Set and forget Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes recipe is a savory one pot chicken stew just like my Ukrainian grandma used to make! Break out your pressure cooker and make this mouthwatering dish tonight.
This stew along with Instant Pot chicken stew and Instant Pot chicken and rice is in our regular dinner rotation. Makes meal time easy!
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You Will Need
- What Types of Chicken Can I Use?
- How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes
- How to Cut Up Whole Chicken for Stew
- Optional Add-In’s and Variations
- Tips for Best Results
- FAQs
- Serving Recommendations
- How to Store
- More Chicken and Potatoes Recipes
- More Instant Pot Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes Recipe
I made this Instant Pot chicken and potatoes on Sunday night after we got back from a weekend away at kids’ hockey tournament. This thick stew is a version of my Ukrainian grandma’s chicken stew and is a dinner lifesaver, just like Instant Pot potato soup and Instant Pot baked potatoes recipe.
While chicken and potatoes were cooking in an Instant Pot, I painted kids’ bathroom. Now tell me Instant Pot is not a miracle when it comes to one pot meals?!
Make Instant Pot meatloaf and mashed potatoes next, it’s another one pot wonder! Be sure to check out all my healthy Instant Pot recipes, aka weeknight dinner time savers!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- 5 stars: Instant Pot chicken and potatoes recipe has been reviewed over 100 times with amazing results!
- Balanced meal: Protein, carbs and vegetables all in one pot.
- Fast: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook time and ready in under 45 minutes including pressure build up time!
- Hearty: Chicken infuses the vegetables with flavor and potatoes add a natural starch, making this thick stew a comforting cold weather dinner.
- Healthy: Potatoes are high in potassium, B vitamins and vitamin C (hello immune support!) while carrots are high in vitamin A and chicken high in amino acids.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Chicken: Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, chicken legs or even whole chicken will work. Frozen chicken too, yes!
- Vegetables: Potatoes, onion, carrots.
- Pantry seasonings: Dried rosemary or fresh rosemary, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
- Fresh seasonings: Garlic and fresh dill.
What Types of Chicken Can I Use?
Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks
Chicken thighs and potatoes would be delicious because dark meat is more juicy than the breast.
- Cook time: Boneless skinless chicken thighs – 15 minutes to cook, bone-in chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks – 20 minutes.
- Cut back on saturated fat: If you buy chicken thighs with skin on, I like to trim the fat and remove the skin from all or at least half of them. North American chicken thighs are pretty fatty.
- Save the bones: Discard bones after or save for Instant Pot chicken broth to make Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup. The gift that keeps on giving.
Boneless Chicken Breast
- Cook time: Boneless chicken breasts will keep moist under pressure and need 15 minutes to cook through.
- Save money: You can go for more affordable bone in and skin on breast and cook for 20 minutes.
- Do not chop but shred after: There is no need to cut raw chicken breasts into pieces. Shred cooked chicken while gently stirring with a spoon. It’s that tender and saves washing a cutting board.
Frozen Chicken
Instant Pot frozen chicken and potatoes is a reality. Cooking meat from frozen is one of Instant Pot’s best features.
- Cook time: Same 15-20 minutes depending on type of meat cooking time. Instant Pot will take a bit longer to come to pressure thus cooking chicken longer.
- Make sure to separate chicken pieces!!!: This is very important step!!! You can’t throw in a blob of frozen chicken breasts because they will never cook through in 20 minutes.
Whole Chicken
That’s what I used 2nd time – cut up whole chicken. It’s the cheapest cut of chicken.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes
- Prep: In Instant Pot, add chicken, potatoes, onion, carrots, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, pepper and water. Do not stir.
Why not to stir chicken and potatoes in Instant Pot? Most often I say don’t stir because we want to avoid the dreaded Burn message. In the case of this dinner, though, it is to allow the liquids on the bottom to circulate. Liquids circulating creates the steam that is needed to pressurize your dinner.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes: Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing position and press Pressure Cook on High pressure or Manual: boneless chicken – 15 minutes, bone-in chicken – 20 minutes.
- Release pressure: After Instant Pot has finished cooking, release pressure using Quick Release method by turning valve to Venting position and open the lid.
- Season with fresh stuff: Add garlic and fresh herbs. Stir gently.
At the same time you are adding your finishing touches, separate the chicken meat off the bone (or shred boneless chicken breasts). This helps divide the meat more evenly among the thick stew.
How to Cut Up Whole Chicken for Stew
- Trim fat on both sides of the cavity and remove the tail.
- Now it’s time to remove legs and wings.
