Instant Pot Creamy Tuscan Chicken

This instant pot creamy tuscan chicken is one of those dinners that looks and tastes like you spent a lot of time on it, but really didn’t.

The chicken comes out tender and juicy, covered in a rich creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan. It’s honestly restaurant-level good.

Everything cooks in one pot, and the whole thing takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Perfect for a busy weeknight.

You can serve it over pasta, with rice, or just with some crusty bread to soak up all that sauce. Any way you go, it’s delicious.

If you’ve been looking for a simple but impressive dinner recipe, this one is definitely worth trying.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

It’s Super Fast for a Fancy Dinner – The Instant Pot does all the heavy lifting in just 10 minutes of pressure cooking, so you get a restaurant-quality creamy Tuscan chicken on your table in about 30 minutes total.

That Sauce Is Unreal – The combo of heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes creates a rich, savory sauce that tastes like something you’d order at an Italian restaurant but you made it yourself in a pressure cooker.

Perfectly Juicy Chicken Every Time – Pressure cooking locks in all the moisture so your chicken breasts come out incredibly tender and juicy instead of dry and rubbery like they sometimes get in the oven.

It’s a One-Pot Meal – You sear the chicken, build the sauce, and wilt the spinach all in the same Instant Pot, which means you only have one thing to clean up when dinner is done.

Ingredients

• 2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 3 cups Fresh Baby Spinach
• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp Cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp Water

Directions

Step 1

Season the chicken breasts with the salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and add the olive oil.

Step 2

Sear the chicken for 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Step 3

Add the minced garlic to the pot and saute for 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Return the chicken to the pot.

Step 4

Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Perform a quick release by carefully turning the valve to Venting, keeping hands and face away from the steam. Remove the lid once the pin drops.

Step 5

Remove the chicken and set aside. Switch the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Stir in the heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 6

Stir in the cornstarch slurry and continue simmering for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the baby spinach and stir until wilted.

Step 7

Return the chicken to the pot, spoon the creamy sauce over the top, and serve over pasta or with crusty bread.

Pro Tips

Don’t Skip Searing the Chicken

It might be tempting to just toss the chicken in and pressure cook it, but searing it first is what gives this dish that rich, golden flavor. Make sure the Instant Pot is fully heated on Saute mode before you add the olive oil and chicken.

You want to hear a nice sizzle the moment the chicken hits the pot. If there’s no sizzle, the pot isn’t hot enough yet. Let each side cook for the full 3 minutes without moving it around so you get a proper golden crust.

The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point. You’re just building color and flavor on the outside. The pressure cooking step will finish the job.

Scrape Up the Browned Bits

After you sear the chicken and saute the garlic, the bottom of the pot will have browned bits stuck to it. When you pour in the chicken broth, use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape all of that up. Those bits are packed with flavor and they make the sauce taste so much better.

This step is also important because if you leave those bits stuck to the bottom, you might get a burn warning during pressure cooking. The Instant Pot has a sensor that detects food stuck to the bottom, and it will stop cooking if it thinks something is burning.

Take your time here and make sure the bottom is completely clean before you lock the lid.

Use the Right Amount of Chicken Broth

Half a cup of chicken broth might not seem like a lot, but it’s the right amount for this recipe. The Instant Pot needs liquid to build pressure, and half a cup is just enough to do that while keeping the sauce from getting too thin later on.

If you add more broth thinking it will help, your sauce will end up watery and the heavy cream and parmesan won’t be able to thicken it properly. Stick with the half cup and trust the process.

Related Recipes

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I slice or shred the chicken before serving?

That is totally up to you and depends on how you plan to serve it. If you are spooning it over pasta, slicing the chicken into thick pieces looks really nice and lets you drizzle the sauce over the top.

If you want the chicken mixed into the sauce more evenly, shredding it with two forks works perfectly. The chicken should be tender enough after pressure cooking that it shreds apart easily in just a few seconds.