Instant Pot Chicken Stew with a Whole Chicken

Hearty Instant Pot chicken stew with tender chicken, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes.

Instant Pot Chicken Stew with a Whole Chicken

This Instant Pot chicken stew starts with a whole chicken to make the meat and broth together. Potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, onion, and celery cook in a second, shorter pressure cycle. Gluten-free and dairy-free.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Natural Release Time 30

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 219kcal

Author Gary White

Equipment

6-quart Instant Pot

Ingredients

5-6 lb. whole chicken
1 yellow onion roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves
6 thyme sprigs
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
6 cups water
1 Tbsp. sea salt
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
3 lbs. gold or red potatoes skin-on, roughly chopped
1 lb. carrots peeled, roughly chopped
1 cup yellow onions diced
½ cup celery thinly sliced

Instructions

Add chicken, chopped onion, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves to pot. Then add water and lock lid. Cook for 35 minutes at high pressure.
Meanwhile... prep and chop all other veggies.
Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally for about 30 minutes. If there is any pressure left at that point, go ahead and quick-release remaining pressure.
Remove chicken and transfer to a large bowl. Remove meat from bones in large pieces. Discard skin and bones.
Pour broth through a fine mesh strainer. Discard cooked aromatics.
Add 6 cups of broth to pot, along with salt, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, diced onions, and celery. (Reserve extra broth for another use.) Mix well, lock lid, and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. Once cook time is complete, quick-release pressure.
Remove lid, then add chicken and gently mix well.

Notes

Yield: Makes 16 smaller servings of roughly ¾–1 cup each, or fewer larger dinner portions.

Timing: This recipe uses two pressure-cooking stages: 35 minutes for the whole chicken, then 5 minutes for the vegetables, with about 30 minutes of natural pressure release after the chicken. Allow additional time for the pot to come to pressure and for removing the chicken from the bones and straining the broth.

Nutrition