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White bowl of instant pot chicken fajita pasta next to an Instant pot.
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Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta

Instant Pot chicken fajita pasta is a simple, one-pot recipe that combines chicken, pasta, peppers, and seasoning in one tasty dish!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Time to Pressure 10 minutes
Total Time 24 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 559kcal
Author Kate at Eating in an Instant

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock
  • 1 pound uncooked penne pasta
  • 1 yellow onion or white onion finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning or taco seasoning
  • Salt
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts in 1-inch pieces
  • ¾ cup chunky tomato salsa
  • 3 colored bell peppers seeded and chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup grated Mexican cheese blend
  • Cilantro

Instructions

  • Layer the chicken broth, pasta, red onion, fajita seasoning, salt, chicken, and salsa into the Instant Pot. Do not stir. Gently press the pasta into the broth to be sure the pasta is submerged in the liquid.
  • Close and lock the Instant Pot lid. Be sure that the pressure release valve is set to sealing.
  • Select manual high pressure, and adjust the cooking time to 4 minutes. It should take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
  • When the cooking time has finished, carefully turn the pressure release to venting to perform a quick pressure release.
  • Add in the peppers, cream, and grated cheese.
  • Set the lid back on and let stand for about 5-6 minutes, letting the peppers soften and the cheese melt.
  • Open the lid and give it a good stir. Season with additional fajita seasoning, salt, and pepper if desired.
  • Serve garnished with fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • Pasta: Feel free to use another similar shape of pasta if you prefer.
  • Peppers: I recommend using different colored bell peppers. 
  • Cheese: You can use grated parmesan cheese, Monterey Jack, Cheddar Jack, pepper Jack, or any type of cheese that you like.
  • Spicy: If you'd like some heat, use hot fajita or taco seasoning and hot salsa.
  • Nutrition values are estimates. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 559kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 854mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2496IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 2mg