This Instant Pot chicken with creamy sun-dried tomato Parmesan sauce is an easy dinner made with tender chicken thighs, mushrooms, garlic, and a rich, creamy sauce. Sun-dried tomatoes add a concentrated tomato flavor, while Parmesan cheese makes the sauce delightfully savory and creamy.
Ready in under 30 minutes, this Instant Pot chicken thigh recipe is a simple option for busy weeknights. Serve it over rice, couscous, pasta, or mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce. I’ve also included stovetop instructions if you don’t have an Instant Pot.
This post was originally published Oct 29, 2018. This post was updated on Oct 19, 2026, with new photos and tips! The recipe itself has not been changed.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy weeknight dinner: This Instant Pot chicken with sun-dried tomato Parmesan sauce is a simple dinner option when you want something flavorful when you’re short on time on a busy weeknight.
- Creamy, flavorful sauce: Sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, and Parmesan come together to make a rich, savory sauce that pairs well with tender chicken and is perfect for pouring over your side of choice. My favorite is mashed potatoes and couscous. You’ll want to drink the sauce!
- Includes stovetop instructions: Don’t have an Instant Pot? You can still make this chicken dinner using the stovetop method included in the recipe down below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
oil — I use olive oil but you can use any neutral oil of your choice, such as avocado oil.
shallots & onion — this recipe uses both shallots and onions. I like using shallots for their mild, sweet flavor. If you don’t have shallots on hand, you could use a full yellow onion instead.
garlic — the more garlic, the better! You can also swap for garlic powder if you don’t have any garlic on hand. I personally have garlic frozen, so I always have some on hand! I don’t like using pre-minced garlic as I find it tastes bitter.
chicken thighs — boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well in this recipe because they stay tender and pair nicely with the creamy sauce. You can substitute chicken breasts, but the cooking time may need to be adjusted based on their size and thickness. Make sure you’re using skinless chicken thighs as skin-on chicken thighs won’t crisp up in the pressure cooker.
sun-dried tomatoes — dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes add a concentrated tomato flavor without introducing extra oil to the sauce. I like to chop them into smaller pieces so they’re easier to eat with the chicken and mushrooms, but you can also leave them as is if you prefer!
mushrooms — mushrooms add a savory flavor that complements the sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan. I like to use brown button mushrooms, but you can also use regular white mushrooms. Slice them evenly so they cook consistently. If you have tiny mushrooms, you can even leave them whole!
chicken stock/broth — chicken stock adds flavor and provides liquid for pressure cooking. I prefer using low-sodium chicken stock since we are already adding salt to the recipe. After sautéing the ingredients, the chicken stock comes in handy for scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot, which helps prevent a Burn warning. You can use water for deglazing, but the chicken stock helps build layers of flavor. If you are out of chicken broth, you can swap for vegetable broth.
dry mustard — ground mustard powder helps bind everything together and it also adds a bit a zesty tang to the sauce.
heavy cream — heavy cream gives the sauce its rich, creamy texture. Add it after pressure cooking to help prevent the sauce from separating under pressure. If you are out of heavy cream, you can use half and half. It won’t be as rich but it’ll still be delicious!
parmesan cheese — freshly grated parmesan melts into the cream to create a savory, cheesy sauce. Grate it finely so it incorporates more easily and quickly into the sauce! Make sure you are using fresh parmesan and not powdered parmesan from a bottle. Fresh parmesan provides a rich, nutty flavor with a deep umami flavor, whereas the powdered bottled parmesan has a salty, mild flavor. It is also coated in an anti-caking powder, so it won’t melt as nicely into your sauce.
chili flakes — red pepper flakes add a little heat to balance the richness of the sauce. You can reduce the amount or leave them out if you prefer a milder sauce.
salt and black pepper — season the chicken to taste, keeping in mind that chicken broth and Parmesan can already contribute saltiness, so I try not to add too much salt.
Variations
I love changing things up in this creamy parmesan chicken recipe. Sometimes I swap out the chicken thighs for chicken breasts. I also like to add some baby spinach or frozen peas at the end of the recipe for some added vegetables. I also like to switch it up by adding dried basil or Italian seasoning for a different herby flavor. This recipe is so flexible, and you can change up so many different things!
