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Instant Pot Chicken Stew

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Instant Pot Chicken Stew is the perfect one-pot recipe when you’re looking for a meal to warm you up. It’s healthy comfort food at its best!

If you’re looking for more ways to prepare chicken and potatoes in your Instant Pot, check out my Lemon Garlic Chicken and Potatoes or my Chicken Pot Pie!

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Instant Pot Chicken Stew in a black bowl served with bread.

I crave this meal on dreary, cold days and I love that it’s a filling, balanced meal made in one pot. This version of chicken stew is fantastic for those that need a dairy-free option (no cream here!) and it also doesn’t use a thickener like cornstarch.

Another reason we love this Instant Pot Chicken Stew recipe: it freezes and reheats beautifully so it’s perfect for meal prep!

Ingredients and Variations

Here’s an overview of the steps and ingredients to make pressure cooker chicken stew. See the recipe card below for all the details!

  • Chicken breast – boneless, skinless
  • Mini potatoes – you can also substitute regular yellow potatoes, chopped to a similar size
  • Carrots and peas – classic additions to chicken stew
  • Onion, celery and garlic – for deeper flavour
  • Chicken broth – or use water + Chicken Better Than Bouillon
  • Fresh rosemary and thyme – we prefer fresh herbs in the stew, but it’s also delicious made with a dried poultry seasoning blend
  • Bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce – adding more layers to that flavour!
  • White wine vinegar – a small amount to brighten the flavour after cooking
Ingredients needed to make Instant Pot Chicken Stew, viewed from overhead.

How to make it

First, use the Sauté function to sauté the onion and celery in a bit of olive oil. Once they’re softened and fragrant, turn off the sauté function, then add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute in the residual heat.

Next, deglaze the pot by adding a small amount of broth. Use flat-bottomed spatula to scrape up any bits of food stuck to the bottom of the insert.

Pour in the remaining broth, then add the rosemary, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Add the diced carrot in an even layer, then layer the chicken breasts on top.

Finally, add the baby potatoes and peas. Do not stir.

A 5-photo collage showing the steps to make Instant Pot Chicken Stew.

Pressure cook on High for 10 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure.

Transfer the chicken breasts to a clean cutting board and shred or chop into bite-size pieces. Find and discard the bay leaves. To thicken the stew, transfer about 2 ladlefuls of the stew (liquid and vegetables) to a medium bowl. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy like a soup.

Stir the blended portion back into the stew, along with the teaspoon of white wine vinegar, then mix in the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with parsley and serve!

Chicken Stew in an Instant Pot being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Tips for Success

  • Use 8-9oz chicken breasts. Any larger and they may not fully cook in 10 minutes (a good rule of thumb is 1 minute per ounce for sliceable chicken breasts). We’re overshooting the cook time a bit so they’ll be pull-apart tender.
  • Allow for a full 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). This helps to keep the chicken breasts tender and juicy!
  • Dice the carrots fairly thick. If they’re too thin they will get too soft and start to break down as you mix the stew. Same goes for regular potatoes – be sure to dice them at least an inch thick.
  • Season with salt to taste after cooking. I err on the side of less salt in recipes because sodium content in broth varies so much depending on the brand. Easier to adjust once you can taste it!
Instant Pot Chicken Stew in a black bowl served with bread and chopped fresh parsley, viewed from overhead.

How to freeze

Transfer the stew to a storage container, leaving about half an inch at the top to account for expansion. Cool the stew completely, then place the lid on the container. Freeze for up to three months.

How to thaw

Place in the refrigerator overnight or defrost in the microwave.

How to reheat

Stovetop: Reheat in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 °F. Add more broth as necessary to reach your desired consistency.

Microwave: Heat individual portions on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring partway for even heating. Ensure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 °F.

