This savory Instant Pot Chicken Pasta has broccoli, cheese, bacon, pasta noodles, and TONS of flavor! It’s easy to whip up in your pressure cooker and is sure to give you the comfort food you’ve been craving.

🥘 Crave-Worthy Dinner
It’s not a secret that my family could live off of pasta. They eat macaroni and cheese like crazy and if you feed them anything with a pasta noodle, they are going to devour it.
While I am not a huge fan of boxed macaroni, I do love pasta that’s filled with meats, cheese, and veggies. This chicken pasta is a dream for my entire family because it makes us all happy. Plus, cooking it in your instant pot is a breeze.
🥦 Ingredients
The ingredients in this family loved easy chicken recipe are pretty simple to work with. Let’s get started so you can dig into this tasty dish soon.
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 2-3 cups of broccoli florets
- 4 slices of bacon
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 6 ounces of cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
🍴 Directions
Pressure cooking this dish is FAST and simple. Plus, you can broil it to make the cheese extra melty. Let’s get started:
- Chop up the chicken into bite-sized pieces, cut up the broccoli, and mince the garlic.
- Turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting and brown the bacon. Once it reaches the crispiness you prefer, drain off some of the grease leaving 1-2 tablespoons. Be careful, the pan and grease will be HOT.
- Cook the chicken and garlic in the leftover bacon grease. Leave the bacon in the pot while you are cooking the chicken. After the chicken is almost all the way done, turn off the saute setting.
- Pour in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and push the pasta down so it’s mostly covered by the liquid.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to closed. Set the timer to high manual 4 minutes.
- After the 4 minutes are up, complete a quick release by turning the valve with a wooden spoon then when the pressure has released gently remove the lid stir and add in the heavy cream, broccoli, and cheese. Put the lid on for 3-4 minutes to let it heat up.
- You can serve it right away or if you want the cheese a little extra melted, add everything to a baking pan that’s sprayed with non-stick spray. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese has started to bubble. Enjoy!
🥣 Storage
You can save the leftovers easily by allowing them to cool and refrigerating for up to 4 days. I love to use these handy food storage containers.
Reheat the instant pot chicken pasta in the microwave until hot all the way through.
🍅 Variations
As with most of my dishes, you will find you can easily make some swaps or adjustments to change the flavors. Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Italian Seasoning: You can add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning if you want a bolder flavor. Sprinkle it in right before adding the lid and turning it onto the manual setting.
- Types of Pasta: It’s completely fine to use various types of pasta. We LOVE penne noodles and I got a good deal on them. However, macaroni, cavatelli, cheese ravioli, and farfalle would all be fun new twists to try.
- Vegetables: If you aren’t a fan of broccoli or want to try some other veggies, feel free to play with the recipe. Cauliflower would also be a nice addition. Keep in mind when you adjust the recipe, the flavor and texture will change.
- Cheese: I LOVE cheese! All kinds, so sometimes it’s nice to add some other flavors. Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, asiago, or even swiss would all be tasty options to try. You can replace the cheddar completely or use a combination of flavors.
❓ FAQs
Do I Have To Use Boneless Chicken Breasts?
No, you can swap the chicken breast for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They are both delicious and would be great options for one of my favorite instant pot recipes.
Can I Swap The Heavy Cream?
Yes, we use heavy cream because it makes the dish rich and creamy. However, if you don’t have any or don’t want the extra creaminess you can opt for regular milk or an milk alternative such as almond milk. Just remember if you make a change, the flavor is going to be different than my recipe.
🍳 Helpful Supplies
I wanted to share my favorite kitchen tools to make this and all my other dishes easier to make. Let’s take a peek:
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
🔖 More Delicious Recipes
If you are always on the hunt for the best recipes, I have some tasty ones for you to try out. Let’s take a look:
- The Best Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks – These are packed with flavor, easy to make, and have a tasty secret ingredient.
- Mouthwatering Easy Corn Fritters – Bacon, cheese, sweet corn, and onions make this the best corn fritter recipe ever.
- Ultimate Grilled Chicken Wrap With Strawberries, Bacon, and Parmesan – Okay, can you tell how much I love bacon? Yum!
- Beer Battered Fried Stuffed Pickles – You haven’t lived unless you have eaten these incredible pickles. Delicious!
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The Best Ever Instant Pot Chicken Pasta With Broccoli
This is the Best Ever Instant Pot Chicken Pasta with Broccoli is out of this world. Each bite is filled with juicy chicken, cheese, pasta, broccoli, and bacon.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 2-3 cups of broccoli florets
- 4 slices of bacon
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 6 ounces of cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop up the chicken into bite-sized pieces, cut up the broccoli, and mince the garlic.
- Turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting and brown the bacon. Once it reaches the crispiness you prefer, drain off some of the grease leaving 1-2 tablespoons. Be careful, the pan and grease will be HOT.
- Cook the chicken and garlic in the leftover bacon grease. Leave the bacon in the pot while you are cooking the chicken. After the chicken is almost all the way done, turn off the saute setting.
- Pour in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and push the pasta down so it's mostly covered by the liquid.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to closed. Set the timer to high manual 4 minutes.
- After the 4 minutes are up, complete a quick release by turning the valve with a wooden spoon then when the pressure has released gently remove the lid stir and add in the heavy cream, broccoli, and cheese. Put the lid on for 3-4 minutes to let it heat up.
- You can serve it right away or if you want the cheese a little extra melted, add everything to a baking pan that's sprayed with non-stick spray. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese has started to bubble. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 396Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 424mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 26g
I'm not a dietician, these numbers can change based on the actual ingredients used. They are here as a guide to help you.
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April
Tuesday 8th of September 2020
I never have success with using the IP after sauteing chicken. I guess I cant deglaze the pot well enough, so.i always get the burn notice. Would i be able to cook the chicken by pressure cooking for some time before adding the other ingredients? Do you have any suggestions?
FSnodgrass
Wednesday 9th of September 2020
Thank you for checking out my blog! I am so sorry you are having trouble with the burn notice. I have heard of others having this issue as well. Yes, you could cook the chicken in the IP then after it's cooked add in the rest of the ingredients as the recipe directs. If you aren't sauteing it, I recommend cooking the bacon in a separate skillet. You could cook the chicken in a skillet as well. Many people love cooked chicken breasts in the IP, but I haven't had the best luck with the texture. :) I will keep playing with it though and hopefully will have some good advice on that in a later post.
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