This Instant Pot Chicken Pasta is a reader favorite! All the flavors of chicken parmesan are combined with pasta to make an easy instant pot dinner that is ready in 30 minutes. So so good!
If you are looking for more chicken pasta dishes, then try my chicken broccoli alfredo or the spicy chicken pasta recipe next!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Instant pot chicken pasta
🕒 Ready In: 30 minutes
👪 Makes: 4 servings
🧑🍳 Main Ingredients: Penne pasta, marinara sauce, chicken thighs, cheeses, onion and garlic.
📌 Difficulty: Easy pressure cooker recipe
Why you’ll love this instant pot chicken pasta?
This was actually the very first instant pot recipe I ever shared on the blog, and readers loved it so much that it inspired me to create a whole collection of easy Instant Pot dinners. One bite and you'll see why!
It's the ultimate weeknight hero. Everything cooks together in one pot—the chicken, pasta, and sauce—so cleanup is minimal. I also use your favorite jarred marinara to keep things easy, while the pressure cooker infuses the pasta with all that rich tomato and chicken flavor as it cooks.
Think of it as everything you love about chicken parmesan, turned into a cozy, family-friendly pasta dinner. And, of course, it's finished with plenty of gooey, melted cheese, because what would chicken parm be without it?
- maria doss
5 Star Reviews
One redaer Jeri Lynn writes, "My family loves his recipe and we've probably had it a dozen times. Thank you for this recipe!" ★★★★★
Another reader Paula writes, "This is one of my families favorite meals. We probably cook it once or twice a month." ★★★★★
Jump to:
- A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Why you’ll love this instant pot chicken pasta?
- 5 Star Reviews
- Can you cook raw chicken and pasta together in instant pot?
- What is the best pasta for instant pot
- Ingredients you'll need
- How to make instant pot chicken pasta?
- Tips for Success
- More instant pot pasta recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Pasta
This instapot chicken pasta brings all the classic flavors of chicken parmesan into a quick, one-pot meal. With tender chicken, perfectly cooked pasta, and plenty of melty cheese, it's an easy and comforting dinner you'll want to make again and again.
Can you cook raw chicken and pasta together in instant pot?
Absolutely! Cooking raw chicken and pasta together in the Instant Pot is not only safe, but it's also one of the reasons this dish is so flavorful.
Unlike traditional pasta that's boiled in water and drained, the pasta here cooks right in the sauce. As it cooks, it absorbs all the flavor from the marinara, chicken, and seasonings, while the pasta releases starch that naturally thickens the sauce into a rich, velvety coating.
And yes, the chicken cooks completely. The high-pressure steam inside the instant pot quickly reaches temperatures that fully cook the chicken, leaving you with tender, juicy bites and a perfectly safe meal.
What is the best pasta for instant pot
Short, sturdy pasta shapes like penne are my favorite for Instant Pot pasta recipes. Their thick walls hold up beautifully under pressure, so they stay tender without falling apart. Other great choices are rigatoni, ziti, cavatappi, or farfalle. They also do a great job of catching all that delicious sauce in every bite.
I recommend avoiding delicate pastas like angel hair, which can overcook and turn mushy very quickly.
Can you use spaghetti? Yes—I use it in my instant pot spaghetti aglio e olio recipe, and it works well there. But for this chicken pasta, I prefer penne because it's easier to eat with chunks of chicken, and its shape holds up much better in the thick, cheesy marinara sauce.
Ingredients you'll need
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are my preferred cut because they stay juicy, tender, and flavorful under pressure cooking. Unlike chicken breasts, thighs are less prone to drying out, making them perfect for one-pot meals.
- Pasta – Use a sturdy, medium-sized pasta shape like penne, fusilli, farfalle, or rigatoni, which can hold up to pressure cooking without becoming mushy. b
- Marinara Sauce – Store-bought marinara is perfect for this instant pot chicken pasta recipe because it's already cooked down and has a rich, concentrated tomato flavor. It also makes this an easy weeknight dinner since there's no need to make a sauce from scratch. I love using Prego Tomato, Basil & Garlic because it's naturally sweet and well-seasoned, but any good-quality jarred marinara that you enjoy will work just as well.
- Cheeses – A combination of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese gives this pasta its signature cheesy chicken parm flavor.
- Olive Oil – A splash of olive oil not only adds authentic Italian flavor but also enhances the texture by coating the ingredients and adding richness to the final dish.
How to make instant pot chicken pasta?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
- Set the instant pot to saute mode. When hot, add olive oil.
- Saute chopped onion and minced garlic until it turns translucent.
- Press cancel, pour in water and marinara sauce.
- Add chicken, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
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5 & 6. Stir all ingredients together, until well combined.
