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October 24, 2018

Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

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Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta–curly pasta is enveloped in a creamy sauce with tender bites of chicken, crispy bites of bacon and a green pop of color from spinach or broccoli. A one pot pasta dish that rivals anything you can order at a restaurant. 

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Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta--curly pasta is enveloped in a creamy sauce with tender bites of chicken, crispy bites of bacon and a green pop of color from spinach or broccoli. A one pot pasta dish that rivals anything you can order at a restaurant. 

Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

This pasta has all the makings of a great meal. Cream cheese. Bacon. Ranch dressing mix. Tomatoes. Pasta. It is seriously so delicious! My whole family asked for seconds. I made it a few weeks ago for the teachers during student-teacher conference week. One of the teachers emailed me and asked me for the recipe! That’s when you know you have a good recipe on your hands.

The really cool thing about this recipe is that there are two ways you can make it. The first way you cook the chicken breasts whole and then slice them. This method is nice if you have frozen chicken breasts and you don’t want to thaw them. I believe that this method lends itself to juicier chicken breasts.  The second way takes less cooking time because you cut up the chicken first and then it cooks super fast in your electric pressure cooker.

A few notes about the ingredients…

The noodles: I used trottole pasta that I bought at Smith’s (Kroger). You can also use cavatappi, cellentani or rotini pasta.

The chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts that were uncooked. You can also use frozen chicken breasts. If you’re a dark meat fan you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. In that case I would trim the fat first.

Parmesan: I used pre-grated parmesan that I bought at Costco in a big bag. You can grate your own parmesan or also use the stuff in the green can (although I don’t think that would taste as good).

Spinach or broccoli: I used fresh baby spinach and just stirred it in at the end. You could also use frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed of excess moisture. If you’re a broccoli fan you can stir in broccoli florets at the end as well. The broccoli can’t be pressure cooked with everything else because it will turn into mush. You can use fresh or frozen broccoli. If you use fresh broccoli steam it first on the stove top or in the microwave. If you use frozen broccoli place it in a colander and run hot water over it for a couple of minutes. Shake it of the excess water and then stir it into the pot.

Ranch dressing mix: I buy a big can of Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix* and then use it for lots of recipes. You can also just use a packet of the ranch dressing mix. I prefer the Hidden Valley brand to the generic.

Bacon: I cook my bacon in the oven until it is crispy and then cut it with my kitchen shears into big pieces. Alternately, you can also use a package of the real bacon bits that are found in the salad dressing aisle.

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Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta--curly pasta is enveloped in a creamy sauce with tender bites of chicken, crispy bites of bacon and a green pop of color from spinach or broccoli. A one pot pasta dish that rivals anything you can order at a restaurant. 

More recipes you’ll love…

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Instant Pot Tuscan Tortellini Soup

Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken

Instant Pot Zucchini Linguine

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Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta--curly pasta is enveloped in a creamy sauce with tender bites of chicken, crispy bites of bacon and a green pop of color from spinach or broccoli. A one pot pasta dish that rivals anything you can order at a restaurant. 

What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?

To make Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly.  It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.

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Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta


★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Karen Petersen
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
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Description

Curly pasta is enveloped in a creamy sauce with tender bites of chicken, crispy bites of bacon and a green pop of color from spinach or broccoli. A one pot pasta dish that rivals anything you can order at a restaurant. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 pounds (24 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs (I used 2–12 ounce chicken breasts)
  • 1 pound (16 oz) uncooked trottole, cavatappi, cellentani or rotini pasta
  • 4 cups broth or 3 1/2 cups broth (or 4 cups water + 4 tsp Better than Bouillon Chicken Base*)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3 Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
  • 8 ounces (1 brick) cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 6 strips of crispy bacon, crumbled (or one 3 ounce package of real bacon pieces)
  • 3 large handfuls of baby spinach or 10 ounces of broccoli florets (frozen or fresh)
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

There are two methods of making this pasta. The first way you cook the chicken breasts whole and then slice them. This method is nice if you have frozen chicken breasts and you don’t want to thaw them. I believe that this method lends itself to juicier chicken breasts. This method you’ll need to cook your pasta using the pot-in-pot method. I used this pan* to cook the pasta.  The second way takes less cooking time because you cut up the chicken first and it cooks quickly.

