Name: Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons vegetable oil; 2 medium chicken breasts (boneless, skinless and cubed into bite-size or 1 inch pieces); 1 medium onion (finely diced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 cup salsa (I used mild chunky salsa); 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock; 4 cups pasta (I used penne); ½ cup heavy cream; 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded); 1 and ½ cups mixed bell peppers (diced)

Jump to Recipe

This Chicken Fajita Pasta in the Instant Pot is a creamy, comforting, and cheesy dump and start recipe. It is so easy to make, and takes less than 30 minutes to be ready. This makes it the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight dinner!

Chicken Fajita Pasta in the Instant Pot, garnished with cilantro leaves

It is a great recipe that you can make all year round. Perfect for summer as it’s light and quick to make, and it’s also great for winter as it’s so creamy and comforting. Plus, it’s loaded with fresh veggies, chicken, cheesy pasta and an amazing slightly spicy sauce. So make sure you print out the recipe or pin it to your favorite board on Pinterest, to make it every time you ask yourself, what’s for dinner?

How to Make Chicken Fajita Pasta in the Instant Pot?

Making this one pot chicken fajita pasta recipe is simple. You will need:

An Instant Pot! And this Instant Pot is my best friend for my favorite dump and start recipes. It’s such a game-changer being able to dump all the ingredients in the pot, start it, and come back later to a nice warm meal waiting for you.

The Ingredients

As for the ingredients, you will need vegetable oil, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, an onion, garlic, salsa, salt, vegetable or chicken stock, heavy cream or sour cream (or half and half for a lighter version), cheese that melts, mixed bell peppers and of course, pasta.

You can use any short pasta shape. I recommend using penne, fusilli, farfalle (bow-tie), rigatoni, or macaroni.

And for the seasoning, I recommend that you make your own homemade fajita seasoning. It is great not only because it is cheaper to make at home, but also because you will know what exactly goes into your mix. I found that many store-bought premixed fajita seasonings contain unnecessary and harmful ingredients.

So I always keep a large jar of homemade fajita seasoning in my pantry, in which I adjust the heat according to my preferences. I use the seasoning to make things such as these Shrimp Fajitas, or to season roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, and of course, to make fajitas in general!

The Directions

Start by prepping the ingredients: Dice the bell peppers and the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. This makes it easier to eat especially if you’re feeding young children. Finely dice the onion.
Add oil, chicken, onion, minced garlic, salsa, fajita seasoning, and stock to the Instant Pot and give it a good stir. You can add a pinch of salt too if your seasoning mix doesn’t contain any.
Add the pasta, and make sure that it stays on top of the rest of the ingredients. This will prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If the stock is not covering all the pasta, add more stock or water so all of it is covered (I added 2 tablespoons of water).
Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 4 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 8-10 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam.
Add cream and the cheese while the pasta is still hot and stir until the cheese is melted and the cream coats the pasta. However, don’t pressure cook dairy, as it can separate/curdle. That’s why it should be added after pressure cooking.
Stir in the diced bell peppers, then cover with the lid and leave it on for 5 more minutes for the bell peppers to soften.

The bell peppers are added after pressure cooking so they stay crunchy (if you pressure cook them, they’ll become mushy!). Then, they’re covered with the lid for them to soften for a few minutes before serving. If you prefer tender bell peppers, you can sauté them before pressure cooking. Then, remove the bell peppers from the Instant Pot and put back in after pressure cooking.

Top the chicken fajita pasta with your favorite tex mex toppings, such as guacamole, lime crema or pico de gallo. Add more shredded cheese or parmesan cheese for extra flavor.

Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, and serve!

Storing Chicken Fajita Pasta

If you have any leftovers, you can store them in the fridge to enjoy later. Just place in an airtight food container and consume within 3 days.

Chicken fajita pasta served in a white bowl, with a fork on the side

Make sure to check out my favorite Instant Pot fajita recipes: Instant Pot shrimp fajitas, Instant Pot chicken fajitas and Instant Pot steak fajitas.

For more delicious and nourishing recipe ideas using the Instant Pot, check out my Instant Pot Hamburger Helper and Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff recipes.

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How long do you cook chicken tenders on the grill?

Cook chicken tenders for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they turn out golden brown and are cooked through. The internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken should register at 165°F (75°C) when it’s ready.

How do you keep chicken tenders from drying out on the grill?

Cook chicken at room temperature and allow it to thaw completely if it was frozen. Also, do not overcook it; about 3 – 4 minutes of grilling on each side should be enough. And make sure that the grill is at the right temperature (between 370°F/187°C and 400°F/204°C). This prevents it from drying out on the grill.