Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

This instant pot chicken noodle soup is one of those recipes I come back to again and again. It’s warm, comforting, and ready in a fraction of the time compared to the stovetop version.

The chicken comes out so tender that it shreds in seconds. And the broth is packed with flavor from the herbs and vegetables.

What I really like about making this in the Instant Pot is that everything cooks together in one pot. Less mess, less effort, and the result tastes like it’s been simmering for hours.

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brings the whole thing together. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.

If you need a solid chicken noodle soup recipe that’s simple and reliable, this is it.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Ready in Under 30 Minutes – Thanks to the Instant Pot’s high pressure cooking, you get fall-apart tender chicken and a rich, flavorful broth in a fraction of the time it takes to simmer traditional chicken noodle soup on the stove.

The Chicken Comes Out Perfectly Shreddable – Cooking whole chicken breasts under pressure for just 10 minutes makes them so tender they practically fall apart when you touch them with two forks, giving you those perfect shredded pieces in every spoonful.

One Pot, One Cleanup – You saute the veggies, pressure cook the chicken, and boil the egg noodles all in the same Instant Pot, which means you only have one pot to wash when dinner is done.

It Uses Simple Ingredients You Probably Already Have – Chicken breasts, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and basic pantry herbs are all you need, so there’s no running to the store for anything unusual or expensive.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
• 3 Carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 Celery Stalks, sliced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 8 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tsp Dried Parsley
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 8 oz Wide Egg Noodles
• 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

Directions

Step 1

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

Step 2

Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and use a spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom.

Step 3

Add the chicken breasts whole to the pot. Stir in the dried thyme, dried parsley, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper.

Step 4

Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes.

Step 5

Perform a quick release by carefully turning the valve to Venting, keeping hands and face clear of the steam. Remove the lid once the pin drops. Take out the chicken breasts and shred them using two forks.

Step 6

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode again, add the egg noodles, and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender.

Step 7

Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in the fresh lemon juice, taste for seasoning, and serve hot.

Pro Tips

Don’t Skip Deglazing the Pot

After you saute the veggies and garlic, there will be little browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. When you pour in the chicken broth, make sure you actually scrape those bits up with a wooden spoon or spatula until the bottom is completely clean.

This matters for two reasons. First, those browned bits add a ton of flavor to your soup. Second, if you leave them stuck to the bottom, you might get a burn warning during pressure cooking, and the Instant Pot will stop the cook cycle.

Take an extra 30 seconds to really scrape the bottom well before you move on. It makes a big difference.

Cook the Noodles in the Pot, Not Separately

The egg noodles cook right in the broth during the second saute step, and that’s what makes this soup so good. The starch from the noodles thickens the broth slightly and gives it that classic homemade chicken noodle soup texture.

Stir the noodles every minute or so while they cook. The pot is hot and there’s a lot of starch being released, so if you walk away they will stick to the bottom and to each other. Six to seven minutes is usually perfect for wide egg noodles, but start checking at the 5-minute mark.

One thing to keep in mind – the noodles will keep absorbing broth as the soup sits. If you’re making this ahead of time or plan to have leftovers, the soup will be thicker the next day. Just add a splash of extra chicken broth when you reheat it.

Add the Lemon Juice at the End

The tablespoon of fresh lemon juice might seem like a small thing, but it really wakes up the whole soup. It adds a brightness that balances out the rich broth and keeps the flavors from tasting flat.

Make sure you add it after you turn off the heat or right at the very end. If you add lemon juice too early or let it cook too long, the fresh flavor cooks off and you lose that brightness. Stir it in, taste the soup, and add a little more if you want.

Use fresh lemon juice, not the bottled stuff. Fresh gives you a cleaner, sharper flavor that you can actually taste in the finished soup.

Related Recipes

• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
• Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?

Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs work great in this soup and many people actually prefer them because they stay more tender and juicy after pressure cooking. You can use the same amount and keep the cook time at 10 minutes on high pressure.

Thighs have a bit more fat, which adds extra flavor to the broth. Just shred them the same way with two forks once they come out of the pot.