Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

Prep Time 13 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo is a restaurant-style dinner that couldnโ€™t be any easier! Itโ€™s a true dump-and-go cooking method that results in tender pasta, thick, creamy sauce, and juicy chicken.

Why This Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Recipe Works

Let me introduce you to the new love of my life: this Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo!ย Inspired by recipes like my Homemade Alfredo Sauce, this pasta dinner has become a staple in my house for the following reasons:

  • Super creamy and comforting. The Alfredo sauce, made with heavy cream, nutty parmesan, fragrant garlic, and more, is perfectly rich and creamy. Smother some juicy chicken and tender pasta in it, and you’ve got the best dinner!
  • Quick and easy. This is a true dump-and-go, one-pot meal. That alone makes it a total Mom win in my book. Besides all this, I can make this Instant Pot chicken Alfredo quicker than I could go pick up takeout, and itโ€™s much cheaper than what you would pay at a restaurant.
  • Crowd-pleaser. Shredded chicken, heavy cream, and parmesan – whatโ€™s not to love? It is creamy pasta perfection, and I promise the whole family will inhale it and beg you to make it again tomorrow.
Cream, parmesan, garlic, lemon, chicken, broth, and dry pasta.

What You’ll Need

The key to spectacular flavor is good ingredients. Since this is such a simple, basic recipe, the ingredients really get a chance to shine. Hereโ€™s what youโ€™ll need (check out the recipe card below for exact quantities):

  • Chicken Stock – Feel free to use low sodium chicken stock, if you like.
  • Heavy Cream – Don’t substitute half and half or milk here, because both will curdle in the Instant Pot. Heavy cream, however, will not.
  • Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice is best, but you could substitute bottled lemon juice, if needed.
  • Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves give this dish the brightest flavor. Mince them or press them with a garlic press. If you donโ€™t have fresh, you can use garlic powder or garlic in a jar.
  • Seasoning – Simply add salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Pasta – I like to use dry fettuccine noodles, broken in half.
  • Chicken – This is a great way to use leftover shredded chicken. Alternatively, you can make your own Shredded Chicken or just buy a rotisserie chicken for an easier dinner.
  • Shredded Parmesan – Shredded parmesan cheese gives the sauce its signature flavor and thick, ultra-creamy texture.
Chicken, cream, and other ingredients in the Instant Pot.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

Itโ€™s very important to remember one thing about this cooking method: do not stir! You want all of the pasta covered in the cooking liquid, but stirring before the dish is done will really spoil the texture. Just poke and push the noodles under the liquid, if theyโ€™re sticking out.

Here’s how everything comes together (full directions can be found in the recipe card as well):

  • Place the ingredients in the Instant Pot. First, add the broth, heavy cream, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pot. Add the pasta next, and do not stir, just make sure all of the noodles are covered by gently pushing them into place. Finally, add the chicken. Itโ€™s fine if the chicken sticks out of the cooking liquid a bit.
  • Cook the ingredients. Lock the lid onto your instant pot, make sure the valve is sealed, and set your Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 7 minutes.ย 
  • Carefully release the pressure. Once the cooking is done, let the Instant Pot naturally release its pressure for 10 minutes before carefully sliding the valve to do a quick release of the remaining pressure.
  • Add the parmesan. Unlock the lid of the pressure cooker, and gradually stir in the parmesan cheese, until the pasta is creamy.ย 
  • Enjoy! Serve immediately, with your favorite sides.
Pasta and chicken in a large, shallow bowl.

Tips for Success

Doesnโ€™t that sound easy? Not to mention wholesome, free from artificial ingredients and preservatives, and totally delicious. Here are some additional recipe tips to make sure your Instant Pot Alfredo turns out perfectly:

  • Fresh is best. If you really want this dish to sing, make sure you use fresh lemon and fresh garlic. Powdered and bottled versions just donโ€™t have that bright, tongue-tingling flavor.
  • Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. You want to use good quality parmesan cheese. The freshly grated kind in the refrigerated section is great.
  • Don’t skip the natural pressure release. The Alfredo will continue to cook as the pressure naturally releases for 10 minutes, so don’t skip this part!

