Check out our recipe for Instant Pot Parmesan Garlic Chicken Pasta made with Buffalo Wild Wings Sauce!
At our house, we LOVE pasta, chicken, and chicken wings. My go-to flavor for chicken wings is a medium sauce or garlic parmesan sauce. I like to have a little kick to the wings, but not so hot that you can't taste anything for days. I was so pleasantly surprised when I came across the Buffalo Wild Wings sauces at the store the other day....and they had my two favorites!!
The last time I went to the store, I picked up a couple of bottles of the spicy garlic sauce and the parmesan garlic wing sauce. If you haven't seen these sauces yet, check out your local grocery store, Costco, Walmart, or Amazon. I have bought them at multiple locations.
My garlic parmesan chicken pasta recipe uses the parmesan garlic sauce (because it is soooo good! I think I could literally eat it by the spoonful....(don't try that at home lol). When you mix the Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic sauce with pasta, chicken, and cheese, you end up with a super rich and delicious dish that is super easy to make and makes for a great dinner!
Some similar recipes call for using an entire bottle of parmesan garlic sauce. My recipe does not use nearly as much. And if you would prefer a milder dish, just reduce the amount of sauce that you use and replace it with a little extra chicken broth.
I did find that the Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic sauce had a little bit of a kick at the end that I was not expecting. For some reason, when I eat the sauce on the wings, I haven't tasted any heat.
But, when the focus is on the sauce, you can taste a little heat. This sauce comes together really well with the chicken to make one of the best-tasting pasta dishes! I should preface this by saying...it's delicious but it's not exactly low-carb or keto.
Tips for making Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
Yes, you can. However, you will still need to cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, otherwise, the chicken will not cook throughout during the time that it takes the pasta to cook. Large pieces of chicken and whole chicken breasts take substantially longer to cook than pasta does, so it is not recommended to use whole pieces of chicken.
Yes! You can double this recipe. When doubling, double all ingredients except the chicken broth. Instead of doubling the chicken broth, only add an additional 3 cups instead of 3.5 cups.
Technically, yes. But, the chicken broth adds so much extra flavor to the pasta. If you use water, the flavor will be more "watered down" and not as rich and delicious.
No problem! Simply use this calculation for al dente pasta: Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2 and then subtract 2. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Subtract 2. 5-2=3. Pressure cook for 3 minutes.
If you prefer your pasta cooked a little more: Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2 and then subtract 1. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Subtract 1. 5-1=4. Pressure cook for 4 minutes.
If you prefer your pasta completely cooked and tender: Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Pressure cook for 5 minutes.
Yes! You can use whatever type of sauce you would like. It doesn't have to be Buffalo Wild Wing's brand. Although, I would recommend that you stick with a mild and creamy sauce for this recipe. The parmesan garlic sauce works really well with the parmesan and cream cheese.
The main ingredients are garlic, parmesan, herbs, and usually some form of mayonnaise. You can make your own homemade version, or you can buy it pre-made in the store. I prefer to buy it pre-made because I just love the Buffalo Wild Wings version! Because I use a pre-made sauce, there are a lot of ingredients due to it being shelf-stable. If you are looking to make your own homemade version, check out this recipe from The Spruce Eats.
You can either throw the leftovers into a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for about a minute- increase if you are reheating a lot of the pasta all at once. Or, you can reheat all of the leftovers by adding them back into your Instant Pot (or in a large skillet or pan on the stove top) and warming on the saute function for a couple of minutes. You can even reheat it using the slow cooker/crockpot function. You may need to add some additional broth to make it less thick. If you'd like, you can freeze the leftover pasta. Put the leftover parmesan garlic chicken pasta in freezer-safe, plastic containers. When ready to eat, thaw and heat. Leftover pasta should stay good in the freezer for about 3 months if sealed properly.
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Ingredients to make Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta:
Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Instant Pot Parmesan Garlic Chicken Pasta:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Olive Oil-Vegetable Oil or canola oil can be used instead if you prefer.
