Trader Joe's Chili Onion Crunch Chicken Pasta uses the popular sauce to make a spicy, creamy noodle dish in just minutes with an Instant Pot! Great way to use this popular item.
You guys know I love Trader Joe's as much as the next guy. We make a trip to our nearest store only occasionally, so before I go, I like to quickly research the newest popular items in the store.
A few months ago, I picked up a jar of the famous Trader Joe's Chili Onion Crunch - reviews online absolutely raved about this stuff. It was touted as slightly spicy and loaded with rich flavor - perfect for pastas, mixed with chicken/veggies, or even as a topping for toasted bread. I was so excited to find a jar!
I used it in a pasta dish - and it worked beautifully! Trader Joe's Chili Onion Crunch Chicken Pasta is definitely a meal with a kick.
🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It is super easy to make. Just throw it in the Instant Pot if you've got one (and, even if you don't, it will still work well - you'll just use a couple more pots and pans).
- The Chili Onion Crunch added a serious dose of heat. I balanced it out with a creamy sauce that worked so well to bring the whole thing together.
- It's a great way to use this popular condiment. Don't know what to do with Chili Onion Crunch? This is the perfect way to get its true flavor in savory pasta.
🍗 Ingredients
There are just four simple ingredients in this pasta...
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts - No issue with substituting boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this dish.
- linguine noodles - This is a total "use what you have" dish. Linguine is great because it works well with the big flavor of the sauce, but any pasta works!
- sour cream - This is how we're going to cut some of that heat out of the Chili Onion Crunch. Make a thicker, less spicy sauce by using cream cheese in addition to/instead of the sour cream.
- Chili Onion Crunch - The star of the show! Sorry, no real substitutions for this one.
Recipe Additions & Variations
I wanted to keep the recipe as simple as possible, so I eliminated a lot of the ingredients that would make it more complicated. However, there are lots of ways to add to or change up this pasta dish!
- Add fresh minced garlic.
- Use pasta sauce instead of sour cream for a tomato-based sauce.
- Add roasted red peppers or chopped bell peppers.
- Use white rice instead of pasta (change cooking time to 7 minutes on high pressure).
- Add veggies, like cauliflower, broccoli, or snap peas.
Love a good pasta recipe? 🍝 Check out my easy Instant Pot spaghetti or my slow cooker chicken spaghetti!
🔥 How to Make Chili Onion Crunch Pasta
First, heat your Instant Pot using the Saute mode. Once the Instant Pot displays "hot," add 1.5lbs chopped boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a couple of tablespoons of the oil from your Chili Onion Crunch. Brown for 5-6 minutes.
Turn off Saute mode. Add 12oz linguine, 3 cups of water, and the rest of the jar of Chili Onion Crunch.
Important: Make sure pasta is mostly submerged in water.
Set the Instant Pot for manual, 4 minutes at high pressure. Once the cook cycle is over, quick release the pressure.
Stir in 1.5 cups of sour cream.
And that's it. Seriously easy and so yummy!
✅ More Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Leftovers: Make sure to keep this one in the fridge in an airtight container. It's best within 3-4 days of cooking it.
- Browned Bits: After cooking the chicken, you might notice some browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan. As you add the water, make sure to scrape those up with a wooden spoon.
- Side Dishes: I'd recommend something that's going to cut a little bit of the heat to serve with this pasta. A salad or piece of garlic bread would be great.
I hope you love this one! If you try it, I want to hear what you think - make sure to rate ⭐️ and review in the comments below. And don't forget to follow along for the latest recipes from Lamberts Lately.
Trader Joe's Chili Onion Crunch Chicken Pasta
Affiliate links used.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped
- 1 jar Chili Onion Crunch
- 12 oz linguine noodles
- 1.5 cups sour cream
Instructions
- Heat your Instant Pot using the Saute mode. Throw in 1.5 lbs chopped boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a couple of tablespoons of the oil from your Chili Onion Crunch. Brown for 5-6 minutes.
- Turn off Saute mode. Toss in 12oz linguine, 3 cups of water, and the rest of the jar of Chili Onion Crunch. (Make sure pasta is mostly submerged in water.)
- Set Instant Pot for 4 minutes at high pressure. Once cook cycle is over, quick release the pressure.
- Stir in 1.5 cups of sour cream.
Notes
- Leftovers: Make sure to keep this one in the fridge in an airtight container. It's best within 3-4 days of cooking it.
- Browned Bits: After cooking the chicken, you might notice some browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan. As you add the water, make sure to scrape those up with a wooden spoon.
- Side Dishes: I'd recommend something that's going to cut a little bit of the heat to serve with this pasta. A salad or piece of garlic bread would be great.
Anyway to make this less spicy without loosing flavor?
Adding more sour cream helps tremendously. You could cut down to half a jar of the chili onion crunch to help with spice (but, of course, that's going to affect flavor too) - I'd sub in onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder to help counteract that.
It was so good! I used cream cheese and sour cream to make it less spicy.
Can you adapt for stovetop directions?
Sure! I'd recommend boiling your noodles separately, browning the chicken, adding the elements of the sauce and melting together, then adding noodles at the end.