This recipe uses a 6QT Instant Pot and I have not tested it in a smaller or larger version. If you have tried this creamy Instant Pot sun-dried tomato parmesan chicken in a different-sized pressure cooker, share in the comments below!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If you want more tomato flavor, you can use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. I would make sure to drain the tomatoes and use the oil in place of the olive oil.
- You can substitute the heavy cream with half and half, but the sauce will be thinner.
- Reduce or omit the red pepper flakes for a milder sauce, or add a little more if you prefer extra heat.
- If the sauce is too thin, let it simmer on the low Sauté setting for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Make Ahead Tips
- Storage: once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing as the cream can break.
- Reheat: reheat in the microwave until hot. Stirring halfway will help everything heat up evenly. Add a splash of broth if the sauce is too thick when cooled.
Instant Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken Thighs
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ tablespoon oregano
- ½ tablespoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
- ½ tablespoon paprika
Everything Else!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped, optional
- ½ small onion, chopped, full onion if skipping shallots
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and chili flakes.
- In your Instant Pot, set it to Sauté and add the olive oil; let it heat up/coat the bottom of the pot. Lightly brown your chicken thighs first in the Instant Pot (sauté on each side for 2 to 3 minutes).
- Once browned, remove from the Instant Pot and set aside. You may need to do this in batches, depending on how much space you have in your IP and the size of your chicken thighs.
- Add more olive oil if needed into the pot and then add in the shallots, onion, and garlic. Give it a good stir. If the pan needs deglazing, add a splash of chicken broth and scrub the bottom of the pot before adding the mushrooms.
- Add the chicken stock, dry mustard, and sun-dried tomatoes to the Instant Pot. Then add the chicken thighs back to the pot.
- Turn off sauté mode, place the lid on, turn the sealing valve, and set to pressure cook for 9 minutes. When done, quick release the pressure.
- Remove the chicken thighs and set them aside. Turn on sauté mode again and let the liquid come to a simmer and allow it to reduce. After about 5 to 6 minutes, turn off the Instant Pot, then stir in the parmesan and heavy cream. Add the chicken back to the pot to coat it in the sauce, or serve with the sauce spooned on top. Top off with more chili flakes if you desire.
Stove Top Instructions
- Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and chili flakes.
- In a large pan on medium heat, add the olive oil. Cook your chicken thighs each side for 5 to 6 minutes. Once cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside
- In the now empty pan, add more olive oil if needed into the pot and then add in the shallots, onion, and garlic. Give it a good stir. If the pan needs deglazing, add a splash of chicken broth and scrub the bottom of the pot before adding the mushrooms.
- Add the sun dried tomatoes, chicken stock, and dry mustard to the pan. Let the pan simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in your parmesan cheese and heavy cream and place your chicken thighs back into the pan to coat the thighs.
- To serve, top off with more chili flakes if you desire
Nutrition Per Serving
Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and chili flakes. In your IP, set it to Sauté and add the olive oil; let it heat up/coat the bottom of the pot. Lightly brown your chicken thighs first in the Instant Pot (sauté on each side for 2-3 minutes). Once browned, remove from the Instant Pot and set aside. You may need to do this in batches, depending on how much space you have in your IP and the size of your chicken thighs.
Add more olive oil if needed into the pot and then add in the shallots, onion, and garlic. Give it a good stir.
If the pan needs deglazing, add a splash of chicken broth and scrub the bottom of the pot before adding the mushrooms.
Add in 2 cups of chicken stock to the Instant Pot.
Add 1 teaspoon of dry mustard into the Instant Pot.
Add 1 cup of sun-dried tomato to the Instant Pot.
Place the chicken thighs back on top. Turn off sauté mode, place the lid on, turn the sealing valve, and set to pressure cook for 9 minutes. When done, quick release the pressure.
Remove the chicken thighs and set them aside. Turn on sauté mode again and let the liquid come to a simmer and allow it to reduce. After about 5 to 6 minutes, turn off the Instant Pot, then stir in the parmesan and heavy cream. Add the chicken back to the pot to coat it in the sauce, or serve with the sauce spooned on top. Top off with more chili flakes if you desire.