Chicken Breasts- I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Cutting the chicken into 1-inch cubes ensures that the chicken will cook in the same amount of time as the pasta. I would not recommend using full chicken breasts for this recipe as a full chicken breast would need substantially longer to cook than pasta. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs, just make sure that you cut them into small pieces so they cook in the same amount of time as the pasta.
Chicken Broth- Water can be used, but the beef broth adds extra flavor.
Pasta- Do not use already cooked pasta. I used penne pasta but you can use your favorite pasta for this recipe. I would recommend using short pasta instead of long pasta like spaghetti. If you are using a different shape of pasta, follow these instructions to determine the proper pressure cooking time: Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2 and then subtract 2. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Subtract 2. 5-2=3. Pressure cook for 3 minutes. If you choose to use a pasta substitute such as gluten free pasta, your cooking times will vary as not all kinds of pasta cook the same.
Cream Cheese- You can use regular or reduced-fat cream cheese for this recipe.
Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic Sauce- If you prefer, you can use another type of mild wing sauce for this recipe. I would encourage you to still use a milder sauce like the parmesan garlic because it goes so well with the cream cheese! 🙂 For a milder flavor, feel free to reduce the amount of sauce and increase the amount of broth instead.
Milk- I used whole milk but feel free to use skim, 1% or 2%. If you want it to be extra rich, you can even use heavy cream instead.
Parmesan Cheese- Shredded or grated works fine. I used about ½ of each and both combined well with the sauce!
Optional:
Salt and pepper. The sauce and parmesan cheese is already pretty flavorful, so you may not need any salt or pepper.
Looking for more Instant Pot Pasta Recipes? Check out some of my favorites here! If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my recipe for making Olive Garen Italian Dressing chicken too!
How to make Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta:
Directions for making Instant Pot Parmesan Garlic Chicken Pasta made with BWW sauce:
1. Turn Instant Pot on saute, high for 15 minutes.
2. Pour in Olive Oil.
3.Once the Olive Oil is hot, pour in the chicken. Saute chicken until lightly browned on all sides.
4.Once the chicken is lightly browned, pour in chicken broth. Stir and lightly scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned chicken bits. If using a nonstick pot, use a silicone spatula.
5.Add the pasta on top. DO NOT STIR PASTA! Simply just push all of the pasta down, so most of it is covered by the liquid.
6.Close the pressure cooking lid and move the valve to the seal position. Pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
*If you are using a different shape of pasta, follow these instructions to determine the proper pressure cooking time: Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2 and then subtract 2. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Subtract 2. 5-2=3. Pressure cook for 3 minutes.
7.Once the timer beeps and the Instant Pot is finished pressure cooking, move the valve to the vent position and release the pressure. If a lot of liquid starts to come out of the Instant Pot, close the vent, wait 3-5 minutes and then try to release the pressure again. Continue to do this until all pressure has been released.
8.Stir chicken and pasta together. Don't worry if all of the pasta isn't cooked all the way. It will continue to cook as you add the additional ingredients. Turn Instant Pot on saute and add cream cheese, parmesan garlic dressing, milk, and parmesan cheese. Stir well until all ingredients are evenly combined.
9.Serve and enjoy!
Pin recipe for later!!
Instant Pot Parmesan Garlic Chicken Pasta-Buffalo Wild Wings Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Chicken Breasts (Boneless; Skinless; Cut into one inch cubes)
- 3 ½ cups Chicken Broth (Low Sodium)
- 16 ounces Pasta (I used Penne, but any short pasta may be used.)
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese
- 8 ounces Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesean Garlic Sauce
- ⅔ cup Milk
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on saute, high for 15 minutes.
- Pour in Olive Oil.
- Once the Olive Oil is hot, pour in the chicken. Saute chicken until lightly browned on all sides.
- Once the chicken is lightly browned, pour in chicken broth. Stir and lightly scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned chicken bits. If using a nonstick pot, use a silicone spatula.
- Add the pasta on top. DO NOT STIR PASTA! Simply just push all of the pasta down, so most of it is covered by the liquid.
