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You are here: Home / Recipes / Instant Pot Pasta

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Alfredo

By Susie Weinrich · Date Jan 28, 2021· 34 Comments · May contain affiliate links.

a bowl of really creamy chicken alfredo pasta with a fork twirling the pasta
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo pin image with text overlay
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This Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Alfredo is not only SO easy to make in your electric pressure cooker, it is SO flavorful! The chicken broth adds depth to the alfredo sauce, the cream and parmesan are perfectly, well, creamy, and the lemon adds a bright acid note that makes this a 5 star recipe!! If you want to try pasta in your Instant Pot then I definitely recommend you start with this Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo recipe!

a bowl of really creamy chicken alfredo pasta with a fork twirling the pasta

If you do not have an Instant Pot you can absolutely make this recipe on the stove top. Just follow the instructions over at Creamy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.

If you are looking to make pasta in your Instant Pot you may also like to check out this Instant Pot Spaghetti with Jar Sauce, Instant Pot Rigatoni , or Instant Pot Mac and Cheese.

Table of Contents hide
1 Ingredients & Supplies
2 Parmesan Cheese
3 How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
4 Doubling The Recipe
5 Side Dish Ideas
6 Storing and Reheating
7 Pro Tips
8 FAQ and Troubleshooting
9 Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
10 Did you make this recipe?
11 Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Ingredients & Supplies

Here are the ingredients and supplies that you need to make this Chicken Alfredo recipe in your Instant Pot:

  • Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker (I use the 6qt)
  • butter
  • garlic
  • chicken broth
  • heavy whipping cream
  • fettuccine pasta
  • chicken
  • 1 lemon
  • onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Ingredients on a counter
Ingredients Clockwise: Chicken broth, salt and pepper, fettuccine, parmesan, butter, onion powder, garlic, lemon, heavy cream and chicken.

Lemon

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo is a super rich dish, which can be a little heavy on the palate.

A perfect way to enhance the flavor of alfredo is adding lemon juice and lemon zest (like Giada does). It adds a beautiful note of brightness (acid) and balances some of the heaviness of the cream and carbs.

Don’t skipping the lemon!

Heavy Cream

Definitely make sure that you use HEAVY CREAM in this recipe! The fat content of true heavy cream stabilizes it in the pressure cooker.

It is also what mixes with the butter and starch to thicken into a perfect Alfredo sauce.

If you sub a half and half or milk, you run the risk of it curdling in the Instant Pot.

Chicken

This Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken breast cut into ½ inch pieces.

You can absolutely sub in boneless skinless chicken thighs or a mixture of the two.

As always we recommend using an air chilled chicken. It has consistent texture and taste that is superior to traditional chicken!

Fettuccine

Fettuccine is a type of long pasta that looks like a wide and flat spaghetti noodle. You can easily find it in any grocery store.

I have also made this recipe with linguine and has worked just fine! A linguine noodle looks just like fettuccine but is less wide and thinner.

Parmesan Cheese

Definitely use fresh shredded parmesan cheese to make your alfredo. Using a powder shaker of parmesan will not give you the same texture or flavor.

We always recommend buying the best parmesan you can. If you are able to buy a wedge that comes from a larger wheel that has the parmesan stamp on the rind, absolutely buy it! It will be delicious.

How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo

If you are a visual learner you can pop over to Pinterest and watch me make this recipe on a 30 minute Episode of Pinterest TV.

This Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo is pretty easy to make. Once you get it all in the Instant Pot you are hands off:

Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode. Add the butter and melt. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Turn the sauté mode off.

Pour in the chicken broth, cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Give it a stir to distribute the lemon zest.

Break the pasta in half. Add it to the pot about ¼ at a time, layering in a crisscross pattern. This will help the pasta not all cook together in one clump. Lightly press and shimmy the pasta with a wooden spoon to make sure it is in the liquid.

fettuccine in the Instant Pot with liquid
showing how to criss cross fettuccine in the Instant Pot

Add the raw diced chicken on top of the pasta. Then sprinkle with the onion powder, kosher salt, and pepper.

Pop the lid on, turn the pressure vent to seal, and set to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Do a quick release, this will take a few minutes…

Open the pot and stir the pasta and liquid. It will still be pretty “soupy”, that is ok! Let it sit for 5 minutes. This allows the pasta starches to thicken the cream/liquid.

chicken on top of the fettuccine in the instant pot
Instant Pot chicken alfredo that is cooked but not finished

Now add half the parmesan cheese, give it a good stir to combine. Add in the other half of the cheese and stir. By adding half the cheese at a time you help prevent clumping.

Let the Chicken Alfredo sit for another 5-10 minutes to thicken before serving.

