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I first made this Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta on a freezing Tuesday night when I had exactly zero motivation to cook something complicated, and my partner went back for thirds—that’s pretty much all you need to know. It’s a one-pot dinner that comes together in under an hour, and it’s chock-full of creamy, cheesy, ranch-seasoned pasta with shredded chicken and crispy bacon.
It’s been my cold-weather couch dinner ever since (right up there with my Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken and Instant Pot Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup) on nights when I just want to eat something super filling, then curl up on the couch with my fuzziest blanket and catch up on my Netflix queue.
Why This Crack Chicken Hits Every Time
So what makes this crack chicken pasta worthy of its moniker? Well, you’ve got your carb fix thanks to the pasta, a heavy dose of garlic, and ranch seasoning, which has a way of making everything delicious. There are three cheeses in this recipe—cream cheese, cheddar, and Colby Jack—which gives this pasta a rich, creamy sauce that’s like an amped up version of mac-and-cheese. The finishing touch is crumbled bacon, because of course we need crispy, salty, smoky bacon in crack chicken pasta.
Trust me when I say, you’re going to make this recipe again and again.
Ingredient Tips
The ingredients here are simple, but there are some things you’ll want to take note of!
- Thin-sliced chicken breasts cook faster in the sauté step and shred more easily.
- Rotini or penne pasta is non-negotiable. Different pasta shapes cook at different rates, and the 4-minute pressure cook is calibrated for these. Thin pasta like spaghetti will turn to mush, and gluten-free or bean flour pastas are unpredictable in the Instant Pot.
- Reduced-sodium chicken broth adds flavor, but keeps the pasta from turning out too salty once the cheese goes in. If using full-sodium, I recommend using 2½ cups, plus 2½ cups of water, so it’s not too salty.
- Cream cheese, cheddar, and Colby Jack are key to a triple-threat sauce. Shred your own from the block. Pre-shredded bagged cheese is coated in an anti-caking agent to keep it from clumping, but it can also prevent it from melting smoothly. Instead of a silky sauce, you’ll get something grainy and gritty. Two extra minutes at the grater is absolutely worth it here.
- Cooked bacon adds that perfect hit of salty, savory flavor. Bacon bits work if you’re in a hurry.
How to Make Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta
This recipe takes 45 minutes from start to finish, so it’s perfect for a weeknight! Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Sauté the seasoned chicken right in the Instant Pot (I used a 6-quart pot), set it aside to shred, then cook down the onion and garlic before adding the broth, chicken, and pasta. Cook for four minutes on manual pressure, quick release, then stir in the cheeses and bacon until everything is melted and glossy. That’s it.
The great thing about this recipe is that the cook time stays exactly the same whether you halve or double the recipe, though a fuller pot will take longer to pressurize. Use that waiting time to crumble your bacon if you haven’t already.
Add Veggies to Bulk it Up
Want to make it a more complete meal? Stir frozen peas or broccoli florets in right after you quick-release the pressure. The residual heat warms them through in just a couple of minutes without turning them soggy. For mushrooms, add them during the onion sauté step. I also love serving this with Garlic Roasted Green Beans on the side to cut through all that richness.
Other Cooking Methods
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, don’t fret! You can make this on the stovetop or in a crockpot.
- Stovetop: In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the chicken and aromatics as directed, pour in the broth, bring to a simmer, then add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Stir in the cheeses and bacon at the end.
- Crockpot: Cook the chicken, aromatics, and broth on Low for 6 hours or High for 3, shred the chicken, then add the pasta and cook on high for another 20–30 minutes until tender. Just watch it closely at the end; pasta in a slow cooker can go from done to mush fast.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave, or for the best texture, warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of milk or cream to loosen the sauce. It reheats really well either way.
This crack pasta freezes beautifully, too. Transfer cooled leftovers to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the sauce looks a little broken when it first starts to warm, just keep stirring; it comes right back together.
Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 pound (454 g) thin sliced chicken breasts, about 4 pieces
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ large white onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 ounce (28 g) packet of ranch seasoning mix
- 5 cups (1183 ml) reduced sodium chicken broth
- 16 ounces (454 g) rotini or penne pasta
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, cut into pieces
- 2 ounces (57 g) cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 2 ounces (57 g) Colby Jack cheese, freshly shredded
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Instructions
- Mix the pepper, salt and paprika together in a small bowl then sprinkle it onto the chicken breasts evenly on both sides.½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon paprika powder, 1 pound (454 g) thin sliced chicken breasts
- Set the instant pot to sauté mode on medium then add two of the tablespoons of oil and cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until completely cooked through.2 tablespoons Olive oil
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pot and cook the onion until it becomes translucent, about 3 minutes.½ large white onion, 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- Turn the Instant Pot off then stir in the garlic and ranch seasoning and let the residual heat from the Instant Pot cook the garlic then pour in the chicken broth.3 cloves garlic, 1 ounce (28 g) packet of ranch seasoning mix, 5 cups (1183 ml) reduced sodium chicken broth
- Shred the chicken then add it to the instant pot and spread it out evenly.
- Add the pasta on top and gently push it down so that all of it is submerged in broth but do not stir it into the chicken.16 ounces (454 g) rotini or penne pasta
- Seal the Instant Pot and pressure valve then set it to manual for 4 minutes (it will take about 10 minutes to heat up before the timer starts).
- Carefully release the pressure valve on top to let the steam escape before removing the lid from the pot and stirring the pasta.
- Add the cream cheese, cheddar and Colby Jack cheese and stir until completely melted, about 3 minutes.8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, 2 ounces (57 g) cheddar cheese, 2 ounces (57 g) Colby Jack cheese
- Stir in the bacon then serve with freshly chopped chives for garnish if desired.6 slices cooked bacon
Nutrition
Photographs by Jess Gaertner Creative
It says the broth should be divided, but I can’t find how or when. I’ll try it using all of it.
sorry, Kary! typo on my part and too fast copying/pasting from my Word document. using all of it is correct!
I use an old pressure cooker; how long should I cook this and should I let the pressure drop naturally or do quick drop method? Anyone else use old-fashioned pressure cooker?
i haven’t used an old pressure cooker before so i can’t be 100% certain, but modern day electric pressure cookers seem to replicate old pressure cookers so i would say you could cook this the same amount of time 4 minutes. i would do the quick drop method.