Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken

A fast and easy chicken dinner with a creamy garlic parmesan sauce with chopped spinach. We like to eat this chicken and sauce with fettuccine noodles or with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless breasts sliced into 1/2 inch filets
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 3 oz coarsely chopped spinach
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

To make with pasta:

• 10 ounces uncooked fettuccine noodles or linguine noodles
• 3 cups water

Instructions:

1. Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting (more). When the display reads HOT add in the butter. Once the butter is melted add in the onions and saute for about 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add in the chicken broth, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Stir. Add in the mushrooms (if using) and chicken.
2. Optional: If you want to cook pasta at the same time and in the same pot you can. Just get a pan that will fit inside your Instant Pot* and fill it with 3 cups or water and then break 10 ounces of fettuccine or linguine noodles to fit inside the pan (see my note below). Carefully place the pan on top of the chicken. I use a homemade silicone sling that I cut from a silicone baking mat* to lower my pan down onto the chicken. You can also make a foil sling.
3. Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 6 minutes (this is the cooking time for the 1/2 inch pieces of chicken breast, if they are thicker than that you may need more time). Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then move the valve to “venting.”
4. Remove the lid. If you are cooking pasta, carefully remove the pan of pasta and set aside. Use tongs to place the chicken on a platter. Loosely cover with foil. Turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting. Warm the half and half up in a pyrex measuring cup for 45 seconds in the microwave. Whisk the flour into the half and half until it’s smooth. Whisk the mixture into the Instant Pot. This will thicken up the sauce in a few minutes. Add in the parmesan cheese. Add in the spinach. Salt and pepper to taste. If using pasta, drain any water off of the pasta and stir into the pot.
5. Serve sauce (and optional pasta) with the chicken.

NOTES:

• Chicken: I used chicken breasts but you can also use chicken thighs or bone-in chicken. The cooking time will be a little different, just check the notes section in the recipe below.
• Half and half: if you don’t have any half and half you can use half milk and half cream or you can use evaporated milk.
• Flour: I used flour to thicken my sauce but if you want to make this recipe gluten free you can also use a cornstarch slurry.
• Parmesan cheese: I use parmesan cheese that I buy in a big bag from Costco, it’s pre-grated. It worked well for this garlic parmesan chicken. You can use parmesan cheese off the block and if you’re in a pinch you can even use the stuff from the green can.
• When cooking with pot in pot pasta: When I cook the pasta at the same time in the same pot I like to bump up the seasonings a bunch. I like to add in twice as much salt, pepper, garlic powder, garlic and parmesan cheese. If not, the dish will be pretty bland. Always season to taste at the end of the cooking time as well!

To make Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken 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.

Source: 365daysofcrockpot.com