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Creamy and delicious this Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta is loaded with flavor. Bacon, cheese, chicken and pasta cooks fast in the instant pot.

Crack Chicken Pasta in the instant pot.
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Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta Recipe:

Crack Chicken Instant Pot Pasta Recipe is a quick and easy meal idea thanks to the Instant Pot. This pasta recipe is loaded with flavor with easy ingredients. Chicken, bacon, pasta and ranch combine make this creamy and delicious dish.

We love using our instant pot. It has been a game changer for my family. We love that I can put everything in the instant pot and cooks perfectly. Even the pasta cooks tender and combines amazing with the other ingredients.

If you are looking for an easy and delicious weeknight meal that is a family favorite, make this dish. Your kids will be licking their plate and asking for more.

You may also love this Instant Pot Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta.

Ingredients needed - macaroni, chicken breast, bacon, cream cheese, sour cream, chicken broth, ranch dressing mix, black pepper, cheese, green onions

Instant Pot Crack Chicken Casserole Ingredients:

  • Dry Elbow Macaroni
  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Diced into 1 inch pieces
  • Bacon, cooked and diced
  • Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
  • Sour Cream
  • Cream of Chicken Soup
  • Chicken Broth
  • Ranch Dressing Seasoning Packet (1 oz)
  • Black Pepper
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
  • Green Onions, thinly sliced

How to Make Crack Chicken Pasta in Instant Pot:

  • Mix Ingredients – In a large size bowl, beat together the ingredients. Cream of chicken soup, sour cream, ranch seasoning mix and pepper with a hand held mixer until creamy.
Mixing the cream based ingredients in a clear bowl with a spatula
  • Stir in Chicken, cheese and bacon – Then gently mix in the chicken, the cheddar cheese and half of the chopped bacon. Stir by hand carefully until the ingredients are completely combined.
Mixing the ingredients for crack chicken in a clear bowl with a spatula
  • Add in Chicken Broth – Pour the chicken broth into the instant pot. Add the chicken mixture on top.
  • Cook in the Pressure Cooker – Seal and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. After the cook time, do a quick release to release the pressure. From the instant pot by moving the valve on the lid from the seal to the vent position.
Crack Chicken Pasta in the instant pot.
  • Cook the Pasta – Then switch the instant pot to the sautรฉ setting. Stir in the elbow noodles and make sure that they are completely covered.
  • Cook noodles with other ingredients – Cook for 4-5 minutes stirring frequently. This prevent the bottom from burning until the noodles are soft. Stir in the diced cream cheese for the last few minutes to allow for it to melt.
  • Top with Cheese and bacon – Then turn the instant pot off. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese, bacon and the sliced green onions.
  • Serve and Enjoy – Let the meal sit for a few minutes. This lets the sauce can thicken and the heat from the meal will melt the cheese.
Crack Chicken on a plate

Topping Ideas:

There are many ways to top this amazing meal. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Cheese
  • Sour Cream
  • Green Onions
  • Bacon Bits
Crack Chicken pasta on a plate

Substitutions and Additions:

  • Change Cheese โ€“ We used cheddar cheese but you can easily use other types of cheese. Colby Monterrey Jack Cheese, or Pepper Jack Cheese is what we recommend.
  • Chicken Variation โ€“ You can use chicken thighs or chicken tenders instead of chicken breast if you prefer.
  • Change the Pasta โ€“ We used rotini pasta in this recipe, but you can use what you have. Penne pasta or bowtie pasta are great substitutes.
  • Cream Cheese โ€“ For a creamier sauce, mix in some cream cheese.
  • Cream of Chicken Soup โ€“ We have added in a can of cream of chicken soup for added creaminess and flavor.

Crack Chicken Pasta Tips:

  • Adding Chicken Broth – Make sure that you put the chicken broth in the bottom of the instant pot. Add before you pour the chicken mixture on top so that you don’t get the burn notice when cooking the chicken.
  • Chicken โ€“ You can use frozen chicken breast or thawed chicken. I usually forget to set chicken out so I always toss in frozen chicken to cook.
  • Cooked Chicken โ€“ If you prefer, you can easily use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to make this dish.
  • Shredded Cheese โ€“ We recommend shredding your own cheese. It melts better and there is no other added ingredients to the cheese. The pre-shredded cheese as added ingredients that cause it not to melt as well.
  • Garlic โ€“ We used minced garlic, but you can use garlic powder or fresh garlic cloves.
  • Shredding the Chicken – Before adding in the macaroni noodles, remove the chicken breast bites and shred the chicken. Then mix back in and continue cooking.
  • Slow Cooker – You can also make this recipe in the slow cooker.
Crack Chicken Pasta in the instant pot.

Can I Make this without the Pasta?