More Instant Pot chicken recipes

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Chicken Stew in an Instant Pot being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Instant Pot Chicken Stew

Laura Lawless, BASc
Instant Pot Chicken Stew is the perfect one-pot meal on dreary, cold days. It's healthy comfort food at its best!
4.96 from 22 votes

Click stars to rate now! ↑

Servings 4
Calories 454
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Inactive time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Turn on the Sauté function on your Instant Pot and wait until the screen says "hot". Add the olive oil, then sauté the onion and celery until softened and fragrant. Add the garlic, turn off the Sauté function and continue to sauté for about a minute in the residual heat. To deglaze, pour in a small amount of broth and use a spatula to scrape up any bits of food stuck to the bottom of the insert.
  • Pour in the remaining broth, then add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and kosher salt. Add the sliced carrot in an even layer.
  • Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt and pepper, then place them in an even layer on top of the carrots. Layer the baby potatoes on top, then the peas. Do not stir.
  • Close the lid and set the vent to sealing. Pressure Cook on Manual High pressure for 10 minutes (your Instant Pot model may have a "Pressure Cook" button rather than a "Manual" button). It will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure.
  • At the end of cooking time, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Carefully transfer the chicken breasts to a clean cutting board and remove the bay leaves. To thicken the stew, ladle about 2 cups of the vegetables and broth into a medium bowl and use an immersion blender to blend it until smooth. Stir the blended portion into the stew, along with the teaspoon of white wine vinegar.
  • Dice the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces, or use two forks to shred them. Stir the chicken back into the stew. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with biscuits or crusty bread. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.

Notes

  1. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning. 
  2. Inactive time indicates the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and release pressure. 
  3. See post for freezing and reheating instructions.
  4. This recipe was tested in both 6-quart and 8-quart Instant Pot models. 

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 928mg | Potassium: 1884mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 10717IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 4mg

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4.96 from 22 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




17 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Me and all family loved this recipe. We will be having this again and again.
    It was easy to do.
    It was very tasty.
    I thought it was gonna be hard to do but even I could do it.
    Thank you for this recipe.

    1. Laura Lawless, BASc says:

      This is wonderful to hear! So glad your family enjoyed the stew!

  2. 5 stars
    Great recipe, add 1/4 cup red wine before pressure cooking for more taste

    1. Laura Lawless, BASc says:

      So glad you enjoyed it!

  3. Bam Knits says:

    4 stars
    I didn’t have fresh rosemary, so I opted for the poultry seasoning. Overall it was a bit bland so I added mustard, rice vinegar, smoked paprika, fish sauce, and Korean red pepper flakes (sweet and hot). The Fam liked the additions. But will try with the rosemary soon.

  4. 5 stars
    Man, this was some kind of good! I wasn’t expecting to be amazed, but I was! I followed the recipe exactly, except I sautéed all the veggies together for about 20 minutes until the carrots were good and tender, then I placed the chicken over top. I also added 1/2 cup canned, drained pigeon peas at the end. The chicken was so tender, it literally fell apart. The seasonings were spot on. I’m in love with this stew!!

    1. Laura Lawless, BASc says:

      This is wonderful to hear! So glad you love it!

  5. Ooops, I forgot an essential ingredient, also add 1+ cup of chopped red kale!

  6. 5 stars
    Thanks for posting this! I’m an instantpot newbie (Cosori version) and this provided a great framework/template for experimenting with it.
    I made a stoup version (somewhere between soup & stew in consistency) with changes: no potatoes or Worcestershire; sub two bone-in thighs for the breasts; sub cut green beans for the peas; 3+ cups of water with bullion; add two tablespoons of NM red chili powder (one hot, one mild). Really excellent! Serve with a dab of sour cream.

  7. 5 stars
    This is delicious! I ended up adding a cornstarch/ water mix after it was done since I like my stew thick and it wasn’t quite thick enough from blending the broth and veggies, as suggested. Served it with rolls.

  8. 5 stars
    Delightfully easy, wonderfully flavorful!
    Thanks!

  9. Nancy Solum says:

    5 stars
    Made this stew today for Packers and Cowboys game!! It was a hit, delicious and nutritious!!

    1. Laura Lawless, BASc says:

      Thrilled to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review!

  10. Can I double the recipe in one batch?

    1. Laura Lawless, BASc says:

      Hi Susan, I think it would be fine in an 8-quart pot, but might be too much for a 6-quart. I’ll test a double batch soon and update the post with results!

  11. 5 stars
    Incredible meal! Definitely going on our regular rotation. Thank you!

    1. Laura Lawless, BASc says:

      So glad you enjoyed it, Brenda! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!