Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan

Instant Pot chicken parmesan no breading recipe with frozen or fresh breasts has a tons of flavor! Like our Instant Pot chicken parmesan casserole but without pasts, this tender meat is smothered in spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese.

With tender chicken breasts cooked in spaghetti sauce and smothered in cheese, it’s sure to be a family favorite in your house too. Find this and 101 other Instant Pot recipes here on The Typical Mom blog and enjoy. (affiliate links present)

Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Looking for an Italian dinner made lickety split? I have the answer for you and it is done in no time at all. I bet parmesan chicken is one of your favorite dishes. This one is so much faster than our slow cooker chicken parmesan but with all the same great flavors.

with frozen chicken

You can use fresh or frozen chicken in InstaPot with this one. It is better if you can defrost them ahead of time but if not you can use already breaded pieces or small breasts. You would skip the sauteeing step and increase the timing to 12 minutes but the rest would remain the same.

They’re both great though and you should really try all of our versions. Once you fall in love with this type take a peek at our roundup of easy Instant Pot chicken recipes too. Whether you serve this as is, on a bed of rice or on a bun as a sandwich you’ll love it.

Fresh meat was used this time. I prefer and recommend using free range organic poultry. Not just because the health benefits are better but the texture is best too. It is overall more moist when cooked and not as grainy tasting no matter what you make with it. Just my two cents but we cook a lot and want to share our experience.

Ingredients

1. Spaghetti noodles or shape of your choice boiled separately
2. Jar of spaghetti sauce or homemade to cook meat in
3. Mozzarella cheese and lots of it
   1. a bit of parmesan cheese is good too
4. Basil is a good add in
5. Salt and pepper are basic seasonings
6. Olive oil, the good stuff
7. Italian seasonings we use often
8. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are best fresh, medium sized

Variation

in Ninja Food

If you are going to use a Ninja Foodi, this version will use the lid that is not attached and the pressure cook button. We are going to use jarred sauce this time but if you insist on making homemade Instant Pot spaghetti sauce first by all means do so and use that. Nothing would change with this substitution, just preference really if you want from scratch all the way.

with breaded patties

Here we are going to show you how to use fresh meat. If you used frozen chicken patties I think the breading on the outside would get mushy and just fall right off but would work. We skip that step because of my texture issues and instead if you feel like you really need it, just sprinkle breadcrumbs on the top when it’s served.

with chicken cutlets

Chicken breasts are what was used and primarily the pieces you would expect. Using frozen thin chicken breasts would be about the same as far as the cook time goes since those are rather thin. You can find these in the frozen section in your grocery store near the chicken nuggets.

They are basically just that, flattened nugget meat that is more the size of a patty. If you did use these then you wouldn’t need to saute at the beginning. Just lay in the sauce starting at that step and start from there on.

You will need to cook the pasta separately for this one. Below I share how to do it together but that would require the meat to be cut into smaller pieces. Both are great. You can boil on the stovetop until al dente or if you have a 2nd pot you can make Ninja foodi butter noodles that way.

Is chicken parmesan and chicken parmesana the same?

Yes, essentially they’re both breaded chicken cutlets with lots of melted mozzarella and/or provolone. This version is a healthier version with no breading involved. Chicken Parmesan started way back with Eggplant Parmigiana in Campania and Sicily in Italy

Tips

Let’s start by seasoning your meat with basil, salt and pepper. Then set your pot to saute and add a bit of olive oil so you can sear or brown both sides before adding them into your pot.

Yes they would cook throughly without this step but I think everyone likes their meat a bit more done on the outsides, and tender on the inside. It is up to you how much of a sear you put on the outsides though. Personal preference really.

After you’ve cooked the chicken it’s time to add the sauce on the bottom. First remove the chicken and pour in your marinara sauce.

When adding your breasts back in make sure to set them in gently and don’t push down to the bottom. This will prevent the dreaded burn notice from occurring on your screen. Buy your favorite brand (mine is linked above) and pour it right in!

There are so many great ways to make this. Of course if you don’t have a pressure cooker you can use your oven and make this easy chicken parmesan casserole style dish. This one is so much easier and healthy too though!

How long does it take to pressure cook chicken in sauce?

The next step is to lock the lid and set to high pressure for just 7 minutes of pressure cooking time. Now chicken parm wouldn’t be complete without some noodles! We cooked those separately. Then cheese was added to the top of each breast and the lid put back on just long enough for it to melt.

We we love our slow cooker version of this too but if you just have to have a crispy exterior you should try our air fryer chicken parm recipe instead! We just can’t get enough of it can you tell??!! This is a no breading chicken parmesan version that came out fantastic in our new favorite kitchen appliance.

Here’s a quick rundown of how it is made. There is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post too for your reference too.

How to Make Chicken Parmesan in Pressure Cooker

• Put the seasonings of your choice, but our choices are listed below, in a small bowl and stir until well combined.
• Season chicken breasts with the mix, on both sides so they are well coated with flavor.
• Turn the pressure cooker to sauté with your bit of olive oil with your breasts and cook for a few minutes on one side before flipping over to the other. We are just searing and not completely cooking in order to keep the pieces as moist as possible.
• Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate keeping them warm.
• Pour in marinara sauce with your garlic salt and Italian seasoning
• Gently place meat back into the pot on top but the tip is to not push them down or else it might burn them. Put the lid on the pressure cooker and set valve to pressure cook high.
• Allow to naturally release steam when timing is complete. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
• Place lid back on and allow cheese to melt with the steam inside the pot.

In the meantime, boil the spaghetti according to package instructions. Rinse with cool water and set aside once done cooking. Remove breasts and plate. Then put cooked drained noodles into pot with sauce and mix so they are all well coated. Put sauced noodles next to breast on plates and serve with extra cheese on top if you’d like.

What sides go with chicken parmesan?

Vegetables are always a win. Maybe make a tray of chunked beets, sweet potatoes and pressure cooker carrots alongside the main dish, or roasted squash. For a lower carb choice you can go with a side salad or quinoa which is higher in protein than something like rice or rolls.