Instant Pot buffalo chicken pasta
Creamy, tangy buffalo chicken dip turned into a one-pot pasta dinner, with just enough heat to keep you going back for more.
- 35 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.31 a serving
- 720 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1¼ lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 12 oz rotini
- ⅓ cup Buffalo wing sauce
- 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 2 green onions, sliced (optional)
- 2 tbsp blue cheese crumbles (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 3 cups water
Each serving has about 720 calories, 52 g protein, 68 g carbs and 25 g fat, and costs about $2.31 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the chicken with the garlic powder and onion powder, and wash your hands and board.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Pour the water into the Instant Pot, in the bouillon cubes, and in the rotini, pressing it under the water.
Crumble. Crumbling means breaking food into small, rough bits with your fingers or a spoon, like feta or ground meat in the pan. Small bits spread through the dish, so there’s some in every bite.
How you’ll know: The pieces are small and uneven, about pea-size, with no big clumps left.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Lay the chicken on top and pour the buffalo sauce over it. Don’t .
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Lock the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
Timer: 5 min
Vent the pressure right away, with a towel over the valve, and check that the biggest piece of chicken reads 165°F.
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
in the cream cheese and cheddar until and creamy, letting it sit 2 minutes to .
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Timer: 2 min
Dolly’s tip: Taste it here. Add another spoonful of buffalo sauce if you want more kick.Top with green onions and a little blue cheese.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
More dinners like this
Instant Pot Greek lemon chicken and rice
40 min
Instant Pot mac and cheese
25 min
Instant Pot ravioli
25 min
Instant Pot tuna mac and cheese
25 min
One-pan dinners ›High-protein dinners ›What to make with cheddar and cream cheese ›What to make with chicken and cheddar ›