• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Grits and Gouda
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Meats and Mains
    • Breakfast Brunch Brinner
    • Veggies and Sides
    • Desserts and Cakes
    • Cookies and Candy
    • Shortcut Cooking
    • Lighten Up
    • Canning and Condiments
    • Wild Game
    • Salads & Slaws
  • About
    • About
    • Community
  • Work With Me
  • Cooking Classes
  • Shop
    • AMAZON
    • Cookbook
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Cooking Classes & Holiday Cooking Show
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home > Instant Pot > Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo

    Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo No need to drain the pasta! Cook it all in one pot and no Ranch dressing packet needed!

    June 24, 2022 by gritsandgouda 16 Comments

    Share
    Pin
    Tweet
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See full disclosure.
    Jump to Recipe

    This creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo recipe is crazy easy and everything cooks in the Instant Pot INCLUDING cooking the bacon. All the flavors of the popular Ranch dressing without using a package of the powdered dressing mix! A jar of high quality Alfredo sauce is just one of the shortcuts.

    No MSG or maltodextrin from one of those Ranch dressing mixes in my version of Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo! I use fresh parsley, onion powder, and bottled Alfredo sauce.

    Of course, I include shortcuts! The Instant Pot alone is a shortcut but I give you even more to get you in and out of the kitchen quickly! Gluten-free option-Bonus!

    I'll walk you through this easy one dish meal with beautiful step by step pictures. Don't be afraid of your Instant Pot if this is your first recipe using it.

    I will show you how easy it is to fry bacon, sear chicken, and cook pasta without having to wash another pot or skillet!

    Shortcuts:

    • Cutting bacon into small pieces before cooking; stirring while cooking. This method cooks the bacon faster, without having to babysit it while flipping the long slices.
    • The Instant Pot in itself is a shortcut!
    • Everything cooks in the Instant Pot. No skillet or extra pot to wash!
    • Shred the cooked chicken after cooking to avoid cubing it raw.

    If you're looking for a Chicken Bacon Ranch Penne recipe or Chicken Bacon Ranch Spaghetti recipe, simply trade out the same amount (ounces) of pasta, no matter the shape.

    Ingredients

    • 4 ounces uncooked bacon
    • 2 large chicken breasts
    • 1 1/2 cups water or no salt added chicken broth
    • 1 (15-ounce) bottle Alfredo sauce
    • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
    • 8 ounces uncooked linguine, fettuccine, penne, or spaghetti
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
    • Shredded Parmesan Cheese (optional)
    Ingredients on a wooden cutting board: chicken breasts, bacon, parsley, linguine, alfredo sauce, garlic powder water

    How to make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta in the Instant Pot

    Note: I used the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1, 6 quart for this recipe. Your model may be different.)

    Fry the bacon

    • Slicing bacon on a wooden cutting board
    • Cooked bacon pieces in an Instant Pot overhead view.
    • Cut bacon first. Save the messy step of crumbling bacon after babysitting slices of bacon to flip back and forth by slicing them crosswise first. Place the bacon pieces in the cold pot of an Instant Pot. You are "rendering" bacon, so don't start out with a heated pot.

    TIP: Place a damp paper towel or kitchen towel under a cutting board to prevent it from sliding around.

    • Cook bacon inside the insert pot. Press the Saute’ button twice. This should put the Saute’ Low/Normal/High level on Normal.

    Press the Press the +/- to (12 minutes). This will start the Saute' feature. Cook the bacon about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until crisp and browned.

    Cook the bacon pieces in the Instant Pot on Saute for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Note: To make an Instant Pot Chicken Ranch version (without bacon), use 1 tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil to sear the chicken.

    Sear the chicken

    • Cutting chicken breasts in half on wooden cutting board.
    • Four chicken breast halves searing in the Instant Pot.
    • While the bacon cooks, cut each breast in half and measure the rest of the ingredients.

    This makes the chicken breast just the right size to cook perfectly with the pasta. I tried it cut into 1-inch cubes like other recipes and the chicken was overdone when the pasta was just the right doneness.

    You can shred the chicken easily when its done or just leave them in 4 pieces and everyone gets one piece of chicken. You can shred the chicken with two forks or use tongs to break it up right there in the pot.

    Note: Searing the chicken is optional.

