This chicken alfredo Instant Pot recipe is made with a creamy dairy free sauce. Bonus points is that it can easily be made into a vegan meal by omitting the chicken. Read on to learn how to make this Instant Pot creamy chicken pasta at home.
What’s Needed for this Chicken Alfredo Instant Pot recipe
To make the creamy chicken pasta and the dairy-free alfredo, you’ll need:- Dried pasta of choice
- Chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Chicken broth
- Cashews
- Coconut cream
- Nutritional yeast
- Garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper
- Frozen peas
What is Nutritional Yeast?
For years, nutritional yeast has been a favorite supplement and food seasoning of vegetarians and vegans. It’s inactive yeast and has a distinct cheesy flavor, so you’ll often find it subbed for Parmesan and cheddar cheese. It’s a great, reliable source of B-complex vitamins, including B12 and has no sodium, cholesterol, dairy, sugar or soy, and is typically gluten-free. This makes it a great alternative for those with food allergies or follow a strict vegan diet. Nutritional yeast also has a decent amount of protein, coming in at 2 grams per tablespoon. Since nutritional yeast is often used in place of cheese, you can sub it for Parmesan cheese when making pesto. Or substitute it as I have done here, for making mac ‘n cheese. It also is great sprinkled on salads, popcorn and avocado toast. I use it sparingly here because it does have a strong flavor and I don’t want to overpower anyone who hasn’t had it yet. So know that it’s safe to just use a tablespoon, but any more and it will overpower the flavors of the cashew.
How to Make Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce
Using plant based milks, especially coconut cream, is the typical go-to for subbing out milk in recipes. I wanted this one to not only taste creamy, but also be a bit on the thicker side, so I made a cashew cream sauce. And to heighten flavor and add a bit of cheesy tang, I included nutritional yeast. The sauce comes together very quickly in a blender or food processor, so feel free to make ahead of time. To make the sauce, combine the cashews (no need to soak unless you’re not confident your blender can make them smooth enough), garlic, coconut cream, nutritional yeast, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in a blender or food processor and blend till creamy and smooth. You can even add a bit of lemon juice if you wish! Set aside while you cook the chicken and pasta.
How to make instant pot chicken alfredo
Cook The Chicken – Begin by sautéing your chicken breasts. Feel free to add a bit of diced onion to the pot if you want to impart a little more flavor into the chicken. Simply hit sauté on the IP, add a bit of oil, and sauté both sides till browned but no need to cook all the way through. Then remove the chicken, cut it up and add it back to the pot. Add Your Pasta– Then add your 8 ounces of pasta, and about 4 cups of water or chicken broth to cover the noodles but they don’t have to be fully submerged. You can also press the noodles and chicken down into the broth to help ensure all the noodles are covered and moist. Cook In Your Instant Pot – Then cover the Instant Pot, making sure it is sealed, and set the pot to Manual high pressure for 2-3 minutes. I typically do about ⅓ the cooking time that it directs on the package. So if a pasta is supposed to cook in 9 minutes on the stove top, I cook it for 3. It’s always better to under-cook it a bit than overcook it, as you could always set the pot to saute and simmer it a bit more till tender, if you find it’s too tough after the initial cooking. Add Sauce And Peas – Once the timer goes off, manually release the pot, making sure to use a kitchen mitt or towel to cover the vent and turn it away from your face. Open the lid, and add in your dairy-free pasta sauce and frozen peas. You will notice that there is likely some broth or water still remaining in the pot, and that is just fine. Once you stir in the dairy-free Alfredo sauce, after a couple of minutes the remaining broth will blend right in and you will get a rich and creamy sauce!
Can I Omit the Chicken?
Yes, if you’d rather make this Instant Pot dairy free Alfredo pasta without the chicken. Simply omit it and proceed with the recipe as written.
Can I Omit the Chicken?Can I Make Vegan Alfredo Sauce?
To make this dairy-free Alfredo sauce vegan, simply omit the chicken and use veggie broth instead of chicken broth.
Other Tips for Making Dairy-Free Chicken Alfredo in the Instant Pot
- Use Enough Liquid – There is a definite learning curve when trying to go it alone with your Instant Pot. When cooking pasta in the IP, you must have enough liquid to cover your noodles. Without enough liquid, there won’t be enough steam to build up and help pressurize the pot.
- Use Whatever Pasta You Have! – I have a pappardelle pasta pictured, but in the final shots I used a rotini. This recipe was tested with different pastas, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
- Customize To Your Liking – What I love about this recipe is that it is highly customizable. Hate peas? No problem, skip them or add in some spinach or cooked asparagus. Or I’m sure you can come up with some other wonderful ways to make it your own. Just stick to this creamy yummy sauce as the base, you’ll be good to go.
What Can I Serve With Chicken Alfredo?
