This creamy Instant Pot chicken stew is what I make as soon as the weather cools off and everyone at my house starts craving comfort food. Tender chicken, red potatoes, carrots, and green beans cook in a savory broth with garlic and thyme, then get finished with a little cream and thickened until it coats a spoon.
It tastes like it simmered on the stove all afternoon, but it's easy enough for a busy weeknight. If you love the filling of a chicken pot pie, this is basically that in a bowl, no crust required!
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Quick Look
- Time: 45 minutes total, with around 15 minutes of hands-on prep and cooking
- Key ingredients: Boneless chicken breasts or thighs, red potatoes, carrots, green beans, and heavy cream
- Flavor: Savory and herby with garlic and thyme in a rich, creamy broth, a lot like chicken pot pie filling
- Method: Sautéed, pressure cooked for 8 minutes, then thickened with cream and cornstarch, so it's naturally gluten-free. Stovetop directions included.
- Serve with: Cornbread or crusty bread and a fresh fall salad on the side
- Make-ahead: Keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for up to 3 months
Readers have told me this stew tastes just like the inside of a pot pie, and I can't think of a better compliment! It's become a fall regular at my house because it works so well on busy weeks. It's naturally gluten-free, the leftovers freeze well, and the method is set up so you won't be fighting a burn notice or mushy vegetables.
If you make it, I'd love to hear how it turns out! Please leave a star rating and a comment at the bottom of the post. Your ratings help other readers find the recipe.
Why this recipe works
- The vegetables ride on top - Layering the potatoes and carrots above the chicken lets them steam instead of boil, so 1-inch pieces come out tender but still in one piece.
- Cream and cornstarch go in last - Stirring them in after pressure cooking turns the broth into a silky, gravy-like sauce without any flour.
- Low-sodium broth, seasoned at the end - Starting with unsalted or low-sodium broth puts you in control of the salt. A pot this size usually needs more than you'd expect, so taste after the cream goes in.
For another comfort food classic made in the Instant Pot, check out my Instant Pot Vegetable Beef soup.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks. I've also made it with boneless, skinless thighs, and they work great.
- Chicken broth: I use Swanson Unsalted or Low Sodium chicken broth. If you need the stew gluten-free, check the label on whatever broth you buy.
- Red potatoes: Their waxy texture holds up under pressure. A bag of baby red potatoes, halved, saves you some chopping.
- Onion, celery, and carrots: I like to chop fresh vegetables so I can control the quality, but frozen chopped onion, celery, and carrots work if you prefer. The pot will take a few extra minutes to come up to pressure.
- Green beans: Fresh or frozen cut green beans both work, and frozen ones go in straight from the freezer.
- Heavy cream: A small amount gives the whole pot a rich, creamy finish
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Note: this recipe was developed on a 6 qt Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Stew
- Sauté the aromatics: Wait until the display reads "Hot" before adding the oil so the onion sizzles right away. It's ready when the edges turn translucent. The garlic only goes in for the last minute because it burns quickly.
- Deglaze the pot: Turn the pot off first so it stops heating, then scrape with a wooden spoon until the bottom feels smooth. Don't skip this one!
- Add the chicken and broth: Make sure the chicken is mostly covered by the broth, since that's where it cooks.
- Layer the vegetables: Add the potatoes, carrots, and green beans, but let them stay on top and do not stir them into the liquid or they can get mushy.
- Pressure cook: Lock the lid and double-check that the valve is set to sealing. The pot takes about 10 minutes to build pressure before the timer starts counting down.
- Let the pressure release naturally: The float valve will usually still be up when the 10 minutes are over, so vent the rest carefully and keep your hand away from the steam. Fish out the bay leaves.
- Thicken and season: Stir the cornstarch and water together right before you add it, since cornstarch settles fast. The broth goes from thin to glossy in a couple of minutes and keeps thickening as it sits.
Scott's Tips
- Stick with red potatoes: I've tested this with Yukon Gold potatoes too, but I like it best with red potatoes. They hold up best under pressure.
- Want green beans with some snap? I cook the green beans with the other vegetables because I like them soft and tender. If you prefer a little bite, leave them out of the pressure cook and stir them in with the cream, then simmer until they're just tender.
- Don't rush the release: Venting right away can toughen the chicken and send starchy liquid sputtering out of the valve. The 10-minute natural release is worth the wait.
- Check bigger pieces with a thermometer: The cook time is set for 1-inch chunks of chicken. If yours are larger, check the thickest piece with an instant-read thermometer. It should read 165°F, and if it's not there yet, simmer on sauté until it is.
What to serve with chicken stew
You'll want something to soak up the broth, so warm homemade cornbread, fluffy biscuits, or a loaf of crusty bread are all great choices. A crisp salad with a tangy dressing balances out the creamy stew, and fall flavors like apples and butternut squash fit right in.
A couple of my favorite salad pairings are my apple walnut salad, my kale and farro salad with roasted butternut squash, and my crunchy kale salad.
How to Avoid the Instant Pot Burn Notice
The "Burn" message is the most common Instant Pot complaint, and it almost always means something is stuck to the bottom of the pot. After you sauté the onion, celery, and garlic, there are browned bits on the bottom. Once the lid is locked, those bits sit right on the heating element and can scorch before the pot ever comes up to pressure.
