Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken–a creamy chicken dish featuring tender, seasoned chicken thighs in a rich parmesan cream sauce with bacon, spinach, and optional angel hair pasta, made easily in either an Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
This one was a winner at our house! The chicken gets super tender, and then you stir in a creamy, garlicky parmesan sauce with bacon and spinach. I love that you can start with frozen chicken if you need to. Tempering the cream with a little warm sauce keeps it from curdling (don’t skip that step!), and the cornstarch slurry makes the sauce luxuriously thick. Toss in cooked angel hair pasta at the end so it soaks up all that goodness (or you can serve this over mashed potatoes).
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Olive Oil–or canola, vegetable
- Minced Garlic
- Water
- Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs–frozen or fresh
- Black Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Crushed Rosemary
- Ground Thyme
- Rubbed Sage
- Cornstarch
- Heavy Cream
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Bacon Crumbles
- Chopped Spinach
- Angel Hair Pasta (optional)
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and the garlic. Saute for 30 seconds.
Pour in the water. Add in the bouillon and chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, a pinch of salt, rosemary, thyme and sage.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 12 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. Break up the chicken.
If using angel hair pasta, cook it according to package directions on the stove and drain.
Stir cornstarch together with ¼ cup water until smooth. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Stir the slurry into the pot to thicken the sauce.
Stir a cup of the sauce in with the cream to temper it. Stir it into the pot.
Stir in the parmesan, bacon and spinach.
Stir the cooked angel hair pasta into sauce.
Add salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.
- Love chicken? Increase to 2 pounds.
- Try adding in some sliced mushrooms when you saute the garlic.
- If you’d rather, you can serve this over mashed potatoes instead of pasta.
- I used my 4 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 6 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Another recipe you can make with angel hair pasta is Angel Chicken.
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Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
A creamy chicken dish featuring tender, seasoned chicken thighs in a rich parmesan cream sauce with bacon, spinach, and optional angel hair pasta, made easily in either an Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 20 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs (frozen or fresh)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp crushed rosemary
- 1/2 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup bacon crumbles
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 8 oz angel hair pasta (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and the garlic. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the water. Add in the bouillon and chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, a pinch of salt, rosemary, thyme and sage.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 12 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. Break up the chicken.
- If using angel hair pasta, cook it according to package directions on the stove and drain.
- Stir cornstarch together with ¼ cup water until smooth. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Stir the slurry into the pot to thicken the sauce.
- Stir a cup of the sauce in with the cream to temper it. Stir it into the pot.
- Stir in the parmesan, bacon and spinach.
- Stir the cooked angel hair pasta into sauce.
- Add salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Add garlic, water, bouillon, chicken, pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, pinch of salt, rosemary, thyme and sage into slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Break up the chicken.
- If using angel hair pasta, cook it according to package directions on the stove and drain.
- Stir cornstarch together with ¼ cup water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce. Cook on high without the lid for 10 minutes.
- Stir a cup of the sauce in with the cream to temper it. Stir it into the pot.
- Stir in the parmesan, bacon and spinach.
- Stir the cooked angel hair pasta into sauce.
- Add salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
More Instant Pot recipes with garlic…
Instant Pot Garlic Cheddar Chicken
An easy casserole loaded with cheddar, rice, chicken and then topped with a buttery bread crumb topping.
Simple Man’s Lemon Garlic Chicken (Instant Pot or Crockpot)
An easy Instant Pot or Crockpot recipe with lots of lemony flavor. Serve over rice to sop up all the delicious sauce!
Greek Style Garlic Chicken (Instant Pot or Crockpot)
Greek Style Garlic Chicken can be made with your Instant Pot or Crockpot. The chicken is served alongside yogurt cucumber sauce, lettuce, tomato and toasted pitas. A great summer meal!
Instant Pot Asian Garlic Noodles
Chicken, garlic, mushrooms, spaghetti noodles and cabbage in a savory sauce. An easy way to have restaurant quality Asian noodles at home!
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Good! I used crumbled bacon bits in a package from Wally World….I don’t think they impart as much flavor as bacon you cook, but it was still delicious. When I make it again I’ll use a little bacon fat (I save it and keep it in the refrigerator) instead of olive oil. The crumbles are a big time saver though and I hate the greasy splatters when you cook bacon.
That makes sense! Fresh bacon definitely has more flavor, but I’m with you on avoiding the splatter. Glad it was still delicious!