Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta is a creamy, cheesy dinner loaded with tender chicken, ranch seasoning, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Everything cooks together in one pot for an easy family meal.
I love this recipe because it combines all my favorite crack chicken flavors with pasta. It’s simple to make and always a hit with my family!
Why I Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients ⭐
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work great.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the chicken.
- Ranch Seasoning: Adds that classic crack chicken flavor.
- Pasta: Use your favorite pasta shape.
- Cream Cheese: Makes the sauce rich and creamy.
- Milk: Helps create a smooth sauce.
- Cheddar Cheese: Adds plenty of cheesy flavor.
- Bacon: Cooked and crumbled for a smoky crunch.
- Water: Helps cook the pasta in the Instant Pot.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How To Make Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta
Sauté Chicken: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add olive oil and chicken, cooking until no longer pink. Stir in ranch seasoning.
Add Pasta: Pour in the uncooked pasta, place cream cheese on top, and add enough water to almost cover the pasta, about 3 cups.
Pressure Cook: Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes. Perform a quick release.
Make It Creamy: Stir in milk and cheddar cheese until melted. Add cooked bacon.
Optional: Transfer to a casserole dish, top with extra cheese and bacon, and broil for 2–3 minutes until golden brown.
Tips I Found Helpful 💙
- Pasta: Add just enough water to almost cover the pasta.
- Cream Cheese: Cut into cubes for easier melting.
- Cheddar: Stir in after pressure cooking for a creamy sauce.
- Bacon: Add last for the best texture.
Questions Readers Ask Most
Instant Pot Recipes I Love
Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta
Creamy Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta with ranch, bacon, and cheddar cheese. An easy one-pot dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp ranch seasoning (or 1 packet)
- 16 oz uncooked pasta
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 16 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
- 5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 3 cups water, or enough to almost cover the pasta
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add olive oil.
- Add chicken and sauté until no longer pink.
- Sprinkle ranch seasoning over the chicken.
- Add uncooked pasta and place cream cheese on top.
- Pour in about 3 cups of water, enough to almost cover the pasta.
- Secure the lid and cook on Manual High Pressure for 4 minutes.
- Perform a quick pressure release.
- Stir in milk and shredded cheddar cheese until melted and creamy.
- Add cooked bacon and stir to combine.
- Optional: Transfer to a casserole dish, top with additional cheese and bacon, and broil for 2–3 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
Water amounts may vary depending on the pasta shape. Add just enough to almost cover the pasta. For a thinner sauce, stir in a splash of milk before serving.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 768Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 24gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 1337mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 52g
Delicious
Thank you for sharing your recipe
I just found your site when I googled Instapot Crack Chicken! First of all your recipes look amazing and secondly, you have some amazing recipes! I can’t wait to try them all, as an Instapot newbie! Thank you so much!
Becky
Thanks so much
Do you cut up the chicken breast’s or cook them whole?
Trying crack chicken tonite!
4 minutes just not enough to cook the pasta in this recipe. Was this a misprint perhaps?
4 minutes is the correct time for pasta
Outstanding dish! I used a mix of heart-shaped pasta (left from Valentine’s Day) and casarecce. I used chicken broth in place of the water, and I deglazed the pot with 1/4 c white wine, and I added broccoli florets at the end. We will definitely be making this again. I’m going to try subbing the cream cheese with Boursin garlic and herb cheese next time.
Oh dear me, I am going to die of happiness. I have never had this much cheese in my life. And that’s saying something. WONDERFUL recipe. I only used 12 oz of pasta so I didn’t have to add the cup of milk. Saving calories (LOL). SCORE!
Made this tonight and we are big time cheese lovers in this house, but there was so much cheese that is overpowered all the other flavors and we could barely even taste the chicken or bacon. I followed the directions exactly, but maybe next time I’ll use less cheese, it was like cheese fluff or more like mac n cheese. Still great flavor, just way too cheesy. Thanks for the recipe!
Wow! My picky kids and I had this for dinner tonight, and it was a hit with everyone. Now we understand why it’s called “crack” chicken, because we are addicted. lol
So happy you liked it
This recipe looked like just what I was needing. BUT all I had were frozen rock-hard chicken breasts. I used them, frozen, placed them in the pot first, did not saute them but I did turn on “saute” to heat up the pot. Followed the rest of the recipe exactly except I cooked for 8 minutes and did not quick release. It turned out great! My husband and I don’t care if the pasta is somewhat overcooked. We’re happy!