Instant Pot Chicken Stew

Name: Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces (✅); 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed; 2-3 cups sliced carrots; 3 cups chicken broth (✅); 1 large onion, diced; 2 tablespoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 teaspoon thyme (✅); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instant pot chicken stew is a simple and delicious and ready in under 30 minutes. Packed with chicken, carrots, and potatoes this is a hearty dinner your kids will love. Gluten-free.

Chicken Stew in the instant pot is perfect for cold winter nights when you need a warm bowl of hearty vegetables, flavorful broth, and tender chicken. It is the ultimate comfort food. Plus, it is a kid-friendly recipe that is nutritious and delicious.

How to make:

Turn Instant Pot to sauté.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil, then sauté onions and add salt, pepper, and thyme.
Add chopped chicken breasts and cornstarch, about 3-4 minutes.
Add potatoes, carrots, and broth.
Cover, make sure the valve is turning to “SEALING”. Cook for 10 minutes.
Quick-release and serve.

Add all ingredients (except the olive oil) to the bottom of the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Start by sautéing butter and onions in the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Next, add chopped chicken and spices. I chop my chicken into 1-inch pieces because it is the perfect bite-sized piece for my kids.

Once the spices have been sprinkled into the Instant Pot, add the cornstarch and stir. The purpose of the cornstarch is to thicken the stew.

Add the potatoes. I typically peel my potatoes when making stew because my kids do not like the texture of the potato skin. But it is up to you if you want to do this step!

WHAT TYPE OF POTATOES

I like to use waxy potatoes, which include red potatoes, Yukon potatoes or Fingerling potatoes in the stew because these varieties are low in starch and high in moisture. They will hold their shape in the soup, unlike high starch potatoes.

However, if you are looking to make a creamy chicken stew, Idaho or russet potatoes are great options. These varieties are high starch, low moisture potatoes, which means they will absorb the liquid from the stew and create a creamy texture.

Add the carrots and chicken broth.

CAN I ADD OTHER VEGETABLES?

Absolutely! When considering other ingredients to add, think about the time you want to spend making the stew and the vegetables your family enjoys. For me, my go-to combination is potatoes and carrots because the ingredients are quick to chop & my kids love both. However, get adventurous and add celery, onions, tomatoes or your favorite vegetable.

Secure the lid on your Instant Pot and set the timer for 10 minutes.

INSTANT POT TIP: Keep in mind that when you turn on the Instant Pot, the machine needs time to build pressure. The time that it takes for this pressure to build does NOT count toward the cooking time.

On my machine, I know the pressure is built when the silver pin on the top is raised. At that point, the timer that I originally set will start counting down.

Once the timer goes off, use the quick release function on your Instant Pot and remove the lid.

Substitutions

I always add salt, pepper, and thyme to season my chicken stew. However, I find that new spices sneak into the recipe each time I make it. I recommend using a variety and finding the spice combination that you prefer. Here are a few different spices that you could add to create a delicious flavor:

Rosemary
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Red chili flakes
Fennel seeds
Ginger
Basil
Oregano

FAQ

wHY DO YOU USE THE QUICK RELEASE INSTEAD OF THE NATURAL RELEASE?

When I make stew or soup, I prefer to use the quick release so my vegetables don’t overcook. I am not a fan of mushy vegetables in my stew and I have found that using the quick release makes my potatoes and carrots the perfect texture.

Can I make this in the crockpot?

Yes! Simply add all ingredients (you can skip the olive oil) to the bottom of the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2-4 hour or low 6-8 hours.

More Instant Pot Recipes

CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.

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