Making bacon chicken ranch gnocchi in the Instant Pot is so easy to do! It’s a one-pot meal that allows you to feed your family a tasty dinner, even on your busy weeknights!
Instant Pot bacon chicken ranch gnocchi is full of flavor, with tender, pillows of gnocchi and chunks of chicken in a creamy, cheesy ranch sauce, topped with crispy bacon!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
“Bacon chicken ranch” is such a popular flavor combo, and for good reason! From sandwiches to pasta to dips and more, it’s clearly well-loved.
One of my personal favorites is the bacon chicken ranch pizza from Papa John’s. It’s so good!
So recently, I thought I’d make a meal that incorporates these flavors, but that could be made easily in the Instant Pot!
I had some gnocchi on hand and thought that would be a nice pairing for the flavors.
There are so many recipes for Instant Pot gnocchi soups, but I decided to make something a little different.
Ultimately, I wanted this to be a meal that didn’t require a lot of effort, that used a couple of shortcuts, and kept things simple.
The result was a tasty dish of this Instant Pot bacon chicken ranch gnocchi!
To simplify everything, I used storebought packages of gnocchi, which you can find in the pasta aisle. (Once upon a time, I made homemade gnocchi by hand, which was really a fun process–but it was a PROCESS. So now I just buy gnocchi from the store!)
I also used dry ranch seasoning mix from a packet. If you prefer, you can make your own ranch seasoning mix.
The resulting meal is a combination of tender gnocchi and chunks of chicken in a cheesy, creamy ranch sauce. Then, topped with BACON!
I know you need quick and easy meals, just like me, so you’ll love the fact that this is a one-pot meal!
New to Pressure Cooking? Check Out These Helpful Resources:
- Everything You Need to Know to Get Started Making Easy Pressure Cooker Recipes
- How to Reheat Leftovers in the Instant Pot
- Tips for Converting Your Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes to Be Made in the Pressure Cooker
How to Make Bacon Chicken Ranch Gnocchi in the Instant Pot
The process is really SO easy!
You’ll start with a boneless chicken breast that’s been cut into bite-size pieces. Add those to the insert pot of the Instant Pot.
Next, add in some chicken broth and cream, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and of course–gnocchi. Stir it together well. It’s okay if the gnocchi isn’t all completely submerged in the liquid.
That gets cooked at high pressure for 3 minutes.
After the cook time is complete, you’ll allow a 5 minute natural pressure release, followed by a quick release of any remaining pressure.
Once you open the lid, you’ll notice it looks kind of soupy. That’s normal!
Stir in some shredded cheese until it’s melted. The cheese will help thicken up the sauce. Also, the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so if you want the sauce to be even thicker, just let it stand for a bit.
Last, top with crumbled bacon, and dinner is served!
Tips for Cooking Gnocchi in the Instant Pot
Cooking gnocchi in the Instant Pot is similar to making pasta with the Instant Pot.
Gnocchi is still a starch, which is why we used a 5-minute natural release before performing a quick release.
However, gnocchi doesn’t absorb as much liquid as dried pasta does, so it doesn’t have to be fully covered with liquid when cooking like pasta does when cooking it in the Instant Pot.
I found a 3 minute cook time was sufficient for cooking the gnocchi (and the chicken) without the gnocchi becoming too mushy and falling apart.
Notes and Adaptations for Instant Pot Bacon Chicken Ranch Gnocchi:
- You can use milk or half and half instead of heavy cream, if you prefer, though milk or half & half are more likely to curdle under pressure. In this case, I’d suggest adding the dairy after pressure cooking.
- I used Monterey Jack cheese, but feel free to substitute cheddar, Colby Jack, or your cheese of choice. I like to shred my cheese by hand, because it melts best that way, but you can use packaged shredded cheese to save time!
- If you prefer to have the bacon mixed in, you can do that. I simply added it on top so it wouldn’t get soft.
- I only used 2 TBS of the dry ranch seasoning mix, but you can use the entire packet if you want to intensify the ranch flavor.
- Do yourself a favor and buy the pre-cooked bacon that you can just heat up in the microwave. It’s a great timer saver on a busy evening!
