Instant Pot Creamy Ranch Chicken Pasta

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Total: 40 min
  • Active: 10 min
The internet loves this ready-in-a-hurry dish but too many versions are overly soupy or have curdled sauces. Our version uses chicken thighs because they stay moist and tender; we stir them into the cheese mixture after it is cooked to create a creamy, tangy mixture that is perfect over pasta.
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Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 ounces)

One 1-ounce package ranch-dressing seasoning mix  

1 pound penne pasta  

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature  

2 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature  

1/4 cup sharp yellow Cheddar, shredded 

Directions

Special equipment:
a 6-quart Instant Pot® multi-cooker
  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix.
  2. Add the penne to the 6-quart Instant Pot® and add 4 cups water to the pot. Place the chicken thighs on top of the penne. Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 8 minutes (see Cook's Note). After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for quick- release and wait until the quick-release cycle is complete. Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.  
  3. Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, Cheddar and remaining seasoning mix (about 2 tablespoons) in a large bowl. Set aside.  
  4. Roughly chop the chicken into small pieces while it is still warm. Add the chicken to the cream-cheese mixture and stir to combine. Add the chicken and cheese mixture to the pasta and stir until the cheese mixture melts and the pasta is well coated.  

Cook’s Note

Settings may vary on your Instant Pot® depending on the model. Please refer to the manufacturer’s guide.

Let's Get Cooking!

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kathyfugate

This has a nice flavor, but the recipe is definitely problematic. Specifically, the pasta was WAY overcooked and quite dry. I even stirred in a bit of heavy cream to the finished dish to moisten it up a bit, but even that didn't help. I've never seen penne so huge and bloated from overcooking, and yet so completely dry. It was all stuck together like a massive dry dumpling. I liked the flavor enough that I will probably try it again with some major modifications - i.e., more liquid, and shorter cooking time. Neither the chicken nor the pasta needed the amount of cooking time that was suggested in this recipe. Also, thank you to the person who suggested using spicy ranch mix, instead of classic ranch mix. I think the dish would definitely benefit from the bump in flavor. I'll be trying that next time as well.

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