Easy 25-Minute Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

There is something about a bowl of chicken noodle soup that just hits different on a cold, gray evening.

Maybe you are feeling a little run down. Maybe it is raining outside and you just want something warm and cozy. Whatever the reason, this soup delivers. And the best part? You do not have to stand over a stove for two hours to get that deep, slow-simmered flavor.

That is the magic of the Instant Pot.

I started making this recipe on busy weeknights when I simply did not have the time or energy for a traditional stovetop soup. One pot. 25 minutes. A soup that tastes like it has been simmering all afternoon. I was hooked from the very first bowl.

Let me walk you through exactly how to make it.

What You Will Need

Before anything else, let us talk ingredients. This soup is built on a classic foundation of aromatic vegetables. Onions, carrots, and celery are your flavor backbone. They create a broth that is rich, savory, and deeply satisfying.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts keep things lean and simple. Wide egg noodles bring that nostalgic, comforting texture we all grew up loving.

Here is everything you need, laid out clearly:

Ingredient	Quantity	Notes
Onion	1 large	Diced evenly for quick cooking
Olive oil	1 tablespoon	Used for sautéing the vegetables
Chicken breasts	2 large (8 oz each)	Boneless and skinless
Carrots	2 medium (approx. 1 cup)	Sliced into uniform coins
Celery	2 ribs (approx. 1 cup)	Sliced to match the carrots
Fresh parsley	1 tablespoon	Finely chopped for garnish
Bay leaf	1 whole	Adds earthy depth to the broth
Chicken broth	6 cups	Use low-sodium if preferred
Egg noodles	4 ounces (2½ cups)	Dry, wide egg noodles work best
Salt and black pepper	To taste	Adjust seasoning at the very end

Recipe at a Glance:

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Servings: 4
• Difficulty: Easy

One quick tip before you start. Take a moment to cut your carrots and celery into uniform pieces. It sounds like a small thing. But evenly sized vegetables cook at the exact same rate. No mushy carrots. No crunchy celery. Just a perfectly balanced bowl every single time.

How to Make It, Step by Step

Step 1: Build Your Flavor Base

Turn on your Instant Pot and select the “Sauté” function. Give the stainless steel insert about a minute to heat up.

Pour in your tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced onion. Stir gently with a wooden spoon and let the onions cook until they go soft and translucent. This is not just about cooking the onion. It is about drawing out its natural sweetness. That step alone adds a noticeable depth to your final broth.

Step 2: Load Up the Pot

Turn off the “Sauté” function. Now add everything in this order:

• Place the raw chicken breasts directly over the softened onions
• Add the sliced carrots and celery
• Drop in the bay leaf
• Pour all six cups of chicken broth over the top

Make sure the broth fully covers the chicken. Then secure the lid, and check that the venting valve is turned to the “Sealing” position.

Important: Do not add the egg noodles yet. Cooking pasta under high pressure is a recipe for mush. We will handle the noodles at the end.

Step 3: Pressure Cook

Select the “Soup” or “Manual” setting. Set it to High Pressure for 10 minutes.

The machine will spend a few minutes building pressure before the timer even starts. That is completely normal. Since we are adding six cups of cold broth, it generally takes about 10 to 15 minutes to fully pressurize. You can speed this up by warming the broth in the microwave before adding it.

Once the pressure is built, the 10-minute countdown begins. Walk away. Relax. Let the machine do its thing.

Step 4: Quick Release the Pressure

When the timer goes off, act quickly. We want a “Quick Release” here.

Use a kitchen towel or the handle of a wooden spoon to carefully turn the venting knob from “Sealing” to “Venting.” Hot steam will shoot out fast. Keep your hand and face away from the vent.

This quick release stops the cooking process immediately. It is what keeps your chicken tender and juicy instead of dry and overcooked.

Once the silver float pin drops, it is safe to open the lid.

Step 5: Shred the Chicken

Fish out the bay leaf and toss it. Use tongs to pull the chicken breasts out and place them on a clean cutting board.

Take two forks and shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. It should practically fall apart on its own at this point.

Step 6: Cook the Noodles

Turn the Instant Pot back to “Sauté.” The broth inside will quickly come to a boil.

Add your dry egg noodles directly into the bubbling broth. Let them simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally so they do not clump together. Taste a noodle. Once it is soft and tender, hit “Cancel” to turn off the heat.

The Final Touch

Your kitchen smells amazing right now. I guarantee it.

Add the shredded chicken back into the pot. Stir everything together so the meat, vegetables, and noodles are evenly distributed. Sprinkle in your freshly chopped parsley. Then give the soup a final taste.

Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper until the flavor really pops. Do not skip this step. Proper seasoning at the end is what separates a good soup from a great one.

Ladle it into deep bowls. I love serving this alongside thick slices of crusty bread or a warm baguette. Something to dip into that golden broth. It turns a simple bowl of soup into a full, satisfying meal.

How to Store the Leftovers (Do This Right)

Here is something a lot of people learn the hard way. Egg noodles are little sponges. Leave them sitting in broth overnight and they will soak up most of the liquid and turn soft and bloated.

The fix is simple. Store the noodles separately from the broth.

• Keep the broth and shredded chicken in one airtight container
• Keep the cooked noodles in a separate container
• Both will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days

When you are ready to reheat, just combine them and warm gently on the stove or in the microwave.

Questions I Get Asked All the Time

Can I use frozen chicken breasts instead of fresh?

Yes, absolutely. You do not even need to thaw them first. Just increase the pressure cooking time to 12 or 13 minutes instead of 10. The pot will also take a little longer to pressurize since the frozen chicken cools the liquid down.

Can I swap the egg noodles for a different pasta?

Of course. Rotini, farfalle, and macaroni all work great. Just keep an eye on the cook time. Simmer your pasta on the “Sauté” setting until it hits the tenderness you like.

Can I freeze this soup?

The broth freezes beautifully. The noodles? Not so much. Pasta gets a strange, mushy texture after being frozen and thawed in liquid.

If you are planning to freeze a batch, make the soup as directed but skip the noodles entirely. Freeze just the broth and chicken for up to three months. When you are ready to eat, reheat the broth and boil fresh noodles to stir in.

Why did it take so long before the timer started?

That is totally normal. The timer only begins once the pot reaches full pressure. With six cups of cold broth, that pressurizing process can take 10 to 15 minutes. It feels like forever when you are hungry, I know. Warming the broth in the microwave before adding it to the pot can shave a few minutes off the wait.