Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Warm yourself up with a bowl of this comforting Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s made completely in the Instant Pot, meaning easy cleanup and deep and rich flavors. Try it out when you need a flexible and freezer-friendly meal!

This hearty and comforting Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup is even more flavorful than the classic recipe your mom used to make. Because it’s cooked entirely in the Instant Pot, clean up is easy and the flavors are deepened under the high pressure. Each bite is warming and full of rich flavors.

The chicken is first seared in the pot to give it a crispy crust and to bring out the flavor. Afterward, we add the broth, vegetables, and seasonings to the pressure cooker before letting it all cook for about 20 minutes. Once the soup is ready, bring it to a boil and throw in the egg noodles and potatoes to finish it up! 

This soup recipe is very flexible and is a great clean-out-your-fridge meal. Make it with any type of chicken that’s, vegetables, seasonings, or noodles you have on hand! You can enjoy it right away with fresh bread and crackers, or freeze it for when you need something warm and comforting on a sick day.

Ingredients you need

The flexible and easy ingredients in this noodle soup recipe are all cooked together in the Instant Pot. The flavors infuse together and soak into the chicken meat to create herby and savory bites. You can easily switch up the veggies, broth, or herbs to fit your taste buds.

This is what you need:

• Chicken breasts or thighs
• Olive oil
• Onion and garlic
• Carrots
• Celery
• Dried oregano and bay leaves
• Chicken broth
• Potatoes
• Egg noodles
• Fresh parsley

Using different types of chicken

Depending on what you like, you can mix up the type of chicken you use in your soup. I will sometimes use fresh boneless chicken breasts, but if you prefer dark meat, chicken thighs would work just as well. 

Speed up the recipe by using leftover chicken or even rotisserie chicken. All you need to do is shred it into bite-sized pieces and then mix it into the soup as the noodles are cooking.

You can make this recipe using frozen chicken if that’s what you have on hand. Make sure to increase the cooking time to 12 minutes on the Instant Pot.

Bone-in chicken thighs or breasts will add more flavor to the meat as well as the broth. Increase the cooking time to 12 minutes as bone-in chicken takes longer to cook.

What kind of noodles are best?

The best type of noodles for soup are wide egg noodles. They have a buttery flavor that pairs perfectly with the juicy meat and delicious flavors from the broth and cooked vegetables. If you don’t have any egg noodles, just use any kind of long or short pasta you already have at home.

How to make Chicken Noodle Soup in an Instant Pot

The chicken soup will cook in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes, and then naturally release for another 10 minutes. This ensures the chicken is cooked perfectly and all of the flavors come together.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Saute the veggies: Turn on Saute mode on the Instant Pot. Saute the carrots, celery, onion in some oil until soft, then add the garlic. Once everything is cooked, transfer the veggies to a bowl.
2. Sear the chicken: Pour a little more oil into the Instant Pot before searing the chicken on both sides. Once each side has a golden-brown crust, add the sauteed veggies back into the pot.
3. Cook the soup: Turn off Saute mode. Pour the chicken broth into the pot and then add the oregano and bay leaves. Secure the lid and cook the soup on Manual for 10 minutes.
4. Shred the chicken: Once it’s done cooking, remove the chicken from the soup and shred it with two forks. Make sure to remove the bay leaves as well!
5. Cook the noodles and potatoes: Turn Saute mode back on to bring the soup up to a boil. Add the potatoes and the noodles and cook until tender. Once it’s ready, add the chicken back in and serve!

Stove top instructions

Chicken noodle soup is easy to make on the stove if you don’t have an Instant Pot. Start by adding some oil to a large soup pot or Dutch oven and saute the carrots, celery, garlic, and onion. Add the broth, uncooked chicken, oregano, and bay leaves. Bring it up to a boil, then turn the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked).

Transfer the chicken to a bowl or cutting board and shred it with two forks. Add the noodles to the soup and cook until tender. Stir the chicken back in, then serve!

Helpful Recipe Tips

• A natural release for 10 minutes is the way to go. This will ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through and is easy to shred. Make sure you don’t swap this with a quick release.
• Don’t cook the noodles under pressure with the rest of the soup ingredients. The noodles will overcook, soak in too much liquid, or turn to mush by the time the soup is done.
• If you don’t want to cook the noodles in the soup, cook them separately in boiling water on the stovetop. Stir them into the soup with the shredded chicken.
• Keeping the noodles separate from the soup also means the two will be easier to store for leftovers.

Substitutions and variations

• Want to make chicken noodle soup without the noodles? No problem! Leave the noodles out entirely or replace them with cooked rice, quinoa, spaghetti squash, or more vegetables.
• Be careful with the seasonings at the end. Different brands of chicken broth will have varying levels of salt. Give the soup a taste at the end and add salt or parsley as necessary.
• Want the absolute best flavor? Use chicken broth that you’ve made from scratch!
• If you don’t have dried herbs or bay leaves, use an Italian seasoning mix, or more parsley, thyme, or rosemary. 
• Pack your chicken soup with vegetables. Add in chopped cabbage, more carrots, or fresh greens like spinach or kale at the end.
• Are you a fan of creamy chicken soup? Feel free to add a splash of heavy cream at the end.

Storing, freezing, and reheating tips

If you plan on storing this soup for leftovers, keep the noodles and chicken soup separately. Otherwise, the noodles will soak in all of the broth and become mushy.

To store, place the noodles and the soup in airtight containers. They should stay fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze the soup without the noodles in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.

Reheat the soup for a few minutes in the microwave or on the stovetop. When it’s almost heated through, stir in the leftover or fresh noodles and heat for another minute or so.

More Instant Pot recipes

These Instant Pot recipes are full of flavor and easy to whip up on a weeknight:

• Beef Short Ribs
• Keto Cheeseburger Soup
• Finger Licking Good Ribs
• Beef Ragu

Did you try my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup? Let me know what you think! Leave a comment or rate this recipe below. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me on Instagram! I love to share all of your recreations!

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

4.6 from 16 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

pressure build & release: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Lena Gladstone

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Warm yourself up with a bowl of this comforting Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s made completely in the Instant Pot, meaning easy cleanup and deep and rich flavors. Try it out when you need a flexible and freezer-friendly meal!

Equipment

• 6 qt Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, or 4 chicken thighs
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp salt, more to taste
• 2 tsp oregano, dried
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 4 yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 4 oz wide egg noodles, or use what you have on hand
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

• Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, carrots, celery, onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent. 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Remove into a bowl and set aside.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then the chicken, let it sear on both sides, to add flavor.
  
• Add in the sauteed veggies to the chicken back in the Instant Pot, then add in chicken broth, dried oregano, and bay leaves.
  
• Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL setting for 10 minutes. It will take about an additional 5 minutes to come to pressure.
• When the cooking time ends, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. Then, carefully release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to vent and remove the lid.
• Remove the chicken into a bowl and shred with two forks. Also, remove the 2 bay leaves.
  
• Turn Instant Pot to Saute, bring to a boil. Add in the potatoes and the noodles and cook until tender and you can put a fork through the potatoes.
  
• Add chicken to soup. Adjust salt, add fresh parsley, and serve.

Notes

If you plan on storing this soup for leftovers, keep the noodles and chicken soup separately. Otherwise, the noodles will soak in all of the broth and become mushy.

To store, place the noodles and the soup in airtight containers. They should stay fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze the soup without the noodles in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.

Reheat the soup for a few minutes in the microwave or on the stovetop. When it’s almost heated through, stir in the leftover or fresh noodles and heat for another minute or so.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 2138mg | Potassium: 1107mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3538IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg