Frozen Chicken and Noodles Instant Pot

Instant Pot Frozen chicken and noodles recipe is an easy one pot meal that is cheap and creamy. You can use fresh or leftover rotisserie too if you like. Diced or whole frozen chicken in Instant Pot with pasta is a great meal.

Instant Pot Chicken and Noodles Recipe

This is probably one of our favorite leftover chicken recipes using penne pasta. I mean you could use medium shells instead too but I like bite size pieces instead of spaghetti style. Makes it easier to eat, especially with kids, and I think they soak up the cream cheese sauce better too.

It’s a bit like our Instant Pot crack chicken pasta of sorts but without ranch seasoning. You could definitely leave the meat out entirely too if you preferred but I like some protein in the mix to make it a legit one pot meal.

in Ninja Foodi

This will work in any electric pressure cooker brand you might have at home. Your Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodie pot work great too if that is what you have.

Yes this does take a bit more time than if you were to make Kraft Instant Pot mac and cheese, but it’s worth it. Creamy almost alfredo like noodles with your protein cooked together, and there you have a great one pot meal.

I love using medium size noodles like shells and these. Just like Instant Pot penne pasta you don’t have to break them up and if you have kids it creates a lot less mess. Bonus!

We will explain how fresh vs. frozen is cooked using your pressure cooker below in the recipe card. You likely have much of what you need already at home. I suggest not using low fat cream cheese because, like why??? We aren’t counting calories here my friends, its about taste y’all.

Ingredients

• Some medium pasta shells or penne noodles
• Chicken broth is better than water for flavor
• 2-3 pcs. frozen chicken breasts or chicken thighs, preferably cut into small bite size pieces
  • directions for whole is explained below as well
  • if you want to thaw quickly, this is how to defrost chicken in microwave
• 2 tbsp olive oil or other variety
• Italian salad dressing for a lot of flavor in an easy way
• Parmesan cheese is optional but encouraged
• 1 package cream cheese will make the dish creamy
• A pinch salt and pepper are basic seasonings

You have the choice of using whole or diced frozen chicken, or fresh. I will explain all the methods below. Maybe one night you were on the ball and defrosted the night before, best option. Forgetful like me? NO worries my friend, it will come out fantastic still! In a Foodi you would use the lid that is not attached and the pressure cook button.

You could easily add some mixed frozen vegetables into the mix here too. Add it in at the beginning after sauteeing the meat. There are a few options as far as using fresh vs. cooking frozen meat to tender first and the proceeding from there. I hope that helps understand the differences of the two, from there you will use these same steps below to proceed;

How to Cook Instant Pot Frozen Chicken and Noodles

• Leave meat on the bottom. Cut room temperature cream cheese into chunks and put that on top. Pour 1/2 cup of broth over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Pour in uncooked penne pasta on top. Leave in layers, do not stir. Pour remaining 1.5 c. of broth over the top of the noodles followed by the Italian dressing. Make sure noodles are as submerged into liquid as possible.
• Close the lid and steam valve and set for 5 minutes followed by a 2 minute natural release. Release rest of steam, lift lid and stir.
• Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and fold together again.
• Then you will set the lid on, you don’t need to lock it, and allow everything to sit and thicken for a good 5 minutes before serving.

with Egg Noodles

If you want to use these (more delicate) noodles you can but you will need to adjust things slightly. As you know these are floppier and cook for less time than let’s say elbow macaroni or shells. You can use these though with just a few more minutes at the beginning. This is what you need to adjust;

This applies to dry and frozen egg noodles. I almost always buy bagged but I know some of you like the babies in the frozen section, to me they really do cook at the same rate in a pressure cooker.

Cooking Times

• Using fresh meat; Set pot to saute with olive oil and chicken. Cook until outsides are no longer pink and then turn pot off. Scrape stuck on meat off of the bottom with a bit of broth with wooden spatula.
• Using frozen meat; If frozen meat is small and bite sized just lay on bottom of pot (skip sauteeing).
  • If you have 2 frozen breasts add into pot with 3/4 c water or broth and pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes with a quick pressure release.
  • Remove the chicken and chop into bite size pieces. Drain pot, add into pot and proceed with next steps below.
• Precooked; If you are using leftover or already cooked shredded chicken don’t saute, put on bottom of pot and continue with next steps.

It really is a complete meal, especially if you add frozen vegetables into the mix but that is up to you.

I have another goodie for you too if you want more of a comfort food soup! Check out our Instant Pot frozen chicken noodle soup for that one. Totally killer on snowy days. This meal saves really well for the next day too if you have leftovers.

How to save leftovers

Make sure you let it cool completely and transfer it to a sealed container or freezer bag. Scrape all of that sauce out and into your container too in order for it to stay moist and not dry out. To reheat put into a microwave safe bowl with 1 tbsp broth over the top. Heat for 1 minute, stir and 1 more min to heat.

Ok I think I have covered all of my basis and you’ll be good to go. If you add another tweak to this that turns out absolutely amazing let us know so we can try your “trick” too next go around. Now jump to recipe and lemme know what you think!