More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Instant Pot Basmati Rice with Butter and Garlic
- “Baked” Potatoes in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki
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Tina says
I didnt know that about the sun-dried tomatoes dry packaged. That’s great to know I like adding them to crockpot beans. Definitely going to Look for them. I like how you used them in your recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
Woah that sauce! It sounds so good!!! I love sun dried tomatoes (and yes, I have a bag of dried ones in my pantry LOL). You made me so hungry!
Tina says
This looks delicious, and I love the sun-dried tomatoes with all these wonderful spices. I’ve been looking for more chicken recipes to try in my Instant Pot so I’ll definitely make this for my meal prep this weekend!
Traci says
Ok, right off the bat, this recipe has one of my favorite ingredients…chicken thighs. You can never EVER go wrong with those. That seasoning gets me even more excited! And sundried tomatoes with heavy cream…pretty much one of my fav combos in the world of cooking. Beautiful recipe, and in an Instant Pot, for the win. Thanks for sharing with us :)
Stef says
This sounds so rich and wonderful! I’m curious also about the couscous. Is that some kind of rainbow couscous? I’ve never seen that before. It’s so pretty!
Carmy says
It’s a tri-coloured pearl couscous! One of my favourites!
Courtney says
Oh my yum, I could literally eat that sauce with a spoon! I think I will double it since it’s freezer friendly. Perfect for those lazy winter nights when I don’t feel like cooking. :)
Debra says
Looks delish…..your photos are fab!! Love the simple directions and the tips you give about storing and freezing. I need to start using my insta pot more often. Would love to have this dinner come together so quickly. Thank you.
Tracy says
Oh my gosh I LOVE this dish. I was just looking at some sun dried tomatoes in my pantry wondering what I was going to do with them. Now I know! And hey, I didn’t know you could buy them in a bag either! HA!
Dana says
This is such a hearty and warming dinner. And! I love that it uses the IP. I’m all about nice and cozy Sunday meals in this house, but some Sunday meals take most of the afternoon to prepare or tend to and ughhh, you end up losing half of your day. I love that this gives you a beautiful meal in record time!
Marisa Franca says
A terrific chicken recipe is always welcome. We eat lots of chicken and we like to make it a variety of ways — this recipe is certainly a keeper and once we get an Instant Pot I’ll be sure to make this.
Amanda says
I absolutely LOVE sundried tomatoes so this recipe is right up my alley! I’ve been looking for new chicken dishes for my instant pot, and this one looks so perfect for the chilly nights we’ve been having. So great for a busy weeknight, and I love that you can turn it into a freezer meal, too! What a great way to eat conveniently and deliciously.
Kirsten/Comfortably Domestic says
I love those bags of sundried tomatoes because I can used only what I need for a recipe and save the rest for another day. Brown food is hard to photograph, but it still looks delicious!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
You had me at “Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Parmesan Sauce” — seriously. This sounds flavorful and a bit indulgent. I love it and bet it would go great with some egg noodles and a chilled sauvignon blanc. By the way, I think you did a great job photographing the brown sauce. I’ve always found a sprinkle of parsley makes it pop even more. Try it next time.
Christian B says
Made this last night for the family. I loved it, my wife didn’t (But appreciated the effort). Had to substitute crushed red pepper for chili flakes.. I assume they are the same thing. It was a little spicy for the wife and kids so some people might want to reduce the amount of chili flakes/crushed red pepper. Tomorrow night i will be trying another of your recipes. Thanks and hello from Ketchikan, Alaska.
Carmy says
Hi Christian! Thanks for your comment – yes, the crushed red peppers should be the same as the chili flakes. I’m sorry to hear that your wife wasn’t a fan but glad that you are! For something a little less spicy, maybe she might like the lemon garlic chicken instead! omit the chili flakes as needed: https://carmyy.com/instant-pot-lemon-garlic-chicken/
Corliss says
Couple of questions: Can chicken breasts be substituted? (I REALLY don’t like dark meat chicken.) Can this be portioned out and frozen once cooked? (I married a picky eater who is anti-every vegetable I love, with mushrooms at the top of the list.)
Carmy says
Hi Corliss,
You can sub chicken breasts instead of thigh, just make sure to adjust the cooking time to 6 minutes per lb of chicken. As for freezing, I haven’t tried it yet but I’d recommend setting aside a portion you plan on freezing before adding the cream and parmesan as I don’t think they’ll hold up well in the freezer!