    Searing the chicken adds loads of flavor and can help reduce the chicken from becoming dry. It will still turn out yummy if you are in a hurry and just want to "dump and start" at this point. If you like, you can totally skip this step and remove ALL bacon drippings and rock on to the step of pouring in the water.

    Bacon bits draining on paper towels on a paper plate.
    • Remove the bacon cooked in the Instant Pot to paper towels to drain.
    • You should have about 2 1/2 tablespoons bacon drippings in the pot. Remove 1 tablespoon and reserve for other recipes, if you like. Leave the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings in the pot.
    • Place the chicken breasts in the bacon drippings and cook 3 minutes on one side or just until lightly browned. Turn the chicken with tongs and cook an additional 1 or 2 minutes. They don't have to be very brown on the second side.

    If there is any time remaining on the Instant Pot screen, just press Cancel.

    Deglaze the pan

    • Looking into the bottom of Instant Pot where bacon was cooked.
    • Scraping browned bits from bottom of Instant Pot.
    • Remove the chicken breasts before adding water to deglaze the pot or just leave them in and move them around as you scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
    • Add the water and scrape the bottom of the pot gently with a wooden spoon. This is called deglazing and will easily remove the browned bits. This is yummy flavor!

    Add pasta and sauce

    Uncooked Spaghetti in Alfredo sauce in an Instant Pot.
    • Pour in the entire jar of Alfredo sauce, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and onion powder and stir until all is combined. If you removed the chicken after cooking, return it to the pot now.
    • Break the pasta in half so it easily fits into the pot. If you are using penne pasta, just toss it in. Be sure to use tongs to coat all the pasta. Some will still be sticking up and that's ok.

    Coating the pasta and making sure it isn't all stacked together with no liquid touching it will result in pasta sticking together. So, make sure all the pasta is submerged if possible.

    Secure the lid and cook!

    • Secure the lid and turn the pressure valve to “Sealing”, otherwise, steam will start to come out the sides as it heats up.
    Instant Pot panel set to 7:00 minutes
    • Press the Pressure Cook button. Press the +/- to reach 7 minutes. In about 10 seconds, the screen will show ON. It will take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure and the screen will change to 7:00 for seven minutes and will start counting down by minutes.
    • When the screen has counted down the 7 minutes it will show OFF. Then, set a timer for 7 minutes and do nothing. This will allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure (NR).
    • After 7 minutes, turn the pressure valve to “Venting” for Quick Release (QR).
    Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta looks thins before stirring.

    Now, remove the lid and stir the pasta gently. With tongs, pull apart any pasta stuck
    together. It will appear fairly thin, but thickens up quickly.

    Let stand 5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Sprinkle with cooked bacon (if you haven't already added it) and additional parsley for garnish, if you like.

    Bacon sprinkled on creamy pasta with edge of pressure cooker showing.

    For extra cheesiness, sprinkle on or stir in a little shredded Parmesan cheese.

    Totally optional because it's already creamy and cheesy. I opted to not add an any this time.

    Chicken Ranch Pasta swirled on fork.

    No Ranch dressing mix in this recipe?

    I wanted to make a version of the popular Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta in the Instant Pot that did not use the Ranch dressing packet because it has MSG in it and some folks are allergic to it, plus, not everyone has the powdered Ranch dressing mix in their pantry.

    This version has all the flavors that are in the Ranch dressing mix on the back of the package without the Monosodium Glutamate, Maltodextrin, Calcium Stearate, and Carboxymethlycellulose.

    You can absolutely omit the garlic powder and parsley and stir in the Ranch dressing package but I recommend adding a few more tablespoons of water because maltodextrin (its number 1 ingredient) is a filler/thickener used to increase volume in processed foods.

    Can I make this gluten-free?

    Absolutely! Some brands of Alfredo sauce such as Classico are gluten-free or you can substitute 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese for the Alfredo sauce. It's better to shred your own gluten-free Parmesan cheese because pre-shredded may be coated with starches or powders that may or may not be gluten free.

    Barilla makes a gluten-free spaghetti and penne pasta. Other options are rice noodles, chickpea or quinoa pasta. Be sure to check the original cooking time to see how it compares to wheat pasta. This Barilla wheat linguine says to boil it 10-11 minutes traditionally. Of course, it didn't take that long in the Instant Pot!

    What if I don't know how to use an Instant Pot?

    Don't sweat it. I've written a complete How-To Guide for Your New Instant Pot. Head over there and check it out first, then come back here and be ready to go!

