Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
by Chungah
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
A one pot, no fuss, no babysitting dinner! Even the uncooked pasta cooks right in the IP, soaking up all that creamy goodness!
Featured Comment
Hands down best/easiest alfredo sauce!! I have tried many alfredo recipes before and oftentimes are too thick or the flavor lacks. This was SPECTACULAR — thin, but just enough flavor to coat the noodles. Served with a side of broccoli. Adding this one to the tried and true recipe book!
Why this instant pot chicken alfredo recipe works
- Short ingredient list. Skip the jarred sauce! This Instant Pot recipe requires minimal ingredients, most of which are pantry staples. After this, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought sauce again.
- Super speedy dinner. Homemade alfredo sauce is so much easier to make than you think, coming together very quickly in just 30 minutes, start to finish, making weeknight dinners feel so effortless.
- No babysitting, no fuss. Thanks to the Instant Pot®, this is truly a one pot dinner where even the uncooked pasta gets cooked right in the IP, soaking up all the saucy, silky, cheesy goodness along with the juicy bites of chicken.
- Picky-eater approved. This is a great recipe to sneak in all the veggies (leafy greens, mushrooms, peas or broccoli florets) for those picky eaters!
What is alfredo sauce?
Alfredo sauce is a creamy, silky, rich pasta sauce made of butter, garlic, Parmesan, and heavy cream, commonly served over fettuccine noodles and paired with chicken or seafood.
How to make chicken alfredo in the instant pot
- Season. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts can be used here.
- Cook the chicken. Using the high sauté setting of your IP, cook the chicken and garlic until golden brown before setting aside. We love using this quick weeknight hack for garlic!
- Deglaze. Deglaze the bottom of the IP with a little bit of white wine (this helps prevent the burn signal while also adding deep flavor to the alfredo sauce). Need a non-alcoholic substitute? Chicken stock can be used instead.
- Make the sauce. Add everything to the IP (including the uncooked fettuccine noodles broken in half), keeping everyone saucy and happy. Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes, natural releasing for at least 5 minutes.
- Stir. Stir everything together, letting the pasta absorb all the sauce. The sauce may seem a little runny at first, but it will thicken as it sits.
- Serve. Add the finishing touches of freshly grated Parmesan, salt, pepper and parsley, and serve with crusty bread and a salad.
what to serve with chicken alfredo
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts?
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Do I have to use white wine?
Additional chicken stock can be used for white wine as a non-alcoholic substitute.
What is heavy cream?
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Can I substitute something else for the fettuccine noodles?
Penne or rotini would work very well here!
Why is the Instant Pot spraying sauce?
Pasta is very starchy, causing foam to spray from the valve. Natural release for 5 minutes first, then carefully pulse the steam release valve to allow the foam to settle until the pressure is fully released.
How can I store leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, adding a splash of chicken stock as needed when reheating.
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
A one pot, no fuss, no babysitting dinner! Even the uncooked pasta cooks right in the IP, soaking up all that creamy goodness!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces fettuccini noodles, broken in half
- 3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Season chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Melt butter; add chicken, and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute; set aside chicken.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in chicken stock, heavy cream and pasta; top with chicken. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 6 minutes. When finished cooking, natural-release for 5 minutes first, then quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Stir pasta; let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until half the liquid has reduced, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan until melted, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your alfredo sauce. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Freshly grated cheese goes a long way. While pre-grated Parmesan cheese will save a few minutes in the kitchen, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or domestic Parmesan is ideal. This gives the favorited rich, nutty flavors of alfredo sauce, creating a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Let the pressure naturally reduce for a few minutes. Letting it sit for about 5 minutes will help avoid a sudden burst of starchy water from the release valve.
- Mix it up. Swap out the fettuccine noodles for penne or rotini, use chicken breasts (or tenders) instead of thighs or add in leafy greens, mushrooms, peas or broccoli florets for sneaked-in veggies and nutrition.
- Use a bigger Instant Pot when doubling. When doubling the recipe, opt for an 8-qt Instant Pot® instead to allow for enough room, filling just before the max line.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Could you please tell me what I can use to make this dish if I do not have a slow cooker.
