Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta – cheesy ranch perfection

At a glance

What stands out: So good it’s almost “addicting,” Instant Pot crack chicken pasta is a straightforward one pan pasta dinner that your family will love!

How long it takes: 30 minutes, and most of that time is hands-off
Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot pressure cooker
Servings: 8

Crack Chicken Pasta

What’s so great about this pasta? Well, when you combine bacon, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing with tender chicken and pasta, you can’t go wrong.

And crack chicken pasta is made in just one pan: your Instant Pot. Straightforward cleanup, fast (less than thirty minutes!), and addictively good — okay, maybe you’re getting the idea. This recipe is a winner!

What goes in

• Chicken: We use boneless skinless chicken breasts but boneless skinless chicken thighs would also work if you prefer dark meat.
• Pasta: Choose a short pasta so that you can get a balanced forkful of pasta and chicken. Penne, rigatoni, ziti, or rotini are all good choices for this recipe.
• Ranch Seasoning Mix: From-scratch or store-bought will work! You’ll need 2 tablespoons, or a 1 ounce package.
• Chicken Broth: We suggest using unsalted or reduced sodium broth, especially if you’re using store-bought ranch seasoning. Using reduced sodium broth allows you to control the level of salt in the final product.
• Heavy Cream: We recommend not making any substitutions here. Using half-and-half or milk will result in the recipe not turning out. Due to their lower fat content, they’ll curdle with the heat of the Instant Pot.
• Cream Cheese: Since you’re stirring this in after the pasta is done cooking, you can use full-fat or reduced fat. We never recommend fat-free, but it will also probably work in this recipe if that’s what you prefer to use. Make sure to cut it up into cubes so it melts quickly and easily.
• Cheddar Cheese: Grate your own for a standby melting results, and to save money!
• Bacon and Green Onions: These garnishes make such a difference in this recipe! We love the freshness that the green onions add.

Janet H. Said:

“we thought this turned out great! Will definitely make again!”

See More Reader Reviews

How it comes together

Brown the chicken. Use the Sauté function of your Instant Pot to lightly brown the cubed chicken. Our mom and we differ on whether to brown the chicken first or not. We do, she doesn’t. We're going to leave it up to you. We will admit that her way is faster so if you’re looking for quicker and easier, simply cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and skip the browning step.

Add ingredients. Add the pasta, ranch seasoning mix, broth, and heavy cream to the pot, and put the chicken on top. Don’t substitute something else for the heavy cream because anything lower in fat will curdle during the cooking time.

Pressure cook. Put the lid on, and set the timer for just five minutes on Pressure Cook (or High Pressure, depending on your model). Yes, you read correctly, just five measly minutes! It’s hard to believe that everything will be evenly cooked in five minutes but it is. (Even the chicken, according to our mom.)

Stir in cheese. When the timer goes off, carefully release the pressure and stir in the cream cheese and cheddar until everything’s all melted and creamy. Yum!

Garnish and serve. Garnish with lots of crumbled bacon and sliced green onions.

Ways to serve it

The pasta itself is quite rich so it pairs well with something fresh and light to brighten things up and round out the meal. Serve with a simple salad like classic arugula salad or citrus salad with mint, honey and lime. We also like to serve this pasta with sautéed spinach, sugar snap peas, or air fryer asparagus (or any green vegetable that happens to be in our refrigerator).

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Make it a casserole. Brown chicken in skillet, and cook pasta, as directed on package. Mix remaining ingredients (omitting broth), then stir in chicken and pasta. Spoon into greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish as desired.
• Add veggie power. Stir in chopped spinach, green peas, cooked green beans, or corn after stirring in cheese.
• Substitute another good melting cheese. Swiss, Mexican blend, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack are good choices.
• Try another seasoning mix. This simple change will give a completely different flavor to your pasta. Try chili seasoning or Cajun seasoning.
• Don’t have an Instant Pot? Chicken bacon ranch pasta is a similar one pan pasta recipe that you make on the stovetop. Other popular stovetop recipes are one pan marry us chicken pasta or one pot Cajun chicken pasta.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days. This recipe doesn’t freeze well.

Reheat: Larger amounts can be reheated over medium-low heat on the stove; individual portions can be reheated in the microwave in 30 to 45 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Add a bit of water, broth, or milk to the leftover pasta to thin the sauce and add moisture, if necessary.

• Yield: 8
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 10 minutes
• Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil (or olive oil)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 16 ounces uncooked short pasta (penne, ziti, or rigatoni work best)
• 2 ½ cups chicken broth, divided (low-sodium preferred)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch seasoning mix ( 2 tablespoons)
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese (softened)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus extra for garnish)
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• green onions (optional garnish)

Method

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, as evenly as you can. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Turn on the Instant Pot by pressing the “Sauté” button. When pan is hot, add the oil and cut-up chicken (see note).
3. Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is white on the outside. It will not be cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken to a plate. Add ½ cup broth to pot, boil and scrape bottom to remove all browned bits. Press “Cancel” on the Instant Pot.
4. Add the uncooked pasta noodles, followed by the remaining broth, heavy cream, and ranch seasoning mix. DO NOT STIR, but make sure the liquid is covering the noodles. Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot on top of the ranch seasoning mix.
5. Close the lid, ensure the valve is turned to the seal position, and set for 5 minutes at High Pressure, or Pressure Cook, depending on your model.
6. When timer goes off, quick release the pressure. Remove the lid, and add cream cheese and cheddar cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted and creamy. If desired, stir in bacon, or reserve the bacon for garnish.
7. Serve hot with your choice of garnishes.

Notes

Browning the chicken: If you want, skip browning the chicken. Just go ahead to step #3, adding the raw chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, on top of the ranch seasoning, as directed. The chicken will be cooked with the pasta. We've tested both methods and they both work well.

Add veggies: If desired, stir in chopped spinach, green peas, cooked green beans, or corn after stirring in cheese.

Oven directions: To make a casserole, brown chicken in skillet, and cook pasta, as directed on package. Mix remaining ingredients (omitting broth), then stir in chicken and pasta. Spoon into greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish as desired.

Storage: L eftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently, adding more broth, water, cream, or milk to thin the sauce if necessary.