Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
This Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup delivers tender shredded chicken, soft egg noodles, and a golden, savory broth in about 50 minutes. The pressure cooker pulls deep flavor from the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and thyme, while the noodles are added at the very end so they stay perfectly tender instead of turning mushy. It's fast, filling, and forgiving—a cozy weeknight dinner that tastes like it simmered all day.
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker The star of the show; sauté and pressure cook in one pot
- Sharp chef's knife
- Large cutting board
- Instant-read thermometer To confirm the chicken is cooked through to 165°F
- Soup ladle For serving
- Two forks For shredding the chicken
- Wooden spoon For stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 680g, 2 large breasts; slice thick breasts in half crosswise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion about 1 cup or 150g, diced
- 3 medium carrots about 1 1/2 cups, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 3 stalks celery about 1 cup, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth about 1.9 liters
- 3 cups wide egg noodles about 4 to 5 ounces or 115-140g
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Peel and slice carrots into 1/4-inch rounds, slice celery into 1/4-inch pieces, dice onion, and mince garlic. Pat chicken breasts dry, season lightly with salt, and slice thick breasts in half crosswise.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté (normal/medium). Add olive oil and butter, then cook onion, carrots, and celery for 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic, thyme, and black pepper and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in 1 cup broth and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add remaining 7 cups broth, salt, and bay leaves; stir. Lay chicken breasts on top of the vegetables and do not stir.
- Cancel Sauté. Lock lid, set valve to Sealing, and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Allow 5 minutes natural release, then vent remaining pressure and remove lid when the pin drops.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board, discard bay leaves, and confirm the thickest part reads 165°F. Shred chicken with two forks and cover loosely to keep warm.
- Press Cancel, then Sauté on high. Once broth bubbles, add egg noodles and stir well. Cook uncovered 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender with a little bite. Press Cancel.
- Return shredded chicken to the pot and stir gently. Stir in parsley, taste and adjust salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls and garnish with extra parsley.
Notes
- Add the noodles last: noodles cooked under pressure turn to mush, so always add them after releasing the pressure and cook on Sauté for just 5–7 minutes.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot when deglazing with broth—stuck food can trigger the "Burn" warning during pressure cooking.
- Do not skip the sauté step; softening the vegetables first builds a sweeter, deeper broth.
- Keep the chicken on top of the vegetables instead of stirring it in so the pot comes to pressure evenly.
- Use low-sodium broth so you can control the salt and adjust seasoning at the end.
- Slice thick chicken breasts in half crosswise so every piece cooks through without drying out.
- Taste at the end—soup often needs a final pinch of salt after the noodles go in; a squeeze of lemon brightens the pot if the flavor tastes flat.
- Storage: refrigerate cooled soup in airtight containers up to 4 days; freeze without noodles up to 3 months and cook fresh noodles when reheating.
- Frozen chicken breasts work: increase high-pressure time to 15 minutes and confirm 165°F before shredding.
- Stovetop option: sauté vegetables, add broth and chicken, simmer covered 20–25 minutes, then shred chicken and cook noodles in the simmering broth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 30gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 650mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g
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