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.
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.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- Cube and Season Chicken – Slice the chicken into small cubes and season with some salt and pepper.
- 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.)
- Add Basil and Garlic (if using) – Add chopped basil and garlic (again – this is totally optional but adds great flavor).
- Pressure Cook – Close and lock the lid. Set the pressure cook / manual setting on high for 9 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
Favorite Tools
- 6 Quart Instant Pot Duo – This recipe is so easy that an Instant Pot is really all you need! This is the only version I own.
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breast, sliced into small 1/2” cubes (see note)
- 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
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!
Guess which eight-month-old went absolutely wild for this meal?!
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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.
Thanks so much! I’m a total convert to this method – hope you like it as much as we did!
Great combination recipe! Can’t wait to make again. Thanks for sharing.
Does this cook the chicken, or do you need to cook the chicken before putting in the instant pot? Thanks!
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.
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
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.)
Can you double this recipe? What does it do to cook time? Thank tou!! My mom asked for it for Mothers Day!!
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!
Thank you for responding. Truly enjoying several of your recipes!! Have a wonderful Mother’s Day!!
I’m trying this with Springer Mountain Farms fully cooked frozen grilled chicken breasts…let’s see how this turns out 🤷♀️
Let me know Sherri! I haven’t tried it, but would love to know if it works.
Can I use fettuccine noodles?
Yes – fettuccine noodles work just fine in this recipe.