This Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Stew is a hearty and comforting one-pot meal made with chicken thighs, carrots, garlic, green beans, and spices like rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Why I love this recipe
This rich, savory stew is the perfect meal during the cold winter months.
This Instant Pot Chicken Stew is comforting, hearty and satisfying on its own or with a slice of crusty bread. It’s creamy, rich in flavor, and contains lots of dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, and parsley.
Made with chicken thighs for protein, plenty of vegetables like carrots, celery, green beans and potatoes, and heavy cream for creaminess and satiety, this stew is a meal the whole family will love .
I like using the Instant Pot for this stew because it saves time and energy. Set it and forget it! It tastes like you’ve been simmering it all day when it actually took less than an hour from start to finish.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can easily make this in a slow cooker or on the stove top. No matter how you cook it, you’ll have a one-pot meal that’s warm, comforting, nutritious, and delicious.
Ingredients you need
Ingredient Notes
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: I like to use chicken thighs because they are more flavorful than chicken breasts, but you can use either. You can also make it vegetarian or vegan by substituting a plant-based protein like chickpeas or lentils for the chicken, and substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
butter: Aromatic flavor enhancer for coating vegetables for stir-fries.
Yellow onions: Adds aromatic flavor.
celery: Part of the aromatic base of broth.
radish: Adds a subtle sweetness and enhances the flavor of the broth.
garlic: Packed in flavor.
Liquor: Deglaze the pot to maximize the overall flavor of the stew.
small potato: Potatoes are a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C and B6. Feel free to substitute other potato varieties as needed.
Dried rosemary: Add rosin and pepper flavor.
Dried thyme: Offers subtle minty, sweet and earthy notes.
Dried sage: Offers a rich, earthy flavor with hints of lemon and mint.
Dried coriander: Adds a fresh, bold flavor.
Bay leaf: Add another layer of flavor to complement the dried herbs.
Salt and pepper: Important flavor enhancer.
chicken soup: Vegetable broth can be substituted, but the taste may vary.
Frozen Cut Green Beans: Mung beans are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K as well as folate and calcium. I like to use frozen green beans here for added convenience.
Heavy cream: Creates creaminess and contributes to rich flavor.
corn starch: Used to thicken stews.You can substitute flour or arrowroot if desired
Equipment you need (Affiliate link – if you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission)
instant pot
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Stew
- Pan fried chicken legs. Heat the olive oil on sauté setting on high, once hot, add the chicken legs and fry until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Aromatic stir-fry. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté Normal and melt the cream. Once melted, add onions, celery and carrots and cook until onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom as needed.
- Add ingredients. Turn off the wok, return the chicken to the pan, and add the potatoes, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and chicken broth. Stir ingredients together.
- chef. Place the lid on the Instant Pot (make sure it is set to seal) and set to pressure cook for 10 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before using the quick release device.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan, shred it, and return it to the pan.
- Add heavy cream and green beans. Stir in heavy cream and green beans. Remove bay leaves.
- Make a cornstarch slurry and add to the pot. Place cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and stir until combined. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pot, stir to combine, and sauté until the soup begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Enjoy while hot!
Expert Tips
- be sure Cut the potatoes small enough (Think bite-sized pieces) This way they cook until fork tender.
- Let heavy cream come to room temperature before adding to soup to prevent curdling.
- Mung beans can be substituted Works with any frozen vegetable of your choice. Corn, bell peppers, peas, broccoli, or cauliflower will all work.
- If you’re making it in a slow cooker:
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- Add all ingredients (except olive oil, cream, green beans, heavy cream, and cornstarch) to the slow cooker and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the potatoes are tender, about 3-4 hours on high, 7-8 hours on low position.
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- Add the green beans, heavy cream, and cornstarch slurry and allow to thicken.
Recipe FAQ
Is it better to cook in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker?
Both are certainly effective and delicious, so it depends on your preference, the equipment you have, and how much time you have. A pressure cooker is great in a pinch, while a slow cooker will run all day long. Slow cookers are great for hands-free cooking, while pressure cookers require more steps and your attention. In terms of overall flavor, some people feel that the pressure cooker retains the flavor better, but again, this is subjective.
How can you make a stew thicker?
The key to making a thick, creamy stew is to make a cornstarch slurry. I usually mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water and stir until combined. Set the Instant Pot to “Saute”, add the slurry and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally for about 3-5 minutes.
Can other vegetables be added to the stew?
why not! ? I recommend sticking to frozen veggies here as they require no prep and are super quick to add at the end. Corn, bell peppers, peas, broccoli, or cauliflower will all work.
Can I put raw chicken in the Instant Pot?
Yes, you can put raw chicken in the Instant Pot. Chicken cooking time will vary depending on the size of the breasts/thighs, but 8-10 minutes on high heat should be fine. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees before eating, if you are not sure if the chicken is done, use a cooking thermometer to test it.
Storage and preparation
Instant Pot Chicken Stew leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat on the stove, use a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until desired temperature is reached. To reheat in the microwave, use a microwave safe bowl and reheat for 1-3 minutes, depending on microwave.
Leftovers can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Recipes that go well together
Air Fryer Garlic Bread
Beet Salad with Feta Cheese
Air Fryer Cauliflower
Holiday Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate Salad
Air Fryer Zucchini Slices
For more Instant Pot inspiration, check out my other recipes below!
Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup
Instant Sweet and Sour Chicken
Easy Instant Pot Vegan Chili
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto
Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew
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describe
This Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Stew is a hearty and comforting meal made with chicken thighs, carrots, garlic, green beans, and spices like rosemary, thyme, and sage.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5–1.75 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
- 2–3 Celery stalks, diced (approx. 1 cup)
- 2 Carrots, diced (approx. 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup Liquor
- 1.5 lb. small potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups chicken soup
- 1 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute on high and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken legs and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side until browned (the chicken should flip easily once browned). Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté Normal. Add the cream and once melted add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the wine to deglaze the pan (scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula or mixing spoon).
- Turn off stir-fry/click Cancel. Return the chicken to the pot and add the potatoes, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, bay leaf, salt, pepper and chicken stock. Stir ingredients together.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot (make sure it is set to seal) and set to pressure cook for 10 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before using the quick release device.
- Remove chicken from pan and shred, then return to pan.
- Stir in heavy cream and green beans. Remove bay leaves.
- In a small bowl, stir cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water until combined. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pot, stir to combine, and sauté until the soup begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes (the soup will continue to thicken as it cools).
- Serve hot and season with salt and/or pepper.
notes
- If you don’t have or don’t like green beans, use a frozen vegetable of your choice. Corn, bell peppers, peas, broccoli, or cauliflower will all work.
- If you don’t want to use wine, add a little more stock to deglaze the pot before adding the rest.
- Let the heavy cream come to room temperature before adding it to prevent curdling.
- Make sure to cut the potatoes small enough (think bite-sized pieces) so they can be cooked with a fork.
Cooking Chicken in the Slow Cooker:
- Add all ingredients (except olive oil, cream, green beans, heavy cream, and cornstarch) to the slow cooker and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the potatoes are tender, about 3-4 hours on high, 7-8 hours on low position.
- Add the green beans, heavy cream, and cornstarch slurry and allow to thicken.
- Preparation time: 5 minutes
- Cooking time: 50 minutes
- category: stew
- method: instant pot
- gourmet food: American
Keywords: instant pot chicken stew, instant pot chicken stew