Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
This Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti is my take on a classic pasta dish typically made with velveeta cheese and canned soups. My version has less processed ingredients and more flavor. Don’t worry it is still loaded with cheese. Total comfort food.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 624kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ pounds (about 3) boneless skinless chicken breast*
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 heaping Tablespoon italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes*
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 16 ounces spaghetti broken in half*
- 8 ounces mushrooms diced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup half and half*
- 8 ounces cream cheese diced, room temperature
- 8 ounces (2 cups) cheddar cheese shredded, room temperature
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese room temperature
Instructions
- On the Instant Pot, select the “Sauté” mode. Add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the chicken. Sear on each side for 2-3 minutes or until browned.
- Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Select “Pressure Cook” and “High Pressure” and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure (switch the valve to venting). Using two forks shred the chicken in the pot. Do not drain any of the broth.
- Stir in the garlic, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, chili flakes, chili flakes, and cumin.
- Place the spaghetti on top of the chicken in a few different layers, each going in opposite directions. Do not stir. Swirl the pot around gently so the liquid lightly coats the noodle.
- In this order, sprinkle on the mushrooms, onion, pepper, and tomatoes.
- Select “Pressure Cook” and “High Pressure” and set the timer for 4 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure (switch the valve to venting). Stir in the half and half.
- Add in the cream cheese, cheddar, and parmesan. Fold continuously until the cheese is melted. This will take a couple of minutes.
Video
Notes
Chicken: Leftover chicken breasts (whole): Shred 3 fully cooked chicken breasts. Add the shredded chicken and the chicken broth into the Instant Pot. Start at step 5. Leftover shredded chicken breasts: 3 - 3.5 cups of shredded chicken = 3 chicken breasts. Follow the steps above for whole chicken breasts and start at step 5.
Chili Flakes: If you are sensitive to spice reduce the chili flakes to ½ teaspoon or omit.
Spaghetti: break the pasta in half so it will fit in the pot. See the variations below to use other shapes.
Half and half: Swap for any kind of milk.
Refrigerator: Store leftover chicken spaghetti in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Let the cheese come to room temperature. Take the cheese out of the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before adding it to the pasta. This will take the chill off of it and help it to melt easier.
Crisscross the spaghetti. You can see in the photo above how the spaghetti was layered in opposite directions. This helps the pasta not stick together. If any of the pasta does stick together during cooking, it will separate as you stir in the cheese.
Layer the vegetables. Each ingredient is layered in a specific way to help everything cook evenly and not stick. Be sure to layer the vegetables (pasta, and chicken) in the correct order. As the vegetables cook, they will release water. This will be absorbed by the pasta below. Do not stir until after cooking.
This recipe has a mild amount of spice. Omit or reduce the chili flakes by half if you are sensitive to spice.
Use caution when turning the valve to venting. Use a spoon or utensil. Steam and water will quickly rush out as soon as you release the pressure. This is why it is called a quick release.
Extra tomatoes: Some prefer their creamy chicken spaghetti with more tomatoes. Feel free to use an extra can. It will not affect the consistency.
Nutrition
Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 1393mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g