Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Soothe Your Soul In an Instant

By
Laurel Randolph
Photo of Laurel Randolph
Laurel Randolph
A fervid lover of the culinary arts and all things Instant Pot, Laurel has been writing about food for 10 years. One of her cookbooks was the #2 cookbook of 2017.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/27/23
Tested by
Patty Lee
Patty Lee
Tested by Patty Lee
Patty was a Senior Food Editor for The Spruce Eats, where she oversaw recipe developers and food writers in creating delicious recipes and helpful cooking guides.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

The Spruce / Laurel Randolph 

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Pressure Build/Release: 40 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Chicken noodle soup is the perfect cold-weather dish, whether you have the sniffles or just need something comforting. It's warm, savory, and full of delicious chicken, vegetables, and noodles. It'll cure what ails you—even if it's just hunger.

The homemade version is so much better than the canned kind that it's not even a contest. Luckily, it's easy to make chicken noodle soup at home, especially if you have an Instant Pot. The handy appliance shrinks down the cook time while still producing a flavorful dish with minimal clean-up. (No Instant Pot? Try this stovetop version!)

We recommend adding the noodles after pressure cooking to prevent soggy, sad egg noodles. It only adds a few minutes of cook time, anyway.

The Secret to Flavorful Chicken Noodle Soup

While you could use store-bought chicken broth to make this soup, soups are always better with homemade broth. If you don't have homemade broth in your freezer, making a batch is easy and quick with an Instant Pot. Here's how:

  • Combine chicken bones and/or wings, a large onion cut into quarters, two roughly chopped carrots and celery stalks, and a bay leaf in the inner pot.
  • Season with salt and add water just until all of the ingredients are covered.
  • Cook at high pressure for 1 hour and use a natural release. The broth can be made up to 5 days ahead and kept refrigerated, or freeze for up to 3 months.

One more secret that ensures this chicken noodle soup is full of flavor? Sautéing the vegetables and onions in butter to release their aroma and boost their flavor.

A Note On Pressure Release

Some Instant Pot models take longer to release pressure than others. If yours hasn't naturally released all of the pressure in 30 minutes, use a controlled quick release to release any remaining pressure.

"A true bowl of comfort that comes together quickly! I love making soup in the Instant Pot because it doesn't require me to hover over the stovetop and this chicken noodle soup didn't disappoint. Even with store-bought stock, the recipe was deeply aromatic and the chicken thighs get nice and tender for shredded. Cooking the egg noodles right in the soup at the end also meant one less pot to wash, which is always a smart idea."—Patty Lee

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup tester photo
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter, or oil

  • 1 yellow onion, diced

  • 2 stalks celery, diced

  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless skinless

  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, store-bought or homemade

  • 3 cups water

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

  • 6 ounces egg noodles, about 3 heaping cups

  • 1/2 lemon, juiced

  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph

  2. Turn on the sauté function on the Instant Pot (medium heat). Once hot, add the butter to the inner pot and melt. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté for a few minutes, or until the onions are turning translucent.

    Saute the onion, carrot, and celery
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph 

  3. Add the garlic and oregano and stir; turn off the sauté function. Add the bay leaf and the chicken thighs in a single layer. Add the broth and water and season with salt and pepper. Secure the lid.

    Add the chicken and broth
     The Spruce / Laurel Randolph

  4. Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes and use a natural release. Depending on your model of Instant Pot, don't forget to close the steam release valve before pressure cooking.

    Cook for six minutes in the Instant Pot
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph

  5. Once the pressure has released naturally, remove the lid. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the chicken to a plate. Remove the bay leaf. Shred the chicken and return to the pot. Turn on the sauté function (medium heat).

    Shred the chicken and add back to the pot
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph 

  6. Once simmering, add the egg noodles and stir to submerge. Cook for about 5 minutes, uncovered, or until the noodles are cooked through. Carefully remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot and add the parsley and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

    Add the noodles and simmer
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph

  7. Serve hot.

    Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph 

Recipe Variations

  • Make this recipe with chicken breasts. Add two pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes instead of 6.
  • Make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth and replacing the chicken with a can of rinsed and drained beans and chopped vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, bell pepper, corn, peas, and mushrooms.
  • For extra nutrition and color, add greens like baby spinach or baby kale at the end of cooking just until wilted.
  • Tweak this soup recipe to make it your own by using your choice of fresh or dried herbs.

How To Store

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
  • You can also easily freeze leftover chicken noodle soup. If possible, set aside the portion you want to freeze before adding the egg noodles since noodles don't freeze well. If you've already added noodles, you can still freeze, but be aware that the noodles will be very soft upon reheating.
  • Then, portion into small freezer-safe containers (not glass!) or into zip-top bags. If using zip-top bags, you can lay them flat to save space.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
370 Calories
17g Fat
15g Carbs
42g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 370
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 203mg 68%
Sodium 472mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 42g
Vitamin C 11mg 55%
Calcium 56mg 4%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 700mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)