Pressure Cooker Chicken Alfredo with Jar Sauce is FAST, EASY and ready in minutes. Follow these step by step instructions and you'll have the best weeknight dinner ready in no time with your family licking the plate and demanding more!
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo with Jar Sauce
You'll be so surprised by how quickly and easily this recipe comes together. Secondly, you'll be amazed at how delicious it tastes too!
What could be easier than cooking up the chicken in the pressure cooker and adding in the sauce ingredients and the pasta, giving it a big stir and then YUM!!!
Plus, follow my simple instructions and you'll never have to worry about uncooked, stuck pasta in the pressure cooker again!
You might want to try this recipe with shrimp too!
Want to check out some Pressure Cooker Boiled Peanuts?
Here's What You'll Need
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs - best flavor, most juicy, most forgiving.
- 22 oz jar Alfredo Sauce - Prego has a good taste in this recipe.
- 2 Tbs butter - butter substitute works well, but you need the fat to help keep the pasta from foaming up.
- 4 oz cream cheese - oodles of flavor and creaminess.
- 1 cup milk - creaminess plus liquid that helps the noodles to cook.
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 12 oz of bite size pasta of your choice (Penne or Bowtie works best)
Here's How Pressure Cooker Chicken Alfredo with Jar Sauce is Done
- Brown the Chicken
- Add all the ingredients
- Pressure cook for 6 minutes then natural release for 5 then manual release.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
For this recipe, even though it isn't the classic recipe, you'll want to use a shorter noodles such as a macaroni, penne or bowtie pasta. If you watch the video, you'll see that I am using penne.
All of the jar sauces have a similar flavor. We usually use Classico or Prego. Really it's up to you. Just make sure to use 22oz per the recipe.
Yes! Certainly you can! I recommend adding some fresh broccoli when you add the pasta OR you can use frozen peas, carrots or broccoli at the end after the pressure releases as long as the carrots and broccoli are cut very small. If they aren't cut small, heat them in the microwave or on the stove top in a little water, drain and then add after the pressure release.
You can actually use any boneless skinless chicken, but thighs work best because they retain their moisture better than breast pieces.
No, when thawed, it has a yucky consistency that isn't appetizing.
Covered in the fridge, this dish will last about 5 days.
Tips and Tricks
- This recipe works the best with boneless skinless chicken thighs but any cut of chicken will work, see notes in recipe section.
- For this recipe, since you are making it in the pressure cooker, it will work best with a short pasta instead of the typical fettuccini noodles.
- If using a stove top pressure cooker, carefully manage the pressure stage and do not heat the eye of the stove so hot that you have a bunch of excessive steam from the escape valve.
- Pressure cookers larger than 5 quarts may need more liquid added before cooking. If the noodles aren't completely covered with liquid, add milk or water until they are.
- You can add veggies to this recipe at the end if you want an all in one dish. Add 1 Cup of frozen peas, small diced carrots or precooked broccoli for a yummy all in one dish.
- Want to know more about the history of chicken alfredo?
PRO TIP: Instead of using water in this recipe, use chicken broth for a TON more flavor!
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Pressure Cooker Chicken Alfredo with Jar Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into bite sized (about 1") pieces. See Notes section
- 2 Tbs vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 22 oz jarred alfredo sauce I used Prego in this recipe
- ¾ Cup broth (can substitute water if you don't have broth)
- 1 Cup whole milk (can substitute other milks and milk substitute, but flavor may be different in the end).
- 2 Tbs Butter (can substitute imitation butter)
- 4 oz cream cheese (can substitute neufchatel or lower fat cream cheese but whole fat cream cheese works best).
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 Cup frozen green peas optional - I didn't use in the video or photos. Other frozen small cut veggies work too)
- ½ Cup Parmesan optional - fresh grated, sprinkled over the top after cooking
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat the oil in the bottom of the pressure cooker (on the stove top if you use a stove top pressure cooker or via the brown option in your instant pot). Once the pot is hot, add the chicken pieces to the oil and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add all of the other ingredients except the peas and the optional garnishing fresh parmesan. Stir well. If you have a large instant pot, add more water or milk to make sure that all of the pasta is covered by the liquid. Give everything a big stir to ensure it's all coated.
- Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 5 minutes and then release the pressure manually. Remove the lid and mix well.
- If you want to add veggies, do so now and stir well. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Notes
- This recipe works the best with boneless skinless chicken thighs but any cut of chicken will work as long as it is boneless and skinless and cut into bite size pieces.
- For this recipe, since you are making it in the pressure cooker, it will work best with a short pasta instead of the typical fettuccini noodles.
- If using a stove top pressure cooker, carefully manage the pressure stage and do not heat the eye of the stove so hot that you have a bunch of excessive steam from the escape valve.
- Pressure cookers larger than 5 quarts may need more liquid added before cooking. If the noodles aren't completely covered with liquid, add milk or water until they are.
- You can add veggies to this recipe at the end if you want an all in one dish. Add 1 Cup of frozen peas, small diced carrots or precooked broccoli for a yummy all in one dish.
Nutrition
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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid
emily says
very good! Fast and easy..no more separate pot for boiling pasta.
Wendi Spraker says
Glad you liked it!
Carolann says
Got a burn notice from all the dairy, would not suggest to us a pressure cooker.
Wendi Spraker says
Perhaps your pressure cooker is larger and needs an extra jar of sauce.
Tammy says
Am I missing the amount of pasta? I have looked multiple times. Thanks!
Wendi Spraker says
It's 1 lb of penne pasta ( or other short pasta). I've updated the recipe card so it should appear now. Thank you for catching this!
Wendi J Spraker says
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