipes I've ever made -- one of the best Instant Pot recipes, definitely!
Seriously. I hate to brag -- really I do, but when even my picky eaters like what I make for dinner, I know it's good!
This recipe is basically a knock-off of Instant Pot Creamy Shells and Beef, which is one of the most popular easy Instant Pot recipes on the blog right now.
I'm always looking for easy dinners and easy chicken recipes with few ingredients, and that's pretty much how this delicious chicken dinner was born. It's super quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
There are a few ingredients you need for this instant pot chicken pasta recipe. What you don't already have at home can be found online or at your local grocery store:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Italian Seasoning
- Sea salt
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Medium shell pasta
- Marinara sauce or pasta sauce
- Water or chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Pasta
Making this Instant Pot creamy shells and chicken is super simple. All you do is add the olive oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot when it reads hot.
Cut your chicken breasts into small pieces. Then, cook chicken in the Instant Pot on the saute setting until it's no longer pink.
Next, add the seasonings, and stir until chicken pieces are well coated.
If there are any brown bits on the bottom of the Instant Pot, deglaze the pot with water, and scrape the bits using a spatula or wooden spoon.
Then, you layer the pasta, water and pour marinara sauce on top of the pasta in that order. Pro tip -- Do not stir the ingredients together until later!
Place the lid on the electric pressure cooker, and make sure the seal is on the sealing position. Some models seal automatically, so you may not have to do this.
Cook Time
Since we're cooking the cut-up chicken first, you only need to pressure cook the whole dish on high pressure for 4 to 5 minutes.
4 minutes of pressure cooking gives you more al dente pasta. 5 minutes is perfect if you want softer pasta.
After the cooking time is up, do a quick release to release the remaining pressure. Then, remove the lid, and give the pasta a good stir.
To make this pasta creamy, I like to add some heavy cream and a little bit of Parmesan cheese at the end. And that's all there is to it! Easy peasy, right?
Variations and Substitutions
There are a few ways to customize this delicious pasta dish to your liking.
If you don't have shell pasta, any type of short, thick pasta will work. Macaroni pasta, penne pasta or mini penne pasta would be perfect!
Instead of heavy cream, use milk, for a thinner sauce. For a thicker, creamier sauce, use cream cheese instead of heavy cream.
Add your favorite type of cheese. Parmesan cheese goes great on top of pasta, but you can also use cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese either in or on your pasta. You can never go wrong with lots of cheese!
Veggies are an easy addition to chicken pasta. Bell peppers, fresh basil, red peppers, and onions are great options.
Add red pepper flakes or paprika for a little extra kick.
If you want to make this creamy chicken pasta meal over the stove, check out this one pot stove top recipe! You can also use rotisserie chicken or boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer!
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover cheesy chicken pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it'll last for 3 to 4 days.
For longer storage, keep in the freezer in a freezer safe container.
Reheat pasta in the microwave.
Cooking Tips
- Make sure no chicken is stuck to the bottom before you start pressure cooking. Deglaze the pot with a spatula and extra water, if needed
- Use a thin marinara sauce, not a thick and chunky one
- Layer the pasta shells, water and marinara sauce, but don't stir it all together
- Add extra cream at the end if you like more sauce
Recipe
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 16-ounce box medium shell pasta, uncooked
- 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Hit SAUTE button on pressure cooker, and when it reads HOT, add olive oil
- Add cut-up chicken to hot pot, and cook until chicken is no longer pink, stirring frequently
- Add Italian Seasoning, sea salt, garlic powder and pepper, and stir until well coated. There should be plenty of juices from the chicken to deglaze pot and scrape up any chicken that might be sticking to bottom. Add a little water if necessary to make sure no chicken is sticking to pot.
- Hit CANCEL, then add uncooked pasta shells, water and marinara sauce on top. Press lightly to make sure pasta is covered with liquid, but do not stir
- Cover, turn knob to sealing position, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 5 minutes
- When pasta is done cooking, do a gradual quick release, and when pin drops, open lid
- Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese until well blended, and serve immediately
Video
Notes
Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.
Nutrition
Recipe first published in 2018 and updated in 2022.
Instant Pot creamy chicken pasta is a super easy delicious meal for quick weeknight dinners! It's a delicious alternative to Instant Pot spaghetti and I hope you love it as much as my family does!
Be sure to give it a star rating and comment or share in Facebook groups and other social media!
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Happy Cooking,
Lindsey says
Can this be done in a regular crock pot if the chicken is cooked before?
Dee says
I'm pretty sure it can, but I haven't tried it, so I'm not certain about the cook time. Let me know how it goes.
Terry-Lyn (mom of two teenaged boys) says
I have made this several times - it is definitely a family favourite! The recipe is perfect as is. A couple of times when I went to make it, I realized that I didn't have any heavy cream so I substituted with milk and added a half to a full brick of cream cheese and it was delicious this way as well.
Dee says
Thank you so much for sharing your variations!