- Cut a bit, pull leg (wing) until you hear a crack and bone is exposed.
- Then cut next to the bone.
- Pull the skin off with your hands on the breast side. Or leave it on.
- Trim skin with a knife on the back side. If you want.
- Cut to remove each breast along the center bone.
- That’s it. Use chicken pieces in this recipe and save some for another recipe. Or use all of them at once.
- Carcass is great for making soups!
In how to cut a whole chicken I have a step by step photo tutorial that is very helpful in learning the correct cutting method!
Optional Add-In’s and Variations
- Fresh dill substitute: Any fresh herbs like Italian parsley (I don’t love curly parsley), green onion or even basil adds amazing layer of flavor. Don’t use dried dill weed, completely different taste.
- Substitute rosemary with: Dried oregano, thyme or Italian seasoning substitute.
- No fresh herbs? Still make this Instant Pot chicken and potatoes recipe. It will be good without them as well.
- Creamy: Some readers have added heavy cream at the end after cooking for a delicious creamy chicken stew.
- Fresh greens: Kale or spinach not only add nutritional value but a pop of color.
- Splash of white wine: Reader tested and as the saying goes; I like to cook with wine, sometimes it ends up in the food. ๐
- Additional vegetables: Add frozen peas or cauliflower rice at the end of cooking time. Frozen green beans would be lovely too.
- Finishers: In addition to dill and garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice to enhance flavors or hot sauce if you like a little heat.
- Sweet potatoes: Pressure cook 8-10 minutes and be sure to use boneless chicken as your protein option.
Tips for Best Results
- You don’t have to saute the onion or sear chicken: It’s not necessary when making chicken and potatoes in Instant Pot because food cooked under pressure comes out more flavorful.
- Add garlic after Instant Pot chicken potatoes is done: 5 cloves added before cooking are way less powerful than 1 clove added after. It makes all the difference in the world.
- What are best potatoes to use? Russet potatoes will fall apart more – use if you like more chicken stew like dish. Yellow, red and especially baby potatoes will stay whole better.
- If you really want your potatoes to stay whole as much as possible: Place chicken on a trivet and potatoes on top, so they are not sitting in liquid.
- Liquids: You can add 1 cup water. You can also use chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken broth instead but I like to save money. Chicken cooked with water turns it into a broth.
FAQs
Yes, I go into detail above how to use frozen chicken but to recap, be sure your chicken pieces are not touching and cooking time will be the same, but your Instant Pot will take longer to come to pressure.
Yes. You can make chicken stew in slow cooker. It should take about 3-4 hours on high heat and 6-8 hours on low setting.
Yes! Just follow the instructions for my stovetop version of chicken stew.
Sure is! As long as everything is cooked fully by the time you eat it, it is safe!
Use boiling water (or warm broth/wine) to bring your pot to pressure faster.
Serving Recommendations
Instant Pot chicken and potatoes really is a one pot meal, but if you are like me and have very hungry boys at your table (all those sports!) here are some additional healthy side dish options:
- Fresh salads: Spinach salad or lettuce salad are two easy salads that would pair perfectly.
- Keep this dish authentic Ukrainian and serve with cucumber and tomato salad or vinegar coleslaw.
- Roasted vegetables: Roasted cauliflower or roasted asparagus recipe are delicious.
- Sautéed sides: Sauteed zucchini for something light or brussels with bacon for some added decadence!
- Bread: A loaf of crusty bread or cauliflower breadsticks for lower carbs.
How to Store
Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I do not recommend to freeze potatoes as they change colour and texture. It is my personal preference and I know some people do not mind. So, if you freeze other potato dishes, then you can freeze this Instant Pot chicken and potatoes as well.
Reheating: To reheat, add desired amount of chicken stew in a pot, cover and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes or until warmed through. A little more fresh dill would bring more freshness.
More Chicken and Potatoes Recipes
- Slow cooker chicken stew
- One pan chicken and potatoes
- Roasted chicken thighs and potatoes
- Spatchcock chicken
More Instant Pot Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot chicken breast
- Instant Pot BBQ chicken
- Instant Pot Italian chicken
- Instant Pot chicken pasta
Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs any chicken pieces no need to cut or cube
- 3 lbs potatoes cubed
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig or 1 tbsp dried
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup water
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1 small bunch dill Italian parsley or green onion, finely chopped
Instructions
- In Instant Pot, add chicken, potatoes, onion, carrots, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, pepper and water. Do not stir.
- Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 15 minutes for boneless chicken and 20 minutes for bone-in chicken pieces.
