Instant Pot Chicken Ranch Pasta is a quick and comforting one-pot pasta dinner packed with flavor! Tender chicken combines with pasta in a creamy, cheesy ranch sauce that is ready in less than 30 minutes. This easy meal is a dream come true for busy families. With minimal prep and even less cleanup, it will have everyone begging for seconds.
I love making pasta in the Instant Pot because it makes it a one-pot meal, with the sauce and pasta all cooking together. With chicken, cheese, bacon, and pasta, this recipe has pretty much all my kids’ favorites in one meal! And it is almost entirely hands-off, which I need on hectic weeknights.
And honestly, it’s not just the kids who love this meal; my husband and I do, too. The crispy, salty, smoky bacon adds a fabulous texture to the creamy pasta! Keep reading for a new go-to recipe to impress your family and friends. I’ll also include my best tips and answer all your burning questions.
Are you looking for more one-pot pasta dishes? Try sausage and red pepper pasta, Instant Pot mac & cheese, chicken pesto pasta, or Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs.
🥘Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Chicken breast: Chicken thighs work well too.
- Oil
- Ranch dressing mix
- Bacon: Make some extra bacon with breakfast. Or quickly make air fryer bacon while the pasta cooks.
- Cream cheese
- Penne pasta
- Chicken broth
- Cheddar cheese
🥣How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Ranch Pasta
- Turn your Instant Pot to the Sauté setting and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and ranch dressing mix. Stir to coat the chicken evenly with the ranch seasoning. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add the cream cheese, pasta, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Give everything a quick stir to combine.
- Close the lid and make sure it’s locked in place. Select the Manual setting and set the timer for 4 minutes on high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, do a quick release to release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid and stir.
- Finally, stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and cooked bacon until everything is well combined. Let the pasta sit for a few minutes to allow the sauce to thicken up a bit.
🍴Serving Ideas
This Instant Pot chicken ranch pasta is hearty enough to stand alone as a main course. Just scoop up a big serving and dig in!
To round out the meal and add some veggies to your plate, try serving this pasta with a simple side salad. I like to toss some mixed greens with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and a light vinaigrette.
Garlic bread is another excellent side dish. Because really, what’s a pasta dinner without some garlic bread? You can buy pre-made garlic bread at the store or make quick air-fried garlic bread while the Instant Pot works.
💭How to Store
Put any leftover chicken ranch pasta in an airtight container. Place the labeled container in the fridge. The leftovers should keep well for 3-4 days.
When you’re ready to eat your leftovers, simply transfer them to a microwave-safe dish and heat them in the microwave until they’re hot and steamy. If the sauce has thickened too much in the fridge, add a splash of water or chicken broth to help loosen it up.
⭐Tips
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- The beauty of cooking pasta in the Instant Pot is that it always comes out perfectly al dente. However, if you let it cook for too long, it can quickly turn to mush. Stick to the recommended cook time of 4 minutes on high pressure for best results.
- While the ranch dressing mix adds a ton of flavor to this dish, feel free to customize it to your liking. Add diced onion or garlic to the pot when cooking the chicken, or stir in some chopped fresh herbs like parsley or basil at the end.
- This recipe makes enough to feed a family of four, but double the recipe if you feed a crowd (or just want leftovers for days). Just make sure not to fill your Instant Pot past the max fill line.
📝Reader Questions
Definitely! While I like to use penne pasta for this recipe, you could easily swap it out for another short pasta shape like rotini, farfalle, or shells. Just keep in mind that cooking times may vary slightly depending on the shape and size of the pasta. As a rule of thumb, set the Instant Pot for half the cooking time given on the box of pasta.
While I recommend using fresh chicken, you can certainly use frozen chicken in a pinch. Just remember that it will take longer for your Instant Pot to come to pressure, and add 3-4 minutes to the cooking time.
You can certainly make this recipe ahead of time and reheat it later, but the texture of the pasta will change as it sits in the fridge. If you make it ahead, I recommend adding a splash of chicken broth or water when reheating to help loosen up the sauce.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can still make a stovetop version of this recipe. Simply cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of boiling water. In a separate skillet, cook the chicken with the ranch seasoning until cooked through. Then, drain the pasta and toss it with the chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and bacon until everything is combined and heated through.
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Instant Pot Chicken Ranch Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast cut into 2 inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 package Ranch dressing mix
- 3/4 cup cooked chopped bacon
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 pound dry penne pasta
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on the Sauté setting; add the oil, chicken, and ranch packet, stirring to coat.4 chicken breast, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 package Ranch dressing mix
- Cook chicken for 2–3 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
- Add cream cheese, pasta, broth, and water to the pot and stir.8 ounces cream cheese, 1 pound dry penne pasta, 3 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water
- Make sure the sealing ring is in the lid and the pressure valve is shut. Close and lock the lid, select Manual, and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach pressure.
- If your bacon isn’t already cooked, cook it while the Instant Pot is working. You can make air-fried bacon with low mess and grease in 10 minutes.
- Do a quick release. Once the steam has disappeared, remove the lid and stir in cheddar cheese and cooked bacon.2 cups cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup cooked chopped bacon
- Allow the pasta to sit for a few minutes so that the sauce can thicken before enjoying it!
Notes
- Add diced onion or garlic to the pot when cooking the chicken, or stir in some chopped fresh herbs like parsley or basil at the end.
- This recipe makes enough to feed a family of four, but double the recipe if you feed a crowd. Just make sure not to fill your Instant Pot past the max fill line.
- You can swap out the penne for another short pasta shape like rotini, farfalle, or shells. Cooking times may vary slightly depending on the shape and size of the pasta. As a rule of thumb, set the Instant Pot for half the cooking time given on the box of pasta.
- While I recommend using fresh chicken, you can certainly use frozen chicken in a pinch. Just remember that it will take longer for your Instant Pot to come to pressure, and add 3-4 minutes to the cooking time.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
