Buffalo Wild Wings Garlic Parmesan Pasta Instant Pot

This buffalo wild wings garlic parmesan pasta recipe turns that wing sauce flavor into a creamy one-pot dinner, made start to finish in the Instant Pot. No boiling a separate pot of water, no draining anything at the sink.

It’s on the table in about 35 minutes, with browned chicken and a garlic butter sauce that clings to every piece of pasta.

Why I Love This Recipe

The sauce is what sells me on this one. Butter and garlic cook right in the pot before the pasta goes in, so every bite tastes seasoned instead of just coated at the end.

Cream and Parmesan go in after the pressure cooking is done, off direct heat, so the sauce turns glossy instead of grainy or split.

It’s one pot, one timer, and dinner is ready before a stovetop version would even have the water boiling.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast – boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil – for searing the chicken
• 6 cloves garlic – minced, the base of the sauce
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter – for the garlic sauce
• 1 lb penne pasta – or another short shape, uncooked
• 4 cups chicken broth – cooks the pasta and builds flavor
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning – dried herb blend
• 1/2 tsp salt – for seasoning the chicken
• 1/2 tsp black pepper – for seasoning the chicken
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes – optional, for heat
• 1 cup heavy cream – stirred in at the end for the sauce
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese – freshly grated melts smoother
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley – chopped, for garnish

Variations / Substitutions

• Rotisserie chicken – Skip searing raw chicken and stir in shredded rotisserie chicken with the cream at the end, so it just warms through instead of cooking further.
• Shrimp – Swap the chicken for 1 lb peeled shrimp and add them in the last step with the cream, since shrimp only needs a couple of minutes to turn pink and firm.
• Extra heat – Stir in 2 tbsp of your favorite wing sauce along with the cream for a sharper, more restaurant-style kick.
• Dairy-free – Use full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream and swap the Parmesan for a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast, though the sauce will taste milder.
• Bright finish – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the finished bowl cuts through the richness and wakes the whole dish up.
• Fresh herb swap – Chives work in place of parsley if that’s what’s in the fridge.

If you like this flavor, you’d probably also go for Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese.

How To Make Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Step 1: Sear the Chicken

Set your Instant Pot to sauté and heat the 2 tbsp olive oil until it shimmers. Add the 1 lb chicken pieces along with the 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, and let them cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the outside is golden but the inside doesn’t need to be fully cooked yet.

You’re looking for color, not a finished cook, since the chicken goes back in later to finish under pressure. Pull the pieces out onto a plate once they’re browned and set them aside.

Step 2: Sauté the Garlic

With the pot still on sauté, melt the 4 tbsp butter, then add the 6 cloves minced garlic. Stir constantly for about 1 minute, just until it turns fragrant and pale gold, and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot as you go.

This scraping step matters more than it sounds like it should. Any stuck bits left behind can trigger a burn warning once the liquid goes in, so a clean bottom now saves you a headache later.

Step 3: Pressure-Cook the Pasta

Pour in the 4 cups chicken broth, then add the 1 lb penne, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Nestle the seared chicken back into the pot, making sure the pasta is mostly submerged, then lock the lid and set it to pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.

Give the pot a few extra seconds after it beeps before you touch the valve. When it’s done, quick-release the pressure and open the lid once the pin drops, and you’ll see the pasta already softened with most of the broth absorbed.

Step 4: Stir in the Parmesan Sauce

Switch the pot back to sauté on low and stir in the 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup grated Parmesan. Keep stirring gently for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and clings to the noodles.

Scoop it into bowls right away and scatter the 2 tbsp chopped parsley over the top. The sauce keeps thickening slightly as it sits, so serving it while it’s still glossy and loose is the moment to catch it.

Recipe Tips

• Stick with short pasta shapes like penne, rotini, or farfalle. Long noodles like spaghetti tend to clump together under pressure instead of cooking evenly.
• Grate the Parmesan off a block if you can. Pre-shredded bags are coated in anti-caking starch that can make the sauce grainy instead of smooth.
• If you’re doubling the recipe, use a 6-quart or larger pot and keep the pressure cook time at 4 minutes. Doubling the liquid and pasta doesn’t mean doubling the cook time.

Pressure cook time depends a bit on the pasta shape you use, so here’s a quick guide.

Pasta Shape	Pressure Cook Time	Texture
Penne	4 minutes	Firm, holds sauce well
Rotini	4 minutes	Grabs sauce in the ridges
Farfalle	3 minutes	Softer, cooks faster
Rigatoni	5 minutes	Thicker, needs an extra minute

How To Store

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.

Reheating works best on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of broth or cream stirred in, since the sauce thickens a lot once cold and can look broken without a little extra liquid to loosen it.

What To Serve With Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Garlic bread is the easy call here, since it’s built to mop up the leftover sauce pooling in the bottom of the bowl. A simple Caesar salad works too, since the sharp dressing cuts through the richness of the cream and Parmesan instead of piling more heaviness on top.

If you want to lean into the wing night feel, celery sticks with a side of blue cheese dressing echo the classic pairing and give you something cold and crisp against the warm pasta.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this without an Instant Pot?

Yes, cook the pasta separately according to the package directions, then build the garlic butter sauce in a large skillet and toss the drained pasta and chicken in at the end. The flavor is the same, it just takes a bit more hands-on time.

My sauce came out thin, what happened?

It usually just needs another minute or two of simmering on sauté with the lid off, since the cream and Parmesan continue to thicken as the moisture cooks off. It will also thicken more as it sits for a minute before serving.

Can I make this vegetarian?

Yes, skip the chicken, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and sauté a cup of sliced mushrooms with the garlic in step 2 for something hearty in its place.

How close is this to the actual Buffalo Wild Wings flavor?

It’s close in the garlic and butter direction but a bit milder, since the restaurant sauce leans sweeter and more seasoned. Adding the wing sauce mentioned in the variations gets you closer if that’s what you’re after.