Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup: The Herbs
As I told my friend Michele, I like to add a little dried dill to my chicken noodle soup. The dill brings a light, almost sweet, flavor to the soup. I got the idea from my grandmother. She didnt make homemade chicken soup. What she did make were those little boxes of Mrs. Grasss soup. She loved that soup and said more than once, I think theres dill in this.
To this day, I have no idea if Mrs. Grasss soup ever contained dill. My grandmother thought it did and thats good enough for me*.
Can I Make This Recipe With Cooked Chicken Or Turkey
Sure! Especially if you have leftover Rotisserie Chicken, a whole chicken that you cooked, or leftover turkey bones with meat on them.
Remove the meat from the chicken or turkey you will want at least 2 cups of cooked chicken.
Throw the bones and skin in the pot with with seasonings and vegetables that I used to make the broth and PC for 15 minutes. This will develop the flavor in the broth.
Then strain the broth, add the cooked chicken, noodles, and cut vegetables and PC as instructed in the recipe.
If you have a large turkey carcass and want to make bone broth, this recipe is incredible! Just make sure you have enough bones or decrease the liquid in the recipe. I made the mistake of trying to skimp on the amount of bones and ended up with a flavorless tan liquid that wasn’t good for anything but the trash.
What Noodles To Use
You really can use any noodles you like! However, most chicken noodle soups are made with egg noodles.
If you want to go all-out, you can make absolutely everything from scratch with homemade egg noodles.
I usually stick with store-bought egg noodles. However, when someones sick, I use whatever I have on hand, including ditalini, shells, or orzo.
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Why Make This Recipe
- Perfectly seasoned chicken breast fillets pressure-cooked in the Instant Pot until they shred like butter with a fork.
- Hearty spaghetti noodles cooked in the seasoned chicken broth, infusing them with loads of flavour.
- Assemble ahead for a freezer-friendly meal.
- Great for easy meal prep and lunch boxes .
- It is fail-proof and affordable and made with everyday staples.
Finish Everything In One Pot
Simply pressure cook the chicken breast with the broth, then throw in the noodles and the vegetables.
Asian cooking always recommends boiling the noodles in another pot to keep the soup clear. But Ive found that my soup looks great, even when I boil the noodles in the soup. Plus, the noodles will soak up more flavor from the broth and taste even better.
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Tips For Making Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
A few things worthy to note before you jump into this AMAZING soup:
- The total cook time is about an hour. The soup only needs 30 minutes to cook, but the Instant Pot pressure cooker takes 20-30 minutes to come to pressure. Use the quick release to speed things up once the soup is done.
- Feel free to add more vegetables! Im only including the classics in this version, but Ive added mushrooms, spinach, peas and carrots before and its always YUM-O. Oh yeah, Ive also used celery seeds instead of actual celery when I ran out. Guess what? Still YUM!
- Dont use the keep warm function. Well, I mean you CAN use it, but my fear is that since youre adding the noodles directly to the soup, the keep warm function might cook your noodles into nothingness in the soup. Id recommend turning that feature off, personally, when the lid is sealed, the soup will stay hot for awhile anyway.
- To shred the whole chicken breast, I pull the cooked chicken out of the hot soup and shred it in my mixer. Then the kids and I will put a couple tablespoons of chicken into our bowls and ladle the soup over it. My husband will just ladle the soup. Everyone is a happy camper!
- This makes EXCELLENT leftovers! Ive intentionally kept leftover soup in the fridge to see if the noodles would dissolve, and they dont! Keep in mind that Ive used whole wheat noodles every time, so I havent tested with regular pasta. I dont know if that would make a difference though.
Notes On Making Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup:
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you could certainly substitute chicken thighs or use a mix of breasts and thighs.
- Shredded or chopped: The chicken will cook with the soup and then you remove it to shred or chop it. Either way is fine, just depends on your preferences. It gets added back at the end, once the egg noodles are cooked .
- Broth: Make sure to use a really good broth, since that imparts a lot of the flavor. Homemade is of course a great way to go, but a good store-bought broth is fine. I do recommend low-sodium so you can control the seasoning.
- Seasonings: The poultry seasoning and bay leaves are kind-of optional in the recipe, but I recommend using them if you have them on hand in your pantry. They add some good flavor.
- Egg noodles: The recipe calls for 3 cups of egg noodles, which is about half of a normal sized bag. They get added after the chicken is cooked and removed, and you set the Instant Pot for an additional 5 minutes of cooking to cook the noodles.
