Step up your weeknight pasta game with this dump and start Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti. This complete meal goes from pantry to table in under 30 minutes and is great for meal prep.
Cooking pasta is a great choice when you’re looking for a family-loved, hearty, comforting, and budget-friendly meal.
And a very easy weeknight dinner recipe to add to your list of Instant Pot Recipes.
Cheese, sauce, and pasta are warm and tasty, and adding just a bit of chicken to this meal takes it over the top while still being easy on your wallet. And kids love pasta so this is a delicious food meal for everyone.
Ps if you want you can make the slow cooker version of this recipe too.
Table of Contents
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Pasta
So enter this easy Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti Pasta a great one pot meal, so clean up is a breeze.
Just close the lid, let the magic happen, and get this Instapot Spaghetti dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. Just as easy as this Instant Pot Tortellini Soup and Instant Pot Parmesan Chicken.
So much yum.
Pressure cooker chicken spaghetti is also versatile. By experimenting with the flavor of pasta sauce or the type of noodles, you can completely change this all in the same pot meal! It’s perfect for using up what you have in your pantry.
Hey don’t forget to try these delicious Instant Pot Chicken Tenders.
Why Make This Recipe
- Fast – Cooks in under 30 minutes.
- Budget-Friendly – Pasta is inexpensive, and this recipe only calls for ½ pound of chicken. Great for feeding a crowd and for meal prep.
- One-Pot – This easy dump and start Instant Pot dinner is a one pot wonder for easy cleanup. A delicious traditional spaghetti recipe that is no boil and easy.
- Kid-Friendly – Pasta+Sauce+Chicken+Cheese = Happy Kids
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make this delicious recipe.
- Chicken breast – I used cubed skinless boneless chicken breasts but you can use skin on or skinless chicken thighs. Please note this is raw chicken. Great for leftover chicken that you you have.
- Chicken broth – use store bought or homemade chicken broth. You can use vegetable broth instead.
- Seasoning – this calls for garlic powder and onion powder which means no having to fry items before cooking. You also need Italian seasoning but you can use other seasoning to your taste.
- Pasta – This uses uncooked spaghetti noodles but you can use another pasta shape that you like. Cook time may be a little different.
- Pasta sauce – your favorite pasta sauce will work well here. I have also used canned tomatoes (diced tomatoes) with some extra seasoning.
- Cheeses – the cream cheese and shredded cheese like sharp cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese are optional but really add creaminess. I used grated cheddar but use whichever you like. My friend loves velveeta cheese.
Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!
For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Instant Pot Tools on Amazon.
How To Make Chicken Spaghetti Instant Pot
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Dump cubed chicken breast, chicken broth, pasta sauce, and seasonings into the Instant Pot.
- Break the spaghetti in half and spread it over the top. Use a wooden spoon to submerge it into the liquid.
- Cover and seal the electric pressure cooker and pressure cook at high pressure for 4 minutes, followed by a 5-minute natural pressure release.
- Open the lid and stir. If a lot of liquid remains, let it stand for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid.
- Serve or mix in the cheese for a creamier sauce and serve hot.
Note: Cooking times do not account for the time that it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.
Tips For Success
- Break the pasta in half before you add it to the Instant Pot. This will make it easier to completely submerge it in the liquid.
- Stir the pasta immediately after opening the Instant Pot to break up any stuck together pieces. Noodles will stick so you do have to stir to break em up.
- Allow the cooked pasta to sit in the Instant Pot to absorb any remaining liquid.
- Vary the seasoning – add in treats like hidden valley ranch seasoning, garlic salt, tuscan seasoning etc.
- Download the free Instant Pot Cheat Sheet.
Delicious Variations
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti is sooooooooooo easy to customize…
- Get saucy – use your favorite sauce in this recipe or swap it for something new for a different flavor. Try a spicy sauce or even a vodka sauce. Yum!
- Swap pasta – you can use any dried pasta cut in this recipe without making any changes to the recipe.
- Try thighs – chicken thighs are a great swap for the chicken breast. Not only are they incredibly juicy, but they are also often less expensive.
- Add fresh veggies – add stuff like bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, green chilies, diced onion and more.
- Add heat – you can add heat via chili powder, cayenne pepper and more.
- Oil – this does not need any oil but a drizzle of olive oil can add delicious flavor.
- Make chicken spaghetti with velveeta – simply cook your pasta and at the end add in about half a block of velveeta cheese that has been cubed. Stir until the cheese has melted. You will end up with a richer version of this pasta.
- Make rotel chicken spaghetti – yeap a great choice. Simply add in a 10 ounce can rotel along with the chicken cubes. You can use mild or spicy versions depending on your taste.
Budget Friendly Tips
- Light Lunch – Make a batch of this creamy chicken spaghetti at the beginning of the week to take for a light lunch.
- Make it a Meal – Add a side salad or a green veggie to leftover chicken spaghetti and serve it with bread to make it a full meal.
- Add Veggies – Adding vegetables like chopped onion, peppers, carrots or broccoli add bulk to this meal along with being a great source of nutrients.
- Check out a few of my favorite things that I love using to make this recipe.
Storage
- Store – Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
- Freeze – Transfer the cooked pasta to a freezer-safe container for an easy freezer meal. Store for up to 4 months.
- Thaw – overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat – in the microwave or bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Meal Prep With Leftovers
This is a great recipe for meal prep. Cook once and eat for days.
