One-Pot Marry Me Chicken (Pressure Cooker)
This One-Pot Marry Me Chicken is a creamy weeknight dinner made entirely in the pressure cooker. Chicken and rigatoni cook together in a sun-dried tomato Parmesan sauce with just 3 minutes of pressure cook time.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 760kcal
Equipment
- Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Shallow tray or dish (for the seasoned flour)
- Cutting board and knife
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
- Cheese grater
Ingredients
Seasoned Flour
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour the coating step is optional but gives a slightly thicker sauce
- ½ teaspoon fine-grind sea salt or kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves use thyme leaves, not ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional; balances the sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes without adding much heat
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch cubes about 2 medium breasts
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper seasoned directly on the chicken
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt seasoned directly on the chicken
- 2 tablespoon oil reserved from the sun-dried tomato jar or olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, ¼-inch dice about 6 ounces by weight or 1 cup by volume
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon garlic paste Louise uses homemade garlic paste made from cooked garlic, which is milder
- ¼ cup dry sherry optional; substitute an extra ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1½ cups chicken stock or broth use 1¾ cups if using a stainless steel insert or an 8-quart pot
- 3 cups rigatoni 8 ounces; penne can be substituted
- 3 oz sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped about ½ cup; from an 8-ounce jar packed in oil, reserve the oil for searing
- 1 cup heavy cream ½ cup can be used for a lighter, less saucy dish
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated about ½ cup finely shredded
- fresh basil, for garnish torn, not chopped, to keep it vibrant
Instructions
- Cut 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1½-inch cubes. Place the cubes in a tray or a bag and season directly with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Set aside. You can also do this step the day before and refrigerate the chicken to season it a little more deeply.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch cubes, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- In a shallow tray or dish, combine ¼ cup of all-purpose flour with ½ teaspoon fine-grind sea salt, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves. Stir to blend the seasonings evenly through the flour.¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon fine-grind sea salt, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Set your Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot to high Sear/Sauté and press start. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomato jar and let it heat while you coat the chicken.2 tablespoon oil reserved from the sun-dried tomato jar
- Toss the seasoned chicken cubes in the seasoned flour until each piece is lightly coated. Discard any excess flour left in the tray.
- Once the pot is hot, lay the chicken in a single layer around the edges of the pot, right over the oil rather than in the center where the flour can stick and burn. Sear for about 2 minutes, then flip the pieces. The chicken does not need to be cooked through, it finishes under pressure.
- Add the diced sweet onion, then add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring, to bring out that pop of tomato flavor.1 sweet onion, ¼-inch dice, 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add 2 tablespoons of garlic paste and stir it in. If you are using raw garlic paste, about 1 tablespoon is plenty, or use 2 to 3 teaspoons of minced garlic.2 tablespoon garlic paste
- Deglaze the pot with ¼ cup of dry sherry, scraping up all of the dark bits from the bottom with a tool so they do not trigger a burn notice later. If you are not using sherry, use an extra ¼ cup of chicken stock instead.¼ cup dry sherry
- Pour in 1½ cups of chicken stock or broth (use 1¾ cups if you are cooking in a stainless steel insert or an 8-quart pot). Add 3 cups (8 ounces) of rigatoni and give it a stir. Scatter 3 ounces of chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top. Make sure the pasta is mostly submerged, poking it down if needed.1½ cups chicken stock or broth, 3 cups rigatoni, 3 oz sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- Cancel Sear/Sauté. Place the lid on and move the valve to the sealed position. Pressure cook on High for 3 minutes. The pot will take between 5 and 8 minutes to come to pressure.
- When the 3 minutes of pressure cooking is up, let the pot natural release for 5 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. The natural release finishes cooking the pasta and helps keep the chicken tender. Open the lid away from you, as it will be steamy.
- Give everything a stir. There will be very little liquid left, which is exactly what we want so the cream can create the sauce. Add ½ cup of heavy cream and stir. Add half of the Parmesan and stir, then add the remaining cheese, followed by the rest of the cream. Stir until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. The cheese will thicken the sauce as it goes in.1 cup heavy cream, 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
- Plate the pasta and garnish each serving with torn fresh basil. Add a little freshly cracked black pepper if you like. Serve right away.fresh basil, for garnish
Notes
PREP TIPS
• Cut the chicken into 1½-inch cubes and keep them a similar size. This size is essential because the dish uses a very short pressure cook time and even cubes cook evenly.
• You can season the chicken with the salt and pepper the day before and keep it in a bag in the refrigerator. The salt works its way into the chicken and flavors it a little more deeply, though same-day seasoning is still delicious.
• When you drain the sun-dried tomatoes, reserve the oil. You will use 2 tablespoons of it to sear the chicken, and any leftover oil is wonderful for dipping crusty bread. COOKING TIPS
• Sear the chicken around the edges of the pot near the oil, not in the center. Chicken placed in the middle can let the flour stick and scorch.
• Scrape up every dark bit from the bottom of the pot as you deglaze. Those browned bits are full of flavor, but if they stay stuck they can trigger a burn notice.
• If you are using a stainless steel insert or an 8-quart pot, add an extra ¼ cup of chicken stock. Those pots have a little more evaporation as the dish comes to pressure.
• For serving right away, use 3 minutes of pressure cook time with a 5-minute natural release. If you know the dish will sit on Keep Warm for longer than 30 minutes, use 2 minutes with an immediate release instead so the pasta does not overcook. NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on typical ingredient values and standard portion sizes. Actual nutritional content may vary significantly depending on specific brands used, ingredient substitutions, preparation methods, portion sizes, and individual cooking techniques. For precise nutritional information tailored to your specific ingredients and preparation, please consult with a registered dietitian or use laboratory analysis. This information should not be used for medical nutrition therapy or to manage medical conditions without professional guidance.
• Cut the chicken into 1½-inch cubes and keep them a similar size. This size is essential because the dish uses a very short pressure cook time and even cubes cook evenly.
• You can season the chicken with the salt and pepper the day before and keep it in a bag in the refrigerator. The salt works its way into the chicken and flavors it a little more deeply, though same-day seasoning is still delicious.
• When you drain the sun-dried tomatoes, reserve the oil. You will use 2 tablespoons of it to sear the chicken, and any leftover oil is wonderful for dipping crusty bread. COOKING TIPS
• Sear the chicken around the edges of the pot near the oil, not in the center. Chicken placed in the middle can let the flour stick and scorch.
• Scrape up every dark bit from the bottom of the pot as you deglaze. Those browned bits are full of flavor, but if they stay stuck they can trigger a burn notice.
• If you are using a stainless steel insert or an 8-quart pot, add an extra ¼ cup of chicken stock. Those pots have a little more evaporation as the dish comes to pressure.
• For serving right away, use 3 minutes of pressure cook time with a 5-minute natural release. If you know the dish will sit on Keep Warm for longer than 30 minutes, use 2 minutes with an immediate release instead so the pasta does not overcook. NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on typical ingredient values and standard portion sizes. Actual nutritional content may vary significantly depending on specific brands used, ingredient substitutions, preparation methods, portion sizes, and individual cooking techniques. For precise nutritional information tailored to your specific ingredients and preparation, please consult with a registered dietitian or use laboratory analysis. This information should not be used for medical nutrition therapy or to manage medical conditions without professional guidance.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 760kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 1206mg | Potassium: 1537mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1319IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 295mg | Iron: 4mg