Kari says
I made this today for dinner, I tweaked it a little by adding mushrooms and a whole diced eggplant because...vegetables are good for you! The egg plant kinda disappeared in the sauce which is fine (secret health food) and then I added only 2/3 cup of heavy cream added about a tsp salt and it was pretty good! Maybe serve it with some bacon crumbled on top?
Briana says
I made this for my roommates and I and we all loved it!! I sprinkled about a tablespoon of onion powder at the end and it was amazing, thank you for this recipe!
Dee says
Thank you so much for the sweet comment! I'm so glad you all liked it!
Terri Burson says
I can't imagine adding anything else to this recipe. The flavors were spot on and we loved it! In fact, I may just make this at our girls scrapbook retreat this weekend!
Dee says
Thank you so much, Terri. So happy you liked the pasta!
Kako says
Can I use elbow macaroni and use the same cook time? I'm new to instant pots so I apologise if this is a dumb question.
Dee says
Definitely NOT a dumb question! It will still be the same cook time. You can always use the "golden rule of pasta" and cook for 1/2 the lowest cook time suggested on the box. 🙂
TIFFANY says
What is a gradual quick release? I have hear of quick and natural, never gradual.
Thanks
Dee says
It just means you turn the release valve slowly or alternate between venting and sealing so that liquid doesn't squirt out at once.
K says
It was ok, I had to add a little Accent to bring the flavor out and some sugar and it was fine. Can you freeze all that’s left over?
Dee says
Yes, it freezes and reheats well.
Nina says
Made it for Sunday Family Dinner. Everyone liked. Added it to my Instant Pot Recipe Book. Will definitely make it again. I also noticed you make it using ground beef instead of chicken. Will have to try that sometime.
Dee says
That's wonderful, Nina. Glad you you enjoyed the recipe! Shells and beef is so good -- hope you get a chance to try it!
Cindy Ellmaker says
Very good and Husband Approved. Makes several meals for the 2 of us. for me personally added extra cheese, will lessen the seasonings. I used Chunky Marinara and it worked just fine. Will definitely make again.
Dee says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Cindy. Thanks!
Marla says
This was delicious! My family loved it!
Thank you for a quick and easy yummy recipe!
Dee says
I'm so glad to hear this, Marla. Thank you so much!
DebbieT says
Fast, easy, ingredients generally on hand.... plus, husband loved it! This one's a keeper, and I'm sharing it on my facebook page... thank you for an excellent recipe! I made it with penne pasta, as that's what I had on hand. A tiny bit more toothy, but still quite amazing. Adding the parmesan kicks it over the top.
Dee says
Thank you so much, Debbie! I'm glad that your family enjoyed it!
Chris says
Delicious. I actually accidentally added all the ingredients before cooking. (heavy cream and cheese were supposed to be added after) But it still turned out awesome. Saving this and will definitely be making it again.
Dee says
So glad you liked the pasta, Chris! Thanks so much!
Maureen says
Hello! I’ve made this 3 times because I love its simplicity but I have a question: you say 5 minutes for pressure cook but my pasta is NEVER done in that time! I have to cook it for a good 15 or more minutes to even get the pasta to soften. What am I doing wrong?
Dee says
How odd. At 5 minutes, the pasta is definitely soft, so sometimes, I'll even reduce the time to 4 minutes for more al dente pasta. Are you cooking on high pressure? Are you using an Instant Pot brand of pressure cooker? Just throwing out some ideas here. What brand of pasta do you use? I use Barilla pasta, if that helps. I honestly don't know why your pasta is taking so long to cook, because 5 minutes should be enough.
Maureen says
Yes, I’m using the real Instant Pot. It’s on High Pressure. I use either Barilla or Muellers. This is the 3rd time. I’m starting to think I got a bad Instant Pot, maybe???
Dee says
I have heard of that happening, and I actually have one pot that is kind of finicky. The only other thing I can think of is maybe your seal is loose or needs replaced. I'm so sorry your pasta isn't getting done, since I know how frustrating that must be!
Jeff Sobel says
Would be nice to have complete nutrition info so I can see if its something I can eat
Melissa says
Hi. This looks delicious. I will be making it for the first time. How long do you saute the chicken for in the beginning?
Dee says
Just until it's no longer pink. It'll finish cooking under pressure
DEBORAH T RAY says
Wonderful recipe!!
Dee says
Thanks, Deborah. SO glad you enjoyed it!
Deborah Ray-Roberts says
Very good and easy. My family loved it.
Dee says
I'm so happy you liked the pasta, Deborah. Thanks!
Georgia says
What a wonderful flavor. Fast and easy. I will definitely make again.
Dee says
That's wonderful! I'm so glad you liked the recipe -- thanks! 🙂
Amy says
My grocery store was having a special on Turkey Italian Sausage, so I used that instead of chicken. Otherwise, I followed exactly and this was delicious. The best thing I’ve ever made in my Instant Pot. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Dee says
Aw, this totally makes my day! Thanks so much, Amy!