- This recipe stores for 4 days so you can eat it on the day you cook it plus for more days.
- Separate leftover pasta into up to 4 portions in airtight meal prep containers (microwave safe) and let cool completely with the lids off.
- When cool, close them and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To reheat it is best to add a splash of water and then reheat in 1 minute timings in the microwave till warmed through.
- To vary it up through the week feel free to add in other leftovers like cooked veggies, tomatoes, cheese and dressings.
FAQs
Yes! The tomato sauce alone will not create enough steam to bring the Instant Pot to pressure and cook the pasta and chicken.
The liquid is essential, but you can use plain water instead of chicken stock. You might need to add extra herbs if using plain water.
You sure can. The amount of sauce is what’s important so make sure you have 14oz. of sauce.
You can also use canned tomato sauce but you may want to add a tablespoon of sugar as well.
Frozen Chicken will need a little bit more cook time during which the pasta will over cook. So I recommend using thawed / fresh chicken.
You can use other types of pasta like penne and fusilli. Keep the cooking time the same.
Yes, you can cook spaghetti in an Instant Pot. You can also cook various other pasta shapes.
Make sure there is soem cooking liquid in the insert, then spread the pasta out over the liquid making sure the pasta is submerged.
The important thing is to make sure the pasta fits into the pressure cooker, so if you are cooking spaghetti then break it before cooking.
More Instant Pot Recipes You May Like
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs. Great for meal prep and more.
- Dump and Start Instant Pot Chicken Stew. So, so easy.
- Instant Pot Tortellini Soup. Filling and delicious
- Instant Pot Parmesan Chicken. This is better than take out.
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup. Flavors of classic lasagna that cooks super fast.
- Or get the recipes below.
Recommended Tools
- An awesome Instant Pot.
- Helpful Measuring cups and spoons.
- A sharp kitchen knife for cutting the meat.
- For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Instant Pot Tools on Amazon.
Weight Watchers Points
There are 10 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
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Did you make this recipe? Then I would love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a comment and star rating below. And I really appreciate you sharing this recipe with your family and friends. Enjoy every mouthful 😊🍲 – Bintu
Get The Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe:
Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 2 cups (473ml) chicken broth
- 14 ounces (414ml) pasta sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt to taste
- 8 ounces (200g) spaghetti broken in half
- ½ pound (226g) skinless boneless chicken breast cubed
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese optional
- 3 tablespoons grated cheese of your choice optional
Instructions
- Add the chicken broth, pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and salt into the Instant Pot insert without mixing.
- Then spread the pasta out over the liquid making sure the pasta is submerged.
- Place the chicken cubes on top of the pasta
- Place lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing, select pressure cook / manual high pressure, and set for 4 minutes.
- Allow for a Natural Pressure Release (NPR) of 5 minutes and then do a Quick Pressure Release (cover the vent as the liquid will spurt). Once done, carefully open the lid.
- Let stand for 5 minutes for the liquid to be absorbed then mix, making sure to separate the spaghetti (as some of the noodle will clump together).
- This can be served as is, but if you want a richer meal then quickly mix in the cream cheese and grated cheese, stirring until melted.
- Adjust seasonings as needed, add any toppings or mix-ins, and serve.
Notes
Tips For Success
- Break the pasta in half before you add it to the Instant Pot. This will make it easier to completely submerge it in the liquid.
- Stir the pasta immediately after opening the Instant Pot to break up any stuck together pieces. Noodles will stick so you do have to stir to break em up.
- Allow the cooked pasta to sit in the Instant Pot to absorb any remaining liquid.
Delicious Variations
Pressure Cooker Chicken Spaghetti is sooooooooooo easy to customize…- Get Saucy – Use your favorite sauce in this recipe or swap it for something new for a different flavor. Try a spicy sauce or even a vodka sauce. Yum!
- Swap Pasta – You can use any dried pasta cut in this recipe without making any changes to the recipe.
- Try Thighs – Chicken thighs are a great swap for the chicken breast. Not only are they incredibly juicy, but they are also often less expensive.
Budget Friendly Tips
- Light Lunch – Make a batch of this creamy chicken spaghetti at the beginning of the week to take for a light lunch.
- Make it a Meal – Add a side salad or a green veggie and serve it with bread to make it a full meal.
- Add Veggies – Adding vegetables like chopped onion, peppers, carrots or broccoli add bulk to this meal along with being a great source of nutrients.
Rebecca Smith
The perfect meal for the whole family – my kids love this and it is so easy to make!
rika
This spaghetti looks easy to make! The chicken makes it a perfect meal.
Beth Sachs
My kids are going to LOVE this spaghetti with chicken! The perfect family-friendly meal.
Beth
This looks good and so delicious! My kids are going to love this recipe! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Gail Montero
I love my instant pot and using it to make a delicious pasta recipe for my family is a time-saver for sure. Love all the yummy flavors here!
Ivan N Fernandez
Burn notice
Michael Ye
SAME – BURN NOTICE
tre
tea
Okie
Excellent recipe! I accidentally mixed the spices together, but it didn’t affect it at all. The cream cheese option made it so dang better! Then I added graded parmesan cheese. Definitely follow the steps regarding the spaghetti noodles.
Fred Flint
Why do you not mix it. That’s doesn’t make sense. You want the sauce and spice flavors to mix and soak into the chicken and spaghetti. It will still steam. If it is to prevent the burn notice then the pasta sauce should go on top of the spaghetti.