- After Instant Pot has finished cooking, release pressure using Quick Release method by turning valve to Venting and open the lid.
- Add garlic and fresh herbs. Stir gently. I like to separate meat off the bone at same time. It helps to divide meat more evenly among the family members.
- Serve warm with our favourite addition of cucumber and tomato salad or a green smoothie recipe.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes or until warmed through.
- Freeze: I do not recommend to freeze potatoes as they change colour and texture. It is my personal preference and I know some people do not mind.
- Kinds of chicken that works: Chicken thighs, chicken breasts, chicken drumsticks, cut up whole chicken.
- Using frozen chicken: Cook time will stay the same depending on type of meat you use. Instant Pot will take a bit longer to come to pressure thus cooking chicken longer. Make sure to separate chicken pieces!!! You can’t throw in a blob of frozen meat pieces because they will never cook through in 20 minutes.
- Add garlic after Instant Pot chicken potatoes is done: 5 cloves added before cooking are way less powerful than 1 clove added after. It makes all the difference in the world.
- What are best potatoes to use? Russet potatoes will fall apart more – use if you like more chicken stew like dish. Yellow, red and especially baby potatoes will stay whole better.
- If you really want your potatoes to stay whole as much as possible: Place chicken on a trivet and potatoes on top so they are not sitting in liquid.
- Liquids: You can add 1 cup water. You can also use chicken broth instead.
I love your recipes!! They are so good! We enjoy them!!! Thank You! ?
Thank you for this super quick and easy dinner recipe!
We had my parents over for dinner tonight and I wanted to serve something quick&easy&tasty. Following granny’s noodle soup, this is the second of your recipes I tried. It was a hit! Tossed everything into Instant Pot, stirred in fresh parsley at the end…I confess I slightly overdid it with the garlic…but it still turned out delicious! Served it with cucumber and tomato salad and you are right – sesame oil makes all the difference. Had some leftover radishes and put them into the salad instead of onions. Thanks a lot for impressing my parents & keep your recipes coming!
Thanks for sharing! You made my day Anne ๐
Thank you Olena for this super yummy and easy recipe! I made it basically as is, just added a little more broth. Didn’t have fresh parsley but added dry anyways. The next day, everything was still really yummy! Just heated it on the stovetop. Delicious?
That’s so great April! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Quick Q, why do specify not to stir?
To avoid Burn. If you did by accident, it could “fly” in this recipe. ๐
My husband and I love this recipe! I addition to being very yummy, it was super easy to make. Thank you! ?
So happy to hear this Rene!
Any herb to replace rosemary? My son doesn’t like rosemary..thank you
Substitute rosemary with dried oregano, thyme or Italian seasoning.
I love this recipe! Iโve made it many times for my family because itโs so easy to make, and so delicious that everyone always enjoys it. I really appreciate how detailed your instructions are, and the inclusion of so many pictures, and helpful information related to different types of chicken. Thank you.
You are welcome. Thank you for sharing Patricia. I really appreciate the feedback.
I made this recipe for the first time tonight, intentionally using frozen chicken breasts. (And thanks for the tip about separating them with parchment paper when you are putting them in the freezer.)
Dinner turned out absolutely delicious! The potatoes and carrots were done just right, and the chicken was very tender and wonderfully flavorful. I used a sprig of rosemary right off the bush, and chips of green onions and minced garlic at the end. Our side dish was fresh Campari tomatoes. Fresh mango chunks were dessert. I am having fun with this instant pot, and I’ve learned most of it from you. Thanks for all your help!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback. I am so happy you liked the recipe ๐
Made this tonight. Didn’t have enough potatoes or any carrots! Added Celery instead. After it was done cooking, I stirred from the bottom and my chicken thighs SHREDDED! It was awesome!
My picky husband even loved it! I used some corn starch to make the sauce thicker. Could use this for chicken pot pie or chicken and dumplings for sure! Will absolutely make it again!
I also took the suggestion and made the cucumber and tomato salad as a side. Made it our own by using cucumber, tomato, a little onion, Italian seasoning, salt and sour cream. My 2.5 year old ate it like he hadn’t eaten in a week. That will be made again for sure!
Thanks for sharing Brie ๐
This is delicious. My instant pot instructions say to use a minimum 18 ounces of liquid so I did, then cooked it down a bit when all was done so it would not be too soupy , but I think it would be fine without cooking down. I used baby red potatoes which held their shape nicely. Was a bit short on potatoes so increased carrots. I will definitely make this again
I am so pleased! Thanks for sharing Nancy!