Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta is a super easy recipe made with chicken, penne pasta, lemon, cream cheese and Parmesan. It’s creamy, delicious and kid approved!

If you’re looking for a lighter Instant Pot pasta recipe, allow me to present this quick and easy Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta! It’s fresh, lemony, creamy and not heavy at all — perfect for spring and summer dinners!

You guys, I am so excited about this chicken dinner! Why? Well, my pickiest eater actually went back for seconds, and that almost never happens!

That’s how I gauge kid friendliness with my recipes. So, if you’re trying to find Instant Pot recipes that your kids or picky eaters will actually eat, this lemon chicken pasta has passed the test!

Best of all, this Instant Pot chicken recipe is ready in 30 minutes and super easy to make. It’s perfect for busy days, it’s freezer friendly, and it reheats well. What’s not to love about a recipe like this?!

How to Make Lemon Chicken Pasta in the Instant Pot

I based this recipe on a one pot version of lemon chicken pasta. But we like this Instant Pot version even better — no standing over the stove or keeping an eye on dinner!

All you do is saute the chicken, and season it well. I used Herbes de Provence, which is perfect for this lemon chicken recipe because it really complements the lemon flavor.  I think it adds extra freshness to the dish and really brightens it up.

You only need to cook the chicken until it’s no longer pink. Then, add in the juice of half a lemon, and layer penne pasta over the chicken.

I used only 3 cups of water for cooking the pasta because as you can see, there is a lot of water from the chicken and lemon juice. If your chicken is dryer and you don’t see that much liquid, you can use 4 cups of water for the pasta.

After pressure cooking, stir in some cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and the juice from the other half of the lemon. As it cools, the sauce will thicken up and be perfect — not too thick and not too thin.

Then, I like to throw in fresh, chopped parsley for extra flavor. You could also add fresh spinach or peas at this point.

Top with extra lemon slices, parsley and Parm for extra flavor if you want. Then, enjoy this delicious creamy lemon chicken pasta!

If you want to round out the meal, serve easy Lemon Bars for dessert!  Yum!

Can I Double the Recipe?

Yes, you can double the recipe ingredients, but do NOT double the cook time.

What Can I use Instead of Herbes de Provence

If you can’t find Herbes de Provence, just add Italian seasoning. It will taste slightly different, but it’s an easy substitution.

More Easy Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

• Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta
• Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
• Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini
• Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Pasta

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Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta is a super easy recipe made with chicken, penne pasta, lemon, cream cheese and Parmesan. It's creamy, delicious and kid approved!

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, instant pot, lemon, pasta

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

pressure time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 24 minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 333kcal

Author: Dee

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence seasoning
• 1 lemon cut in half, juice of, divided
• 16 ounces penne pasta
• 3 cups water
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

• Hit SAUTE on the Instant Pot, and when it reads Hot, add the olive oil and chicken
• Season with sea salt, garlic powder, pepper and Herbes de Provence, stir, and cook until no longer pink
• Hit CANCEL. Add juice of half the lemon, then add the penne pasta over the chicken, and pour water over and around pasta. Do not stir
• Place lid on Instant Pot, turn vent to Sealing, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 4 minutes
• Pot will take a few minutes to reach pressure, then start counting down and cook for 4 minutes
• When pot beeps, do a quick release
• When pin drops, remove lid, and stir everything together
• Gradually stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese until well blended
• Add remaining lemon juice and parsley, if using
• Sauce will thicken as it cools

Notes

Recipe was made in 6 quart Instant Pot, but it can be made in 8 quart without changing ingredients or cook time. 

If chicken does not yield much water after cooking, add 4 cups water for cooking pasta.

Can substitute Italian seasoning mix for Herbes de Provence

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 6.3mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1.1mg

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I hope you enjoy this easy, creamy Instant Pot lemon chicken pasta as much as we do!