Name: Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan - 20 Minute Meal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cutlets; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning; 24 ounces marinara; ½ cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese; 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; cooked pasta for serving if desired

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Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan is a fast and easy take on the classic Italian dish. With no breading or frying this easy meal is ready for the table in just 20 minutes!

Add this recipe to your list of 30-minute-or-less meals along with other favorites like our pasta carbonara, Szechuan chicken, and spicy sausage pasta.

bowl with chicken parmesan over penne pasta

Chicken Parmesan is one of those recipes that everyone loves, even my super picky eaters. Making traditional chicken parmesan, however, is a pretty tedious process with breading the chicken breasts and frying them…not to mention the kitchen cleanup!

This Instant Pot chicken parmesan recipe gives you all the same tasty comfort food flavor with only 5 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook time, and only one pressure cooker to clean up after dinner. Sounds like a winning combination to me!

Why I love this recipe

dinner ready in 20 minutes start to finish, perfect for busy weeknights
only one pot to clean up

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for this easy recipe.

chicken – buy chicken cutlets or cut chicken breasts lengthwise into cutlets for fast cooking
cheese – both mozzarella and parmesan cheese
marinara – use a homemade or store-bought marinara or your favorite spaghetti sauce
seasonings – salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning

Step by step

Season the chicken cutlets with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Add half of the marinara to the bottom of the Instant Pot. If using a very thick marinara, add a half cup of water or chicken stock to thin it to avoid getting that dreaded burn notice during cooking. Make sure the marinara covers the entire bottom of the pot.
Add chicken cutlets then top with the remaining marinara sauce.

seasoned raw chicken breasts on white plate

raw chicken breasts sitting in marinara sauce in Instant Pot

Close the lid and set the vent to the sealing position. Cook in manual mode on high pressure for 3 minutes. (The Instant Pot will take up to 8 minutes to come to pressure and start the 3-minute countdown.)
Once the cooking time is finished carefully do a quick release of the pressure by setting the vent to venting.
When pressure is completely released carefully remove the lid and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, then mozzarella. Replace the lid for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts before serving.

Tips for best results

A lot of the flavor in this dish comes from the marinara you choose. Give yours a taste before you cook and if it is bland season it with garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and/or Italian seasonoing to add flavor. You could also sauté minced garlic in olive oil in the Instant Pot on sauté mode for a minute before adding the marinara to the pot.

For a fancier presentation transfer the chicken to a baking dish and broil for a few moments until the cheese is golden brown, then top with fresh basil.

fork with bite of Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan

Serving suggestions

I usually serve chicken parmesan over pasta such as spaghetti or penne but you can also eat it with zucchini noodles. It pairs well with a simple side salad or roasted vegetables. For more ideas and serving suggestions see our 15 favorite sides to serve with chicken parmesan.

Storage

This recipe reheats well making it great for meal prep. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!