- Close pressure cooking lid, and move valve to the seal position. Pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. *If you are using a different shape of pasta, follow these instructions to determine the proper pressure cooking time: Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2 and then subtract 2. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Subtract 2. 5-2=3. Pressure cook for 3 minutes.
- Once the timer beeps and the Instant Pot is finished pressure cooking, move the valve to the vent position and release the pressure. If a lot of liquid starts to come out of the Instant Pot, close the vent, wait 3-5 minutes and then try to release the pressure again. Continue to do this until all pressure has been released.
- Stir chicken and pasta together. Don't worry if all of the pasta isn't cooked all the way. It will continue to cook as you add the additional ingredients. Turn Instant Pot on saute and add cream cheese, parmesan garlic dressing, milk, and parmesan cheese. Stir well until all ingredients are evenly combined.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
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Lauren Cardona
Tasty Traveler #1
Hi, I’m Lauren but you can call me Tasty Traveler #1!
I have always had a passion for food, cocktails, and travel. It has become more pronounced over the last several years since I have had the opportunity to do so many of the things that I love. One of my favorite co...
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Luis Cardona
Tasty Traveler #2
Hi, I’m Luis! (I like to think of myself as Tasty Traveler #1 but Lauren says I’m Tasty Traveler #2!)
I too have a love for food, travel, and all things in between! Over the past several years I have found more time to be adventurous with things that I eat, the plac...
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Jodi
Do you think this could be made without the cream cheese?
Lauren Cardona
Yes, you might need to add a little extra milk to make it creamier if you leave the cream cheese out.
Jodi
I ended up making this with the cream cheese ( I was originally trying to make something that didn't require a store run). It turned out really good. I felt it had more sauce than needed so next time I might use less of the sauce ingredients. I ended up adding some peas to mine (after cooking the dish) and I liked that addition.
Caitlin
Very yummy, both my boyfriend and I loved this. Maybe going to try it with the lemon pepper wing sauce next time.
Angela
Oh I bet that will be delicious!
Karri
This dish was AMAZING 🥰 IM COOKING THIS WHEN .Y FATHER COMES IN TO VISIT NEX WEEK, MY DAUGHTER EVEN CUT UP SOME FRESH SPINACH IN IT... DEFINITELY A KEEPER!!!
Virginia
Mine came out kind of soupy even without all the extra milk so I only put about 1/4 cup of it. Not sure why because I followed the measurements exactly. But nonetheless, it tasted delicious.
Kendra L Hay
Can I use fully cooked pasta
Lauren Cardona
Hi Kendra- If you use fully cooked pasta you should add it in at the end after pressure cooking. If you cook the pasta and then pressure cook it with the rest, it will turn to mush.
Megan
Easy directions, SO delicious and easy. Added chard and smoked paprika, did mostly quick release after pressure cook 3 min. Sautéed chicken a bit longer because was sort of frozen still.
Tatjana
Hi! Thanks for sharing! I did this crock pot w the wild wings sauce- it does have a kick! So I bought the Target version and it's not AS tasty but no kick! I also used a little almost 2lbs of chicken tenders.
It was so yummy! Thanks again!
Dottie
We love parmesan garlic sauce and this recipe sounds like it's right up our alley. A full recipe would be too much for our family of 3. If I cut the recipe in 1/2, do you know if the cooking time in the instant pot would change?
TheTastyTravelers
The cooking time would remain the same even if you cut the recipe in half. 🙂
Tiffany B
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breast?
TheTastyTravelers
Yes you can. But thighs take longer to cook, so either sauté it a little longer or cut the thighs into smaller pieces so that they cook all the way in the same amount of pressure cooking time.
Veronica
It was delish. But I did change up a little. I seasoned the chicken w/ salt, garlic pepper and italian seasonings before browning. Pasta was nowhere near done, I used Penne. So I had to add extra broth(2C) and mushrooms to help finish noodles because it was burning to pan. After broth cooked down, noodles were done, probaly 5min, didn't really time. Then I added the cream cheese, stirred a bit to start melting down, added heavy cream instead of milk and grated fresh parm and romano. I will make again, but just a little different next time🥰
Len M.