Doubling The Recipe

This recipe only calls for 8 oz. of fettuccine and 1 large chicken breast. How many that feeds is completely up to you… at one house that might feed 4 people, at another it might only feed 1 person!

But, you can absolutely double this recipe, there are many comments on Mom’s Dinner and on Pinterest from people that have doubled and tripled the recipe! No problem.

No need to change the cook time when doubling or tripling, stick with a 6 minute high pressure cook and quick release.

TIP FOR DOUBLING AND TRIPLING: When you use the Mom’s Dinner recipe card you can easily change the measurements to the amount of people you are serving.

In the recipe card below simply hover over the “servings” and a slider will appear, move it up or down to the amount of people you have and it will adjust the ingredients!

Side Dish Ideas

To make this Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo a meal add a green salad with a basil vinaigrette dressing or a Big Italian Salad and some warm crusty bread. Some haricot verts (green beans) would also be a great addition.

a table with red wine, crusty bread and a bowl of instant pot chicken alfredo

Nothing better than a big pasta dinner!

Storing and Reheating

Store any leftover Alfredo in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Alfredo is notorious for the cream and butter/oil separating when you reheat. The nice thing about this recipe is that there is not a ton of butter, so you don’t need to worry about it separating a ton!

Simply add a splash of milk or broth give it a stir and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir again and microwave for another 30 seconds.

Pro Tips

Here are a few tips to make sure your Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo recipe turns out perfect!

  1. Do not overcook your garlic. It just needs about 1 minute in the butter to become fragrant.
  2. When you add your pasta to the pot make sure you break it in half and then layer it in 4 layers, in a crisscross pattern. This will help the pasta not clump together.
  3. Let the pasta rest for 5 minutes after the quick release and after you add the cheese. This allows the natural pasta starches to thicken the liquid.
  4. Add the parmesan cheese in two batches. This prevents the cheese from becoming one big clump.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Alfredo sauce too thin after cooking

Turn the sauté mode on low and stir constantly while the heat thickens the cream sauce. Be careful that it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pot. Also stir in a little extra parmesan cheese to thicken.

Alfredo sauce is too thick

Add a little extra milk, cream or chicken broth to thin it out.

Liquid is spattering during venting

With a wooden spoon tap the vent closed and let it natural release for a minute, then try again.

Will heavy cream curdle in the Instant Pot

No, you can pressure cook with heavy cream. The higher fat content will stabilize it during cooking!

Should I cut my chicken before adding it?

Yes, you want to cut your chicken breast into ½ inch pieces so they cook quickly with the pasta. This also eliminates the step of cutting the hot chicken after it cooks in the Instant Pot.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream for Alfredo?

No. When you are making a cream sauce like this Alfredo in the Instant Pot it is imperative that you use heavy cream and not milk or half and half. The fat in the heavy cream stabilizes it in the Instant Pot and will ensure it doesn’t curdle.

Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

There are quite a few Instant Pot Chicken Recipes on Mom’s Dinner, but here are some that we highly recommend you put on your “must make” list:

  • a bowl of chicken chili topped with sour cream and two limes
    30 Minute Instant Pot Chicken Chili
  • chicken and dumplings in a white bowl with two spoons
    Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
  • Coq Au Vin in a bowl
    Instant Pot Coq Au Vin

Susie leaning on the kitchen counter

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Did you make this recipe?

I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me

Rate This Recipe→
a white bowl of the very best chicken alfredo that is creamy and cheesy, being twirled on a fork

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Creamy Chicken Alfredo recipe that is made right in your Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker). Fettuccine noodles are mixed with bite sized chicken, cream sauce and parmesan cheese. It's a great Instant Pot pasta dinner with simple ingredients!
You can also watch this recipe being made on a 30 minute Pinterest TV Episode here.
4.88 from 24 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes minutes
Pressure, Venting and Rest time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 41 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 to 4 people
Calories: 709kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 2 plump garlic cloves - chopped
  • 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 8 oz fettuccine pasta - broken in half (linguine works too)
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast - cut into ½ inch pieces
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode (normal heat). Add the butter and melt.
    Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Turn the saute mode off.
    2 tablespoon butter, 2 plump garlic cloves
  • Pour in the chicken broth, cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Give it a stir to distribute the lemon zest.
    1 ¾ cups chicken broth, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Add the pasta, about ¼ at a time.
    Break it in half, adding each layer to the pot in a crisscross pattern.
    This will help the pasta not all cook together in one clump. Lightly press on the pasta with a wooden spoon to make sure it is all touching the liquid.
    8 oz fettuccine pasta
    showing how to criss cross fettuccine in the Instant Pot
  • Add the chicken on top. Then sprinkle with the onion powder, salt, and pepper.
    1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper to taste
  • Pop the lid on, turn the pressure vent to seal, and set to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
    At the end of the cook time do a quick release, this will take a few minutes..
  • Open the pot and stir the pasta and liquid. It will still be pretty "soupy", that is ok!
    Let it sit for 5 minutes.
  • Now add half the parmesan cheese, give it a good stir to combine. Add in the other half of the cheese and stir.
    By adding half the cheese at a time you help prevent clumping.
    1 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
  • Let the Chicken Alfredo sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
  • Serve warm!