Yes, you can make crack chicken without the pasta. This dish is still creamy and delicious. Serve the crack chicken mixture in hoagies or over rice for an amazing meal idea.

What to Serve with Crack Chicken Pasta?

Because this crack chicken is a comfort and hearty meal, we keep the side light and simple. Here are some recommendations that we serve with this delicious meal.

  • Side Salad โ€“ We often serve a simple salad with this meal and it is really tasty. The salad balances out the pasta and makes a really great dinner.
  • Roasted Vegetables โ€“ You could also try Roasted Green Beans for another easy side dish idea. We also love broccoli and it is so easy. Learn how to steam broccoli in the microwave for a super easy veggie side dish.
  • Homemade Bread โ€“ Whenever we make a pasta dish, I love to make a side of garlic bread. Pasta and bread just go together.

How to Store Leftovers:

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This meal is great leftover. This crack chicken pasta reheats great and the flavor is still amazing the next day.

Can I Freeze Crack Chicken Pasta?

Yes, you can freeze this crack chicken pasta, but the pasta texture may be slightly different. If you plan on freezing it, you may make the mixture without the pasta. Then mix in the cooked pasta when you are ready to serve.

Store the crack chicken mixture in a freezer safe container. Place in the freezer and it will be good for up to 3 months.

Print Recipe here for Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta:

Instant Pot Crack Chicken Casserole

5 from 7 votes
Creamy and delicious this Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta is flavorful. Bacon, cheese, chicken and pasta cooks fast in the instant pot.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Servings 6
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Calories 884

Ingredients

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Instructions

  • In a large size bowl, beat together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, ranch seasoning mix and pepper with a hand held mixer until creamy.
  • Then gently mix in the chicken, half of the cheddar cheese and half of the chopped bacon. Stir by hand carefully until the ingredients are completely combined.
  • Pour the chicken broth into the instant pot. Add the chicken mixture on top.
  • Seal and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. After the cook time, release the pressure quickly from the instant pot by moving the valve on the lid from the seal to the vent position.
  • Then switch the instant pot to the sautรฉ setting. Stir in the elbow noodles and make sure that they are completely covered. Cook for 4-5 minutes stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from burning until the noodles are soft. Stir in the diced cream cheese for the last few minutes to allow for it to melt.
  • Then turn the instant pot off. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese, bacon and the sliced green onions. Let the meal sit for a few minutes so that the sauce can thicken and the heat from the meal will melt the cheese.

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Make sure that you put the chicken broth in the bottom of the instant pot before you pour the chicken mixture on top so that you don’t get the burn notice when cooking the chicken.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 884kcal, Carbohydrates 33g, Protein 51g, Fat 61g, Saturated Fat 29g, Polyunsaturated Fat 5g, Monounsaturated Fat 18g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 219mg, Sodium 1010mg, Potassium 741mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 4g, Vitamin A 1404IU, Vitamin C 2mg, Calcium 494mg, Iron 1mg

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

5 from 7 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Carrie Barnard says:

    Thank you for your comment. They new Instant pots are very touchy with the burn notice.

  2. Renee says:

    I added the chicken broth to the bottom and even put more based on comments and still got the burn not r. Ended up transferring to the stove to finish cooking. Food was good though.

  3. Carrie Barnard says:

    Yes, I think that will work. Whole grain spaghetti will take more time to cook (7-9 minutes) so watch it closely and add in more chicken broth or water if needed to prevent the meal from drying out.

  4. Sandra says:

    Can you use whole grain spaghetti instead of the Elbow macaroni?

  5. Carrie Barnard says:

    Step 5 explain when to add in the cream cheese. When the pasta is cooking, add in the diced cream cheese for the last few minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

  6. Michael pankey says:

    Doesnโ€™t say when to add the cream of cheese

  7. Misty Eilert says:

    This sounds really yummy! The instructions don’t say what to do with the cream cheese? I’m going to add it to my sour cream mixture and see how it turns out!

  8. Carrie Barnard says:

    I have learned that it is from the chicken browning on the bottom of the Instant pot. You might want to try putting the basket in first and placing chicken on top.

  9. Lauren Haas says:

    Tried this recipe but got the burn notice. Even put extra chicken broth on the bottom. Had the same issue chicken cordon blue so it seems like an issue with recipes that have the chicken soup.

  10. Carrie Barnard says:

    Oh I’m sorry. that is a mistake. I’ll fix the recipe card. Thank you

  11. Nina Gala says:

    Iโ€™m getting ready to make this and shopped for all my ingredients. However, in the directions it says to mix the cream of chicken soup. I donโ€™t see that on the list of ingredients. Is it a can of soup? Maybe Iโ€™m getting something confused. Please help. Thank you.