This easy Instant Pot chicken noodle soup is the answer to homemade chicken noodle soup when you’re sick! It’s so easy to make and tastes like you simmered it all day. It’s made with a whole chicken, making the broth rich and the chicken tender. Use zoodles instead of pasta for a paleo chicken noodle soup! Also includes instructions for stovetop and slow cooker methods.
Why This Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Is So Good
- The Instant Pot makes this recipe a total breeze. It has all the comfort and goodness of a soup that’s simmered on the stove all day, but it goes from fridge to table in roughly an hour.
- It’s really super easy to make and is TOTALLY homemade! Since it’s homemade, it’s cost effective, and you can load it with as much flavor as you like.
- This soup is super nourishing, thanks to the natural bone broth made from cooking the whole chicken in the soup itself. It’s everything you could ever want when you or a loved one is feeling under the weather.
- It’s SO easy to adjust this soup for different dietary needs! For a gluten free chicken noodle soup, just use gluten free noodles. For paleo or low carb, use zoodles instead of pasta.
Key Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken – A whole chicken is the key to a soup that’s packed with vitamins and nutrients, which your body needs any time, but especially if you’re not feeling well. Because the chicken cooks with the aromatics in water, it produces an extremely rich broth and tender chicken in a single step. After that, you simply shred the chicken and add it back to the soup, while the noodles soften to perfection. Spoon up a big bowl and get well, my friend!
Noodles – What’s chicken noodle soup without noodles?! Fusilli is one of my favorite pastas – it’s got that great spiral that’s just fun to eat. You can use any pasta you like best, though. Egg noodles would be great here!
Chef’s Tips
- If you can, use organic chicken that hasn’t been raised on antibiotics.
- If you’re using zoodles, completely skip the pasta steps in the instructions. You’ll want to add them right when you serve the soup. Portion them into the bowl first, then ladle the soup on top.
- Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge up to 4 days, as long as you keep them in an airtight container. Reheat the Instant Pot chicken noodle soup on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this Instant Pot chicken noodle soup in a slow cooker or on the stovetop! We’ve included instructions for both in the recipe card notes below.
Check Out These Other Delicious Soup Recipes
- Chilled Avocado Soup
- Shrimp Bisque
- She Crab Soup
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- The Best Lobster Bisque (Ruth’s Chris Copycat Recipe)
- Best Ever Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, Whole30, Paleo)
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
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Easy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil or avocado or olive oil
- 1 medium white onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 5 carrots sliced on the diagonal into ½-inch pieces
- 4 stalks celery sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 whole chicken about 5 pounds, giblets removed and discarded or saved for another use
- 8 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon pink or grey salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 ½ – 2 cups fusilli or other pasta, see Notes for alternatives
- ½ cup fresh parsley minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to Sauté and heat 1 tablespoon oil in pot. Add onions and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 1-2 more minutes, or until garlic is fragrant and celery is beginning to soften.
- Place whole chicken on top of vegetables, then pour in water, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Secure lid and set to Manual High Pressure for 20 minutes.
- When timer is up, Quick Release lid carefully. Carefully transfer whole chicken to a large cutting board, keeping an eye open for any liquid from the cavity. It will be very hot!
- Turn Instant Pot on Sauté mode. Add pasta.
- While pasta cooks, with two forks, shred chicken off the bone. When pasta is tender, return chicken pieces to soup, discarding bones. Stir in fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice.
- Add more salt or pepper to taste.
- Portion into bowls and serve hot.
Notes
- You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken if you’d prefer. A whole chicken will give you a variety of light and dark meat, plus tons of nutrients in the broth.
- Make it Paleo: Use zoodles instead of pasta.
- Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten free pasta.
- Make it Low Carb: Use zoodles or a low carb pasta.
- Make it Keto: Use zoodles, miracle noodles, or palmini pasta.