7 & 8. Add the pasta on top and gently press it into the sauce, using the back of a spoon, making sure that they are mostly immersed into the sauce.
9 & 10. Close instant pot and cook for 5 minutes on manual mode and then let it be in warm mode for 4 minutes.
11 & 12. Turn valve to vent and release all remaining pressure, open instant pot and sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan on top. Close with the lid for 3 to 5 minutes, allowing the cheeses to melt. Stir to combine.
Why the cheeese goes in after cooking in an instant pot?
The cheese goes in after the pasta is finished cooking because it doesn't actually need to cook—it just needs to melt. If you pressure cook cheese, the high heat can cause the proteins to tighten, leaving you with a grainy, clumpy, or stringy texture instead of a smooth, melted cheese.
Instead, sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan over the hot pasta, then simply close the lid (no need to seal it) for 2 to 3 minutes. The residual heat melts the cheese perfectly. Give everything a gentle stir before serving, and the melted cheese gets evenly distributed throughout the pasta, making every bite creamy, cheesy, and delicious.
Tips for Success
- Pasta swaps – While penne is a classic, any medium-sized pasta like fusilli, rigatoni, or farfalle works just as well. Choose shapes that hold sauce well and won’t overcook in the pressure cooker.
- Chicken options – You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts for thighs if preferred. Just be mindful that breasts cook faster and can be slightly less tender than thighs.
- Salt to taste – The amount of salt needed will depend on your marinara sauce. I used Prego Tomato, Basil & Garlic and found that ¾ teaspoon of salt was just right.
- Don’t stir the pasta before cooking – Layer the pasta on top of the chicken and sauce without mixing. This helps prevent the dreaded “Burn” warning by keeping the pasta from sitting directly on the bottom of the pot.
- Give it a good stir before serving – Once the pressure is released and the cheese is added, stir everything well to melt the cheese evenly.
More instant pot pasta recipes
Instant Pot Chicken Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 and ¼ cups marinara sauce I used Prego, tomato, basil and garlic
- ¾ cup water
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ to ¾ teaspooon salt, refer notes I used ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized chunks
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- chopped parsley or basil, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Saute aromatics. Set Instant pot to saute setting. When hot, add olive oil and then chopped onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 to 2 minutes, or until translucent.
- Add everything else. Press cancel, then add the marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chicken. Stir to combine. Scatter the pasta over the top, then use the back of a spoon to gently press it into the sauce until it's mostly submerged.👉 Don't stir the pasta. Keeping it on top of the sauce helps prevent the Instant Pot from triggering the "Burn" warning. The sauce creates a protective layer between the bottom of the pot and the pasta, reducing the chance of it sticking or scorching.
- Pressure cook. Close instant pot, making sure that the valve is set to sealing, and cook for 5 minutes on manual mode and then let it be in warm mode for 4 minutes.
- Finish. Carefully turn the valve to vent to release any remaining pressure, then open the Instant Pot. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top, close the lid (no need to seal), and let it sit for 3–5 minutes until the cheese is melted.Give everything a good stir before serving. This melts the cheese into the sauce, evenly distributes the chicken and pasta, and brings all the flavors together into one creamy, cheesy dish.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Why the pasta seems watery at first in an instant pot?
Don't panic if the pasta looks a little watery when you first open the Instant Pot—that's completely normal! Since the pot is sealed during cooking, none of the liquid can evaporate like it does on the stovetop.
The fix is simple: let the pasta rest for 5–10 minutes with the lid off. During that time, the pasta continues to absorb the remaining liquid, while the starch naturally thickens the sauce. By the time it's ready to serve, you'll have a rich, silky sauce that coats every piece of pasta perfectly.
MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💚 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love to hear your feedback! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Facebook.
Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
jeri lynn resnick-albala
my family loves his recipe and we've probably had it a dozen times. however we haven't eaten it for a couple months and I can't recall if I need to change the pasta sauce, water, or cooking time if I am using gluten free pasta (bionaturae fusilli, in this case). can you please help me with this? thank you so much. and thank you for this recipe!
Paula
This is one of my families favorite meals. We probably cook it once or twice a month.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! Wishing you a very happy holidays - Maria ♡
Kathleen Hansen
I made this tonight. Doubled meat, sauce and cheeses and spices. I like to have enough for another meal. It was delicious and they hope I make it again. I didn't have enough mozzarella and used what I have plus shredded Mexican cheese mix. It was very easy and a pleasure to make. I'm looking at your other recipes.
Maria Doss
Hi Kathleen, That sounds wonderful, glad you liked it! Happy Holidays:)
Kathleen Hansen
I passed the recipe on to someone else. We heated it up tonight and they loved it. It's great as a leftover too. 5 stars.
Tracy
Found this recipe and made it tonight. Was a big hit and super easy to make.. easy to follow directions.
