Instant Pot Chicken Stew is a complete meal made with juicy chicken thighs and bursting with vegetables in every spoonful.
Table of Contents
Chicken vegetable stew in the Instant Pot is delicious any time of the year. It’s comforting and warm in cooler months and also a great way to use fresh summer vegetables from the farmer’s market. Chicken, carrots, celery, onion, and sweet potatoes come together for a savory stew.
Instant Pot chicken stew uses chicken thighs that are tender, flavorful, and budget-friendly. Dip a warm slice of honey beer bread in the stew or serve with super easy arugula & apricot salad for a meal your family will be requesting again and again.
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe
- One Pot. I love having at least one Instant Pot recipe on my meal plan each week because it’s quick and there’s just one thing to wash! Make chicken stew in any electric pressure cooker if you don’t have an Instant Pot.
- Vegetable Rich. There are so many delicious vegetables in pressure cooker chicken stew that add color and flavor. Choose this stew when you want to up your vegetable intake!
- Easy Adaptations. This chicken and vegetable soup Instant Pot recipe is so adaptable! Ideal for when you have a few vegetables you need to use up or if your garden is producing a bounty of carrots! Adapt to include your favorites or pack in veggies you know your kids will eat!
- Make Ahead. Instant Pot chicken and potatoes stew gets even more delicious the next day as the flavors develop. Make stew ahead for a busy night or pack it into individual portions for lunch.
Preparation is easy and will fill your kitchen with an aroma of comforting stew that’s perfect for lunches or weeknight family-friendly meals.
Ingredients
- Bacon: Bacon has a savory flavor and adds important fat for browning the chicken. Uncured bacon cut into pieces works best.
- Olive Oil: For searing the chicken and preventing sticking while sauteing chicken and vegetables.
- Onion: Yellow or white onion, chopped.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1½ inch pieces. Chicken thighs tenderize perfectly in the Instant Pot without becoming dry.
- Garlic: Sliced, fresh garlic offers the most flavor.
- Thyme: A stew classic, dried.
- Rosemary: Fragrant spice perfect for seasoning chicken, dried.
- Cracked Black Pepper: Enhances all flavors.
- Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes add color to pressure-cooked chicken stew and give more flavor than a white potato. Cut into 1½ - 2-inch cubes for tender potatoes.
- Celery: Slice into ½-inch pieces.
- Carrots: Peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces or baby carrots, sliced in half lengthwise.
- Cremini Mushrooms: Add richness to the broth, halved lengthwise.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: Using low-sodium broth allows for better control over the saltiness of the Instapot chicken stew.
- Dried Bay Leaves: A must for deepening comforting herby flavors, removed before serving.
- Cornstarch: For thickening stew.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Brightens the flavors of the soup and adds a light tang.
- Salt and Pepper: For final seasoning adjustments, as desired.
- Parmesan Cheese (optional): Grated or shredded parmesan for topping the stew.
Substitutions
- Bone Broth or Chicken Stock: Bone broth or chicken stock can be used in place of the chicken broth. Look for low-sodium options so you can personalize saltiness with a finishing touch of salt and peper.
- Chicken Breasts or Rotisserie Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be used for Instant Pot stewed chicken, but will have a little less flavor than chicken thighs. For rotisserie chicken, skip the browning step and add chicken right before sealing the pot to pressure cook.
- Olive Oil: Use 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead of bacon.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Stew
This chicken stew recipe made in the Instant Pot preps quickly with a few simple steps:
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Preheat the Instant Pot on the saute setting on medium-high heat. Add the sliced bacon and olive oil, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the fat starts to render from the bacon.
Step 2: Add the onions and chicken to the bacon and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside and the onions are translucent.
Step 3: Add the garlic, dried thyme, rosemary, and black pepper to the vegetables and chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the garlic is fragrant and the chicken is starting to turn golden brown.
Step 4: Add the sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, mushrooms, chicken broth, and dried bay leaves to the pot. Turn the saute setting off.
Step 5: Lock on the pressure cooker lid and pressure cook the chicken stew on high for 8 minutes. Quick release the pressure.
Step 6: Whisk the cornstarch and ⅓ cup water together until smooth. Add to the stew with the red wine vinegar. Turn the saute setting to high and bring to a boil. Stir in until the stew has thickened.