Otherwise, this is super easy to put together.
You saute the veggies in the Instant Pot, then add the chicken, broth and seasonings. Seal it and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
Then, remove the chicken. Add the egg noodles to the insert and set the Instant Pot for another 5 minutes at high pressure.
Shred or chop the chicken, stir it back in when the noodles are cooked and thats it!
Its ready to serve!
OK, lets eat!
Here are a few ideas.
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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup In The Ninja Foodi Or Instant Pot
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This Classic Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is not only delicious, it takes a fraction of the time to make!
The ingredients are simple and can be customized to what you have on hand or what you like in your chicken noodle soup. It’s so easy to make and doesn’t require a huge time commitment either!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
One of the things I love the most about using an electric pressure cooker is that after the ingredients are in the pot, it is hands-off cooking! Simply let the pressure cooker make the magic happen.
In this recipe, I start with raw chicken and cook that first to develop the broth and then, when you are ready to make the soup, add in the veggies and noodles, and in less than 15 minutes, soup’s on!
This makes it super easy to start dinner earlier in the day without having to watch anything, and then in about 15 minutes your soup is ready to serve.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup: The Brothand A Boost
Most of the time, I dont have homemade chicken broth on hand. For soups and other recipes, I usually use Kitchen Basics chicken stock, but, I have to tell you, lately, Im LOVING Aldis Organic, Low Sodium Chicken Broth. If you have an Aldis near you, try it.
Then I boost the flavor of the soup with a little soup base. Some might call this cheating. I dont. I call itenhancing!
I stir in about a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon chicken base. Unlike regular dried chicken bouillon, this adds a depth of flavor that makes the soup taste fantastic but not fake.
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Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup All In One Pot
Now, when trying to get inspired by other peoples recipes I soon noticed, most recipes out there pretty much call for cooking each ingredient separately. Whats the point of using the instant pot then? Where is the advantage if I cook first chicken, then veggies, then pasta?
There had to be a better way. I wanted to find the magic formula for an all in one pot Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup that required only the pot itself, a chopping board, a knife and a wooden spatula to get dirty.
I found it 🙂 I found the magic formula! You need to chop the veggies super small. Fry the onion and garlic. Then stir fry the cubed chicken just a little bit until its mostly white from the outside but still raw in the middle. Then add all other ingredients, lid on, high pressure cooking for 5 minutes, quick pressure release, add peas, finished. Yes, its that easy!
Tips For The Best Pressure Cooked Chicken
- Youll need a 6-quart or larger pressure cooker for this recipe. The pot should be just big enough to fit a 3- to 4-pound chicken. If you have a larger pressure cooker , you can also get away with using a slightly larger chicken.
- Be careful when doing a quick-release. This is because liquid-heavy pressure cooker recipes like this soup can release a lot of steam during the venting step after cooking.
- Scared of steam? That’s ok! If you want to avoid the jet of steam entirely, you can wait for the pressure to release naturally. Just wait until the pressure cookers float valve has returned to its “down” position. This will take quite a while, though, since this recipe contains a lot of liquid.
- Chicken jello?! Good chicken soup made with the whole chicken will often develop a jelly-like consistency once chilled, so don’t be alarmed if this happens to you! The soup will turn back into liquid when warmed.
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Why Youll Love This Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe:
- QUICK AND EASY: Because this soup is made in the Instant Pot, theres no watching bubbling pots on the stovetop. Simple to make and delicious to eat.
- HEALTHY: Low in fat and calories and loaded with protein and fresh veggies, this is a soup you can feel good about.
- KID FRIENDLY: This is a great family meal that even your pickiest eaters will love!
If you are looking for a filling dinner that will warm your heart and soul, you cant go wrong with this delicious chicken noodle soup recipe!
You Can Cook With Frozen Chicken
Simply double the cooking time if you use frozen chicken . Ive done this in the past when I was really craving a bowl of soup but forgot to thaw the chicken in advance. Its such a life-saver!
A quick tip if you have trouble removing the frozen chicken from the package: simply rinse the package with warm tap water for 1 to 2 minutes and the chicken will come out easily.
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How To Make Homemade Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
For exact measures, please follow the recipe card below. Also, see the short video tutorial attached.
