Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

I’ve been wanting to share this recipe for my super easy Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo forever, because it’s one of my favorite “last minute” meals. But since we have been eating mostly keto for over a year, I haven’t been buying much pasta. You know . . . kind of like “out of sight, out of mind”.

This recipe uses a jar of ready-made Alfredo sauce. Yes, I know how to make homemade Alfredo sauce, and yes, I know homemade is healthier. However, this is a No Judgement Zone, so use the jarred sauce if you want to.

I’m not a stickler for following directions exactly for recipes like this and sometimes I have to make some minor adjustments. I have used butter or vegetable oil instead of olive oil with negligible change to flavor. I almost always use minced garlic that comes in a jar in place of garlic cloves. Sometimes if I don’t have fettuccine, I’ll use spaghetti, egg noodles or bowtie pasta. If I’m running low on Parmesan, I will add shredded mozzarella to make up the difference. Finally, I rarely have fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves in the winter and will substitute dried parsley or dried basil. It’s all good!

And sometimes . . . I will even get a little creative and add a cup or so of chopped frozen broccoli or some sliced mushrooms.

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!

I love that everything cooks in one pot, from sautéing the chicken to cooking the pasta in the sauce. After I get the chicken and pasta cooking, I turn on the oven to pre-heat and after the oven is up to temperature, I’ll put some brown and serve rolls in the oven, plus either cut up a couple of simple lettuce and tomato salads or heat up a can of green beans.

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

Printable recipe

Prep 5-10 minutes, Cook time 20 minutes total (plus time to come to pressure)
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1lb total), cut into 1″ cubes
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1-2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
• about 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water (1/2 cup to deglaze the pot, 1-1/2 cup to rinse the sauce jar)
• 1 (15-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
• 8 ounces dried fettuccine pasta
• 1/2 -3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Optional: 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (basil works too)

Directions

1. Set Instant Pot on sauté. Add olive oil and when HOT is displayed, add the cut-up chicken. Stirring occasionally, sauté the chicken until it begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and salt, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through, 5-6 minutes.
2. Turn the Instant Pot off. Deglaze the bottom of the pot by adding a 1/2 cup of water and scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck-on chicken bits. Stir in the alfredo sauce. Save the jar and lid. Break the fettuccine in half, then spread evenly over the top of the chicken and alfredo sauce. DO NOT STIR.
3. Fill the alfredo sauce jar with water, put the lid back on and carefully shake the jar, and then pour the water over the pasta. DO NOT STIR.
4. Seal the pressure cooker. Select the Pressure Cook button, set time to
   cook for 8 minutes under HIGH pressure. It will take up to 15 minutes to come up to pressure
5. When the cook time is done, immediately do a quick release of the pressure. (I use the handle of a long wooden spoon just as a precautionary measure) Turn the Instant Pot off. Remove the lid and quickly stir in the Parmesan cheese.
   Put the lid back on and let the pot sit for 3-5 minutes so the cheese can melt
   and the sauce can thicken.
6. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 or 4 days. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop with a little water.

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I love my Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker. It’s 6 Quart Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté pan, Yogurt Maker, Warmer & Sterilizer. Cooks for up to 6 people and is good for meal prepping and batch cooking.

Enjoy!