Method 1 (good for frozen chicken breasts and if you want juicy, sliceable chicken)

  1. Add a half cup of water or chicken broth to the bottom of your Instant Pot. Add in the chicken. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken. Pour the pasta into a pan* that fits inside your Instant Pot and then add 4 cups of chicken broth into the pan. Cover the pan with foil. Lower the pan on top of the chicken using a sling or a trivet* with long handles.
  2. Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes (for thawed chicken) or 12 minutes (for frozen chicken). When the time is up let the pot sit there for 5 minutes (display will say L0:05) and then move the valve to venting. Open the pot.
  3. Use hot pads to carefully remove the pasta pan. Set it aside. Remove the chicken and slice it up on a cutting board. Discard the cooking liquid in the Instant Pot. Pour the pasta back into the empty Instant Pot and turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting. Add in the garlic powder, ranch dressing mix, diced tomatoes, cream cheese and milk. Stir and let the cream cheese melt. Once the cream cheese is melted and incorporated add in the chicken, bacon, spinach or broccoli (see note) and parmesan cheese. Stir until spinach is wilted down.
  4. Taste test and add salt and pepper to taste. You may also want to add in additional milk to make it a looser consistency.

Method 2

  1. Cut your chicken into bite size pieces. In the order listed add chicken, pasta, 3 1/2 cups broth, garlic powder, ranch dressing mix and diced tomatoes into the Instant Pot. Don’t stir.
  2. Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 3 minutes for pasta with more bite and 4 minutes for softer pasta. When the time is up let the pot sit there for 5 minutes (display with say L0:05) and then move the valve to venting. Open the pot.
  3. Turn Instant Pot to the saute setting. Add in the cream cheese and milk. Let the cream cheese melt, stirring often. If the sauce is too runny you can make a cornstarch slurry (stir 2 Tbsp water with 2 Tbsp cornstarch until smooth and then add mixture to the pot). Once the cream cheese is melted and incorporated add in the bacon, spinach or broccoli (see note) and parmesan cheese. Stir until spinach is wilted down.
  4. Taste test and add salt and pepper to taste. You may also want to add in additional milk to make it a looser consistency.

Notes

I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.

Spinach or broccoli: I used fresh baby spinach and just stirred it in at the end. You could also use frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed of excess moisture. If you’re a broccoli fan you can stir in broccoli florets at the end as well. The broccoli can’t be pressure cooked with everything else because it will turn into mush. You can use fresh or frozen broccoli. If you use fresh broccoli steam it first on the stove top or in the microwave. If you use frozen broccoli place it in a colander and run hot water over it for a couple of minutes. Shake it of the excess water and then stir it into the pot.

To make gluten free: Double check your broth to be sure it does not contain gluten. Substitute noodles for GF noodles and decrease cook time by 1 minute.

  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: chicken, instant pot recipe

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*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.

Pin this recipe for later!

Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta--curly pasta is enveloped in a creamy sauce with tender bites of chicken, crispy bites of bacon and a green pop of color from spinach or broccoli. A one pot pasta dish that rivals anything you can order at a restaurant. 

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47 Comments Filed Under: All Recipes, Can Be Gluten Free, Chicken, Instant Pot, Pasta Tagged With: bacon

Recommendations

Comments

  1. Bre says

    May 13, 2020 at 10:01 am

    Can you half this recipe and do it in a 8qt IP?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 13, 2020 at 1:21 pm

      Yep! Halve ingredients and keep same cooking time.

      Reply
  2. Pat says

    February 18, 2020 at 7:23 am

    Can whole wheat pasta be used? If so, would you need to change the cooking time?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 18, 2020 at 1:53 pm

      I’ve made this with whole wheat pasta and I have used the same cooking time.

      Reply
  3. Maria says

    December 9, 2019 at 1:50 pm

    How do I go about doing this recipe on stove top? My friend made it in her instant pot and I need to know how to make it on stove top. I have yet to invest in an instant pot 😅

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 11, 2019 at 2:05 pm

      I would cook pasta in water in a pot. Drain and set aside.
      Cut chicken into bite size pieces. And saute in a large pan.
      Then pour the pasta into the pan, add in the garlic powder, ranch dressing mix, diced tomatoes, cream cheese and milk. Heat and stir until cream cheese is melted. Add in the spinach and parmesan and bacon. Salt and pepper to taste.

      Reply
  4. Jen says

    October 6, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Will the double recipe fit in a 6qt?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 7, 2019 at 1:39 pm

      I don’t think so. Too much pasta. But perhaps 1 1/2 times the recipe.

      Reply
  5. Nicki says

    May 8, 2019 at 6:21 am

    Do i needvto adjust anything like the liquid if im not cooking pasta with this dish? Im goingvto use method 2

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 8, 2019 at 3:08 pm

      Yes, don’t add so much broth. Only add 3/4 cup.

      Reply
  6. Korrie C says

    April 4, 2019 at 6:02 pm

    Made this tonight, and it was amazing!!! Very tasty!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 8, 2019 at 3:13 pm

      Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  7. Tricia says

    March 25, 2019 at 3:00 pm

    Just checking. The chicken goes in uncooked with uncooked pasta right?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 26, 2019 at 9:41 am

      yes that’s right.