Of course this can be eaten on its own, but would be great with some homemade bread and a good side salad. Try serving this with some Easy Bread Knots and maybe a Early Spring Salad.Other Easy dinner Recipes:
- One-Pot Italian Sausage Pasta
- Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Over Stuffed Shells
- One Skillet Turkey Meatballs and Rice
- Instant Pot Korean Beef Tacos
- Healthy Turkey Meatballs (Baked or Fried)
Chicken Alfredo Instant Pot Recipe
Dairy-Free Chicken Alfredo in the Instant Pot
This dairy-free Instant Pot chicken alfredo recipe is a great weeknight dinner! It's a healthier and quicker version of traditional chicken alfredo.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried pasta of choice
- 1-1.5 lbs chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoon olive oil , divided (2 tablespoon for searing chicken and 1 tablespoon for cashew cream sauce)
- ¼ onion , diced (to sear with chicken — optional)
- 3-4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2-3 small garlic cloves
- Salt & pepper , to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Season your chicken with salt and pepper, and set the Instant Pot to Saute and add 2 tablespoon of neutral oil to heat. Once heated, saute the chicken breasts till lightly browned on each side and their juices begin to release, about 3-5 minutes per side. The chicken does not have to be cooked all the way through, we just want to get a nice sear.
- While the chicken is searing, you can blend up the cashew cream sauce by combining the cashews, coconut cream, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, olive oil, and garlic. Blend until smooth and creamy and set aside.
- Remove chicken from pot and slice into thin 1-inch strips and return to the Instant Pot.
- Add 8 ounces of dried pasta to the chicken, as well as 3-4 cups of chicken broth, enough to just cover the noodles. Press down the noodles into the chicken and broth to get it as well covered as possible.
- Cover and seal the Instant Pot and set it to Manual high pressure and cook for 2-3 minutes; 3 minutes if you're using a thicker, more dense noodle like a fettuccine or pappardelle, and 2 minutes for smaller, more delicate noodles like rotini.
- When cooking is complete, use a manual quick release to depressurize the Instant Pot, and open the lid. Add the cashew cream and frozen peas and mix till combined and peas are tender. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use Enough Liquid - There is a definite learning curve when trying to go it alone with your Instant Pot. It's why either a) reading your manual is very important, or b) read blogs and follow recipes that share helpful tips for using your Instant Pot. The one cooking tip I learned the hard way with cooking pasta in the Instant Pot, is that you have to have enough liquid to cover your noodles, or else there won't be enough steam to build up and help pressurize the pot.
- Use Whatever Pasta You Have! - Note that in the ingredient photo above, I have a pappardelle pasta pictured, but in the final shots I used a rotini. I actually tested this recipe a couple of times to see if it would work with different pastas, and both worked well so feel free to use whichever pasta you have on hand!
- Customize To Your Liking - What I love about this recipe is that it is highly customizable. Hate peas? No problem, skip them or add in some spinach or cooked asparagus. Or I'm sure you can come up with some other wonderful ways to make it your own, always knowing that if you stick to this creamy yummy sauce as the base, you'll be good to go.
Nutrition
Calories: 859kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 789mg | Potassium: 1231mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 311IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 6mg
Tried this Recipe? Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
Christi says
What kind of cashews? Raw or roasted?
Andrea Howe says
Raw is preferred but you can use cashews as well!
Shay says
Can the coconut cream be subbed with cashew milk or maybe homo milk?
Andrea Howe says
yes, definitely!
Nicole says
I love my IP but haven’t ventured into making pasta yet, but this might just be the recipe to make first. I love cashew based sauces and have always wanted to give nutritional yeast a try. This is definitely on the list to try asap!
Amanda says
I never thought to make Alfredo sauce in the Instant Pot with the pasta. It makes clean up such a breeze, and the sauce turned out amazing!
Marwin Brown says
Looks delicious! Love the use of the instant pot and vegan alternative for the sauce
Tammy says
I am a huge fan of nutritional yeast and this sounds so good without the guilt! Alfredo is one of my favorite pasta dishes but admittedly it’s not something I can indulge in often but I am so excited to try this 😀
Elaine says
I can see why this was an accomplishment. the result is amazingly delicious and the instructions are incredibly easy to follow. Can’t wait to give this pasta a try myself!
Marisa F. Stewart says
What a great chicken dinner – and I didn’t miss the milk or cheese. It tasted great but I made it in a regular Dutch Oven. I don’t have an Instant Pot but I had the time and Hubby loved the tender chicken.
Paula Montenegro says
This recipe is just what I needed to start using my instant pot again! So easy and I can taste how creamy and flavorful. Great pasta idea. Thanks for sharing!
Megan says
Love using the instant pot! Can’t wait to try this. the combo of the coconut cream and cashews sounds amazing!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Oh yum! I love alfredo sauce but don’t make it often due to the high fat and calories. I LOVE how you made this healthier while still delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
Gloria says
I love chicken for dinner any night of the week. Alfredo is so delicious. I will pass this along to my daughter. She has an Instant Pot. She can make me dinner for a change LOL.
Erin says
I need to make this nut free as well. Any substitution recommendations?
Andrea Howe says
Hi Erin, I would use mashed cauliflower instead
Jordan says
If I wanted to make this without the chicken, would I still add 3-4 cups of broth and cook the same way? Thank you!
Andrea Howe says
hi Jordan! Apologies for the delay in responding here. yes, you would still add the chicken broth, as that is what the pasta will cook in 🙂 good luck!
Karri Tait says
Made this last night for the fam and used Banza rotini (GF) – worked perfect using the 3 min recommended in the recipe! Kids and husband said it tasted great and that I should definitely make it again. I was skeptical about adding the nutritional yeast, because I’m generally not a fan of the taste, but I was afraid it would lack depth without it. Glad I added it, because it gave it the perfect taste!
Only note: if you have to add a little more than 4 c. broth to cover the pasta and chicken in the IP, remove some before adding the cashew coconut cream!