Deglazing fixes it. Turn off the pot, add a splash of broth, and scrape until the bottom is smooth. All that flavor ends up in the broth instead of setting off a warning.
The other culprit is anything thick sitting on the bottom, like cream or a cornstarch slurry. That's one more reason both of them wait until after pressure cooking.
No Instant Pot? Make It on the Stovetop
Use a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onion and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute. Add the broth, chicken, seasonings, and vegetables, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in the cream and slurry and simmer 3 to 4 minutes more to thicken.
Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy-free: Leave out the cream, or stir in ½ cup of full-fat coconut milk instead.
- More herbs: Add ½ teaspoon each of dried rosemary and sage with the thyme, or swap the thyme for 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- White wine: Deglaze with ¼ cup of dry white wine instead of broth, and let it bubble for a minute before adding the rest of the broth.
- Tomato chicken stew: Add a can of diced tomatoes with their juices. Spoon them on top with the vegetables instead of stirring them in, since tomatoes on the bottom of the pot can trigger a burn notice.
- Chicken and rice stew: Add 1 cup of rice with the broth. The rice thickens the stew as it cooks, so you may not need all of the slurry.
- Southwestern chicken stew: Sauté chopped bell pepper with the onion and celery, then use corn and black beans in place of the carrots and green beans.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can chop the vegetables and cut the chicken up to a day ahead. Store the raw chicken in its own container, away from the vegetables, in the fridge. On cooking day, everything goes straight into the pot.
The finished stew reheats well too, so it's a great one to make on Sunday for lunches during the week.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave. The broth thickens in the fridge, so I stir in a splash of chicken broth to loosen it up.
Freezing
For the best texture, freeze the stew before adding the cream and cornstarch. Cook it through the pressure release step, let it cool, and freeze it in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, bring it to a simmer on the stove, then stir in the cream and slurry and simmer until thickened. The potatoes will be a little softer after freezing, but the flavor holds up great.
Frequently Asked Questions
The easiest way is to stir in a second small cornstarch slurry and simmer for a minute or two. You can also mash a few pieces of potato against the side of the pot to release the starches and stir them back in.
You can use frozen vegetables in this chicken stew recipe to save time. The cook time will be the same, but the pot will take a bit longer to come up to pressure.
I recommend thawing it for this recipe. Frozen chicken takes longer to cook, so you'd need to increase the cooking time, and the potatoes and carrots would be overcooked.
Yes. Pressure-cook the stew as written without the raw chicken, then stir in 3 to 4 cups of shredded chicken with the cream so it heats through without drying out.
Yes, this chicken stew can also be made in a slow cooker. It should take around 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low.
You can omit the cream to make this a dairy free chicken stew. If you still want the creamy texture, add ½ cup of full fat coconut milk instead of the cream.
More weeknight dinner ideas
- Mediterranean Chicken Orzo with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Spinach
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (Without Soup!)
- Beef Tenderloin Tips in Mushroom Gravy
- Sheet pan Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
- Yellow Curry Chicken and Potatoes
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Instant Pot London Broil
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup cold water
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and let it preheat. Add the olive oil, then the onion and celery, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened, adding the garlic for the last minute.
- Turn off the pot. Add ½ cup of the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the remaining broth, chicken, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and stir.
- Layer the potatoes, carrots, and green beans on top without stirring.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the rest. Remove the bay leaves.
- Set the pot to sauté and stir in the cream. Whisk the cornstarch with the cold water, stir it in, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Keep the potatoes and carrots in about 1-inch pieces so they hold their shape. For green beans with a little snap, stir them in with the cream instead of pressure cooking them.
- Deglaze well after sautéing to avoid a burn notice.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs work in place of the breasts with the same cook time.
- The chicken is done at 165°F.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Add a splash of broth when reheating.
- To freeze, stop after step 6, cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Add the cream and slurry when reheating.
- For gluten-free, use a broth labeled gluten-free.
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
Sydney says
I used 60 grams of almond milk and 60 grams of Greek yogurt mixed instead of heavy cream, and 2 1/2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch for a healthy alternative. I also nearly doubled the salt and added parsley and 4 cloves of garlic, and it was pure heaven. It's so warm, comforting, and filling! I'll be making this more often.
Katrina says
I’m wondering if I could sub frozen green beans? Or if they’d get mushy. Thinking maybe I should cook separately and add at the end.
Scott says
Hi Katrina,
Yes, you can use frozen vegetables such as green beans. They work just fine, but the Instant Pot may take slightly longer to come up to pressure due to the lower temp caused by the frozen beans. The set cooking time remains the same though.
Amber H says
I just had russet potatoes so used those instead of red and added more carrots. It was delicious, tasted like the inside of a really yummy pot pie!
Olimpia says
Delicious. Tastes like clam chowder without the seafood.
Scott says
Thanks so much!
Amber H says
This was really yummy and my whole family loved it. We have several kids so we upped it to 9 servings. Also I added more carrots and a little less potatoes. It tasted.like the inside of a pot pie which I haven't been able to have for a long time.because I have celiacs so loved that this was gluten free. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the recipe!