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    Easy Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti

    Published: Apr 15, 2019 · Modified: Oct 3, 2020 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 20 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
    Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
    Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
    Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
    Easy Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti

    Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti in a white bowl

    Easy Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti is a weeknight dinner dream. The Instant Pot cooks the pasta to a perfect al dente while the sauce thickens and coats the noodles. Adding garlic and basil gives this easy meal fresh flavor.

    And here we continue with the Instant Pot theme of you-guys-told-me-it-was-great / what-took-me-so-long. Spaghetti in the Instant Pot is a revelation! So many of you have mentioned that you love cooking pasta in the Instant Pot / pressure cooker, but I only recently jumped on the bandwagon. This is going on repeat because we keep all of the ingredients on-hand and throw them together (relatively) last minute. Pasta and sauce in the pantry – check. Cubed chicken in the freezer – check. Dinner can literally be on the table in 15 minutes. Here’s how it’s done.

    Why Cook Pasta and Sauce Together

    A special type of pasta magic happens when you cook pasta and sauce together in one pot. As it cooks, the pasta releases starch into the sauce, giving the sauce a creamy texture and rich flavor. It’s important to get the ratios correct and add water at the start of cooking since the pasta will absorb the water as it cooks.

    The Instant Pot / pressure cooker is great for this one pot spaghetti and sauce method. The spaghetti comes out al dente (tender but still springy), and the sauce thickens and coats the noodles as it all cooks.

    cooking pasta and sauce in the instant pot

    Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti Ingredients

    • Chicken – Chicken thighs or chicken breasts (boneless and skinless) will work. Slice the chicken into small cubes so that you get some in every bite. I like chicken breast in this, but it can tend to get a little dry in the cook time provided. Chicken thighs will stay more tender.
    • Spaghetti – This recipe was tested with spaghetti, so results and cook times may vary if you use another type of pasta.
    • Marinara Sauce – Use any type of store-bought marinara sauce. This dish calls for a 24 oz jar. I love trying different flavors and varieties, so get whichever flavor sounds good to you!
    • Chopped Basil and Garlic (optional) – Want to take this easy dish up a notch? Just add some chopped fresh basil and garlic. This extra step just takes a minute but gives the whole dish a more fresh, homemade flavor and feel.

    adding herbs to sauce in instant pot

    How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti

    1. Cube and Season Chicken – Slice the chicken into small cubes and season with some salt and pepper.
    2. Combine Chicken, Pasta, and Sauce – Add chicken, sauce, water, and pasta to the bowl of a slow cooker. Break the pasta into smaller pieces if it isn’t fully submerged in liquid. (Resist the urge to stir the pasta once you’ve added it as this can lead to it sticking together.)
    3. Add Basil and Garlic (if using) – Add chopped basil and garlic (again – this is totally optional but adds great flavor).
    4. Pressure Cook – Close and lock the lid. Set the pressure cook / manual setting on high for 9 minutes.
    5. Quick / Manual Release – When the pasta is done, use quick / manual release to release the pressure. Remove the lid and give the pasta a stir to break apart any strands of spaghetti that are stuck together.
    6. Rest / Stir – Rest the lid on top the Instant Pot (no need to seal it) for 5 minutes to let the sauce continue to thicken. Open the lid and stir the pasta again to coat the spaghetti evenly in sauce.

    a bowl of Chicken Spaghetti with a fork

    More Instant Pot Recipes

    • Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
    • Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup
    • Instant Pot Honey Adobo Chicken
    • Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry
    • Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken
    • Instant Pot Sloppy Joes

    Favorite Tools

    • 6 Quart Instant Pot Duo
    • Cutting Board
    • 6-inch Global Knife

     

    Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
    Print Recipe
    3.67 from 36 votes

    Easy Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti

    Easy Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti is a weeknight dinner dream. The Instant Pot cooks the pasta to a perfect al dente while the sauce thickens and coats the noodles. Adding fresh garlic and basil gives this super easy meal fresh flavor.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time8 mins
    Total Time18 mins
    Course: Instant Pot
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: easy chicken recipe, easy pasta dinner
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 350kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $6.00

    Equipment

    • 6-quart Instant Pot / pressure cooker

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breast, sliced into small 1/2” cubes (see note)
    • 1 24 oz jar Marinara Sauce (see note)
    • 12 oz Water
    • 8 oz Spaghetti, uncooked
    • 4 cloves Garlic, chopped (optional)
    • ¼ cup chopped Fresh Basil (optional)
    • Grated Parmesan Cheese, for serving

    Instructions

    • Season chicken with some salt and pepper.
    • Combine chicken and pasta sauce in the bowl of an Instant Pot. Fill the pasta sauce jar halfway with water (no need to be precise, but this will equal about 12 oz) and add water to the pot. Add spaghetti, breaking apart to fully submerge it in water. Add garlic and basil, if using.
    • Close and lock lid. Set the pressure cook / manual setting on high for 8 minutes.
    • When the spaghetti is done, use quick release to release the pressure. Remove the lid and give the pasta a stir.
    • Important! The sauce needs a couple of minutes to thicken before it is served. Rest the lid on top of the instant Pot (no need to seal it) and let it sit for 5 minutes.
    • Serve with parmesan cheese on top.

    Notes

    I like chicken breast in this recipe, but the cook time is a bit long, so chicken breast can come out a bit dry. If that's a concern to you, use chicken thighs which are more likely to come out be juicy and tender in this cook time.
    This recipe has just a few ingredients, so the quality of the sauce will matter. It’s worth buying a higher quality sauce here - it will reward you with great flavor!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 106IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

     

    Guess which eight-month-old went absolutely wild for this meal?!

