Want a a restaurant quality dish that you can make at home? This Instant Pot Chicken Scampi is easy, delicious, flavorful and perfect for the whole family.
A DELICIOUS OLIVE GARDEN COPYCAT RECIPE
I have to admit, Olive Garden has always been one of my go-to favorite restaurants. I know it's not cool to admit that these days but I'm too old to care at this point. Ha! One of my favorite dishes is the Chicken Scampi. This Instant Pot Chicken Scampi is a copycat version of theirs that turned out better than I imagined. I switched up just a couple of things to make it a little easier so you can make it in your electric pressure cooker. It makes this meal super fast to make!
TIPS FOR MAKING INSTANT POT CHICKEN SCAMPI:
- I use chicken tenders in this recipe, but you can replace with chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
- Scampi is usually made with a little white wine (about ½ cup) but if you don't have or don't want to use white wine, just use all chicken broth.
- Any pasta will work with this but spaghetti or angel hair spaghetti will make it true "scampi" fashion.
- This can be made on the stovetop if you don't have an instant pot. Just follow the same steps but cook the chicken longer until fully cooked and sauté the vegetables until softened.
- The sauce will thicken up upon standing so don't worry about it being too liquidy. The pasta will soak up a lot of it and help it thicken.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- chicken tenders
- all-purpose flour
- olive oil
- butter
- bell peppers
- onion
- chicken broth
- red pepper flakes
- oregano
- garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- heavy cream
- lemon juice
- thin spaghetti
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHICKEN SCAMPI:
In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken tenders and flour. Mix to coat evenly.
Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting and allow it to get nice and hot. Pour the olive oil into the pot and add in the chicken tenders. Sear 2 minutes on each side. You want them to be golden brown on each side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
Add in the butter, sliced bell peppers and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes so they are still slightly crispy but have a slight browning on the edges.
Pour in the ½ cup chicken broth to deglaze the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is stuck to it. If anything sticks to the bottom you may get the burn notice.
Add the chicken back in along with the remaining chicken broth and the spices. Stir to combine.
Seal the Instant Pot and set to manual high pressure for 6 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the pot to reach full pressure. This is a good time to cook the pasta. Once the chicken is done cooking, do a quick pressure release. Be careful of the steam! Remove the lid, add in the heavy cream and the lemon juice and stir to combine.
Stir in the pasta. Mix to combine.
The sauce will thicken upon standing. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese and parsley.
HOW TO STORE:
- This Instant Pot Chicken Scampi can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container or a zip top bag.
- The best way that I like to reheat this is a pan on the stove until heated through.
- I do not recommend freezing this dish as cream sauces tend to separate after they have been frozen.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
Instant Pot Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 bell peppers (green, yellow or red) sliced
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 cups chicken broth, divided use can also use ½ cup white wine in place of ½ cup of chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 pound cooked thin spaghetti
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
- parsley flakes, optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken tenders and flour. Mix to coat evenly.
- Turn on the Instant Pot to the saute setting and allow it to get nice and hot. Pour the olive oil into the pot. Place the chicken tenders in and sear 2 minutes on each side. You want them to be golden brown on each side.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Add in the butter, sliced bell peppers and onions. Saute for 5 minutes. You just want a light browning on them. Don't cook until soft.
- Pour in ½ cup chicken broth to deglaze the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the inner pot to make sure nothing is stuck to it. If anything sticks to the bottom you may get the burn notice.
- Add the chicken back into the pot along with the remaining chicken broth and the spices (red pepper flakes, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper). Stir to combine.
- Seal the Instant Pot, make sure the vent nozzle is set to "seal" and set to manual high pressure for 6 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for your pot to reach pressure.
- This is a good time to start cooking the spaghetti until al dente.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, do a quick pressure release by turning the valve. Be careful of the steam!
- Remove the lid, add in the heavy cream and the lemon juice and stir to combine.
- Finally, stir in the cooked pasta. Mix to combine. The sauce will thicken upon standing.
- Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Notes
- I use chicken tenders in this recipe, but you can replace with chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
- Scampi is usually made with a little white wine (about ½ cup) but if you don't have or don't want to use white wine, just use all chicken broth.
- Any pasta will work with this but spaghetti or angel hair spaghetti will make it true "scampi" fashion.
- This can be made on the stovetop if you don't have an instant pot. Just follow the same steps but cook the chicken longer until fully cooked and sauté the vegetables until softened.
- The sauce will thicken up upon standing so don't worry about it being too liquidy. The pasta will soak up a lot of it and help it thicken.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: April 2021
Updated and republished: March 2022
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