There’s no doubt that Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti is one of those classic Southern comfort food recipes. But that doesn’t mean you can only eat it in the winter. This one is light enough and easy to make that keeps it on the menu all year round.
The fun part about this Instant Pot chicken and pasta recipe is that you can use any leftover chicken you have, play with different cheese, and even add different ingredients. So it is a meal that can constantly change and the family will never get bored with eating.
Instant Pot in the summer?
I know! Lots of people put their Instant Pot away when the summer comes because they think of it for those heavy winter casseroles and comfort food dishes.
For me, I use my Instant Pot and Air Fryer a couple of times a week at least in the summer. The reason’s simple – it is cooler than having the stove or oven running!
Chicken Spaghetti Ingredients
- Oil
- Diced onion
- Diced bell pepper
- Spaghetti
- Chicken broth
- Cream of chicken soup
- Processed cheese, cubed
- Cubed Chicken
- Diced tomatoes and chilies
- Black pepper
Any cooked chicken will be great for this recipe, even something like a rotisserie chicken.
I used the half a cooked chicken that was left from my chicken noodle soup recipe when I made this last. If you need to cook the chicken first, here’s how to cook chicken in the Instant Pot.
A processed cheese such as Velvetta is perfect for this. If the cubes are a little on the large side it can take an extra minute or so to melt. Just dice them up a bit smaller so they melt quicker.
I used Rotel tomatoes for this one, it adds just the right amount of spice, but might be too spicy for little ones. Petite diced tomatoes would work just fine for them.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- Add the oil to the Instant Pot, set to saute, and leave to heat for a few minutes.
- Add the diced onion and peppers and stir for 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Turn off the IP, remove the onions and peppers, and put them to one side.
- Break the spaghetti in half and place it in the pot, spreading it out. Avoid having any clumps of pasta.
- Cover the spaghetti with the chicken broth and enough water so that it is completely covered.
- Seal the lid, set the release valve to the closed position, and put the Instant Pot on high for 4 minutes.
- Quick-release the steam when the timer is up and remove the lid when safe to do so.
- Save 2 cups of the cooking liquid in a bowl then drain the spaghetti.
- Set the Instant Pot back onto saute and add the liquid you saved along with the rest of the ingredients apart from the spaghetti. Cook until the cheese has melted, stirring constantly.
- Turn off the IP and add the spaghetti, stirring until everything is hot and mixed together then serve.
You will often find the Instant Pot will spit and sputter before releasing the steam. To avoid a nasty burn, use a long-handled wooden spoon to move the valve from closed to open and release the steam.
What’s a good substitute for Velvetta?
I know not everyone loves Velvetta so what kind of cheese will work instead of it? The answer is any cheese that melts well.
Something like a nice sharp cheddar will be great. Melting cheeses like Monterey Jack are okay too if you can find it in a block and cut it into cubes.
What other type of pasta could I use?
I know spaghetti is a classic and the dish is called Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti. But you can use other types of pasta if that’s what you have or if the kids hate spaghetti. Things like macaroni, medium shells, or even small round pasta salad noodles will be just fine. You’ll need to adjust the past cooking time accordingly.
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Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper any color
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 10.5 ounce cans cream of chicken soup
- 3 cups cooked chicken diced or cubed
- 16 ounces processed cheese cubed, like Velvetta
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes and chilies like Rotel tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the oil to the IP, set to saute, and heat for a few minutes.
- Add the diced onions and bell peppers and cook stirring frequently until the onions have turned translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Turn off the IP, remove the onions and peppers, and set aside.
- Break the spaghetti into half and place staggered in the pot. Try not to have any spaghetti bunched together.
- Cover the spaghetti with the chicken broth and enough water to completely cover the spaghetti.
- Seal the lid, set the release valve to close and set the IP on high pressure for 4 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, quick release the steam.
- Once the pin drops, remove the lid.
- Save 2 cups of the cooking liquid in a bowl, then drain the spaghetti.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté once again, add the saved cooking liquid and all the other ingredients except the spaghetti to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted.
- Turn off the IP and add the spaghetti, stir until everything is combined and hot.
- Serve while hot.
Notes
- The amount of time it takes for your pressure cooker to pressurize will vary by brand. Allow extra time.
- Smaller cheese cubes will melt quicker.
- Before releasing the pressure clear the area around the Instant Pot, the steam may sputter and eject liquid.
- Use a long-handled wooden spoon for moving the release valve to prevent getting burned.
- I tend to use half of a cooked chicken from my chicken noodle soup for this recipe.
- Any cooked chicken works well in this recipe, even a rotisserie chicken.
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