Instant Pot Chicken and Bacon Carbonara
Our family loves going out to eat, but we love saving money more. I crave the chicken carbonara at Olive Garden and I wanted to create an easier recipe that could be made at home to save money.
This one pot Instant Pot Chicken and Bacon Carbonara tastes great and is an easy dinner recipe!
If you like this recipe you may also enjoy our Pasta with Marinara and Alfredo and our Roasted Tomato Garlic and Basil Pasta.
Instant Pot Chicken and Bacon Carbonara Recipe
This make at home copy cat version of the Olive Garden chicken carbonara is very easy and very satisfying. Using this easy Instant Pot recipe means fewer dishes. We love that the ingredients are so budget-friendly too!
Our family loves going out to eat, but we love saving money more. That’s why we also enjoy making Copycat Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup and Macaroni Grill Copycat Pasta Milano.
It’s also easier to eat at home and nice not to have to wrestle a toddler at the restaurant dinner table.
Everyone in our family likes pasta, chicken, bacon and peas so the combination is easy and delicious. The whipping cream and cheese add a nice richness in a very simple way. The 6 quart Instant Pot means no additional pans are needed to make a sauce, so clean-up is much easier!
How to Make Chicken Carbonara in an Electric Pressure Cooker
- Toss the chicken pieces in flour and set aside
- In the Instant Pot, use the saute setting, add the butter and vegetable oil. When the fats are hot add the garlic and floured chicken to the pot.
- Cook the chicken. If necessary cook in batches adding more butter and oil as needed.
- Return cooked chicken to the Instant Pot.
- Place uncooked pasta on top of the chicken and then pour the broth over the pasta. Be sure to add the liquid last and do NOT stir!
- Lock the lid in place and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. When the timer sounds, allow to natural release for 8 minutes.
- Stir the contents of the pot, then add the cream, Parmesan, peas and bacon. Garnish pasta with bacon and additional Parmesan if desired.
Tips for Making Instant Pot Chicken Carbonara
- Chicken can be cooked in batches, but I prefer to use chicken that covers the bottom of the Instant Pot in one layer. Cooking in batches takes more time and I like to make it quick!
- Using a jar of minced garlic can save time, but fresh garlic works well too.
- Follow all food safety guidelines and let ingredients get closer to room temperature to speed up cooking time
- Frozen peas and dairy products should be added AFTER the pressure cooking is done. Adding peas, whipping cream and cheese to a hot mixture will cook them almost immediately.
- Use the natural release for at least 8 minutes to help keep the chicken tender. Using the quick release can make meat tough.
- Return the lid to the pressure cooker and leave on keep warm for up to 30 minutes until you are ready to enjoy!
Other Easy Instant Pot Recipe Ideas
- Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe
- Old Fashioned Sausage, Potatoes and Green Beans in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Pork Chops Sauerkraut, Apples & Bacon
- Best Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Chicken and Bacon Carbonara
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 – 4 chicken breasts cut into 1″ pieces
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound bow tie pasta
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 6 – 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Toss the chicken pieces in flour.
- In the Instant Pot, turn on the saute setting, add the butter and vegetable oil. When the fats are hot add the garlic and floured chicken to the pot.
- Cook the chicken. If necessary cook in batches adding more butter and oil as needed.
- Return cooked chicken to the Instant Pot. Top the chicken with pasta and then pour the broth over the pasta. Be sure to add the liquid last!
- Lock the lid in place and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. When the timer sounds, let natural release for 8 minutes.
- Stir the contents of the pot, then add the cream, Parmesan, peas and bacon. Garnish pasta with bacon and Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Chicken can be cooked in batches, but I prefer to use chicken that covers the bottom of the Instant Pot in one layer. Cooking in batches takes more time and I like to make it quick!
- Using a jar of minced garlic can save time, but fresh garlic works well too.
- Follow all food safety guidelines and let ingredients get closer to room temperature to speed up cooking time
- Frozen peas and dairy products should be added AFTER the pressure cooking is done. Adding peas, whipping cream and cheese to a hot mixture will cook them almost immediately.
- Use the natural release for at least 8 minutes to help keep the chicken tender. Using the quick release can make meat tough.
- Return the lid to the pressure cooker and leave on keep warm for up to 30 minutes until you are ready to enjoy!
- All cooking appliances and conditions are different, so you should test these times and guidelines first in your own appliance to determine what adjustments may be needed!
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Nowhere near enough liquid! You need to easily double it the liquid.All the pasta must be in liquid. Many have told you this but still no change to recipe. Reevaluate.
Pasta was not fully cooked, and I followed the instructions, not stirring after adding the broth. I even added more broth because I’m always worried about the “burn warning” with not enough liquid, so back in it goes! I’m glad I gave myself extra time for “round 2” to cook the pasta in case it wasn’t done, based on other reviews. Hopefully my chicken won’t be overcooked now… I also only browned the chicken instead of fully cooking it via sauté. This will definitely be tasty, but I might just cook the pasta separately and add it in with the cream if I try this recipe again. Also wondering if I could have added mushrooms, but I might find a different recipe for my slow cooker next time anyway. Not bad, but not perfect. Thanks for sharing your recipe anyway!
Any tips to avoid the burn notice?
One of my favorites, but I’m the only one so there is always left overs. Can this be frozen??
Yes! We enjoy freezing leftovers in individual size portions. So glad you enjoy 🙂
It’s a great recipe, but I do think she meant 1/2 lb of pasta not 1 lb. In all the insta pot recipes I’ve done and learned from—I think the pasta to broth ratio is 1/2 lb pasta to 2 cups broth. Happy Cooking!
Followed recipe and Bowtie pasta was completely undercooked and hard. Recommend lightly cooking before.