This hearty instant pot chicken stew is a quick one-pot dish that is comforting and nourishing. Cooked in under 30 minutes, it’s easy to make and loaded with vegetables which makes it a great choice for a simple homely meal. It’s gluten-free and dairy-free too.
If you want to try more instant pot recipes, here are some – Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup, Instant Pot Refried Beans, Instant Pot Taco Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, and Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
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About This Recipe
Warm and rustic, Instant pot chicken stew is a delicious combination of chicken and vegetables cooked in a delicious creamy curry, perfect for those comforting weeknight dinners.
A good stew has a nicely balanced meat and vegetable ratio and is almost a complete meal loaded with proteins, vitamins, and minerals and this instant pot chicken stew is just that. This healthy and super delicious chicken dinner is a wholesome meal that is family-friendly and frugal.
If you have tried my brown chicken stew, you will love this version too. These two are my absolute comfort foods and I very frequently make them for family dinners.
This chicken stew recipe is not at all bland. It is loaded with flavors and makes for a very healthy and filling dinner idea. It can be made any time of the year and is perfect to feed a crowd.
Traditionally stew was simmered for hours over low heat to get the perfect texture but now with the availability of instant pot, making it is a matter of minutes and that too without compromising on the taste and texture.
Why Make it in an Instant Pot when it can be done over the stovetop too, you may ask?
- This chicken stew can definitely be made on a stovetop but cooking it in an Instant Pot makes sure you don’t have to constantly watch it, more free time for you :).
- Cooking it in an electric pressure cooker takes much lesser time (15 minutes of cook time and 10 minutes of building the steam) as compared to at least an hour of slow cooking on a stove top.
Make this Chicken Stew in Instant Pot for a delicious winter meal and serve with crusty bread to dunk into the saucy stew.
Ingredients
Chicken – I prefer using the boneless skinless chicken breast as they are low in fat but if you like your stew a little richer, use chicken thighs or even bone-in chicken. You can also choose to leave the skin-on to make it even richer.
Vegetables – Along with the chicken, we will also use some vegetables such as onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery. You can add more vegetables such as green peas, mushrooms, broccoli, green beans, etc if you like to make it wholesome and even more nutritious.
Red, yellow or white onion, all works great. Chop the carrots or use whole baby carrots.
Try to use waxy potatoes like New Potatoes, French Fingerlings, or Red Bliss in place of starchy ones like Russet. Waxy potatoes hold their shape well and will not become mushy after cooking.
If using baby potatoes, just cut them into half and if using regular ones, cut them into 1-inch cubes. Leave the skin on or peel it, it’s up to you.
You can also use sweet potatoes in place of regular ones. The stew will be slightly sweeter in this case.
Chicken Stock – If you are watching your sodium intake, use low sodium broth.
Tomato Sauce – It gives a nice flavor to the stew. you can replace it with crushed tomatoes too.
Soy Sauce – To make the stew gluten-free, use coconut aminos or tamari.
Cornstarch – To thicken the stew a bit, I have used cornstarch. Just mix it with a little water and add it to the end of the recipe. You can also use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch or skip it if you are fine with a thinner stew.
Other Ingredients – Other than the above ingredients, you will need bay leaves, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
How To Make Chicken Stew in Instant Pot
Preparation
Start by preparing the ingredients.
- Cut 1.5 pounds (680 g) of boneless chicken breasts into ½ inch cubes.
- Peel 2 small carrots and slice them into ¼ inch rounds.
- Wash 7 oz baby potatoes and cut them into half. If using regular potatoes, peel them and cut into 1-inch cubes. Soak the cut potatoes into water until ready to use to avoid blackening from oxidation.
- Chop the 2 stalks of celery, a handful of parsley and 3-4 cloves of garlic and slice ½ onions.
- Gather all the remaining ingredients.
Press SAUTE mode of Instant Pot. When it says hot, add 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to the pot.
Once the oil is hot, add 1.5 pounds of boneless chicken cubes and let them brown for 6-8 minutes. Keep stirring them at regular intervals so that they brown evenly.
Add sliced carrots, halved baby potatoes, chopped celery, sliced onions, and chopped garlic to the pot. Fry for 5-6 minutes until onions begin to soften.
