Cozy up with the BEST Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup recipe! Simple and homemade, it features a soul-warming broth, juicy chicken, and chewy noodles, all done in a fraction of the time as classic Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Whether you’re under the weather or just need an easy, wholesome dinner, this soup delivers!
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Makes it Easy. This recipe has all the homey comfort of classic chicken soups like Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, but the pressure cooker makes it fast and keeps it to one pot. From Instant Pot Lentil Soup to Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup, making soup from scratch doesn’t get any easier than the Instant Pot!
- Ultimate Comfort Food. This Instant Pot chicken noodle soup will revitalize your spirits. Just like Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup and Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Soup, it’s clean, cozy, and the kind of thing to eat when you want your dinner to give you a hug.
- Hearty and Wholesome. Like my top-rated Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, this soup is a filling all-in-one dinner. It’s healthy and good when sick.
5 Star Review
“This is the absolute best chicken soup recipe! My kids loved it!”
— Megan —
How to Make the Best Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
The Ingredients
- Bone-In Chicken. I like to use bone-in chicken, because the bones impart extra flavor to the soup for a homemade-tasting stock.
- Mirepoix. The trinity of chicken noodle soup goodness! Onions, carrots, and celery are an essential soup trio.
- Seasonings. A combination of pepper, salt, dried oregano, fresh thyme, and bay leaf is the perfect way to add flavor to chicken noodle soup. Make sure you use fresh thyme here (fresh herbs make a difference!).
- Chicken Broth. The liquid base for our soup. Choose a good quality one for the best soup.
- Egg Noodles. The classic chicken noodle soup choice. I used whole wheat egg noodles, though regular will work also.
The Directions
- Remove the Chicken Skin. If your chicken pieces are large, cut them in half.
- Sauté the Vegetables. I like to use a mix of butter and olive oil.
- Add the Remaining Ingredients. Place the chicken pieces on top.
- Cook. Pressure cook Instant Pot chicken noodle soup for 10 minutes on high (manual). Let the pressure release naturally.
- Shred the Chicken. I typically use two forks for this.
- Cook the Noodles. Use the sauté function to simmer (not boil).
- Add the Chicken and Herbs. Serve as desired. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Whole Chicken. I have not tried making this variation yet, but I suspect if you’d like to make it with a whole cut-up chicken it would be delicious. (For a great whole chicken recipe, check out Air Fryer Whole Chicken.)
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Spinach. At the end of cooking, stir in 4 ounces (about 4 or so big handfuls) of chopped baby spinach leaves until wilted.
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemon. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into your soup at the very end of cooking for a bright pop of flavor.
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Potatoes. Omit the noodles at the end and instead add 2-3, peeled and cubed, russet potatoes to the Instant Pot with the chicken and veggies before cooking. (It’s like an Instant Pot version of my favorite Chicken Stew.)
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken. Stir in cooked chicken you already have on hand, or you can use your own pre-cooked shredded chicken . Your broth won’t be as flavorful, but it’s a speedy choice. See my guides for How to Cook Shredded Chicken (stovetop), Instant Pot Chicken (this is a great way to make Instant Pot chicken noodle soup frozen chicken), Baked Chicken Breast, or Crock Pot Shredded Chicken.
- Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup. To incorporate some garlicky flavor into your soup, try adding 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic to the mirepoix. We love this addition!
- Gluten Free Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup. Swap the egg noodles for gluten-free noodles. Since gluten-free noodles cook quickly and can become gummy, it is better to cook gluten-free egg noodles before adding them to soup. Prepare them separately, then stir them into the whole pot (or even individual servings) at the end.
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings. Another delicious, comforting recipe to try.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Place cooked and cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm soup gently in a medium saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat until hot. You can also reheat the chicken soup in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Plan Tip
Chop your mirepoix ingredients up to 1 day in advance, and store them in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Bread. Any of your favorite breads will be delicious with this soup! Homemade Dinner Rolls Jalapeno Cornbread, and this Beer Bread Recipe are a few of our favorites.
