Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Stew with juicy chicken and veggies, made easy in one pot and no sauteing. Flavorful and perfect for chilly days!
No Instant Pot? No problem! Make this stovetop chicken stew instead.
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This Instant Pot chicken stew recipe has all the mouthwatering flavors of my famous Instant Pot chicken and potatoes and creaminess of slow cooker chicken stew with an aroma of garlic and dill that’s to die for!
I made this hearty stew a few times during the holiday season, serving it with my favorite spinach salad. It quickly became my lifesaver that turned hectic days into comforting bowls of goodness.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot meal: That’s why I love Instant Pot recipes like this one, because everything cooks in same pressure cooker. Save time on washing dishes and extra steps!
- So flavorful: Food cooked under pressure comes out more flavorful. Plus I add 2 secret ingredients at the end for adding extra flavor!
- Minimum ingredients: One of my newest soup and stew recipes that uses just a handful of everyday ingredients.
- No need to saute: Skip the sautéing when making chicken stew in Instant Pot. Just chop, pressure cook, and dish up in less than 45 minutes!
- Wholesome: A balanced meal of nutrient-dense protein, carbs, and veggies.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Instant Pot chicken stew keeps meal time simple with a short ingredient list. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, and onions cut into bite-sized chunks, and fresh or frozen peas. I used baby potatoes and left them whole.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs cut or left whole, see tips section below.
- Chicken broth: I use low-sodium chicken broth to manage salt intake. Homemade chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken broth are great too, if you have some.
- Milk: Adding a touch of whole milk gives the chicken stew a creamy texture and helps thicken the broth.
- Cornstarch: A bit of cornstarch yields a medium-thick consistency that’s not too heavy.
- Garlic: Add freshly grated garlic at the end for maximum flavor.
- Seasonings: Bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Fresh herbs: I love topping this dish with dill, but fresh parsley works well too.
How to Make Chicken Stew in Instant Pot
Here’s a quick overview of how to make chicken stew in Instant Pot. There’s a full recipe card below.
It’s both easy and delicious, you might also want to explore my other Instant Pot chicken recipes!
- Prep: Toss onion, carrots, potatoes, chicken, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and chicken broth into the Instant Pot. Give it a gentle stir to separate the chicken pieces.
- Pressure cook: Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 10 minutes.
- Release pressure: After the Instant Pot’s done cooking, give it 5 minutes, then do a Quick Release by turning valve to Venting and open the lid.
- Thicken the stew: Hit Saute. Whisk milk with cornstarch in a small bowl, pour it into the pot, stir, and let it thicken for 1-2 minutes. Then press Cancel.
- Finish and serve: Gently stir in the peas, garlic, and dill. Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips for Best Results
Let the Instant Pot do the hard work for you, here are some easy tips and tricks to make the best pressure cooker chicken stew.
- Use dark meat: The dark meat from chicken thighs stays tender and juicy, adds more flavor, and makes the broth extra rich.
- Cut veggies large: Aim for larger bite-sized pieces so they don’t fall apart.
- For dairy-free stew: Use your favorite dairy-free milk. Make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened.
- Add chicken thighs whole: If you have boneless skinless chicken thighs, add them whole. After cooking just break them with a spoon. This will save extra step, time and washing the cutting board. I had bone-in chicken thighs, so I had to cut them.
- Avoid russet potatoes: Unless you like a very thick, soup-like stew. Russet potatoes are better for mashed potatoes, they’re quite more starchy.
- No need to peel the potatoes: If you use yellow potatoes, red potatoes or baby potatoes there is no need to peel them. Keep the skin for added health benefits and save some time.
- Don’t skip fresh herbs and garlic at the end: This final touch elevates the flavor and keeps the herbs fresh.
Variations
I stuck to the recipe because we loved it but stews are so versatile. Try these additions for exciting flavors!
- Celery: Combine 2-3 chopped celery ribs with the carrots.
- White wine: Add up to 1/2 cup of dry white wine with the chicken broth for an extra layer of flavor.
- Omit milk: Feel free to skip the milk for a less heavy stew or dairy-free option. Keep in mind the flavor and texture will be a bit different, but still delicious.
- Sear the chicken: If you’re a fan of that rich browning flavor, start by pressing Saute and waiting until the Instant Pot says Hot. Swirl a bit of olive oil, sear the chicken on all sides for about 2 minutes each. Hit cancel, scrape away all those flavorful browned bits, then follow the recipe.
- Dried herbs: I kept the recipe simple, but you can add up to 2 teaspoons of dried thyme, rosemary, or sage.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat covered on low heat for 5 minutes or until warmed through.
Freeze: Allow stew to cool, then freeze in an airtight container with room for expansion for up to 3 months. Potatoes will change color and texture once thawed, I prefer not to freeze but some don’t mind.
FAQs
You can use boneless chicken breasts in a pinch, but they are more dry.
Yes, be sure frozen chicken pieces are separated and I recommend sticking to boneless frozen chicken. The cook time will remain the same, it will just take longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
You can use chicken drumsticks or bone-in chicken thighs. In this case, I would pressure cook them for 15 minutes and be sure not to use russet potatoes, so stew doesn’t overcook. You can also use various pieces from cut up whole chicken.
Yes! Follow my instructions for my stovetop chicken stew or slow cooker chicken stew.
More Stew Recipes to Try
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot chicken and rice
- Instant Pot white chicken chili
- Instant Pot chicken curry
- Instant Pot chicken stir fry
- Instant Pot Italian chicken breasts
- Instant Pot frozen whole chicken
Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 large carrots coarsely chopped
- 2 pounds baby potatoes or red or yellow potatoes cut into large chunks
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1/2 cup milk I used 3.25%
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups peas fresh or frozen
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1/4 cup dill or parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- In Instant Pot, add onion, carrots, potatoes, chicken, bay leaves, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Stir gently to separate chicken pieces.
- Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 10 minutes.
- After Instant Pot has finished cooking, wait 5 minutes and release pressure using Quick Release method by turning valve to Venting and open the lid.
- Press Saute. In a small bowl, whisk milk with cornstarch, pour into the pot, stir and let simmer for 1-2 minutes or until stew has thickened. Press Cancel.
- Add peas, garlic and dill, then stir gently. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes or until warmed through.
- Freeze: I do not like to freeze potatoes as they change color and texture but some people don’t mind. Freeze in an airtight container with room for expansion for up to 3 months.
Best chicken stew ever! You can use any vegetables with that. So delicious, thank you 👍
Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
Looks great! Can you make this with pheasant as a substitute?
Sure!
I made your whole frozen chicken instant pot recipe first. Then I made this recipe but left the chicken out until the sautè step, then I added the cooked chicken in along with extra broth. There was less broth than what there would’ve been if you’d used raw chicken for the recipe. I used about half the milk and corn starch. I added shredded cheese when serving. 5 stars!! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Fantastic, that’s what I would do as well. Glad you loved this Instant Pot chicken stew recipe!