    Even if you are feeling confident and want to rock on, just hang with me-I've got you covered with step by step pictures below.

    Chop your fresh parsley on the cutting board first and set aside to avoid chopping it after you've cut up bacon and raw chicken on it.

    How can I divert the steam if I have cabinets above my counter?

    If your Instant Pot is directly under a cabinet, you might want to drape a kitchen towel over the back side of it and hold it at an angle to divert the steam that will shoot straight up.

    I usually do this even though I don't have cabinets above my counter if I'm cooking pasta.

    You can also purchase a silicone steam diverter. I've seen a lot of fun ones shaped like Despicable Me minions, birds, and angry men.

    I bought a plain red one just to see how it worked and loved it.

    Close up view of creamy pasta with bacon and parsley sprinkled on it.

    Watch the NBC 13 video on this recipe

    nbc 13 screenshot of woman in kitchen

    More tried and true Instant Pot recipes:

    • Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
    • Turkey Breast and Gravy
    • Chocolate-Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake
    • Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts
    • Beans and Greens: Instant Pot Collard Greens and Navy Beans
    • Naturally Dyed Deviled Eggs 
    • Instant Pot Corned Beef
    • Reuben Sandwiches with Instant Pot Corned Beef

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. Be social and share, y'all! Don't forget to sign up with your email so you don’t miss a single post on my Southern shortcut recipes!

    If you make this recipe I'd love to see it! Tag me on social media with #gritsandgouda or @gritsandgouda. Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to give the recipe a rating of 5 stars if you love it!

    linguine past bacon on a fork in white bowl
    Print Recipe
    4.58 from 14 votes

    Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo

    A shortcut Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo pasta recipe made in the Instant Pot. It doesn't use the package of Ranch dressing mix, so no MSG! Creamy Alfredo sauce swirled around linguine or fettuccine with tender chicken breasts and a generous helping of bacon! Everything is done right in the Instant Pot saving you time and fewer dishes to wash. Fry the bacon and add all the other ingredients including the pasta!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time7 mins
    Bringing up to pressure and Natural Release17 mins
    Total Time34 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 687kcal
    Author: Kathleen Phillips | GritsAndGouda.com
    Cost: 12
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • pressure cooker, Instant Pot

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish (1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes can be substituted)
    • 4 ounces uncooked bacon about 4 or 5 slices
    • 2 large chicken breasts about 6 oz each
    • 1 1/2 cups water (no salt added chicken broth can be substituted)
    • 1 15 ounce bottle good quality Alfredo sauce ( I use Classico or Gia Russo)
    • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
    • 8 ounces uncooked linguine, fettuccine, penne, or spaghetti
    • Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

    Instructions

    • Note: I'm using a Duo60 6-quart 7-in-1 Instant Pot in this recipe but any Instant Pot can be used.
      Chop your fresh parsley on the cutting board first and set aside to avoid chopping it after you've cut up bacon and raw chicken on it.
    • Slice the bacon crosswise into little pieces. Place in a 6 or 8-quart Instant Pot and press the Saute’ button twice. This should put the Saute’ Low/Normal/High level at Normal.
    • Press the Press the +/- to (12 minutes). This will start the Saute' feature. Cook the bacon about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until crisp and browned.
    • While the bacon cooks, cut the chicken in half crosswise to
      make four pieces.
    • Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Set aside until later.
    • (This next step is optional: you can skip the browning of the chicken step and just place the chicken in the pot and pour water and Alfredo sauce over chicken. Browning the chicken in bacon drippings adds flavor.)
      The timer should have about 6 minutes left on it. Press the Saute’ button again to increase the level to High. Place the chicken breasts in the bacon drippings and cook 3 minutes on one side or just until lightly browned. Turn the chicken with tongs and cook an additional 2 minutes. If there is any time remaining on the screen, press Cancel.
    • Pour the water over the chicken and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This is called deglazing and cleans the bottom of the pan and helps create a flavorful liquid. You may have to push the chicken up to the sides of the pan but you shouldn’t have to remove them.
    • Stir in the Alfredo sauce, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and onion powder until combined. It will look thin, but the pasta absorbed the liquid and it thickens while the pressure is under Natural Release (NR). You can stir in the bacon now or hold it out to sprinkle on top after cooking to keep the bacon crispy.
    • Break the linguine in half and add to the pan. It is important that all the pasta is coated and covered with liquid but it works best if the chicken is on the bottom. If all the pasta is on the bottom, it may stick together and over-brown. It's almost impossible for all the pasta to be covered, so just try to coat them. It's ok for some to be sticking up. Secure the lid and turn the pressure release toggle to “Sealing”.
    • Select HIGH pressure by pressing the Pressure Cook button once or twice. It will go back and forth between LOW and HIGH with each push. Press the +/- to reach 7 minutes.
    • In about 10 seconds, the screen will say "ON". It will take 15 minutes for it to come up to pressure inside the insert pot. At that point the screen will switch to "7" and start counting down 7 minutes. You may see a little sputtering of steam come out of the float valve before it pops up to seal off any escaping steam.
    • When the screen has counted down the 7 minutes it will show OFF. Set a timer for 7 minutes and do nothing. (It will be fine if you let it naturally release longer-until float valve drops if you are busy doing something else-it will just be thicker). This will allow the IP to Natural Release pressure for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, turn the pressure valve to “Venting” for Quick Release (QR) until the float valve drops.
    • Remove the lid and stir the pasta gently. With tongs, pull apart any pasta stuck together. It will appear thin but thickens up quickly. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Sprinkle with cooked bacon (if you haven't already added it) Parmesan cheese and additional parsley, if you like.