Leftovers

  • Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Reheat leftovers in the microwave or stove top with a splash of milk or chicken broth.
    Microwave 30 seconds, stir, microwave another 30 seconds.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

Doubling The Recipe

You can absolutely double or triple this recipe, stick with the same cook time – 6 min high pressure and quick release.
Simply hover over the “servings” at the top of the recipe card. Move the slider that appears to how many people you are serving. It will change the ingredient measurements for you!

Tips

  1. Do not overcook your garlic. It just needs about 1 minute in the butter to become fragrant.
  2. When you add your pasta to the pot make sure you break it in half and then layer it in 4 layers, in a crisscross pattern. This will help the pasta not clump together.
  3. Let the pasta rest for 5 minutes after the quick release and after you add the cheese. This allows the natural pasta starches to thicken the liquid.
  4. Add the parmesan cheese in two batches. This prevents the cheese from becoming one big clump.

Troubleshooting

  1. After adding the cheese the sauce is still too thin. Turn the sauté mode on low and stir constantly while the heat thickens the cream sauce. But be careful that it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pot.
  2. The sauce got too thick. Add in a little extra milk, cream, or chicken broth to thin it out.
  3. Liquid is spattering during the venting. With a wooden spoon tap the vent closed and let it natural release for a minute and then try again.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 709kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 994mg | Potassium: 708mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1317IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 369mg | Iron: 2mg

About Susie Weinrich

Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

Comments

    4.88 from 24 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. maria says

    February 06, 2025 at 7:48 am

    5 stars
    Best recipe I’ve tried! My family couldn’t stop eating it

    Reply
  2. Anna says

    October 08, 2024 at 8:35 pm

    Can you use frozen chicken breasts in this recipe? Would the noodles overcook? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      October 09, 2024 at 7:13 am

      I think the noodles would overcook before the chicken is done. I would thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight and then use it as written.

      Reply
  3. Anna Johnston says

    August 25, 2024 at 8:08 pm

    5 stars
    Add some white pepper & then lemon on top at the end it’s so amazing best texture, everything cooked perfectly and I double the recipe!

    Reply
  4. Amanda Milovich says

    February 22, 2024 at 6:45 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. It tastes very lemony, which I suppose I should have expected because of the lemon, but it an unusual but tasty choice. The cook time was also absolutely fine, contrary to the other commenter. 100% will make this again.

    Reply
  5. Amanda Melvin says

    February 11, 2024 at 6:02 pm

    It’s my husband’s birthday and this dish his fav. I searched recipes n toggled page to the images handed him my phone n told him pick what looked good. Somehow from up above the recipe he chose was for instant pot! How cool is that! So it has just now switched from build pressure 2 cook and it smells just amazing right now. I don’t even prefer Alfredo but I must say ,y tummy is a rumbly! Will update upon first bite I absolutely cannot wait, it’s a no nonsense 1 pot dinner 4 the masses thank u momsdinner 4 doing what u do! Xoxoxo

    Reply
  6. Tammy says

    January 03, 2023 at 8:18 pm

    3 stars
    6 minutes cooking was woefully inadequate. I recognized this, and bumped up time by 1 minute … still not enough. Was this recipe even tested???

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      January 04, 2023 at 9:22 am

      I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. You are the first person to not give this 5 stars… on here and Pinterest. To troubleshoot this, here are a couple things to check especially if you are finding a lot of Instant Pot recipes don’t cook in the time written in recipe cards.
      1. Is your sealing ring still in tact or is it wearing out? Does it need to be replaced?
      2. Check that the sealing ring is totally in place. If it is out of wack at all your Instant Pot will not pressurize completely.
      3. Is your pot set to cook on high pressure automatically? Sometimes pots will be set for “low” or “normal” pressure. This recipe is written for high pressure.

      I hope this helps and you will give it a try again or try another Instant Pot recipe from Mom’s Dinner!

      Reply
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Susie Weinrich is a professional food photographer and recipe developer. Her thoroughly tested recipes and step-by-step guides give readers confidence in the kitchen.

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