Add ¼ cup of ketchup, 2 teaspoon of soy sauce, 4 cups of chicken stock, 2 sprigs of rosemary, 2 tablespoon of chopped parsley, and 2 bay leaves. Season with salt, and pepper and give everything a stir.
Close the lid of the pot. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 10 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE. Set the valve to the sealing position.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the extra pressure by moving the valve to the venting position. Move the valve using a kitchen cloth to avoid steam burn on your fingers. Once all the pressure is released, open the lid of the pot.
Mix cornstarch in water and add the slurry to the pot.
Press SAUTE and cook until the stew thickens (3-4 minutes).
Serve hot with crusty bread.
Pro Tips By Neha
Prep the ingredients in advance to save time You can also buy chopped veggies to make it.
You can also use bone-in chicken or chicken thighs in place of chicken breast.
While we are pressure cooking the stew for 10 minutes, keep in mind that it will also take 10-12 minutes for the steam to build up.
Keep a check on the salt in the chicken broth and soy sauce before adding any additional salt.
I like to chop the onion in bulk using an electric chopper and refrigerating them for 3-4 days. It makes the cooking process quite quick.
You can add some heavy cream to the stew at the end of cooking to make it ricer.
To make it gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
Make this stew in a slow cooker by just dumping all the ingredients in it and setting the timer for 5-6 hours at low.
You can easily double the recipe. I cooked it in a 6 quart Instant Pot. So if you are doubling it, use an 8 Quart cooker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the chicken stew is a low-carb dish and if you are following a low carb or KETO diet, it is a great option to make.
All the ingredients except soy sauce are gluten-free in this recipe. You can replace it with tamari or coconut aminos to make a gluten-free version.
This recipe is perfect for babies above one year of age. You can slightly overcook the stew so that it becomes easier to digest.
To make a creamy version of this stew, cook the stew with 1 cup of chicken stock in place of 4 cups. Once the stew is cooked and the lid of the instant pot is opened, stir in 2 cups of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup sour cream, and ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese. Press SAUTE and cook for 5-8 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
I often make crusty baguettes at home, whenever this chicken stew is on the menu. Dip the crusty bread in the stew and let it soak up all the flavors.
When I want to serve a little heavy meal, I serve it with Steamed White Rice, Brown Rice, or any other highly flavored rice. Check out my Instant Pot Brown Rice and Instant Pot Basmati Rice recipes.
You can also serve it along with a light salad such as Greek Salad, Caesar Salad or Brussels Sprout Salad, Dinner Rolls, or even creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and creamy Polenta.
You can also add some dumplings to the stew to make it filling.
I sometimes make my Mexican Cornbread to serve with it for a filling dinner.
Storage Suggestions
Let the chicken stew cool down completely. Once it is cooled, store it in an airtight container for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
You can freeze it for about 3 to 4 months in ziplock freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. If you plan to freeze the stew, I suggest using all-purpose flour as the thicker instead of cornstarch.
Thaw it overnight before serving it again. The texture of the vegetables might change when frozen. They can become mushy while reheating.
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Recipe Card
Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breasts (680 g, cut into ½ inch cubes.)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups peeled and sliced carrots
- 7 ounces halved baby potatoes (200 g, or regular potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes.)
- 2 stalks chopped celery
- ½ cup sliced onions
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free.)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 sprig rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper powder (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Press SAUTE and add oil to the pot.
- When the oil is hot and shimmery, add chicken pieces and brown them for 6-8 minutes. Keep stirring at regular intervals for even browning.
- Add carrots, baby potatoes, celery, onions, and garlic to the pot. Fry for 5-6 minutes until onions begin to soften.
- Stir in ketchup, soy sauce, chicken stock, rosemary, parsley, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Close the lid of the pot. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 10 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE. Set the valve to the sealing position.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the extra pressure by moving the valve to the venting position. Once all the pressure is released, open the lid of the pot.
- Mix cornstarch with water and add the slurry to the pot. Press SAUTE and cook until the stew thickens (3-4 minutes).
- Serve hot with crusty bread.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!