    Notes

    Make this a gluten-free recipe by using Classico Alfredo sauce and Barilla gluten-free spaghetti.
    Hidden Valley Ranch powdered salad dressing and seasoning mix contains highly processed Maltodextrin and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). Garlic powder, onion powder and parsley are the main ingredients other than powdered buttermilk. Since I'm using Alfredo sauce that already contains cream and garlic, I just added onion powder and parsley to make my own "Ranch" seasoned pasta.
    (You can always omit the onion powder and parsley and stir in the Ranch dressing mix, if you like, but it may be a little thicker since Maltodextrin is a filler/thickener)

    Nutrition

    Calories: 687kcal
    Did you make this recipe?If you love it, share it! Tag me on Instagram @gritsandgouda using #gritsandgouda Comment below before you go!

    Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.

    More Instant Pot

    • Close up image of crostini topped with cream cheese and instant pot bacon jam on a white platter
      Instant Pot Bacon Jam
    • peanuts in the shell cracked open on a blue tin plate
      Easy Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts A classic Southern snack made with raw peanuts-which aren't really nuts at all!
    • hard cooked eggs cut in half on a green plate
      How to Make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs (Easy Peel Every Time)
    • Slices of turkey breast with skin on overlapping each other on a white plate and garnished with fresh sage and gravy poured over the turkey slices
      Instant Pot Bone-In Turkey Breast and Gravy Give yourself more time for family and your oven more room for side dishes and pie by cooking your holiday turkey in the Instant Pot this year.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara Kennedy

      April 19, 2020 at 7:20 pm

      Hi Kathleen!
      Have shared your Site with my sister in FL.
      I’m trying to learn how to use my Instapot & I like your directions.
      Thank you

      Reply
      • gritsandgouda

        April 19, 2020 at 7:44 pm

        So glad you are using your IP! Let me know what you make!

        Reply
        • Angela

          June 14, 2020 at 11:53 pm

          This looks delicious and we're making it tomorrow night. I love how descriptive your instructions are 😊

          Reply
          • gritsandgouda

            June 15, 2020 at 8:00 am

            I'm so glad you like the step by step instructions! I guess I write like I talk....a lot! LOL Let me know how it turns out for your dinner! I love hearing from my readers!

            Reply
    2. Susan Link

      June 13, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      I'm using a 3 qt. Do I have everything? And what about the timing?

      Reply
      • gritsandgouda

        June 13, 2020 at 9:26 pm

        I have a 3 quart Instant Pot too! You should be able to make it with all the same times in a 3 quart. Let me know how you like it!

        Reply
      • John C

        September 10, 2020 at 7:23 pm

        This recipies is very confusing. 🙁 My instapot doesnt have settings that youre taking about (like pressure cook), or they dont work in the same way (like Saute). And I kept having to scroll past all of the ads to get back to the top to find out what the ingredients were again. And the when I am supposed to add things wasnt clear, nor was it clear abiut cooking the chicken. You talk about searing it and then cooking it, but there wasnt a step for cooking it.

        Reply
        • gritsandgouda

          September 10, 2020 at 8:07 pm

          I'm so sorry you are having trouble with understanding this recipe. It's one of my top recipes on the blog so I hope we can get you pointed in the right direction for success! Were you able to see the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post or scroll all the way to the bottom of the post where the printable recipes are located? That will hopefully solve that problem of cooking the chicken. I've copied and pasted the step in the post and recipe where it shows how to sear it here: Place the chicken breasts in the bacon drippings and cook 3 minutes on one side or just until lightly browned. Turn the chicken with tongs and cook an additional 2 minutes. You aren't cooking the chicken all the way-the Instant Pot will do that. Also, it says searing it is just an option. You can actually just put the chicken in without searing it but that gives it added flavor.
          There are so many different models of Instant Pots out there. The one I used in this recipe is the 7-in-1 Duo 6-quart. Check out the video of me making this dish right before the printable recipe. That will also help you be successful! I'm sure you're going to love this yummy, creamy pasta dish.

          Reply
    3. Carmen

      June 22, 2020 at 6:58 pm

      Did I miss when to add the onion powder? I couldn’t find it anywhere 😬

      Reply
      • gritsandgouda

        June 22, 2020 at 8:12 pm

        No worries! It is in Step 8 in the recipe. Stir in the Alfredo sauce, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and onion powder. You may be reading from the captioned pictures in the post only and not the recipe so I went back up and made sure more details were in the post. If the post gets too long, I always have a Jump To Recipe button at the top of my blog posts. Hope this helps. I'm so glad you are making it!

        Reply
      • Pam

        June 25, 2021 at 12:31 pm

        This recipe sounds really good but I have one question. It's called chicken bacon ranch alfredo but I don't see and ranch listed in the ingredients?

        Reply
        • gritsandgouda

          June 25, 2021 at 12:42 pm

          I'm glad you asked the question! In the recipe blog post I explain that this recipe has all the flavors from the Ranch dressing packet (I looked on the nutrition label) but left out the maltodextrin, dextrose, guar gum and Monosodium Glutamate. Alfredo is in the title because it does have Alfredo sauce in the recipe. It substitutes for the milk and mayonnaise you would have to add to the packet anyway. This recipe is especially nice for those that want to avoid MSG, don't have (or can't find) the dressing packet at the store, or they want to cook a weeknight dinner with what they may already have in their pantry. I hope you will give it a try!

          Reply
          • Gerri

            November 22, 2021 at 3:12 pm

            Can you use fresh pasta for this..

            Reply
            • gritsandgouda

              November 22, 2021 at 3:35 pm

              I've never made it with fresh pasta but I think if you cut the chicken into cubes and still brown them or even cook them all the way, it would probably cook at the same rate as the fresh pasta which takes much less time to cook than dried. The goal would be to get the chicken cooked without overcooking the pasta. Let me know if this works for you and I can add it to the recipe notes!

    4. Lori Ulmer

      December 18, 2020 at 5:31 pm

      5 stars
      This was so yummy and easy! Thank you! My husband loved it!

      Reply
      • gritsandgouda

        December 19, 2020 at 7:48 am

        I'm so happy it is a hit with you and your husband! It is one of our family favorites, too!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi y'all! I’m Kathleen. I share Southern shortcut recipes! I’m a food stylist, cookbook author, and former test kitchen director in Alabama. I take traditional Southern recipes you know and love (and a few new ones) and make them with shortcuts so you can enjoy them faster.

    More about me →

    • Mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Popular Recipes

    • White sheet cake with butter pecan icing in sheet pan with square cut out.
      White Texas Sheet Cake (with Cake Mix)
    • Rectangle white plate of red and green oreo shortbread cookies.
      Cookies and Cream Shortbread Cookies
    • Stack of blonde brownies on brown paper.
      Blonde Brownies with Cheaters Caramel Icing
    • Yellow Squash Casserole with Scoop out on right in a gray dish.
      Easy Yellow Squash Casserole

    More Popular Recipes →

    Footer

    Hi y'all! I’m Kathleen. I share Southern shortcut recipes! I’m a food stylist, cookbook author, and former test kitchen director in Alabama. I take traditional Southern recipes you know and love (and a few new ones) and make them with shortcuts so you can enjoy them faster.

    Copyright © 2023 Grits and Gouda · Privacy Policy