Made it today and turned out really good. The only changes I made was.....Instead of putting the pasta in the crock pot, I just scooped the chicken mixture after stirring it really well over a bed of pasta. Yum!!!
Jackie
This was incredible. I didn’t have any milk so I used heavy whipping cream and it was amazing!!!
TheTastyTravelers
Awesome! I'm so glad that you liked it!
lily
Can you make this the night before or will the pasta get mushy?
TheTastyTravelers
You can make it ahead of time. But with any other pasta dish, the pasta will start to get a little mushy and will start to absorb more of the sauce. I would try to make it the day you are going to eat it, if possible. Leftovers are good, but not as good as when it’s freshly made.
Sarah Close
So it didn't say how long to cook the chicken nor if I was supposed to take the chicken out to cook the noodles... So I did take it out and think I over cooked the chicken cause I Lightly browned it and I think it is over cooked. Other than that the noodles are great!
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Sarah, For this recipe, you don't need to take the chicken out to cook the pasta. Since the chicken is left in the pressure cooker while the pasta is cooking, the chicken will continue to cook, but it cooks under pressure. Since the chicken is cooked under pressure, it comes out more tender than it would if you were to cook it that long on the stove or in the oven. I'm glad the pasta and sauce turned out good for you. Next time, just leave the chicken in during the pressure cooking time and see if you can taste the difference. 🙂
Brandon
I did this in the Crockpot and at the last 5 or so mins I add fresh baby Spinach. It was very creamy and it does have a little heat.
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Brandon! I'm glad you were able to make it in the crockpot! Spinach sounds like it would be a great addition! 🙂
Eric
This recipe is OMG Good!!! I added a 10oz package of frozen chopped spinach just to make it more of a balanced meal, but other than that I can't think of anything I'd change. Simple quick, easy clean up, relatively inexpensive. I have a feeling this is going to become a regular go to diner for me.
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Eric! I'm so glad that you like the recipe! It's so easy to make. I love that you added in the spinach too! Such a great idea.
Alivia
Can you do this recipe with frozen chicken breasts?
Lauren Cardona
Hi ALivia- Yes, you can. However, you will still need to cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, otherwise, the chicken will not cook throughout during the time that it takes the pasta to cook. Large pieces of chicken and whole chicken breasts take substantially longer to cook than pasta does, so it is not recommended to use whole pieces of chicken.
Beth
I was thinking about adding broccoli to this.
TheTastyTravelers
Feel free to add fresh or frozen broccoli at the very end. I would recommend that you add the broccoli after you have released pressure and when you are stirring everything together. In my experience, broccoli does not do well under pressure, it turns to mush. Just add it at the end and stir. It will cook very quickly. If needed, just place the lid back on, don’t turn the pot back on, and let it steam in the pot for a minute or two. :).
Rachel
Came out watery? This is my first time using an instant pot. How long are you supposed to saute for??
Lauren Cardona
If a recipe has too much liquid in it, whether it's pasta, rice, or just meat and gravy, you can saute for extra time at the end before serving to reduce the liquid. Also, if you put the lid back on (don't twist it on, just set it on top) for a couple of minutes, usually the liquid will reduce and the sauce will thicken up some.
Michele
Can I make it with out the pasta?
TheTastyTravelers
You can. The cook time would remain the same but the amount of liquid should be reduced to about 1 cup at most.
Jennifer
Are we able to just throw everything into a slow cooker? If so long long would it take?
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Jennifer! Although I have not tried to cook it in a slow cooker, I would think that you would be able to do so. But, I would not add the pasta until close to the end of the cooking time otherwise it will be overcooked and mushy. As I have not tried to make this in a slow cooker, I can't advise on how long it would take.
Tracy Allen
You have to try this recipe.It is amazing.
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Tracy! I'm so glad to hear that you loved our recipe!
Rachel Schoenholz
How can i do this without an instant pot? 🙁
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Rachel! If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can cook the chicken and pasta on the stove and then just add in the cheese and sauce. Mix everything together and you're all set!
Diane Campbell
Its got a kick to it I like it