Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (With Frozen Chicken)

Inside: Here’s a recipe for an easy homemade chicken noodle soup you make in the Instant Pot. It uses frozen chicken and frozen noodles.

A bowl of Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup sits on a wood table next to a salad and two lemons.

A bowl of homemade chicken soup soothes the sniffles and feels like a warm hug on a cold day.

Thanks to the Instant Pot, you can have a batch in less than an hour.

And you don’t even have to remember to defrost the chicken!

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Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Soup sit on a counter: Spices, onion, lemon, frozen noodles, chicken, chicken broth, celery, carrots.

Ingredients You Need

  • Olive oil
  • Onion: Choose a sweet variety. You’ll need about 1 cup diced, which is about 1/2 of a large onion.
  • Carrots: I dice them pretty small, but the size is up to you.
  • Celery: I dice these small as well.
  • Seasonings: You’ll need thyme, rosemary, salt, and black pepper.
  • Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
  • Chicken broth: You can use homemade chicken stock, store-bought broth, or Better Than Bouillon with water.
  • Frozen noodles: I recommend Reames frozen noodles, which you can find in the freezer section of the grocery store.
  • Lemon juice: This gives the soup some brightness. I prefer fresh, but bottled works too. I use 1 lemon’s worth of juice (about 2 tablespoons), but feel free to use more or less to taste.
  • Parsley: Fresh or dried parsley gives the soup extra color at the end of cooking.
  • Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base (optional): I like to add about 1/2 teaspoon of this at the end if it needs a little flavor kick.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

  • Turn on the Instant Pot  and set it on the saute setting. Add the olive oil and wait until it’s hot. Then add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and seasonings. Cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently. 
  • Turn off and add the frozen chicken and broth. Set on manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes. When the time is up, do a natural release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. I like to put a towel over the vent during quick release.
Four photos of the process of making Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, overhead shots of inside the Instant Pot.

When the valve has dropped on the lid, open the Instant Pot, remove the cooked chicken breasts and place on a cutting board. Add the frozen noodles to the Instant Pot, give a quick stir so they’re fully submerged in broth, then close the lid again and set Instant Pot on manual for 5 minutes.

While the noodles are cooking, shred the cooked chicken with two forks. I like using shredded chicken in my soup, but you can cut the chicken into small pieces instead if you prefer that.

A wood cutting board with shredded chicken and two forks on it.

Do a natural release for 5 minutes, then a quick release. Add the shredded chicken back in, plus the lemon juice and parsley. Give everything a good stir. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed and serve. If it needs a flavor punch, I like to add 1/2 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base.

A bowl of Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup sits on a wood table with a spoon in it, next to a piece of crusty bread and a salad.

FAQ About Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Can I use egg noodles instead?

Yes. To do this, add the same amount (2 cups) of dry egg noodles to broth. Set on manual for just 2 minutes, then do a quick release.

What do I do with leftover soup?

Put leftover chicken soup in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. Use within 4 days.

Can I freeze leftover soup?

Yes. Place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, place in the refrigerator overnight. Depending on how much broth the noodles absorbed, you may need to stir in some extra chicken broth when reheating it.

If you plan to freeze the whole batch, I suggest preparing it without the noodles, then cooking and adding noodles when you reheat it.

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Yield: About 6 sevings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 3 minutes

This easy and comforting Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup uses frozen chicken and frozen noodles to save you time!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 /2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 pound frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 cups frozen noodles (I use Reames)
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base (optional)

Instructions

  1. Turn on Instant Pot and set on saute setting. Add the olive oil, wait until hot, then add onion, carrots, celery, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes.
  2. Turn off saute setting. Add the frozen chicken and broth to the pot. Close the lid and set lid to "seal". Set on manual for 8 minutes. After cook time is done, do a natural release for 5 minutes, then switch lid to vent for quick release (place a clean kitchen towel over the vent).
  3. When valve has dropped, open lid and remove the cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board.
  4. Add frozen noodles to the Instant Pot and stir, making sure all the noodles are covered.
  5. Close Instant Pot and set lid to "seal' again. Cook on manual for 5 minutes.
  6. While noodles are cooking, shred cook chicken with two forks.
  7. Do a natural release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. When the valve has dropped, open the Instant Pot, and add the shredded chicken, lemon juice, and parsley. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. If it needs an additional flavor kick, stir in 1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base. Serve.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 295Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 1798mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 31g

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