This Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Pasta is comfort food at its best. Easy to whip up in the instant pot – a 10 minute meal! Every bite is loaded with tender chicken, perfect pasta – and of course – lots of cheese!
Cheesy Chicken Pasta
Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Pasta is so dreamy and so creamy! Super satisfying, with a luscious cheese sauce permeating every pasta nook, it’s a breeze to whip up and will become a firm favorite on your weekly meal rota.
If you’re looking for other delicious pasta dishes, why not also try my Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake or my Chicken Carbonara Recipe.
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download nowWhy you’ll love this Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- A finger licking cheese sauce. Everything is covered in a rich and creamy sauce made with cheddar, cream, milk and seasoning – so good.
- An easy chicken recipe. Naturally! But this is so easy. Only a handful of ingredients, pop them in them instant pot, it’s a fool proof chicken pasta recipe that’s ready in 10 mins.
- Super filling. Hearty Pasta and protein packed chicken come together in the most satisfying way – guaranteed to please the hungriest of bellies.
How to make this Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- Prep your ingredients – Add chicken broth, pasta, chicken, oregano and salt into the instant pot, making sure all the pasta is submerged.
- Cook – Close the Instant Pot, set the valve to seal, select the pressure cook / manual function and set the timer to 4 minutes at high pressure and cook.
- Add your cheesy sauce ingredients – To the instant pot, mix in the cheese, milk and heavy cream until melted and smooth. Serve and enjoy!
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
What’s the best pasta for this recipe?
I used penne pasta for this recipe, the cheese sauce clings well to all the nooks and crannies, plus kids love it! Penne also works well in the instant pot, holding it’s texture perfectly, sometimes longer pasta can come apart.
You can of course go for other medium pasta, like macaroni or rotini.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Absolutely! Simply replace the chicken with your favorite vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, or make it with just the cheese sauce!
How to store leftover Cheesy Chicken Pasta
Once the chicken pasta has cooled down, put it in an airtight container. Then you can put it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat you can heat it up in the microwave ( on a microwave safe plate) for a minute or two. Pasta can warm up super quick in the microwave, so make sure not cook it too long.
If you’re not pressed for time, you can also warm it in the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and place the pasta in a casserole dish, then warm it for 10-15 minutes.
Pick your favorite cut of chicken
This recipe would also work with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Be sure to cut the chicken into similar, bite-sized, pieces.
More recipe notes and tips
- When releasing the valve on the Instant Pot, make sure to cover the release valve with a kitchen towel as it will spray.
- If you have a bit too much water in the insert when you open it (sometimes the chicken releases a lot of water), then drain some off before adding the cheese and milk and cream. You need a bit of liquid to help melt the cheese but not too much).
- Make sure pasta is submerged so that it cooks.
- You can also use macaroni or rotini.
- You can use Colby Jack or Monterey Jack cheese too.
Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb. penne pasta
- 3 ½ cups reduced salt chicken broth
- 1 lb. chicken cubes
- 1 tsp oregano
- Salt if needed
- 2 ½-3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Add chicken broth, pasta, chicken, oregano and salt into the instant pot, making sure all the pasta is submerged.
- Close the Instant Pot, set the valve to seal, select the pressure cook / manual function and set the timer to 4 minutes at high pressure and cook.
- When the cook time is done, quickly release the pressure (cover the release valve with a kitchen towel as it will spray) and open the pot.
- Mix in the cheese, milk and heavy cream until melted and smooth. Serve.
Notes
- When releasing the valve on the Instant Pot, make sure to cover the release valve with a kitchen towel as it will spray.
- This recipe would also work with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Be sure to cut the chicken into similar, bite-sized, pieces.
- If you have a bit too much water in the insert when you open it (sometimes the chicken releases a lot of water), then drain some off before adding the cheese and milk and cream. You need a bit of liquid to help melt the cheese but not too much)
- Make sure pasta is submerged so that it cooks
- You can also use macaroni or rotini
- You can use Colby Jack or Monterey Jack cheese too.
Stacy Kratz says
How can I make the cheesy chicken pasta without a insta pot ?
Drea says
Very easy, which was a huge plus but way too cheesy for our taste. Would add half or less next time.
Becky Hardin says
Oh no! I am sorry it was a little more cheesy than you would like. Definitely adjust to your taste preferences.
Bruce says
first time making this cheesy chicken and pasta .looking for more instant pot recipe like this one…….
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for stopping by, Bruce!
Gwendolyn says
This recipe was easy to make and it was tasty. Next time I’d some salt. I did add onions and some garlic and used evaporated milk and a small amount of cream cheese in place of the milk and cream, as I’m allergic to whole milk. I added a little more cheese also. Overall it’s a nice white sauce recipe.
Becky Hardin says
Love the additions, Gwendolyn!
Robbie L says
The recipe says to make sure the pasta is submerged. But for me the 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth wasn’t even close to covering the pasta and chicken. I add some more water to get the pasta submerged. All that did was make the noodles soggy. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Becky Hardin says
I am sorry this didn’t work out for you!
Nicole says
It was a quick and easy meal but there wasn’t really any flavor… added some ranch seasoning and salt and pepper to it. Also had to add some more cheese to make it cheesy enough.
Becky Hardin says
I’m sorry this wasn’t quite to your tastes, Nicole!
Gwendolyn says
Try putting the pasta in first on top of the rack that comes with your instant pot. Put the rack in upside down, pasta on top of that then four cups of broth over the pasta. Gently press pasta into the water then chicken on top of that. My pasta cooked perfectly doing it this way and the checker was fully cooked also. No burn message!
Rochelle says
Can this be made with frozen chicken breasts? What would I need to change to do so?
Becky Hardin says
This recipe requires the chicken to be cubed beforehand, so if you have intact frozen breasts, it will not work as intended. If you have frozen cubes, you’ll need to add a few extra minutes to the cook time!