      Reply
  8. Diana says

    March 18, 2019 at 6:46 pm

    I’d like to make this recipe but I have an eight quart ip. Should I do anything different?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 19, 2019 at 11:37 am

      nope you can keep the recipe the same.

      Reply
  9. Johnna says

    March 10, 2019 at 7:57 pm

    I made this tonight. It was really good and so easy. I will definitely make this again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 11, 2019 at 2:16 pm

      Nice! So happy to hear you liked it. I love this one.

      Reply
  10. Marion Ziegler says

    March 8, 2019 at 10:36 pm

    Congratulations on paying off your house, I am also a Save Ramsey advocate and let everyone know about him. Paid my house off a year ago. Keep the great recipes coming.

    Reply
    • PamG says

      March 9, 2019 at 9:07 am

      This recipe looks fantastic…the only problem is that I can’t eat gluten and often the gf pasta turns to mush or thickens everything! Any alternative suggestions?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Karen says

        March 9, 2019 at 9:29 am

        You could cook your gluten free pasta on the stove and drain immediately. Then cook the chicken in the ip with the other ingredients.

        Reply
        • Rosa Bell says

          March 10, 2019 at 10:33 pm

          Yes, that’s what I did and it was so good, just right for me.

          ★★★★★

          Reply
          • Karen says

            March 11, 2019 at 3:05 pm

            oh good!

    • Karen says

      March 9, 2019 at 9:29 am

      Thanks so much Marion! We are very excited.

      Reply
  11. Barbara says

    March 8, 2019 at 6:47 pm

    Your story is great. Congratulations.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 9, 2019 at 9:30 am

      Thanks so much Barbara!

      Reply
  12. Elle says

    December 7, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    Hi. I’m making this now as my second recipe in my IP. Should I drain the diced tomatoes before adding? Thanks for your help

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 9, 2018 at 10:21 am

      No need to drain the tomatoes.

      Reply
  13. Ana says

    November 14, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    Hi! Could you replace the dry ranch dressing for wet ranch dressing? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 15, 2018 at 10:49 am

      No, I don’t think that would work. The ranch dressing serves as the seasonings. Plus I think the wet ranch would curdle.

      Reply
  14. Mindy says

    October 28, 2018 at 2:38 pm

    Would cooking time change if doubled in my 8 quart?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 29, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      Keep the cooking time the same!

      Reply
  15. Missy says

    October 28, 2018 at 10:16 am

    Any way you could adjust this to make ahead like a freezer meal? Wondering if you add broth and noodles day of or if it’s even worth it? Trying to do some batch cooking

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 29, 2018 at 1:18 pm

      I don’t think this recipe would be a good one to make ahead. The pasta and cream cheese seem to make it a bad candidate.

      Reply
  16. Bridge says

    October 26, 2018 at 9:10 am

    Could I make this in a 3qt? And add the cooked chicken after to save some room?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 26, 2018 at 12:43 pm

      I bet you could.

      Reply
  17. Kris says

    October 25, 2018 at 5:11 pm

    I’m about to make this and have a quick question! Do I use high or low pressure setting? Thanks in advance. Super excited to try!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 26, 2018 at 12:49 pm

      high!

      Reply
  18. West Victoria says

    October 25, 2018 at 8:55 am

    Can I make this is my crockpot? Any changes needed other than timing?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 25, 2018 at 9:00 am

      This isn’t a good one for the crockpot. Noodles get mushy in the crockpot in my experience, except for lasagna. You could make it on the stove though!

      Reply
  19. Cindy S says

    October 24, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    Would this work using a gluten-free pasta, such as rotini? Would I adjust the cooking time or would I need to cook the pasta separately?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 24, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      I’m sorry but I don’t know how gf pasta works in the IP! Have you tried it in the past in the IP?

      Reply
    • Caryn says

      December 9, 2018 at 8:23 pm

      No! I tried and it was a fail!

      Reply
  20. Tiffany says

    October 24, 2018 at 6:19 pm

    Mine was very runny, like nothing stuck to the noodles and was like soup. I used method 2. Is 3 minutes be accurate time? Help?
    Thanks!!!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 24, 2018 at 8:47 pm

      Really? Weird! Was the pasta cooked through? You can thicken with cornstarch next time if you’d like. Make a cornstarch slurry and stir it in.

      Reply
  21. Jenny says

    October 24, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    I think it should be 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon, not 4 Tbsp. Please confirm, thanks. Recipe sounds delicious.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 24, 2018 at 4:34 pm

      Okay I’m an idiot. I swear I proofread this 3 times before hitting publish but that one escaped me. Yes 4 tsp.

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

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