Thank you.
Hi Amanda! You can use this recipe instead. 🙂
https://damndelicious.net/2014/10/11/one-pot-garlic-parmesan-pasta/
I need to feel 10 adults…would I double or triple this recipe? Also do I double or triple all the ingrédients? I want to make this for a my grand daughter Birthday in 2 weeks….
Haven’t tried it for this reason…. for those of us who don’t have an instant pot, can you include directions in the notes for crockpot use? Thanks!
Oh, my goodness. Fixed this tonight…1/22/26. Out of this world good. The kids wanted more. Can this recipe be doubled. Thanks for your delicious recipes!
The whole family enjoyed it. And it was easy to cook in the instant pot. I took a shortcut and got chicken that was already cut up into bite-size pieces. The wine did not have a very strong taste so I think that’s why others liked it.
Can you make this in a crock pot (obviously longer cooking time required)?
Added some sautéed mushrooms at the end (Trader Joe’s Mushroom Medley) and that really kicked this dish up a notch! Reheated nicely the next day for leftovers. I was worried about a big mess during the release as others have experienced, so just in case I held a towel over my machine during the release, but it wasn’t necessary. No issues with this recipe for me. Adding it to the rotation!
I was nervous at when I first took the lid of because the sauce looked to thin… then I jumped into the comments and others have said the same thing ..
I actually let the mixture stand for about 6 minutes and then added the cheese. It thickened up.. IT WAS SOOO GOOD!! I will make this again!!
My word of advice concerning this recipe is to be familiar with operation of the insta-pot before you start. I overcooked mine because i didnt understand well enough how the machine worked.
And most certainly cover the vent with a cloth, not a paper towel, before you release the pressure. It REALLY spews for about 2 minutes.
The sauce looks too thin until you mix in the parmesan, but then it thickens up.
I will likely make this again, and thosr are words I rarely say for online recipes.
Covering the vent on a pressure cooker is a major safety hazard.
Sounds delish! If the wine was omitted, does it need to be substitued with anything else? Thank you!
Try living on the edge and use the 1/4 cup of wine.
Not everyone drinks alcohol, Adam!
When you cook with wine or any alcohol it dissipates. The alcohol evaporates
Substitute with chicken stock or water, but it really wouldn’t make a big difference besides probably making the sauce thicker.
OMG. Damn Delicious as promised. Made exactly as recipe stated and perfect. I loved everything I’ve tried from Chunga. Never disappoints
I thought this was very good.
Very delish. I was leary about putting the heavy cream in at the beginning. Omitted the wine tho 10/10
How many people does this feed? Couldn’t find any mention anywhere!
The recipe lists the number of servings in the recipe box above. It yields 4 servings. 🙂
While we didn’t find this as great as the reviews made it sound, it was still pretty good for being a relatively easy and fast meal. Even though I deglazed the pot with the wine, I got the dreaded “burn” message on my Instant Pot, but luckily scraping down the bottom worked and it was able to fully cook. I doubled the recipe in my 6 qt. IP and it worked fine. When it came time to do a quick release, I threw a wet washcloth over the nozzle to avoid the spray issue others have noted; use tongs to fling the (very very hot) cloth into the sink after it’s finished depressurizing.
This turned out so much better than I expected. I doubled the recipe and cooked on high pressure for 10 minutes before doing a natural release. There was a lot of liquid left and I was worried it was ruined, but I followed the directions and let it sit for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. It just continued to thicken and, after I added the cheese, the IP was filled with this creamy dish with tender chicken and perfectly cooked pasta.
The ease of the recipe and the taste was great! Giving four stars instead of 5 because the quick release after pressure cooking misted buttery cream all over my kitchen cupboards and window.
This was delicious and fulfilling, I had to tack on a few extra minutes for the pressure relief. All in all, it was delicious.
This was really good! I think I put a little over 8oz of fettuccini so some were Al Dante but the flavors were on point! Will double the recipe next time and cook the chicken thighs longer they kinda looked like they weren’t fully cooked but it could just be the meat idk but it was really good!
Amazing recipes