Instant Pot Stewed Chicken

When it’s grey and chilly outside and I want something cozy that doesn’t need babysitting on the stove, this Instant Pot Chicken Stew is what I turn to. It’s that one-pot comfort meal that feels like a warm hug—loaded with tender chicken, hearty potatoes, and sweet carrots, all tied together in a rich broth. No dairy, no fuss, just real food that fills you up and leaves your kitchen smelling like you’ve been slow-simmering all day.

What Makes This Stew So Good?

I’ve made this stew more times than I can count, especially during monsoon evenings or when everyone’s down with a cold. What I love most is that it’s one of those dump-and-go meals that tastes like you tried a lot harder than you actually did.

• No cream, no thickeners needed. The trick is blending a bit of the stew at the end—makes it velvety without adding anything extra.

• It reheats like a dream. I usually stash a batch in the freezer for those nights I just don’t have the energy.

• One-pot magic. Less cleanup, more time for second helpings.

Ingredients You’ll Need (and a Few Swaps I Use)

Here’s the lineup for this comforting bowl. These are my go-tos, but feel free to work with what’s in your fridge:

• Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless): If I have chicken thighs on hand, I use those—they’re extra juicy.

• Mini potatoes: I leave the skin on and just halve them. If using regular potatoes, cut them into big chunks (1-inch or so).

• Carrots & peas: Adds color and that sweet bite—frozen peas go in at the end so they don’t turn mushy.

• Onion, celery & garlic: The flavor base. Don’t skip the garlic—it makes a big difference.

• Chicken broth: I often use water and a spoonful of bouillon paste if I’m out of stock.

• Fresh rosemary & thyme: If I don’t have fresh herbs, a good poultry seasoning works in a pinch.

• Bay leaves & Worcestershire sauce: Adds that deep, comforting backnote.

• White wine vinegar: Just a splash at the end brightens everything up. Apple cider vinegar works too.

Step-by-Step: How I Make It

Here’s how I do it, in my own kitchen—with a few tips I’ve picked up over time.

Start with the base:
Turn on the Sauté setting on your Instant Pot. Add a splash of olive oil, then toss in your chopped onion and celery. Cook until soft and a little golden—it takes about 5 minutes. Once that’s done, switch off sauté and stir in the garlic. Let it cook with the residual heat for a minute.

Deglaze the pot:
This part’s important. Pour in a splash of your broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those browned bits at the bottom. That’s flavor gold right there and helps you avoid the burn warning.

Layer the stew:
Now pour in the rest of the broth, followed by rosemary, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Add carrots in a layer, then place your chicken breasts right on top. Scatter the halved potatoes and frozen peas over everything. Don’t stir.

Pressure cook:
Seal the lid, set to high pressure, and cook for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for another 10 minutes before quick-releasing the rest.

Finish it up:
Pull out the chicken and shred it into chunks. Fish out the bay leaves (they’ve done their job). Take a couple ladles of the stew and blend it until smooth—I use my immersion blender right in a bowl. Pour that back into the pot for natural creaminess, then stir in the vinegar and chopped chicken. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.

Real-Life Tips from My Kitchen

• Use medium-sized chicken breasts: Around 8–9 oz is perfect. Bigger ones can turn out a bit rubbery or undercooked in just 10 minutes.

• Cut the carrots thick: At least half an inch rounds so they don’t disintegrate during pressure cooking.

• Don’t over-stir at the beginning: You want those layers to stay mostly intact before cooking so nothing turns to mush.

• Taste before salting: Depending on your broth, you might not need much.

How I Store and Reheat It

This stew is freezer-friendly, which is great because I always make extra. I let it cool, transfer it to a container with a bit of space at the top (it expands!), and freeze it for up to 3 months.

To reheat, I either simmer it on the stove or microwave a bowl straight from the fridge. If it thickens too much, I splash in a little broth or water.

Great Ways to Serve It

• With crusty bread: I usually toast a sourdough slice or two and swipe it through the stew. Simple and perfect.

• Over rice or couscous: Especially when stretching leftovers into another meal.

• With a squeeze of lemon or parsley: Just before serving for freshness.

  

  Instant Pot Stewed Chicken

  Yield: 4

  Prep Time: 20 minutes

  Cook Time: 10 minutes

  Additional Time: 25 minutes

  Total Time: 55 minutes

  This cozy Instant Pot Chicken Stew is the kind of hearty, comforting dinner that warms you up from the inside out.

  Print

  Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 medium breasts)
  • 1½ lbs baby yellow potatoes (or regular yellow potatoes, diced)
  • 4 carrots, thickly sliced
  • 2 cups chicken broth (or 2 tsp Chicken Better Than Bouillon + 2 cups water)
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced (or 2 tsp poultry seasoning)
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Optional: chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

  Instructions

  1. Start by setting your Instant Pot to the Sauté setting. Once it displays “Hot,” pour in the olive oil and toss in the onion and celery. Cook them until softened and fragrant, about 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for a minute, then turn off the sauté mode — the residual heat will keep things going. Splash in a bit of the broth to loosen any flavorful bits stuck to the bottom, scraping gently with a spatula.
  2. Now pour in the rest of the broth and stir in Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and salt. Scatter the carrots over the liquid.
  3. Season your chicken breasts on both sides with a little salt and black pepper, then lay them over the carrots in a single layer. Next, pile the potatoes on top of the chicken, followed by the frozen peas. Avoid stirring — everything should stay layered.
  4. Secure the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. (Some models label this as “Pressure Cook.”) The pot will take around 15 minutes to pressurize before the timer starts.
  5. When cooking ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining steam. Carefully remove the chicken and bay leaves. For a thicker stew, scoop out about 2 cups of the vegetables and broth, blend them until smooth with an immersion blender, then stir it back into the pot with the vinegar.
  6. Dice or shred the chicken and stir it back into the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if you'd like, and serve warm with biscuits or crusty bread.

  Notes

  • Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store in an airtight container and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.

  Nutrition Information:

  Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
  Amount Per Serving: Calories: 551Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1007mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 8gSugar: 8gProtein: 61g

  Chickenrecipes.blog, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although allchickenrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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Got Questions? Let Me Help:

Can I use frozen chicken?
Yes, but increase the cook time to 15–16 minutes and make sure it’s separated, not in one frozen block.

Can I use sweet potatoes instead?
Absolutely. They’ll cook a bit quicker, so try larger chunks to avoid overcooking.

Is this kid-friendly?
Definitely. I usually mash the potatoes a bit for my niece and she loves it.

Can I skip the white wine vinegar?
You can, but I recommend keeping it—it adds a little pop at the end. Lemon juice also works.

Try other Instant Pot recipes:

• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Thighs
• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken from Frozen
• Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup