Old Fashioned Chicken & Noodles

Chicken and Noodles is definitely the ultimate comfort food with tender chicken and noodles in a creamy sauce that is seasoned perfectly. It's like a delicious homemade chicken noodle soup, but thicker and way more indulgent!

What I love so much about this recipe is there are tons of different ways to make it and different ingredients you can use, so it's easy to look in your pantry and freezer and figure out what you want to add or not add to your chicken and noodles. You can use various cuts of chicken, various types of noodles, and the vegetables you use is completely up to you!

I decided to make an Old Fashioned Chicken & Noodles recipe starting with a whole chicken and finishing with homemade egg noodles. I can imagine just how it was done years and years ago in a large pot on the stove. The chicken would simmer for hours and the dish would basically take all day to make. Well, guess what? We can make a delicious version of Old Fashioned Chicken & Noodles in a fraction of the time using an electric pressure cooker!

That's what I do in this recipe, I use my Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper, but you can certainly make it stovetop or even over an open fire if you really want to go rustic!

You can also skip the homemade noodles and use store-bought egg noodles to save a little time. No matter what cooking method you choose, the whole family is going to love this recipe. It uses simple ingredients that come together in perfect unison for an easy and delicious meal.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Chicken & Liquid

Chicken Options

I used a whole chicken (about 5 pounds) that I pressure cooked to create a flavorful homemade chicken broth just by using water and a few vegetables and aromatics. The chicken is then cooled and the meat removed for the actual chicken & noodles. Personally, I think this is the most economical way to go, because you don't have to purchase chicken stock or broth, and buying a whole chicken is often less expensive than buying individual cuts of chicken. There is also an added bonus, you can save the chicken bones and make a batch of bone broth!

You can also use boneless chicken breasts in this recipe with some minor modifications. You will want to use a flavorful chicken broth or bone broth instead of water -- use 6 cups instead of 4 cups. You can still follow the same pressure cooking time of 15 minutes to cook the chicken breasts, but you will want to put them in the liquid for the best result. I would not add all the salt and pepper when using a store-bought or homemade broth/stock unless you know that it is unseasoned. You can always add more salt later, but you don't want your broth over salty. You can use or omit the carrots/celery/onion when cooking the chicken.

You can also use chicken thighs and, if they are boneless skinless, I would follow the same instructions as boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Personally, if I wasn't going to use a whole chicken, I would use bone-in, skin-on chicken. Any cut(s) of chicken pieces are fine, but my top pick would be chicken thighs for the best texture and flavor.

Another option is using leftover chicken from a rotisserie chicken or previously cooked and shredded chicken. For already cooked chicken, you would start the recipe with the sautéing of the vegetables and make the butter/flour roux, once the chicken broth is added and the noodles cooked, you would add in the precooked chicken and finish up the recipe. Just make sure that, before you boil the noodles, the broth is flavorful enough. Add seasonings as needed.

You can start off with frozen chicken and, if the chicken is whole, I would increase the PC time to 25 minutes with a full natural release. If the chicken is frozen and is bone-in, skin-on, pieces (like thighs/breasts/legs), I would use a PC time of 20 minutes. If you want to use frozen chicken breasts, 15 minutes of pressure cooking is probably fine.

You also can make a turkey version of this recipe just by substituting turkey for chicken. It's a great way to use up any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving Dinner!

If you wanted to make a meatless version of this recipe, you can certainly skip the chicken altogether and load it up with different vegetables for a delicious vegetable and noodle dish.

Liquid Needed

I only use water because the whole chicken with the vegetables creates the chicken broth. However, if you want you could use 6 cups of chicken broth or stock.

You could also use part white wine (maybe 1 cup) along with 3 cups of water if you wanted to change the flavor a bit. Apple juice is another way you could change up the flavor some.

If you are not using a whole chicken, then I would definitely use chicken stock, broth or bone broth.

No matter what liquid, or combination of liquids, you use, you will need a total of 6 cups before you add the noodles.

Noodles

I went old school and made homemade egg noodles, mostly because I hadn't made them before and wanted to give it a try. The results were fantastic and they were surprisingly easy to make. However, it is not necessary to make your own.

You can either buy dry noodles like wide egg noodles or Amish-style egg noodles which are straight and flat. If you don't like or can't use egg noodles, you can use any thick pasta you like. Pappardelle or tagliatelle would be my first two choices, followed by fettuccine. These three thick noodles will hold onto the creamy sauce and give you the best results. You don't have to make any changes to the recipe when substituting these pastas (or any pasta) for the dry egg noodles. Since you will be boiling them in the chicken stock, you simply want to cook them until they are al dente.

I've tested the recipe both with homemade egg noodles and store-bought Amish style noodles and there weren't any changes in liquid amounts needed. However, the type of noodle you use may require additional liquid to be added if the chicken and noodles ends up too thick.

You could also use rice in this recipe and, if it is uncooked, I would add it in when the recipe calls for boiling the noodles. Cook the rice in the liquid until it's done and then proceed with the recipe. The amount of rice that you use really depends on how thick you want it, but if you want it to be like the chicken and noodle recipe, I would add at least 1 cup of rice. I haven't tested the recipe this way, so please let me know if you try it! Your feedback helps me add additional information to my recipes.

Vegetables

I kept things very simple with carrots, celery, and onions in this recipe. I very much liked it this way, although I would probably add some peas at the end for color and because I happen to love peas!

You can add any kind of vegetables that you like, including broccoli, string beans, zucchini and/or squash. For vegetables like broccoli or string beans, I would par cook them with a little steam before sautéing in butter. That way they will be the correct texture.

If you wanted to add in frozen peas, I would add them at the end and they will cook during the 5-10 minutes that the dish sits before serving.

You can also add things like roasted cloves of garlic or a little minced garlic in with the vegetables when sautéing in butter.

If you don't want any vegetables in your chicken and noodles, simply leave them out and make the roux by melting the butter and adding the flour to it.

Seasonings

I use very simple seasonings in this recipe; fine grind sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder and finish with fresh parsley. Most of the flavor in the recipe comes from the chicken and the vegetables that help create the stock.

You can certainly add other seasonings to the dish. A bay leaf would be a nice addition when cooking the whole chicken and so would some fresh thyme sprigs or a little dried thyme.

You could also add a little spice if you want a spicy chicken and noodles by adding some cayenne pepper or for a smoky spice, use some chipotle powder.

Finishing Touches

I use a little cream at the end to add a little creaminess to the chicken and noodles and to lighten up the color a bit. This is totally optional and can be omitted if desired.

I also finish with a little fresh parsley to give that spot of green color, but it is totally optional.

How to Make Chicken & Noodles in a Pressure Cooker

I used my Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper for this recipe, but an Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker will work just fine. I only use the sear/sauté function and the pressure cook function in this recipe.

Using a pressure cooker definitely saves time when making this recipe, but if you don't have one, skip to the next section where I go over alternative methods of how to make the recipe using different appliances.

Mise En Place

There is very little prep for this recipe (YAY!) and most of it I do as the chicken is cooking with the vegetables to create the stock. I even make the homemade noodles while the chicken is cooling, however, you can certainly do all of the prep before hand if you want to.

• Make the homemade noodles or you can make these when the chicken is cooling.
• Gather vegetables for the broth. You do not need to peel the carrots that you put in with the chicken to create the broth. You don't even have to peel the onion if you don't want to, simply wash it, quarter it and throw it in. I usually peel mine out of habit.
• Remove the neck, giblets, and anything else from the cavity of the chicken. Set them aside because they go in with the chicken to create the broth. If there is a gravy packet inside the chicken, you can remove it and discard it or use it for something else.
• Slice the celery into ¼" slices. You will want about 1 cup, which is usually 2-3 stalks depending on size.
• Peel and slice the carrots that will go into the main dish. I usually cut them thinly into rounds that are about ¼" thick. You want them thin enough that they will cook during the sear/sauté time. You will need about 1 cup, but if you want to use more or less that is perfectly fine.
• Dice the onion into ¼-½" dice. Use 1 medium size onion or ½ large onion to make about 1 cup. You can use more or less if desired.

Pressure Cook the Chicken

Put 4 cups of water into the inner pot of your pressure cooker and add in the vegetables for the broth (2 carrots, 2-3 stalks of celery, onion, and parsley stems). Add in 1 Tablespoon of fine grind sea salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of onion powder.

Place the chicken on a sling or use the rack in the low position as long as there is enough clearance for the PC lid to go on. You can also set the chicken directly in the pot, but it it's a little harder to remove that way.

Put the pressure lid on, turn the valve to seal. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. When the time is up, allow the pot to naturally release the pressure.

Straining the Broth

Once the chicken has finished pressure cooking, remove it and place it in a large bowl or on your cutting board to cool.

Ladle the cooked vegetables into a strainer over a bowl or a large measuring cup that can hold at least 8 cups of liquid. You will only end up with 5-6 cups, but you don't want the hot broth to overflow the bowl or measuring cup.

When the vegetables are removed, pour the remaining broth through the strainer. Allow to drain and then discard what remains in the strainer. See how much broth you have and if it isn't a full 6 cups, add water to bring it to 6 cups. Set aside the broth.

Sautéing the Vegetables

Rinse out the inner pot. Add 4 Tablespoons of butter to the inner pot along with the diced onions, sliced carrots and celery. Add in 1 teaspoon salt (fine grind sea salt or kosher salt) and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.

Turn on the Sear/Sauté on high and sauté the vegetables for about 10 minutes. If you are using a stainless steel pot instead of the ceramic coated one, you may want to lower your heat some. Add In 3 Tablespoons of flour and cook another 2-3 minutes. You want the vegetables almost fully cooked before you add the broth.

While the vegetables are sautéing, I usually remove the chicken meat from the bones, if it has cooled enough.

Removing the Meat of the Chicken

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the chicken and pull off the breast meat. Do the same for the thighs, legs, and wings. Remove any cartilage and set the chicken meat to the side to add to the chicken and noodles a little later.

Cooking the Noodles

Once the vegetables are sautéed, pour in the chicken broth and stir well. You will want to make sure that you have 6 cups. Bring the liquid to a boil using high sear/sauté.

The liquid amount is the same whether you are using dried egg noodles or homemade egg noodles.

If you are using dry egg noodles, you can add in 8 ounces, once the liquid is boiling, and stir. Cook the dry egg noodles just until they are done to your liking.

If you are using homemade egg noodles or fresh (not dried) egg noodles, use 16 ounces and add in about a handful at a time and stir after each addition. This will prevent clumping. Cook the noodles to your desired texture. I usually slightly undercook them so they finish up cooking while I add in the chicken meat and finish up the recipe.

Finishing Touches

Once the noodles have finished cooking, add the chicken meat to the pot and stir to combine chicken and the cooked noodles.

Turn the Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker off and add in the heavy cream. Chop the parsley and add to the pot. Give a good stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to finish thickening up.

Serve & Enjoy!

How to Make Chicken & Noodles on the Stove or in a Slow Cooker

While I prefer using a pressure cooker to make chicken and noodles, you can use several different methods of cooking and any of them will give you great results!

The basic prep remains the same no matter what cooking method you use, so refer to the section above for those instructions. The only thing that changes is the timing and the liquid amounts.

Stovetop Instructions

Cooking the Chicken

In a large pot or dutch oven, add in the vegetables for making the broth (carrots, celery, onion, and parsley stems) along with the salt and pepper.

Remove any giblets, neck, or anything else that is inside of the chicken cavity. Add the giblets and neck into the pot along with the whole chicken.

Cover the chicken with water. You will probably use about 5-6 cups of water. This is more than when pressure cooking because there is more evaporation when cooking stovetop.

Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium so the liquid is at a slow boil/simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue simmering another 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the liquid has decreased to about 6 cups. This will give you a nice rich broth.

Remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board or in a large bowl to cool. Strain out the cooking vegetables and measure the liquid in the pot. You will need 6 cups of liquid, so if you have less, add a little water to make up the difference.

Let the chicken cool and remove the meat from the bones.

Making the Chicken & Noodles

The process for making the chicken and noodles from this point is exactly the same as it is for the pressure cooker version. You will use the stove on medium high heat to sauté the vegetables with the butter, add in the flour and then the 6 cups of chicken stock.

Bring the stock to a boil and cook the noodles. Add in the cream and parsley and let stil for 5-10 minutes to finish thickening.

Serve & Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Instructions

Cooking the Chicken

The basic prep is the same no matter what cooking method you use, so refer to the above section for details.

Add in 5 cups of liquid to the slow cooker, 1 Tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of onion powder. Add in the vegetables being used to create the broth along with any giblets from inside the chicken cavity.

Put the whole chicken in the slow cooker and put the lid on. Slow cook on high for 3-4 hours or 7-8 hours on low. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and let it cool.

Strain the cooking vegetables and giblets from the broth and measure the broth. You should have 6 cups of broth. If you have more, you just won't use it all and if you have less, you can add water to bring it to 6 cups.

Once it's cool, remove the meat from the chicken.

Making the Chicken and Noodles

While it's possible to make the chicken and noodles in the slow cooker, it will be much easier to make it on the stove or using a sear/sauté function if your cooker has one.

However, if you want to make it in the slow cooker, here are my suggestions.

Sauté the carrots, celery, onion in the butter for about 5 minutes in a sauté pan on the stove. Add in the flour and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Put the carrots, celery, onions back into the slow cooker and add in about 4 cups of the chicken broth. Add the chicken back in, along with the egg noodles. Cook on high for 30 minutes or until the noodles have cooked through. You can add some more chicken broth if it is too thick.

Add the cream and parsley, stir and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Comfort Food Recipes

There is no doubt that chicken and noodles is comfort food in its best form, but there are so many other recipes that are spectacular in the "comfort food" category and here are some of my favorites!