Substitutions & Recipe Variations

Want to switch things up a little? Feel free! Here are some changes that you could make to this chicken Alfredo Instant Pot recipe:

  • How to make vegetarian fettuccine Alfredo. If you want to skip the chicken and make a vegetarian version of this recipe, that works too! Just leave out the chicken, and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
  • Possible substitutions for the chicken. You can skip the chicken and top the Instant Pot Alfredo with shrimp or steak once itโ€™s done cooking, if you want. Yummy! Diced ham would also taste good.
  • Add vegetables. Lightly sautรฉed vegetables, like bell peppers or mushrooms, would be great as add-ins here. Steamed broccoli florets or sun-dried tomatoes are also good ideas for mix-ins!
  • Switch up the seasoning. Add Creole seasoning to kick up the heat a little bit.
Instant pot chicken alfredo served into a large, shallow dish. Lemon wedges and parmesan are nearby on the table.

What Goes With Chicken Alfredo?

To serve Instant Pot chicken Alfredo, I recommend adding an easy, veggie-heavy side dish or two. These are a couple of ideas that my family loves:

  • Stuffed avocado. A Caprese Stuffed Avocado is the perfect light salad option. With pesto, tomatoes, and balsamic dressing, itโ€™s amazing when served with creamy pasta.
  • Chopped salad. Green salad, tomatoes, bacon, and blue cheese make this Copycat Maggianoโ€™s Chopped Salad a firm favorite as a leafy main dish, but also as a generous side dish to share.
  • Buttery rolls. Store-bought or homemade rolls are a wonderfully warm, comfy side dish to serve. The flaky texture and buttery taste of Homemade Crescent Rolls will have everyone reaching for โ€œjust one more!โ€

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Leftover chicken Alfredo is pretty easy to store and save for later! Here’s how to do it:

  • To store. To store leftover Instant Pot chicken Alfredo, place the leftovers in an airtight container or a food storage bag, and place it in the fridge. The dish will keep for 3-4 days.
  • To reheat. To reheat, place the desired amount of chicken Alfredo in a covered skillet over low heat. Stir now and then until everything is warmed through. You can add a splash of cream if the dish seems a little dry.

Can I Freeze Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo?

Yes, you can, but keep in mind that the texture of the pasta and sauce may change and break down a bit after freezing and thawing. For the best results, cool the dish down, and pack it into a freezer bag or an airtight container. Mark with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes

You can make some pretty fabulous dinners in the Instant Pot! These are a few more of my favorites:

Pasta and chicken in creamy sauce in a bowl.
4.5 from 146 votes
Print Pin Recipe
Yield: 4

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo is rich, creamy, and so comforting! This family favorite pasta dinner is made in 30 minutes with juicy chicken, tender noodles, and homemade Alfredo sauce!
Prep Time13 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Additional Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ยฝ cups chicken stock
  • 1 ยฝ cups heavy cream
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • ยฝ pound dry fettuccine noodles, (8 oz) broken in half
  • 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
  • 12 ounces shredded parmesan cheese

Want to save this recipe?

We’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

Instructions 

  • Add the broth, cream, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and noodles to the instant pot in that order. DO NOT STIR, but make sure all noodles areย covered in the liquid (to do this, just gently push them until the fall below the liquid level).
  • Top pasta with chicken. Place lid onto instant pot, lock the lid and close the seal to the pressure cook setting.
  • Set your Instant Pot to Manual pressure on high for 7 minutes and then let it naturally release its pressure for an additional 10 minutes then do a quick release.
  • Gradually stir in the parmesan cheese, until creamy. Serve immediately!

Notes

  • Storage: To store leftover Instant Pot chicken Alfredo, place the leftovers in an airtight container or a food storage bag, and place it in the fridge. The dish will keep for 3 – 4 days.
  • Reheating: To reheat, place the desired amount of chicken Alfredo in a covered skillet over low heat. Stir now and then until warmed through. You can add a splash of cream if the dish seems a little dry.
  • Freezing: Keep in mind that the texture of the pasta and sauce may change and break down a bit after freezing and thawing. For the best results, cool the dish down, and pack it into a freezer bag or an airtight container. Mark with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 833kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 55g, Fat: 61g, Saturated Fat: 37g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 215mg, Sodium: 1721mg, Sugar: 5g

Categories:

Instant Pot Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo image collage.

Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Related Posts

Comments

We LOVE hearing from you! Submit your question or comment here and don’t forget to leave a rating! Click the icon below to upload a pic of your creation!

Recipe Rating:




111 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

This is my “go to” recipe for alfredo now. SO good and SO easy! My picky 8 year old requests this often!

Absolutely perfect! I was skeptical- Alfredo in an instant pot? Heck yeah! The lemon adds brightness and a bit of acid to cut the cream (I used half and half). The noodles were perfect and I cut in 3oz of cream cheese and a dash or two of cayenne for a bite. I baked lemon pepper chicken in the oven and this is my new go to. Yum!

It was wayyy too cheesy. I used shredded Parmesan from a bag since Iโ€™m definitely not grating that much. It was clumpy/string and just wat overpowering, not creamy like I had hoped. Maybe half that amount? But I canโ€™t figure out how it wasnโ€™t too cheesy for you??โ€โ™€๏ธ

It turned out that way because you used shredded cheese and didn’t add it in slow enough. Try the grated cheese and stir in VERY slow!

I added a little more liquid, but very happy with the way it turned out! One pot/instant pot meals are my fav. Thank you for this!!

Can I add broccoli to this

This is my “go to” recipe for alfredo now. SO good and SO easy! My picky 8 year old requests this often!

This was Amazing, everything cooked perfectly including the noodles The flavor was great and I liked the fresh squeezed lemon juice, everyone enjoyed it!!! Will definitely make it again, Thank Youโค๏ธ

Very tasty. I did sub out milk for the cream, only because we’re watching our calorie intake. I also added some lemon rind because we love lemon. The noodles were a bit more al dante for my preference, so will maybe increase pressure time by 2 minutes. I even let it sit 5 more minutes after NR.

I followed the recipe exactly as posted and used bags of shredded Parmesan cheese. Fettuccini was cooked perfectly. ย No burn notice. I weighed out exact amounts. But… ย the flavor was not good to me. It was way too tangy, probably because of the lemon juice. ย I used the juice of 1 lemon. ย I prefer a more butter taste. Maybe without the lemon juice….ย 

This came out amazing. Tasted great. I will use 1/2 cup more of the heavy cream to make it a bit creamer but it was a hit at the dinner table tonight. We added steamed broccoli after mixing in the Parmesan cheese & it was yummy! Thanks for the recipe, will definitely be made again!

Hi, thanks for your delicious recipe. If I want to use penne, will I have to change the time? If I double or triple this recipe will I have to increase the time? Thanks

This recipe is so delicious! But I usually have leftovers and Iโ€™m not sure how to best re-warm them. It ends up very oily next day. Any ideas?

I prepared it exactly like the recipe stated and it burned and did not cook the noodles throughly. What did I do wrong?

This turned out great! Very tasty. Next time though I will add a minute or two to cook time. A few noodles were alittle aldente and Iโ€™ll add alittle more both. Thanks for the yummy and easy recipe!ย 

Hi,
Is the Manual setting is different the button pressure cook? When I hit manual nothing happens. Can I do this recipe for 7 at pressure cook setting ?ย 

Please help

do I have to use heavy cream? I want to make it but not with heavy cream.

How can I add mushrooms or broccoli to this?

If I wanted to add broccoli to this, would I add it at the beginning and cook it together or cook separately and stir in at the end? And would there be enough sauce if I did both chicken and broccoli? ย Thanks!

Iโ€™m using penne instead of noodles, does that mean I need to change the cooking time?

I got a burn notice not long after the insta pot had finally reached pressure. What do I do when this happens. Has it happened to anyone else with this recipe? I turned it off. Released pressure. Stired it. Closed and turned back on. Hoping it turns out okay.

Delicious! ย My sauce was a little thin but thatโ€™s on me. I misread the recipe and didnโ€™t have enough parm. Even still it was a huge hit and so easy! ย 

Thank You For Being Here!

Jessica
For the past 15 years, Jorge & Jessica have loved getting to share their families' favorite recipes with all of you. They live in Florida with their 3 kids.