Diane
I would like to try this recipe; however, I’m a little confused about a certain step. In step 3, it says to stir in the pasta but in the print recipe it says do not stir the pasta in with the other ingredients. Which is correct?
Maria Doss
Hi Dianne, Please follow the print recipe!
The original recipe was to stir pasta in with all other ingredients and some readers found that it resulted in the BURN notice. So, we changed the recipe accordingly, where the liquid is added and then pasta in placed on top without stirring.
We have missed to make the necessary changes in the blog post. Thanks for bringing it to our attention and so sorry for the confusion.
Maria
Diane
Thank you for the clarification! 🙂
christine harris
is this recipe made in a 6qt insta pot
Maria Doss
Hi Christina, This recipe has been tested in 3 quart and 8 quart instant pots. Maria
Bob
My kids and I really enjoyed this, thank you. I might try this with Italian Sausage next time, although the chicken thighs were delicious.
Maria Doss
Glad you loved it:)
Sarah
This was super easy and sooooo good!!
Question, can I freeze the left overs? How would you recommend I reheat if I freeze?
Lesley
Has anyone tried this recipe and left it on warm for an hour or so? I want to cook something for some friends for when they get back from holiday and not sure if this would keep warm ok or if it would go a bit stodgy. Any experience of this?
Maria Doss
Hi Lesley, If instant pot pasta is left on warm mode for an extended period of time, then it might tend to get more brown at bottom. So, we recommend not doing so! Maria
Jackie
Do you cook the pasta before hand or does it cook while in the instantpot?
Maria Doss
Hi Jackie, The pasta is added UNCOOKED in the recipe, Maria
Christina
Turned out delicious and I would definitely make it again! Next time though, I would probably double the batch because 3 servings wasn't that much for meal prep. I would also add more liquid to the pot because some of the noodles tasted a bit undercooked. But the ones that weren't undercooked tasted fabulous.
Emily
Anyone try this with Gluten Free Pasta?
Maria Doss
Hi Emily, This recipe is not tested for gluten free pasta and we do not have any readers try it as well - Maria
Marisa S.
I have cooked this multiple times for quite a while, it is beyond delicious & easy, one of my go to meals in the insta pot. Made exactly as directed, always comes out perfect. 10/10 recommend. Family loves it!
Maria Doss
Hi Marisa, that sounds wonderful! Wishing you a very happy new year, Maria
This recipe inspired me to use my Insta pot after having not touched it for two years. I am so glad I did! It was delicious.
This recipe inspired me to use my Insta pot after having not touched it for two years. I am so glad I did! It was delicious.
Maria Doss
That sounds wonderful, Maria
Jaime
Can I double the recipe?
Maria Doss
Hi Jamie, You could double the recipe if using a large instant pot (like 8-quart) otherwise, we would suggest not to! The pasta has a tendency to get overcooked and become too soft if using a smaller instant pot, Maria
Marta
Our favourite go to! My entire family loves this recipe. I make it every few weeks. I add about 8-9 chicken thighs (chunks), and a whole box of pasta. First few times I did it I burned it because I didn’t read the directions correctly and stirred. DO NOT STIR IN THE PASTA. Now I just gently press in the pasta into the liquid as you state and I personally put it on for 12 mins as I’m always suspicious of such low cooking times and it always comes out perfectly. We love this dish! Thank you for sharing.
Maria Doss
Glad to hear, have a great day hun – Maria
Alexis
Hello, I am excited to try thos recipe! Do you think it would be possible to use frozen chicken in this recipe?
Maria Doss
Hi Alexis, While frozen chicken breasts can be cooked in the Instant Pot on their own, they’re not ideal for instant pot pasta dishes. Since you can’t cut frozen chicken into smaller pieces, you’d need to add the whole breast. This significantly increases the cook time, which leads to overcooked, mushy pasta. Additionally, the liquid ratio will be totally off. So, I'f recommend using thawed cut up breasts - Maria
Linda
Soooo easy and delicious! Where was this Instant Pot when I was a working Mom? Delicious and easy recipe, will bevome one of my favourites for sure! Thanks!😊
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you enjoyed it hun – Maria ♡
Angela
This was EXCELLENT according to my family! I unfortunately can not eat it due to a tomato allergy but the went back for seconds. Didn't have penne so used cavatappi. Used a spaghetti seasoning and an Italian blend cheese. Definitely a keeper!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad your family love it – Maria ♡
Zeytinburnu Nakliye
It's a shame you don't have a donate button! I'd without a doubt donate to this superb blog!
I suppose for now i'll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to fresh updates and will talk about this site with my Facebook group.
Chat soon!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear – Maria ♡
Sammy
This is the best instant pot pasta recipe I've tried so far!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