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Nothing like a little cream cheese and parmesan in your chicken! This Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken is a simple dump and go dinner recipe. So little effort to make dinner but so rich and creamy and full of spinach. The whole family will ask for more!
This recipe was originally published August 2019 and updated August 2020.
Everything is better with Cream Cheese
I am a firm believer that if you add cream cheese to anything, you instantly make it 100 times better. Please tell me that you do not disagree! (I mean, can we say cheesecake?)
And you better believe that’s exactly what I added to this Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken–fresh and quick from the Instant Pot!
When it comes to my Instant Pot, I want recipes that are literally dump and go. For some reason, I have this idea that a pressure cooker is that machine that essentially does everything for you. For me, that is.
This is the creamiest, dreamiest, juicy parmesan cream cheese chicken for all of your simple dinner needs. And it is a perfect dump and go meal. (These chicken tacos are perfect too!)
All you have to do is:
- Add the chicken and seasonings to the Instant Pot and cook.
- Release the pressure and shred the chicken.
- Stir in all the creamy goodness.
Not much more than that! And this Creeeeamy cream cheese chicken is so versatile with lots of way to enjoy it.
My husband is actually not much of a parmesan fan and yet he devours this chicken. Like I said, CREAM CHEESE. It is magical.
So needless to say, this Instant Pot Chicken is what you need–more than likely on a weekly basis. And even more importantly, what you will be dreaming about even for leftovers!
What you need to make this recipe:
- chicken: you can use fresh or frozen chicken. So if you forgot to thaw your chicken or are making a very last minute dinner decision, you are still in the clear!
- cream cheese: whatever your favorite cream cheese is, use it!
- parmesan cheese: I opted for grated parmesan because that is what I typically have on hand.
- chicken broth: you could technically use water but the broth really adds flavor. I prefer a lower sodium or no salt added broth typically. Then I can adjust the salt as I want.
- garlic powder: garlic cloves would work, again, I went with something that is basically in every kitchen around!
- spinach: frozen or fresh will work
- salt and pepper
How to serve with this recipe:
- My fave way to enjoy this Instant Pot Creamy Chicken is over rice. Some freshly chopped basil or parsley and you are set!
- You could toss it with some freshly cooked (or leftover) pasta. Maybe some fettuccine? What do you think? Oh, and toss in some sautéed mushrooms because YUM!
- If you served this chicken to me on a brioche bun I would more than likely love you forever. Think outside of the bowl with this Garlic Parmesan Chicken!
- Though I have not tried it like this, I feel like this could be a great “dip” like option to serve with some fun crackers. And now I think I am going to need to make this Creamy Chicken for the next party we have!
- There is also no reason you can’t just eat this Garlic Parmesan Chicken straight from the Instant Pot, or just exactly as it is!
I don’t have an Instant Pot, can I make this recipe in the slow cooker?
Do not worry if you don’t have a pressure cooker. You could just as easily let this sit in the crock pot all day and have dinner ready in the evening. I just know that it is not suggested to add frozen meat into a crock pot so that is something to consider.
If you opt for the slow cooker, cook the chicken on high 4-6 hours and low 6-8 hours. Shred and add spinach about 30 minutes before serving.
Notes:
- The spinach easily wilts when you shred and stir the chicken. If you are using frozen spinach, thaw and strain it before adding it in.
- A couple forks is all you need to easily shred the chicken!
- Make sure you read the manual to your pressure cooker and understand how to safely use it. The thing I honestly forget to do a lot is to put the knob to “sealing” and then I waste time because all of the pressure is seeping out. Don’t be like me!!!
Check out these other Instant Pot Recipes:
- Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice
- Pan Seared White Wine Chicken
- Creamy Instant Pot Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Pressure Cooker Carnitas
- Butter Herb Instant Pot Salmon
- Easy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Garlic Parmesan Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
DID YOU MAKE ONE OF MY RECIPES? LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! I ALSO LOVE TO SEE YOUR LEMONS + ZEST RECIPES ON SOCIAL MEDIA–TAG ME @LEMONSANDZEST ON INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK!
Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
- 4 – 6 oz. cream cheese, cubed
- 1/2 c grated parmesan
- 1/2 c chicken broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder (plus more to taste)
- 1 c freshly chopped spinach
- 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Add chicken broth to the bottom of Instant Pot. Place chicken breasts on top. (you can use trivet if desired).
- Season chicken with desired amount of sea salt and then sprinkle pepper and garlic over to cover.
- Close Instant Pot and move vent to “sealing.” Set to pressure cook high for 10 minutes for thawed chicken and 12 minutes for frozen chicken.
- When timer is done, do a quick release. Open Instant Pot and check that internal temperature of chicken is 165°F. If it is not, you can cook for a few minutes longer. If it is at 165° Use two forks to shred the chicken. Just be careful of the sides of the pot. You can transfer everything to a bowl if preferred. Stir in the spinach, cream cheese and parmesan and continue to mix until the cream cheese is smooth and creamy.
- Serve as desired and enjoy!
Notes
- The spinach easily wilts when you shred and stir the chicken. If you are using frozen spinach, thaw and strain it before adding it in.
- A couple forks is all you need to easily shred the chicken!
- Make sure you read the manual to your pressure cooker and understand how to safely use it. The thing I honestly forget to do a lot is to put the knob to “sealing” and then I waste time because all of the pressure is seeping out. Don’t be like me!!!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So easy and absolutely delicious. My family flocked to the kitchen before it was done. I put a little bit of butter in the pot with the chicken broth and used fresh pesto in place place of the spinach. This is going to be a new family favorite!
Love it so much! thanks for sharing!
used 3 breast, cooked it at high pressure for 12 min from frozen as instructed, came out just a tad bit undercooked/frozen. i did put back in for 6 additional minutes to equal 18 min, as i cooked chicken from frozen before using poultry button @ 18 min which cooked all the way thru. new to instant pot so figured i’d try this way to see if it mattered and worked lol. (it did)
overall, this is delicious. i skipped the spinach as my friend doesn’t like spinach and substituted cream cheese for sour cream as i didn’t have any cream cheese at the time lol (the struggle is real) but it all still turned out great. i paired it with air fryer roasted potatoes and left over peas with some white wine. definitely adding to my recipe collection!
Yes, cooking time can vary based on chicken size and if they are frozen sometimes. Glad it all worked out!
Is it possible to convert this to a slow cooker?
Absolutely! You should be able to just add everything in the slow cooker and set it to low for about 6 hours or high for about 4. Shred the chicken when it is ready and you are set! I don’t think it is necessary to wait to add the cream cheese in the slow cooker but you can wait until the chicken is cooked if preferred.
I know it will be delish, but I did 15 minutes for frozen and they’re still crunchy inside, registering half cooked on my thermometer. Trying another 8 minutes on high to cook them. Added some lemon and a couple shakes of Tabasco, plus herb and garlic cream cheese during cook time for an extra kick. Only star deduction is for frozen timing, must be off a bit due to weight, my additions as well.
Hope it worked out in the end for you! Chicken sizing can certainly make for issues with timing.
Easy & Delicious! Used 3 frozen but separate chicken breasts (total of 2 lbs) that took longer than the 12 minutes to be done, so I returned them to the IP on Sauté for a few minutes. Other than that, all went smoothly. Used almost all of a 10 oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach. Since I tend to use less salt in general, I did not use the 1/2 tsp sea salt and didn’t miss it. I also sautéed mushrooms separately that we added on top….yum! Thank you for a keeper recipe!
So wonderful to hear!! Thanks for sharing! And thanks for the feedback on the typos!
Tasted great and really simple to make. I was drinking white wine while i was cooking and decided to add a little to recipe, worked well.
Ohhhhh, I like where your head is, Dawn. Going to try that next time!
Need to finally dig out my instant pot for the season! Great reminder of how easy it is to get great flavor ASAP!
Oh yes you do indeed!
We love using our Instant Pot! This is for sure in our monthly rotation now!