Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce – Instant Pot
Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce made in an Instant Pot with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach is easy to make and as delicious as any restaurant version.
I’ve had an Instant Pot for a good while now and I do enjoy the appliance. I will never be the type to try and make everything in it, but if dishes turn out as spectacular as this Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce, I’m excited. Not just to eat it but to also share it with my family, friends, and readers.
While the biggest advantage can be time; with the recipes I make there is still a modicum of work. I won’t throw chicken in that hasn’t been sautéed first. That browning of chicken with oil helps to create flavor and the few minutes it takes is worth it.
Cooking the meat in an Instant Pot isn’t always tons faster as the appliance has to build to the right amount of pressure before the timing starts. But it is hands off; so with a dish like this, I can set it and forget it.
If I saute it on the stovetop or cook it in the oven, I have to fuss with either turning the meat on the stovetop or turning a dish in my oven. Yes, I do have to do that. Gas cooktops are the best. Gas ovens not so much.
It may not seem like a big savings of effort but it allows me to prepare a side dish while this Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce is cooking…or even better, sit down for a bit and do nothing; I seriously need to do more of that!
What I do love is that I can both sauté the chicken and the vegetable components with one function, and then use the pot for it’s main purpose, that of a pressure cooker, to cook everything together. For me ease is best met with less pots and pans!
“Tuscan chicken” is so named because it’s inspired by the cuisine of the Tuscany region of Italy, though the dish as we know it likely originated in the United States, not Italy. Most Americans associate it with dishes with a creamy, spinach and sun-dried tomato mixture combined with chicken; think more restaurants like Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden rather than true Tuscan cooking.
I won’t lie, this Tuscan Chicken with Parmesan Cream Sauce is no low calorie dish; it’s indulgent and worth it. The meat and vegetable components are bound together with a delicious creamy sauce that has both cream and Parmesan cheese. You want it don’t you? I know…maybe not every night but a special dinner is now an easy one too!
I don’t do this often but I also have a vegetarian version made on the stove-top. If you don’t have a pressure cooker or want a dish without chicken, this Creamy Tuscan Mushroom Sauce might be perfect for you!
If you miss going out to your favorite restaurant for dinner, or simply can’t afford it while we see outrageous price fluctuations, try making this Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce at home. I like to serve it with a really simple salad to balance the richness. Your friends and family will love you for it…and if you’re alone, then love yourself!
I made the entire recipe and vacuum packed leftovers in serving sizes. Finding a frozen meal like Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce in the freezer is like winning the lottery when you’re dog tired and not in the mood to cook!
Our Favorite Chicken Dishes
Grilled Chicken
Fried or Stove-top Chicken
Baked or Broiled Chicken
PIN IT! ‘Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce’
Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce – Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
For Chicken
- 4 pounds chicken thighs bone in or boneless
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 cups Chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes loosely packed, drained and chopped
- 8 ounces spinach leaves, baby or regular spinach rough chopped
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pasta
- 3 cups pasta cooked (I used Farfalle)
For Garnish
- Parmesan cheese as desired
Instructions
- Turn Instant pot to saute.
- Season chicken thighs on both sides with paprika, salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the Instant Pot.
- Add half the chicken thighs and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned, but not cooked through. Remove to a plate.
- Repeat with 2nd half of thighs.
- Add butter, onion and garlic to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, (scraping the bottom of the pot to de-glaze it), seasonings, pasta, and chicken breasts back to pot.
- Close IP lid and make sure pressure release valve is sealed. Set to cook 8 minutes on manual high pressure for bone-in chicken thighs and 5 minutes for boneless chicken thighs.
- When the timer beeps, wait a couple of minutes and then do a quick release by turning the valve to open (use caution and watch your fingers; the steam can burn). Carefully open the lid.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and cover it loosely with foil.
- Stir in cream until well mixed and smooth. Add Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes and spinach.
- Combine cornstarch and water until thoroughly combined and add to sauce gradually, stirring constantly until thickened. Only add as much as required to thicken, you may not need the entire amount.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and then return chicken to the pot and keep warm on a low saute.
- Serve warm over noodles with additional Parmesan on the side.
Delicious!!! I love the way this recipe’s instructions are written.
Love this…. I see milk mentioned in the body of the recipe, but not in the ingredients, did you add it, how much?
That’s my mistake Sally. The recipe calls for heavy cream and I called it milk in the instructions. I’ll get that changed asap, thanks for the heads up!
And then I went to revise it and saw that both were actually mentioned.
I’ve eliminated milk from the instructions entirely, as soon as I saw that the directions were to include it before it cooked in the instant pot again I knew that was wrong. I would never boil it inside of the pressure cooker. Now it just instructs you to add the heavy cream after it’s done coming to pressure which is correct. Barb
What kind of greens is posted in your picture of Tuscan Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Mushrooms? Looks like arugula.
That is exactly what it is! I dressed them very simply with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice and rind because I wanted to balance the rich chicken dish. It worked!
One of these days I need to break down and get an Instant Pot — they do seem pretty handy. Anyway, this looks delightful — so tasty and alluring. Neat dish — thanks.
I think after you’ve been cooking any length of time that new devices seem questionable for sure. I received my first one from a brand and it stayed in the box for a year before I tried it! But once I did I got a bit more adventurous and now I use it regularly. Regularly does include the fact that I got rid of a rice cooker and use the IP and also make hard boiled eggs in mine.
But for things that require long, slow cooking they are a godsend. Pulled pork? YES! And dried beans. I use way more dry beans now than canned and I think they are better and the cooking time is significantly reduced. Chicken? Piece of cake! 🙂