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Make this comforting Instant Pot Chicken Stew in your pressure cooker for an easy dinner that everyone loves! This meal is made with fresh ingredients and makes great leftovers. Stove top instructions included.
Besides this Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe, some of our other pressure cooker favorites include Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup, Instant Pot Chili, Instant Pot Mexican Rice, and Instant Pot Applesauce.
Why We Love This Recipe
A chicken stew is similar to a chicken soup, in that it has protein, vegetables and a starch. A stew has a thicker broth, almost like a gravy, making it heartier, stick to your ribs comfort food.
Instant Pot Chicken Stew is:
- Thick and rich, hearty comfort food that warms you up quick on a cool night.
- Full of hearty protein and veggies.
- Ready in about half an hour. Just 10 minutes of prep, 25 minutes of cook time and dinner is ready.
Ingredient Notes for Instant Pot Chicken Stew
- Chicken – Boneless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs work best.
- Vegetables – Use a mix of onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes. You can substitute sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, diced tomatoes or corn.
- Dried Herbs – If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can use ¼ teaspoon each of rosemary, basil, thyme, and oregano. I also use a couple of bay leaves. Fresh herbs, like rosemary and thyme, would be great, too.
- Chicken stock or broth – You can substitute with vegetable broth, but the flavor may be different.
- Cornstarch – You can use arrowroot instead.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Stew
- Preheat the Instant Pot.
- Melt butter and add vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and saute until vegetables are tender.
- Add garlic, and cook for a moment, then press cancel. Add the chicken, potatoes, broth and seasonings. Stir well.
- Cook on manual pressure for 10 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes and release the rest manually using the pressure valve.
- Combine cornstarch and water and set aside.
- Remove the lid, press saute, and add the cornstarch slurry. Simmer for several minutes until the stew has thickened.
- Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips for Stew
- Prep and chop the ingredients in advance to save time.
- Add more or less seasoning to suit your taste.
- For more of a soup consistency, omit the cornstarch.
Stove Top Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot on the stove and add some butter or olive oil. Brown the chicken for several minutes over a medium-high heat. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the vegetables and saute for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add Italian seasoning, bay leaves and garlic, and saute for another minute.
- Add the potatoes, chicken and chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl then add to the pot. Stir well, cover and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken.
- Add more seasoning as needed and serve immediately.
FAQ
Add flavor to the stew with a dried seasoning like Italian seasoning, which is a mix of oregano, basil, marjoram, and thyme. You can also use the individual seasonings with salt and pepper for more flavor. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end will give a nice acidic balance to the broth.
I thicken my instant pot chicken stew by adding a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with half a cup of water or use broth from the cooked stew, making sure there are no lumps. Stir the slurry into the stew and simmer (using the saute function until it thickens slightly. It will thicken more as it sits.
As long as you are cooking the chicken at high pressure for at least 8 minutes, you can start with raw chicken in the instant pot.
Storing and Reheating
How to Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: This chicken stew freezes exceptionally well. Transfer the soup to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Reheating: Reheat from the fridge using a saucepan on the stove top or in the microwave. If frozen, thaw overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Chicken Pasta
This stew is a classic comforting dish that anyone can make. It’s perfect on a cold fall day and it’s also a great option to bring to new parents or a friend in need of a warm dinner. Try it and let us know what you think!
Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
- 3 red potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat you Instant Pot using the Saute function on the display panel.
- Melt butter, then add onion, carrot, and celery. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and allow to cook 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Press Cancel, then add chicken, potatoes, broth, seasoning, bay leaf, and remaining salt and pepper.
- Stir well, then secure lid and pressure valve. Cook on Manual High for 10 minutes, allowing a 10 minute natural release before releasing the rest via pressure valve.
- Combine cornstarch and water and stir until dissolved, then remove Instant Pot lid. Press Saute, stir in cornstarch slurry, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add fresh chopped parsley, tasting and seasoning as desired. Remove the bay leaves and serve hot.
Notes
- Chicken: You can use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts, if desired.
- Vegetables: You can substitute green beans or sweet potatoes, if desired.
- Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can use ¼ teaspoon each of rosemary, basil, thyme and oregano.
- Cornstarch: Use arrowroot instead, if needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
I have made this many times and my family loves it! Such a good bowl of comfort! The only thing I change, is instead of chopping carrots, I add a cup of frozen mixed vegetables which has carrots, corn and green beans. So so good and a staple in my house through fall and winter.
Nice! Fantastic feedback Julie, thanks for stopping by.
I was wary about adding the raw chicken but it turned out great. I was out of chicken broth so I used beef. I also used poultry seasoning instead of Italian seasoning. I had carrots, two red potatoes and green peas from my garden’s harvest today. I added zucchini, mushrooms and then the rest were yukon gold potatoes. Very yummy!
It was good recipe but the Italian seasoning wasn’t a hit with my family. I may try making it without next time.
Thanks for stopping by to share your feedback Susan.
Made your recipe in my Instant Pot and it was absolutely delicious. The colours of the vegetables were bright and pleasing to the eyes. Your directions were easy to follow and I had this meal on the table in under 30 mins. Normally I thicken the broth with flour but I have to say I enjoyed the lighter broth made with cornstarch far better. The only addition to your recipe was that I added poultry seasoning. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You are so welcome Judi! Love the feedback, thanks for stopping by to share.
Delicious! I used chicken thigh instead of breast. Instead of 2 cups of broth I added 1/4 cup of sherry with the broth. I will be making again
Love the feedback Shelly! Thanks for stopping by to share.
This was delicious! I used chicken thighs instead of breast. The only change I made was using 1 3/4 chicken broth and 1/4 cup sherry. So good. I will make again
You only cook the chicken 10 mins.? Is that correct?
Yes, cook time is very different in the Instant Pot. But even on the stovetop chicken cut into cubes will cook in about 10 minutes as well.
Making this right now for some Covid patients. It smelled divine with the garlic sautéing! Will add this to my list of yummy soups in winter to make!
Nice! Love the feedback Shay, thanks for stopping by.
Made this today for my 14 year old son who has come down with covid. He ate it which is a relief because he’s not eating much! Thank you for a comforting, nourishing recipe!
You are so welcome Lisa! Hope for a speedy recovery for your son! Thanks for stopping by.
Do you cook the chicken first or put it in raw?
The chicken is put in raw.
This recipe is delicious! Hubby and 15 month old couldn’t get enough so this will be part of our regular rotation 😁
This is only the second thing I have made with my new instant pot and it was delicious! I’ve bookmarked it and will definitely be making it again.
Thank you so much.
You are so welcome David! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe, what size Instant Pot did you use for this? I have a 3qt one, I know most people don’t have this size but I was wondering if you had any recommendations, should I just try splitting this recipe in half?
Thanks! 🙂
The average size is 6-quart, which is the size needed for this recipe. I haven’t tried dividing it for a smaller unit.
Easy recipe!! So very good!
My daughter took some home with her. She called today to ask how to make it.
I didn’t have red potatoes and used russet potatoes.
That’s awesome Teresa! Love the feedback.
Just made this recipe and I really liked it. I ended up adding a little hot sauce and a bit more pepper, because I like things a little spicy. I didn’t have red potatoes but had russets but it still turned out.
Thank you for the recipe.
You are so welcome Sandy! Thanks for stopping by.
Easy and delicious! Followed the recipe exactly except I forgot to let it release naturally and quick-released the pressure. It was still wonderful!
Thank you Dana!