Step 7: Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Make mirepoix ahead of time. Mirepoix is a combination of celery, carrots, and onions cut into similar sizes and is used for many soups and stews, like turkey rice soup. You can make mirepoix ahead of time for this recipe and even freeze it in recipe-sized portions.
- Deglaze the pot before pressure cooking. When you add in the chicken broth, deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom as you stir to loosen and mix in anything that’s stuck to the bottom. This will add flavor to the broth and prevent any burning during the pressure cooking.
- Aim for golden chicken before pressure cooking. Stewing chicken starts with searing chicken until golden brown before adding broth and pressure cooking. This is what gives the stewed chicken a richer flavor, especially when cooked with bacon!
Recipe Mix-Ins
- Beans: If you like beans in your stew, add one can of drained beans of your choice before pressure cooking. Try black beans, kidney beans, or even chickpeas.
- Peas: Frozen, canned, or fresh peas can be added before pressure cooking to add colorful variety.
- Tomatoes: For chicken stew with tomatoes, add in 2 tablespoons tomato paste along with one can of diced tomatoes or 1-2 fresh tomatoes, diced.
Serving Suggestions
The comforting flavors of chicken, potatoes, and carrots in the instant pot make a complete meal or complement this stewed chicken recipe with homemade gluten-free cornbread or whole wheat naan. Top stew with grated Parmesan cheese, bacon bits, chopped parsley, or some fresh herbs.
Pressure cooker chicken stew is ideal for serving large groups with protein and vegetables in every spoonful. Offering a variety toppings like cheese, green onions, and herbs lets guests personalize their meals. It’s also easy to serve over an extended time using the warm setting of your Instant Pot.
Dietary Adaptations
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free if you omit the Parmesan cheese topping.
Storage Directions
- To Store: Leftovers keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- To Freeze: Freeze stew in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
- To Reheat: Reheat stew on the stovetop or in the microwave, covered, in 60-second increments, and stir between increments. You may want to add additional broth or water if the stew has thickened.
FAQs
Chicken becomes rubbery when overcooked and the protein fibers start to have an elastic-like texture. A rubbery, dry, or chewy taste can also occur if the chicken is cooked in the Instant Pot without enough liquid. Look for chicken recipes using chicken broth because the broth will add the needed moisture as well as flavor.
Chicken needs to be cooked in the Instant Pot until the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. For perfectly tender chicken, brown cubed chicken on the saute setting with bacon fat or olive oil, then add your cooking liquid, such as low-sodium chicken broth, before pressure cooking. The best Instant Pot stew setting is to pressure cook on high for 8 minutes, then quick release.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken And Potatoes
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Bolognese
- Instant Pot Pineapple Chicken and Rice
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Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Email FacebookEquipment
- 1 Ladle
Ingredients
- 3 pieces uncured bacon cut into ½ inch pieces (optional, see notes*
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow or white onion chopped
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (or 2 large or 4 small)
- 2 cups sliced celery cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 cup sliced carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms halved lengthwise
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth (or 4 cups)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated or shredded parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the Instant Pot on the saute setting on medium-high heat. Add the sliced bacon and olive oil and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the fat starts to render from the bacon.
- Add the onions and chicken to the bacon and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside and the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic, dried thyme, rosemary, and black pepper to the vegetables and chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the garlic is fragrant and the chicken is starting to turn golden brown.
- Add the sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, mushrooms, chicken broth and dried bay leaves to the pot. Turn the saute setting off.
- Lock on the pressure cooker lid and pressure cook the chicken stew on high for 8 minutes. Quick-release the pressure.
- Whisk the cornstarch and ⅓ cup water together until smooth. Add to the stew with the red wine vinegar. Turn the saute setting to high and bring to a boil. Stir in until the stew has thickened.
- Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- To store: Leftovers keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- To freeze: Freeze stew in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
- To reheat: Reheat stew on the stovetop or in the microwave in 60-second increments, cover, and stir between increments.
- Olive oil: Substitute 2 tablespoons olive oil for the bacon
- Deglaze pot before pressure cooking: Release any bits of chicken or vegetables stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot before pressure cooking by scraping the bottom of the pot after adding in your chicken broth.
- Chicken: You can use chicken breasts for this recipe or shredded rotisserie chicken. Add rotisserie chicken with broth before sealing to pressure cook.
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