This Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Tastes Just Like the Creamy Classic

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
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updated Aug 22, 2022
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Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo is an shortcut dinner that tastes just like the creamy classic.

Serves6 to 8

Prep15 minutes

Cook20 minutes

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Credit: Joe Lingeman

When we first discovered the magic of Instant Pot spaghetti, we didn’t just create one new recipe. We unlocked a formula for protein plus pasta plus jarred sauce, meaning a whole new world of quick and easy pasta dinners at our fingertips.

Instant Pot chicken Alfredo takes advantage of both the Instant Pot’s sauté function and its pressure-cooking ability, while shortcutting the sauce with a favorite jarred version. That means this creamy classic is easy to make anytime with just a few kitchen pantry staples.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Amp Up Your Jarred Alfredo Sauce

If you own an Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker), you can make this chicken Alfredo tonight. You’ll cook the chicken for a few minutes on sauté, add a jar of Alfredo sauce and some water, toss in the halved fettuccini noodles, then bring the whole thing up to pressure.

To amp up the flavor of the jarred Alfredo sauce, you’ll add a healthy dose of garlic to the chicken while it cooks, then a handful of grated Parmesan cheese and a bunch of fresh parsley at the end just before serving.

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Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo is an shortcut dinner that tastes just like the creamy classic.

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes

Serves 6 to 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons

    olive oil

  • 2

    large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total), cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 4 cloves

    garlic, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 2 cups

    water, divided

  • 1 (15-ounce) jar

    Alfredo sauce

  • 8 ounces

    dried fettuccine pasta

  • 1/2 cup

    finely grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1/4 cup

    finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions

  1. Turn on an electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot to sauté. Once heated, add the olive oil, followed by the chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes more.

  2. Turn the pressure cooker off. Add 1/2 cup of the water and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Add the alfredo sauce and stir to combine well. Using your hands, break the fettuccine in half, then place it evenly over the chicken-alfredo mixture. Do not stir from this point on.

  3. Rinse the alfredo sauce jar with the remaining 1 1/2 cups water (pour the water into the jar, cover, and shake gently) and then pour the water over the pasta. Remember — no stirring here.

  4. Seal the pressure cooker. Use the manual setting to set the pressure cooker to cook for 8 minutes under HIGH pressure. It will take 10 to 12 minutes to come up to pressure.

  5. When the cook time is done, immediately do a quick release of the pressure. Turn the pressure cooker off. Open it, add the Parmesan, and stir quickly to combine. Cover the pressure cooker again and let sit for 3 minutes for the cheese to melt and the sauce to thicken. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Filed in:
Cheese
Chicken
children
dairy
dinner
easy