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Place a large pot on stove over medium heat and and 1 Tbsp. oil . Add onions and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 1-2 more minutes, or until garlic is fragrant and celery is beginning to soften.
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Place whole chicken on top of vegetables, then pour in water, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Bring to boil and let simmer about 45 minutes to an hour or until cooked through and tender. You can also use 4 chicken thighs for a quicker soup; they will only take about 40 minutes to boil.
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Carefully transfer chicken to a large cutting board, keeping an eye on any liquid from the cavity if using a whole chicken. It will be very hot!
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Add gluten-free pasta to pot.
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While pasta cooks, with two forks, shred chicken off the bone. When pasta is tender, return chicken pieces to soup, discarding bones. Stir in fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Serve.
- You’ll want to sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery as written in the recipe, then add all the ingredients, except for the noodles and parsley, to your slow cooker.
- Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, with the meat falling off the bone. This will take about 6 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
- Remove chicken and shred. While you shred the chicken, add the pasta to the slow cooker. Cook the pasta on low about 20-30 minutes or until cooked. Return the chicken to the soup, add parsley, and warm through, then serve.
Nutrition
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Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
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Leah says
I would like to make this and have already prepared chicken to use, how would you suggest making this considering the already cooked chicken?
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Hi Leah, you can definitely make this with pre-cooked chicken! You’ll just skip the steps where you cook the whole chicken in the Instant Pot with the veggies and instead mix in the shredded chicken you have on hand after the noodles have cooked. Let them sit in the hot liquid for a couple minutes so they are warmed through, then serve!
Samantha says
If I were to use chicken breasts instead of whole chicken, how many should I use?
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
About 3 pounds’ worth of boneless, skinless chicken breasts is probably a good estimate, but you can use more or less depending on your preference!
Kenzie says
I’m not very experienced in preparing whole chickens. Is it fine to just use chicken thighs or breasts instead?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Absolutely!
Steph says
Love this soup! Always come back to this when I need a warm, nourishing soup. Never fails.
Kayla says
This is the most delicious chicken soup I have ever had! It’s been 2 years since having chicken noodle, because I am still learning to cook from scratch now that I am soy, dairy, and gluten free. I wish I would have tried it sooner! Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe.
Cheryl Malik says
You are so welcome! I’m glad you loved it!
Clarissa Felts says
I have made this soup five or more times! My family loves it and I have made it for family who were not able to get out. It is so delicious and has become one of my recipes I make every week or two! LOVE IT! Thank you so much!
Mariana says
How long do you let it cook if making it in the crock pot? Thanks 🙂
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
We’d let the chicken cook on low with everything besides the pasta for 6-8 hours, then remove the chicken & shred it. After that, we’d return the chicken to the pot and add the pasta and cook for another 30 minutes or so 🙂
Deb says
This looks absolutely amazing and so easy! For freezing, I find the GF noodles don’t always freeze well and sub quinoa instead. How could I make this change? Would you recommend cooking the quinoa and adding later, or could I add it like you’ve added the noodles?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
We’d probably cook the quinoa and add it later, but honestly, either could work!
Lori Butler says
This was the first recipe I made in my Instant pot and I must say it was absolutely fabulous! The addition of the lemon was terrific! This soup was as rich as making bone broth in the crock pot for 2 days in just 20 minutes. We all loved it. Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic recipes.
Cheryl Malik says
I am so happy you loved it!
Daniel Nish says
Loved this recipe!! Added a bunch of dried basil and oregano and it really took it to the next level!
Cheryl Malik says
Great idea!! So glad you liked it 🙂
Erica says
Two of my three kids have colds and I decided to make homemade chicken noodle soup. I’ve never been a fan of chicken noodle soup, but yours sounded easy to make and the lemon seemed like a nice addition. This was a hit with whole house, and even I loved it! It’s so good, yet so simple. It’s now added to our family’s favorite recipes! Thank you!
Cheryl Malik says
I am SO happy to hear that!! So glad you all like it as much as we do 🙂