Instant Pot Chicken con Broccoli – Olive Garden Copycat

Olive Garden Chicken con Broccoli made in the Instant Pot is one of those dishes EVERYONE loves. How can you go wrong with orecchiette noodles, chicken, and broccoli smothered in a creamy sauce? This Instant Pot pasta dish will become a family staple!

chicken con broccoli olive garden

Olive Garden discontinued my favorite menu item, Chicken con Broccoli. It’s an orecchiette pasta dish with chicken, broccoli, and an extra garlicky alfredo sauce. I love recreating this dish at home for the family for a fraction of the cost!

Learn how to make the PERFECT Instant Pot Broccoli with troubleshooting and FAQ or my BETTER THAN OLIVE GARDEN Zuppa Toscana Recipe!

Instant Pot Chicken con Broccoli from Olive Garden

I tested this recipe 4 times to get the timing perfect. Pasta in the Instant Pot can be kind of… gross, in my opinion.

But I figured out the best method to make this Olive Garden Copycat recipe for Chicken con Broccoli in ONE POT, with a great texture to the noodles. I am SO happy with this dish, and glad I finally nailed it!

Check out other ONE POT Instant Pot Meals

what is orecchiette

Orecchiette is the pasta of choice in Chicken con Broccoli. It’s a tiny little ear or bowl shaped pasta that is perfect for scooping up lots of delicious sauce.

In fact, orecchia, means “ear” and -etta, means “small” in Italian!

They’re also the perfect shape for little hands and forks since they’re so little. No cutting required; SCORE!

orecchiette pronunciation

Orecchiette is pronounced:

“oh-rleck-ee-et-tay”

and I promise it’s going to be your new favorite pasta to throw into everything from this Instant Pot chicken con broccoli, to salads, to macaroni and cheese!

How to make orecchiette Instant Pot chicken con broccoli

• In the Instant Pot, cook the fresh or frozen chicken and the orecchiette in salted water together.
• Cook for 8 minutes on high pressure. Do a quick release.
• Quickly add the mini broccoli florets to the Instant Pot while you remove the chicken. Replace the lid and let the broccoli steam in the residual water and heat with the orecchiette for about 5 minutes or until broccoli is al dente (do not pressure cook again). This allows the orecchiette to absorb more water, creating a better texture.
• Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Drain the noodles and broccoli in a colander/strainer. Keep the Instant Pot lid on top of the colander after draining to keep warm.
• Turn the Instant Pot to high saute. Add butter and garlic and saute until fragrant. Add chicken, and brown for just a couple of minutes.
• Deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the browned bits off.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, shredded parmesan cheese (not grated), egg yolks, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and mix to combine.
• Pour the orecchiette and broccoli on top and mix.
• Serve with additional parmesan cheese and chopped parsley to garnish, if desired.

Low Carb Keto Chicken con Broccoli

You can make this dish low carb by swapping out the orecchiette with a low carb alternative like using Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash. It’s a great way to add tons of veggies to this dish!

If you love this dish, you’ll love the low carb version of my Better than Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup recipe!

Instant Pot Chicken Thigh Recipes

• Pineapple Coconut Chicken Curry
• Chicken Thighs with Lemon Garlic Rice Pilaf
• See ALL my Instant Pot CHICKEN recipes where you can substitute thighs for most dishes!

Instant Pot Chicken con Broccoli

Chicken con Broccoli is a dish EVERYONE will love. Complete this one pot Instant Pot meal in 30 minutes!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 -6

Calories: 593kcal

Author: Lisa Childs

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups water
• 12 ounces orecchiette noodles
• 6-8 fresh or frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 5-7 chicken tenders or thin cut chicken pieces)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets cut into very small, even pieces.
• 3 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic I use jarred
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt**

INSTRUCTIONS

• In the Instant Pot, add 4 cups water, orecchiette, and 1 teaspoon salt. Do not stir. Layer the fresh or frozen chicken right on top of the noodles.
• Lock the lid, and turn the knob to Sealing.
• Cook for 8 minutes on manual high pressure.
• When the Instant Pot beeps and the display shows "L0:00", perform a quick release by turning the knob from sealing to venting in short bursts. Releasing the pressure in bursts will prevent foam and liquid from spewing out of the sealing knob. This process may take about 5 minutes. If liquid starts coming out, turn the knob to sealing again, and wait 10 seconds to allow the contents to settle.
• Upon opening the lid, remove the chicken pieces to a cutting board.
• Quickly add the mini broccoli florets to the Instant Pot and stir. Replace the lid and let the broccoli steam in the residual water and heat with the orecchiette for about 5 minutes or until broccoli is al dente (do not pressure cook again). The time will depend on how large your broccoli pieces are. This allows the orecchiette to absorb more water, creating a better texture.
• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• After the broccoli is al dente, drain the noodles and broccoli in a colander or strainer. Keep the Instant Pot lid on top of the colander after draining to keep warm.
• Turn the Instant Pot to high saute*. Add butter and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken, and brown until the chicken has some golden coloring, about 5 minutes.
• Deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup chicken broth or milk. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the browned bits off.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, shredded Parmesan cheese (not grated), egg yolks, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and and mix to combine.
• Pour the orecchiette and broccoli on top and mix until combined and the cheese is melted.
• Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley to garnish, if desired.

PRODUCTS WE LOVE

• Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Sterilizer, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, and Warmer, 6 Quart, 14 One-Touch Programs
• Barilla Collezione Pasta, Orecchiette, 12 Ounce
• Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base, Reduced Sodium – 16 oz

NOTES

• The consistency of the final sauce in this dish varies depending on the fat content of your cream. If your cream is 40% or more, the sauce will be very thick and you may thin with milk or chicken broth. If the sauce feels thin, add more parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup at a time and mix thoroughly between additions until you reach your desired thickness.
• Strain the noodles and broccoli from the Instant Pot when the broccoli feels about 90% done. It will continue to steam and cook through while it is draining and keeping warm while browning the chicken and making the sauce.
• *If desired, you may skip browning the chicken. Simply add the butter, chicken, noodles/broccoli back to the pot, and pour the sauce on top and stir until the cheese is melted through.
• **The saltiness of your final dish will depend on how salty your cheese is. Taste and adjust as you go!
• Substitute the orecchiette for Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash for a lower carb option.

NUTRITION

Serving: 1g | Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 1423mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g

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