Recommended Equipment
- Instant Pot (I have the DUO60 model) or other electric pressure cooker
- Box grater if you are shredding your own cheese
More Easy Instant Pot Dinners You’ll Love:
- Creamy Instant Pot Tortellini and Sausage
- Instant Pot Beef Enchilada Pasta
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice
- Sweet and Sour Chicken in the Instant Pot
Instant Pot Bacon Chicken Ranch Gnocchi
Instant Pot bacon chicken ranch gnocchi is a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Tender gnocchi and chunks of chicken combine in a creamy, cheesy ranch sauce, topped with crispy crumbled bacon!
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbs dry ranch seasoning mix (can increase to a full packet of mix if desired)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 17-oz packages of gnocchi
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 6 pieces of crispy cooked bacon, crumbled
Instructions
- In the insert pot of the Instant Pot, add the chicken breast pieces.
- Pour in the chicken broth and cream, followed by the dry ranch mix, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Stir to combine well.
- Add in the gnocchi and stir to combine.
- Close the lid and set the vent to the sealed position. Using the Manual/Pressure Cook button, select a 3 minute cook time at high pressure.
- Once the cook time is complete, allow a 5 minute natural pressure release, followed by a quick release of remaining pressure.
- After the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully open lid. Add cheese and stir until melted. The sauce will thicken as it stands.
- Serve, topped with crumbled bacon.
Notes
- You can use milk or half and half instead of heavy cream, if you prefer, though these are more likely to curdle under pressure. If you are substituting, I'd recommend adding the dairy after pressure cooking.
- I used Monterey Jack cheese, but feel free to substitute cheddar, Colby Jack, or your cheese of choice. I like to shred my cheese by hand, because it melts best that way, but you can use packaged shredded cheese to save time!
- If you prefer to have the bacon mixed in, you can do that. I simply added it on top so it wouldn't get soft.
- I only used 2 TBS of the dry ranch seasoning mix, but you can use the entire packet if you want to intensify the ranch flavor.
- Do yourself a favor and buy the pre-cooked bacon that you can just heat up in the microwave. It's a great timer saver on a busy evening!
Did you make it and love it? I appreciate your 5-Star review!
I love to see my recipes come to life "in the wild." Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @marginmakingmom and use #marginmakingmom so I can see your creation!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 819Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 210mgSodium: 1047mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 50g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
New to Pressure Cooking?
Join the free community and you'll learn simple ways to easily create tasty food for your family. Plus, you'll get instant access to a FREE printable Beginner's Guide to Getting Started with Your Pressure Cooker!
Enter my free resource library for my latest printables and resources! Password is 'IHEARTMARGIN' -- please copy and paste that in at the link above. Thanks for being a subscriber!!
Hi, is there some trick to having the milk not curdle? Other than that, loved the dish.
Hi Ron! I’m sorry your cream curdled! Sometimes dairy can curdle in the pressure cooker, though I didn’t have that issue with it diluted in the broth (milk is also more likely to curdle than cream is). You can wait until after cooking to add the cream, and that will prevent curdling for sure. I’ll make a note on the recipe about this!
Hi I made this tonight and followed the directions exactly and still got the burn notice.. After the 4th time of scraping the bottom (I scraped it every time) I added more liquid and it still came on. Any idea what I did wrong?
Hi Leeann–Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that you were getting the burn message! The first thing I usually suspect when this happens is that the vent may have been accidentally left open. This can cause too much liquid to evaporate, which can cause the contents to scorch, giving the burn error. If you know for sure that wasn’t the case, I’m wondering if your IP model could be the culprit? I know the 8-quart sizes tend to give the burn message more often, and the IP Duo Evo model does as well (I recently bought that model and have noticed it gives the burn message more often than my old DUO60, which is what I originally tested this recipe in). The only other thing I can think of to try next time would be to not mix the seasoning packet into the liquid, but just sprinkle it on top instead–I suppose it’s possible the seasoning sank to the bottom and scorched, though I haven’t noticed that in my testing. I hope that helps!
This was great! Followed the recipe pretty much as is. Used combo of cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. I did add baby spinach that I sauteed in the bacon grease. Hubby and kids loved it. Will make again. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you, Kathryn! I love hearing that this is a hit with your family. Great idea to add some baby spinach, too! 🙂