Instant Pot Chicken Soup Recipe Ready in 30 Minutes
Learn how to make Instant Pot chicken soup with this delicious guide! The recipe is simple, full of hearty flavor, and makes a comforting one-pot meal.
Chicken soup is clearly the best way to cure a crummy day or a nasty case of the sniffles.
Chicken soup has a way of making a bad day better. A few weeks ago my family was under the weather—my child had the flu, I had strep throat, and my partner felt rundown—so soup was the obvious comfort food. I wanted a bowl with plenty of tender chicken and lots of noodles, and I wanted it fast. After experimenting with pressure-cooker recipes that sometimes lacked depth or produced cloudy broth, I finally created a version that delivers clear, flavorful broth, plenty of chicken, and the comfort of a slow-simmered soup in a fraction of the time.
How to make the perfect soup with chicken
I set out to make the ultimate Instant Pot chicken soup: soothing for sore throats, kid-friendly, and mood-lifting for whoever felt crummy that day. I tested different chicken cuts, stocks, and aromatics until I landed on a technique that gives rich flavor and a clean broth without the long simmer. The following tips explain why this method works and how to get the best results.
The Technique
A few key choices make this soup taste like it simmered all day even though it cooks quickly. These are the elements I focus on:
The Chicken: For a clear broth with excellent flavor, I use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Using the bone and skin adds depth without creating as much coagulated scum as a whole chicken under pressure. I cook the chicken in the broth, then remove it, shred the meat, and return it to the soup. This gives tender, shredded chicken in every spoonful while keeping the stock bright and clean.
The Stock: The quality of the stock matters. I prefer a rich chicken stock rather than plain water—store-bought or homemade stocks with good body give the soup a deeper, more satisfying flavor. If you only have a lighter broth, boost it slightly with a concentrated paste or seasoned bouillon to add more backbone. The stock flavors both the broth and the chicken as they cook together.
The Aromatics: Classic mirepoix—onion, carrot, and celery—creates the flavorful base. I use a larger quantity of vegetables than many recipes call for because they enrich the broth with natural sweetness and savory depth. A handful of fresh parsley and some chopped chives added at the end brightens the finished soup.
The Noodles: Egg noodles are traditional and perfect here, but cook them separately. If you add noodles to soup you plan to store, they will absorb too much liquid and make the soup gummy. Cook the noodles just before serving or keep cooked noodles in a separate container in the refrigerator and add them to individual bowls when reheating.
While sitting with a steaming bowl, I felt the slow comfort of a long-cooked pot even though the Instant Pot had done the heavy lifting. My child sighed happily with each spoonful, and a simple bowl of soup felt like the best bribe-free reward: warm, nourishing, and full of familiar flavor.
Instant Pot Chicken Soup
Total Time:17 minutes
Yield:6 people
Description
This Instant Pot chicken soup is a quick, comforting recipe that delivers rich flavor and tender chicken with minimal effort. It’s ideal for weeknights and perfect when someone needs a soothing bowl of broth and noodles. The method focuses on a flavorful stock, bone-in chicken for depth, plenty of vegetables, and separately cooked noodles for the best texture when storing leftovers.
6 oz egg noodles (uncooked) — cook separately if storing leftovers
Instructions
Set the Instant Pot to the “Sauté” setting on medium.
Add the olive oil, then the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften but do not brown, about 5–7 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock and add the chicken breasts to the pot.
Set the Instant Pot to the “Soup” or “Pressure Cook” setting and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
When the cycle completes, allow a natural pressure release for about 10–15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure and open the lid.
Use tongs to remove the chicken to a cutting board. Debone and shred the meat using your hands or two forks, discarding the skin and bones or reserving bones if you plan to make stock later.
If you plan to serve the soup immediately, turn the pot back to “Sauté.” Bring the soup to a gentle boil, add the egg noodles, and cook until tender according to package directions.
If you will store the soup, cook the noodles separately and keep them aside in the refrigerator. Add noodles to individual bowls when reheating.
Turn the pot off. Return the shredded chicken to the soup, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, stir in the chopped parsley and chives if using, and serve warm.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate only.
You can use boneless, skinless breasts if needed, but bone-in, skin-on breasts yield more flavor.
For a deeper flavor, use a high-quality chicken stock or add 1–2 teaspoons of concentrated bouillon if your stock is mild.
Store the soup and noodles separately if you expect leftovers; this preserves noodle texture and keeps the broth clearer when reheating.
