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Instant Pot Olive Garden Chicken Scampi

Name: Instant Pot Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 21 min
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken tenders; 1/4 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 1/2 cup of chicken broth); 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon oregano; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 1 pound cooked thin spaghetti; freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional); parsley flakes, (optional)

ByBrandie @ The Country Cook March 1, 2022April 3, 2023

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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!

a bowl of chicken scampi on a round white plate.

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 1/2 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.

a plate piled high with chicken scampi with a small glass of water in the background.

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

Ingredients needed: chicken, flour, butter, bell peppers, onion, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, pepper, chicken broth, olive oil, heavy cream, lemon juice and pasta.

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHICKEN SCAMPI:

In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken tenders and flour. Mix to coat evenly.

missing chicken tenders with flour in a white bowl.

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.

browning chicken tenders in an instant pot.

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.

sliced peppers and onions in the bottom of the instant pot.

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.

pouring chicken broth into the instant pot that has cooked peppers and onions in it.

Add the chicken back in along with the remaining chicken broth and the spices. Stir to combine.

chicken tenders placed back into the instant pot with the onions and peppers.

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.

pouring heavy cream in with the chicken mixture in the instant pot.

Stir in the pasta. Mix to combine.

adding cooked spaghetti into the instant pot.

The sauce will thicken upon standing. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese and parsley.

a silver spoon scooping out some chicken scampi from an instant pot.

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.