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!
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.
You may also like to check out this Instant Pot Rigatoni , Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, or this Easy Tomato Cream Sauce.
Ingredients & Supplies
Here are the ingredients and supplies that you need to make Chicken Alfredo 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
Lemon
By adding lemon zest and lemon juice to your Chicken Alfredo (like Giada does) it adds a beautiful note of brightness (acid) and balances some of the heaviness of the cream and carbs. I highly recommend not skipping the lemon!
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
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 saute mode. Add the butter and melt. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Turn the saute 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.
- Add the diced chicken on top. Then sprinkle with the onion powder, 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.
- 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.
- Serve warm!
Pro Tips
Here are a few tips to make sure your Chicken Alfredo turns out perfect!
- Do not overcook your garlic. It just needs about 1 minute in the butter to become fragrant.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the parmesan cheese in two batches. This prevents the cheese from becoming one big clump.
FAQ and Troubleshooting
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.
Add a little extra milk, cream or chicken broth to thin it out.
With a wooden spoon tap the vent closed and let it natural release for a minute, then try again.
No, you can pressure cook with heavy cream. The higher fat content will stabilize it during cooking!
Doubling
You can absolutely double this recipe. No need to change the time, stick with a 6 minute high pressure cook and quick release.
Make It A Meal
To make this Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo a meal I would add a green salad with a vinaigrette dressing and some warm crusty bread. Nothing better than a big pasta dinner!
Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
We have 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:
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Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 plump garlic cloves chopped
- 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 8 oz fettuccine pasta broken in half
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into ½ inch pieces
- onion powder
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on to saute mode. Add the butter and melt. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Turn the saute mode off.
- Pour in the chicken broth, cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Give it a stir to distribute the 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 in the liquid.
- Add the chicken on top. Then sprinkle with the onion powder, 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.
- 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 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.
Notes:
Doubling The Recipe
You can absolutely double this recipe, stick with the same cook time – 6 min high pressure and quick release.Tips
- Do not overcook your garlic. It just needs about 1 minute in the butter to become fragrant.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the parmesan cheese in two batches. This prevents the cheese from becoming one big clump.
Troubleshooting
- After adding the cheese the sauce is still too thin. Turn the saute 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.
- The sauce got too thick. Add in a little extra milk, cream, or chicken broth to thin it out.
- 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.
If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.
Lauren
It’s starting to get cold here in Washington and we’ve made this at least 3 times in the last two weeks. Perfect every time, thank you!
Brenda Eichelberg
Excellent! Entire family loved it.
Donna
Hi, can you use fresh pasta for this or will it be too mushy?
Susie Weinrich
I wouldn’t use fresh pasta in the Instant Pot (although I haven’t tried it). I would guess it will turn into mush.
Caroline
I loved it!
Clement Khoo
I’m going to try out this simple recipe but I’ve got two questions. What is lemon zest & can I use minced garlic that comes in a bottle instead of chopping up two cloves of garlic? Thanks. Clement.
Susie Weinrich
Lemon zest is basically the peel of a fresh lemon. But you only want the yellow lemon rind, not the white pith underneath. Use a rasp or fine grater to get the zest off the lemon. You can absolutely use the bottled chopped garlic!
Steven Moshlak
When do you add the cream?
Susie Weinrich
It goes in when you add the broth, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Maddie
This was one of my first recipes using my Instant Pot and it turned out great! The instructions were easy to follow and made me feel successful with my new kitchen appliance! We will definitely make it again.
(loved the lemon in the sauce!)
Beth
This was great! It was easy enough for my first try with the instant pot. Should have doubled it for my 2 teenagers and my husband and myself. I did not see anywhere how much parmesan cheese to put in so I just guessed at 1 cup. It tasted great! Thumbs up from my whole family!