Start With Boneless Chicken Thighs
While any cut of chicken will work to make this classic soup, a pack of boneless thighs will give you the very best results. Because theyre fattier than lean chicken breasts, thighs make for a richer, more full-flavored soup packed with chunks of meat that stay tender and juicy. Chicken thighs are also less likely to dry out than breasts.
After being cooked with the broth and vegetables, youll pull the chicken from the pot to shred the meat, which will easily fall apart with the pull of a fork. A number of recipes call for bone-in, skin-on thighs, but I dont think it makes for a better soup. The skin adds extra fat, although not necessarily flavor, and for such a short cook time the bones dont add enough extra flavor to make the hassle of pulling the meat from them worth it.
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How To Store Leftovers:
- Refrigerate: First, let the pressure cooker chicken noodle soup fully cool to room temperature. After that, transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate it for 4-5 days.
- Freeze without noodles: If you plan to freeze the soup, hold off on adding the noodles. Noodles tend to end up mushy and bloated if they stay too long in stock/water. Use an airtight container or quart freezer bags to freeze it. After, freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freeze with noodles: Just transfer the leftovers to freezer bags and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: When ready to consume, thaw it in the fridge overnight or place the bag in a casserole dish under warm water.
- Reheat: When ready to serve, reheat it on the stove.
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of chicken noodle soup? This Instant Pot recipe makes light work of this homestyle classic. Using the sauté feature, you can easily develop flavours by cooking the mirepoix before adding the remaining ingredients.
More of a dark meat person?
Thighs or drumsticks would be DELICIOUS in this soup. Since dark meat typically takes a bit longer to cook, we recommend upping the pressure cook time from 7 minutes to 10 minutes to ensure your chicken is cooked through and easily shreddable.
Making this ahead of time?
Don’t add noodles! We know, it’s an annoying extra step to boil noodles separately. The thing is, if the noodles sit in the soup, they’ll get bloated. And mushy. And slimy. We want nice, al dente noodles in our soup! So, boil and drain them on their own. When you’re ready to serve, put some cooked noodles in the bottom of your bowl and ladle the hot soup on top.
Freezing your soup?
Smart decision! This soup reheats beautifullybut again, you’ll want to leave out the noodles. Just boil the exact amount you want to eat fresh while you defrost your soup.
Wanna add more veggies?
Do it! Heartier veggies like peppers and parsnips can be snuck in with your mirepoix, or stir in some leafy greens like spinach or Swiss chard when everything else is done cooking and the soup is still piping hot. Your body will thank you.
Editor’s Note: This page was updated on 27 August, 2021 to include a video.
Pinch crushed chilli flakes
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Secret Ingredient For Chicken Noodle Soup
Secrets outwere sharing the #1 ingredient that makes this IP Chicken Noodle Soup truly the best. Are you ready?
HOT SAUCE.
Or vinegar!
A vinegar-based hot sauce or normal vinegar like apple cider vinegar really balances out all the other flavors in your soup. If you taste your soup and realize its missing something, but its not salt or garlicits likely a little bit of vinegar.
Swap: If you dont like spicy, we recommend using apple cider vinegar or white vinegar 1:1.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup: The Chicken
I grew up eating Campbells chicken noodle soup which, if memory serves, was made up mostly of mushy noodles and salt. Gosh. I loved that stuff. Even as a kid, I remember thinking there wasnt enough chicken in the Chicken Noodle Soup. My favorite spoonfuls involved bite-sized pieces of tender chicken. And it always seemed like those cans of soup had one, maybe, of those bits in them.
Not this recipe! This recipe makes a soup thats loaded with pieces of tender chicken. And I wouldnt have it any other way.
As I mentioned in the recipe for pressure cooker burrito bowls, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are my favorite cut of chicken to use in a pressure cooker. Theres enough fat to keep the chicken moist and tender under pressure. Chicken breasts tend to get rubbery cooked in a pressure cooker. So youll rarely see me call for boneless chicken breasts on this site.
However, if you want to use chicken breasts, this is a great recipe for them. The chicken gets cut so small that texture isnt really an issue. That said, I encourage you to try chicken thighs at least once. The flavor tastes so much better than chicken breasts that I bet youll love it!
Cook Fast, Eat Well Tip: Cut the Chicken Before You Begin
Most recipes for chicken soup call for you to cook the chicken breasts or thighs whole and then cut it up after the soup has cooked. I dont do this. To save time, I cut my chicken thighs into bite-size pieces before they go into the pot.
Good question!
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