- Salad. Instant Pot chicken noodle soup goes well with Arugula Salad, Apple Walnut Salad, and Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad.
- Crackers. Why have plain crackers with soup when you can have these tasty Ranch Crackers?
- Vegetables. Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach, and Air Fryer Cauliflower would all pair well with chicken noodle soup.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Instant Pot. Perfect for this Instant Pot chicken noodle soup recipe and any of my other Healthy Instant Pot recipes.
- Ladle. Ideal for serving the soup and transferring it to storage containers.
- Chef’s Knife. A nice, sharp knife makes prepping ingredients easy.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use Bone-In Chicken. Not only is bone-in chicken more tender, but the bones themselves help to flavor the broth, making this recipe the best Instant Pot chicken noodle soup with chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) that you’ll try. (If you elect to use boneless chicken for this recipe, use chicken stock or a high-quality bone broth instead of broth.)
- Use a Natural Release. For the most tender, flavorful, juicy chicken, make sure you perform a natural release on your Instant Pot. I promise that your patience will be rewarded!
- Avoid Mushy Noodles. Wait to add the noodles until the very end so that they don’t overcook. You can also cook the noodles separately, divide them into bowls, then ladel the soup over the top. If you want to make Instant Pot chicken noodle soup without egg noodles, you may swap it for any pasta variety you enjoy.
- Use Fresh Herbs. The fresh thyme here really makes a difference.
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs, or a mix
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick diagonal slices
- 3 medium stalks celery cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt plus additional to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups water plus additional as needed
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat egg noodles about 3 3/4 ounces
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Carefully remove the skin from the chicken. If your chicken breasts are very large (more than 1 pound each), use a very sharp knife to carefully slice them in half crosswise through the bone. Set aside.
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add the olive oil and butter.
- Once the butter is melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, and oregano. Place the thyme and bay leaf on top. Pour in the chicken broth and 3 cups water. Gently add the chicken pieces.
- Close and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure (manual) for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then immediately vent to release any remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid.
- Remove the chicken and transfer it to a cutting board. Pick out the thyme stems and bay leaf and discard. Turn the Instant Pot to saute (you will need to press “cancel” first).
- Add the noodles. Let cook, uncovered, until noodles are al dente, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- While the noodles cook, shred the chicken and discard the bones.
- Once the noodles are done, turn off the Instant Pot. Stir in the parsley and shredded chicken. If you’d like a more brothy, thinner soup, stir in additional water until your desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Enjoy hot with an extra sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Place cooked and cooled soup in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm soup gently in a medium saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat until hot. You can also reheat the chicken soup in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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One of my favorite cooking methods for busy weeknights, don’t miss these other healthy Instant Pot recipes:
Curious why you are using skin on chicken if we are removing it anyway…
Thanks! Enjoy reading your posts.
Hi Martha, bone-in chicken is usually sold with the skin, but if you can find it skinless with the bone still in, go for it!
Why is the bone necessary?
Hi Nancy, Bone-in chicken more tender, but the bones themselves help to flavor the broth, making this recipe the best Instant Pot chicken noodle soup with chicken breasts (or thighs) that you’ll try. But there are lots of suggestions in the post itself if you wanted to use something different.
Perfect easy dinner to whip up on a cold night! I love how the IP doesn’t let any flavor escape!!
My all time favorite winter soup! I love that you made it in instant pot. It was so much easier than I thought. Thanks for sharing.
Do I use an already roasted chicken or a fresh raw one? Might be a stupid question….lol
Hi Talia, the recipe uses raw chicken breasts or thighs, but you’ll see in the post that I left notes for if you have a leftover roasted chicken to use up! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Just what I needed today to warm up! Super easy with the instant pot.
Thanks so much, Jennifer!
Can I just say this was amazing? Everyone loved this soup at my house.
Hooray! Thanks for taking the time to leave this review, Stephanie!
Have you used boneless chicken breasts in this recipe? I usually have these ready to cook in the fridge.