    *This post contains affiliate links*

    Filed Under: Chicken, Family-Friendly, Instant Pot, Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta and Noodles, Recipes

    About Jess

    Hi, I'm Jess, an amateur cook turned professional recipe developer, food stylist, and photographer specializing in quick and easy meals that make weeknights a bit more fun. I love sharing my kitchen and my journey as a chef with other home cooks on this blog. Learn more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Restaurants in Baguio by Mae

      April 15, 2019 at 10:52 pm

      Love this spaghetti. Love the trivia about cooking the pasta and the sauce together to add extra flavor to the sauce. Can’t wait to try this at home.

      Reply
      • Jess

        April 16, 2019 at 9:59 am

        Thanks so much! I’m a total convert to this method – hope you like it as much as we did!

        Reply
    2. Loren G Martin

      September 08, 2019 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      Great combination recipe! Can’t wait to make again. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    3. Amanda

      November 18, 2019 at 2:44 pm

      Does this cook the chicken, or do you need to cook the chicken before putting in the instant pot? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jess

        November 18, 2019 at 3:40 pm

        Hi Amanda. This will fully cook the chicken- add it raw in bite-sizes pieces and this is more than enough time to fully cook it.

        Reply
    4. Amy

      January 06, 2020 at 9:06 am

      Do you think it’s possible to cook whole chicken thighs, bone in, skin on? I have trouble with my hands so cutting up the chicken is difficult for me. Thanks in advance for your response

      Reply
      • Jess

        January 06, 2020 at 2:36 pm

        Hi Amy. The cook time for bone-in chicken thighs will be much longer than listed in this recipe, so I suspect you will end up over-cooking the pasta by the time the chicken is done. Have you ever tried buying chicken tenders / tenderloins? They come in thin strips of chicken breast that should cook in the amount of time listed in this recipe without the need to do any chopping. You got me thinking about other recipes that don’t require chopping. My Instant Pot chickpea curry can be made without any of the aromatics / chopped ingredients – https://inquiringchef.com/instant-pot-chickpea-curry-with-basmati-rice/ (Also – please check back in to the site in the next week or two. I am coming out with two infographics that include 10 unique Instant Pot recipes that require almost no chopping or prep at all. Each will have options for using ground beef, chickpeas, or chicken breast – those thin chicken tenderloins would work great in those recipes too without the need to chop them.)

        Reply
    5. Christy Tuzzio

      May 07, 2020 at 8:50 am

      Can you double this recipe? What does it do to cook time? Thank tou!! My mom asked for it for Mothers Day!!

      Reply
      • Jess

        May 07, 2020 at 8:59 am

        Hi Christy! I do think you can easily double it, but I haven’t tried it, so I’m not certain about the cook time. My instinct is just to add an extra minute to the cook time to be sure the liquids have enough time to heat up. (You definitely won’t need to double the cook time – once the pressure builds, it will cook fine even with double the ingredients.) Just be sure not to skip steps 4 and 5 to give the pasta a good stir and let it sit before serving. Enjoy and Happy Mother’s Day to your mom!

        Reply
        • CHRISTY L TUZZIO

          May 10, 2020 at 11:05 am

          Thank you for responding. Truly enjoying several of your recipes!! Have a wonderful Mother’s Day!!

          Reply
    6. Sherri Head

      May 26, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      I’m trying this with Springer Mountain Farms fully cooked frozen grilled chicken breasts…let’s see how this turns out 🤷‍♀️

      Reply
      • Jess

        May 26, 2020 at 8:59 pm

        Let me know Sherri! I haven’t tried it, but would love to know if it works.

        Reply
    7. Daniel B.

      June 03, 2020 at 6:43 pm

      Can I use fettuccine noodles?

      Reply
      • Jess

        June 03, 2020 at 7:03 pm

        Yes – fettuccine noodles work just fine in this recipe.

        Reply
    8. Anita L.

      August 09, 2020 at 2:23 pm

      I was wondering if I could cube frozen chicken breast so it wouldn’t dry out & still be cooked through.

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        August 10, 2020 at 8:33 am

        Yes – that should work great! If the cubes are broken apart and fairly small, I think the cook time should be the same if using chicken straight from frozen.

        Reply
    9. Misty schultz

      August 22, 2020 at 10:36 pm

      Can I use velvets cheese instead of red sause

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        August 25, 2020 at 9:50 am

        I haven’t tried it that way, but it sounds delicious!

        Reply
    10. Lisa Wydra

      November 11, 2020 at 5:49 pm

      I did it exactly as recipe said. Got burn notification. Never came to pressure. Stired it, not stuck to bottom. But very hot. Reset for 4 mins. Burn again. Took lid off, boiling but no pressure. Noodles are done and so is chicken. Wonder why ot kept burning?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        November 11, 2020 at 6:38 pm

        Hi Lisa – that’s so strange! Was there any sign of anything stuck or browning on the bottom of the pot? Tomato sauces do have a tendency to cause the burn error, but there is enough liquid in this recipe that I’ve never had that issue here. You can always give yourself a bit more wiggle room by adding an extra 1/2 cup of water to any recipe that uses tomato sauce or tomatoes. Sometimes the burn sensitivity seems to just vary a bit from machine to machine. One thing you could try is to remove the pot completely and make sure that there aren’t any small particles of food between the bottom of the pot and the mechanism of the machine and wash / dry the outside of the pot well. Maybe there’s something stuck there that’s throwing it off?

        Reply

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    Hi there! We're Jess and Frank. We live in Kansas City with our three daughters. Our recipes are made with busy families in mind. We lived in Thailand which inspired us to cook flavorful, fun meals at home and we know you can too. We believe in your inner cook! More...

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