Hi! I really recommend the bone-in since I think the chicken is more tender and the bones help flavor the broth, and that is how I tested the recipe. If you already have those on hand, however, you can certainly experiment. I hope you enjoy the soup!
This was easy and yummy! I used drumsticks and boneless skinless breasts, and potatoes instead of noodles. I thickened at the end on Sauté with roux (1T melted butter mixed w 4T flour). Really delicious and will make again.
Dee, thanks for reporting back! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the soup.
Looking forward too making this , but chicken stock or broth? You have stock in the ingredients but broth in the recipe. Is there a difference..?
Hi David, many people use the terms interchangeably, but I used chicken broth here. I’ll update the recipe to clarify.
This looks great! Can I substitute another kind of pasta for the egg pasta? My son is allergic to eggs. Just not sure what will cook in the same amount of time. Thank you.
Hi! You can swap any noodles you like. Simply simmer them until they are al dente. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Made this last night using thighs, it turned out really well. Only second time using the IP, however Erin’s instructions make the process pretty painless. Up next will be the Teriyaki Chicken. Thanks again for the excellent recipes.
Roddy
Roddy, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the soup! Thanks for taking the time to leave this review!
I made this soup and it was delicious! The hubby and kids loved it, too! Looking forward to trying another of your recipes!
Latisha, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to share this review!
I so agree! Just finished with my first batch and its fantastic!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kassi! Thanks for taking the time to leave this review!
This tasted amazing! There’s still a lot of chopping to do, but after that it is hands off, and the broth was amazing!
Laural, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the soup! Thanks for taking the time to share this review.
Thank you. We really enjoyed this. It was my first attempt at chicken noodle soup. This was and easy to follow and a delicious recipe. We used sage instead of oregano ( all that was in the cupboard).
Drew, thanks for reporting back! I’m glad to hear the recipe was a winner!
Can I freeze this soup?
Hi Arlene! Yes, you can certainly freeze this soup. I hope you love the recipe!
I made this tonight for my sick husband and I and it was simple and delicious!! I did chicken legs and bones less thighs and was perfect. The only thing I would omit or do a lot less of next time was the oregano – the one teaspoon overpowered a bit too much. Thank you for this!
Hi Gina! You can definitely adjust the seasonings to your own liking because we all have different taste, it’s easy to adjust! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made this recipe for the first time today. I looked for one that used chicken thighs (I was out of chicken breasts) in chicken soup, and I came across this recipe. I used boneless chicken thighs (just over 3 pounds), 3C chicken broth (all I had) and 1C vegetable broth, plus, I added some freshly grated garlic to the broth. I’ve never made chicken soup with chicken thighs before, but this recipe proved to be easy and delicious. I’ll be making it again!
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Nicole! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
CAn I use chicken legs?
Hi Ashley! I have not tried the recipe this way, but you could experiment with it. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
This soup was fantastic! Even my picky eater finished his bowl. So tasty and so easy makes this a recipe I’ll make again.
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Sandy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I’ve made this already and loved it! I’m wondering though if I can add frozen chicken instead? I haven’t planned ahead for today. :)
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Beth! This post has tons of great tips for how to cook chicken from frozen in the Instant Pot. I hope this helps!
This was absolutely delicious!
I used boneless skinless thighs. I sprinkled dried thyme instead of fresh ones. And since Australia doesn’t really have egg noodles that are spirals. I used trivelle spiral pasta instead. Wonderful recipe thanks :)
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Giang! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Quick, easy and healthy soup, made it several times and you just can’t go wrong with it. Love it!
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Heni! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Winner! I first made this recipe for a family that was dealing with someone in the hospital as one of the meals they could grab and heat quickly when they got home. Also with picky teenagers, it was a good choice. Easy, excellent tasting, and makes a lot. Highly recommend! I use frozen carrots and boneless chicken when I’m in a rush. I would love to see a post/be able to search on recipes to make and bring to others in similar circumstances, I.e. friends in need (new baby at home, someone is sick, etc.), if it doesn’t already exist. Feels good to give healthy food, thank you for the recipe Erin!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Anne! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Loved this recipe! Super quick and easy :)
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Leila! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This is my go to
Chicken soup recipe. However today I have frozen bone In chicken breast, not thawed yet. How many extra minutes should I add?
Hi Jennifer! I recommend checking out my Instant Pot Chicken post for tips on the timing with frozen, bone-in chicken. I hope this helps!
I made this soup with leg quarters because we love dark meat. I also used BETTER THAN BOUILLON for the broth and substituted 2 cloves of minced garlic for the oregano and thyme. It was absolutely delicious! The only question I have is how do you keep the Instant Pot from squirting the soup out when you do a quick release after a natural 10 minute release?
Hi Connie, I have not had any problems with my instant pot squirting out soup. Each instant pot is different but I think you would need to refer to your manual to troubleshoot it. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Genuine question, why do you specifically call out to use “skin on” chicken pieces and then the literal first step is to remove the skin…? Am I missing something?
Hi Viv, I try to be specific as I can with certain ingredients so readers know what to look for when they are grocery shopping. Hope this helps!
Can you use regular egg noodles? Just curious the difference that it might cause.
Hi Jenn! Yes you can use regular egg noodles. I use whole wheat egg noodles for a nutritional boost. Hope you enjoy it!
Whole wheat noodles have disappeared off the shelves, where are you finding them these days?
Hi Robbie, I’m not having a problem finding them. You can search Target, Trader Joe’s or even online for them. Hope this helps!
Delicious – just made it. Suggestion – if you don’t like your veggies too mushy I’d suggest removing them when you remove the chicken so that they don’t cook further with the pasta. I will try that next time. I also added some dry rosemary, garlic powder and Better than Bouillion chicken paste at the end to taste.
Hi Vivi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was soooooooo delicious!! My entire family loved it, this is absolutely our new fave soup recipe!
Hi Megan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Outstanding and easy to do. I doubled batch so could give some to sick friends and freeze some as well.
Hi Diane! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This is the first recipe I’ve made from your site. Chicken soup is simple enough but often lacking flavor. This was delicious and I’m very particular. I used thigh and did add 1/4t of sage, thyme and 1t better than bouillon. Would be fantastic with or without those changes. Super impressed!
Hi Barb! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This is the absolute best chicken soup recipe! My kids loved it!
Hi Megan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was absolutely delicious!!! I used boneless skinless thighs and it was absolutely delicious! I’ve never used oregano in my soup but it is so good!!!! Will definitely make this again!
Hi Diane! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Soup is delicious, could someone please let me know how many cups a serving is? Serves 6 but how big is each serving?
Hi Margaret! Glad you enjoyed the soup! I haven’t measured out the servings before so I wouldn’t be able to advise on how much each is. I’d just suggest next time you make it, measure it out using cups. Hope this helps!
This has become my go-to recipe for chicken noodle soup. I have two minor alterations. When I remove the chicken to shred it, I also remove the bay leaf and then use my immersion blender to puree the carrots / celery / onions, etc. You end up with a very yellow, rich delicious broth. The other slight change is that I cook my noodles separately, so I can freeze them separately. The first night we put some noodles in the bowl and ladle the soup over. I freeze the little bags of noodles in portion sizes, so I can just throw them in the soup I’m reheating.
Hi Emily! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I love this recipe and keep coming back to it! So easy and filing and so much less of a hassle !
Hi Jessica! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This soup was wonderful! I made it as directed on the recipe and only needed to add a bit more salt for our taste. It was perfect.
Hi Becca! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for your kind review!
I plan to make this over the weekend. What’s the cook time on the instant pot if I go with the bone in, skin on thighs option?
Hi Amanda! The cook time would remain the same. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Erin
I always love your recipes. I’m dying to make this, but I don’t have an instant pot. Would the steps differ significantly?
Hi Karen! Here is my version for the stove top version: https://www.wellplated.com/chicken-noodle-soup/ Enjoy!