This easy Instant Pot chicken stew is a hearty meal that's loaded with tender chicken, carrots, potatoes, and green beans in a thick and creamy chicken broth. It's a perfect cozy one-pot meal in just 30 minutes!
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Why this recipe works
This Instant Pot Chicken Stew recipe is a great option when you need your comfort food fix. It's like a thick and creamy version of chicken soup that's loaded with vegetables or a soup version of chicken pot pie.
It's perfect for cold winter weeknights, when you need a hearty bowl of flavorful stew to warm you up!
And pressure cooking chicken stew in your Instant Pot makes this dish SO quick and easy. You'll get fall apart tender chunks of chicken and soft flavorful vegetables that taste like they've been slow cooked all day in just around 30 minutes.
If you've got a little more time, or don't have a pressure cooker, I've also included stove top instructions for this making this tasty chicken stew.
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 in this easy chicken stew recipe, but boneless skinless chicken thighs will work too.
- Chicken Broth - you can use chicken broth or chicken stock for a little richer flavor. I recommend using unsalted or low sodium varieties so you can control the seasoning level.
- Vegetables - Like most stew recipes, this chicken stew is flexible when it comes to the veggies. Potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables work great, and beans or peas are great for a bit of green color in your stew. It's a great way to use up those leftover veggies hanging around in the fridge!
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full recipe ingredients and quantities.
Note: this recipe was developed on a 6 qt Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus.
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode and allow it to preheat. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil then add the onion and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened, then turn off the pot.
- Add the chicken broth and chicken chunks, then add the dried thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- 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. Seal the lid and cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes.
- After cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then carefully vent the remaining pressure before opening the lid.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and stir in the cream. Combine the cornstarch and ¼ cup cold water to form a slurry, then stir into the pot. Bring to a simmer and stir until thickened, around 2-3 minutes.
What to serve with chicken stew
This hearty stewed chicken and vegetables is truly a complete one pot meal, so sides aren't really necessary. But I do recommend some good crusty bread or fluffy homemade biscuits on the side to soak up that delicious, gravy-like broth!
A simple side salad with a bright dressing like my maple vinaigrette is also a nice addition to this meal. A couple of my favorite are my apple walnut salad and my copycat Chick-fil-a kale salad.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
This chicken stew is amazing the next day so make a big batch and keep leftovers for later in the week. Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through or in the microwave. I usually stir in a splash of chicken broth when reheating to loosen it up a little.
If you plan to freeze this stew, I would recommend making it without the cream or cornstarch. Instead cook it as directed through step 4 and then let it cool before transferring to your storage container to freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to use, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat in a pot over medium heat until just simmering, then stir in the cream and cornstarch slurry. Simmer until thickened, around 3 minutes.
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.
This Instant Pot stew can also be made on the stovetop. For the stovetop method let the stew simmer for around 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add in the cream and cornstarch slurry and cook for another 3-4 minutes to thicken.
Yes, this chicken stew can also be made in a slow cooker. It should take around 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 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.
Recipe Variations
- For a tomato chicken stew, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste after cooking the onion and celery and cook it for around 1 minute. And when you add in the broth, add a can of diced tomatoes with their liquids.
- Rice and other grains are a great addition to this stew if you want to make it even more hearty. You can simply add in 1 cup of rice along with the chicken broth. You may not need much of the cornstarch slurry to thicken the stew as the rice will help thicken it during the cooking.
- For a Southwestern chicken stew try adding in chopped bell peppers and cooking with the onion and celery. Then add corn and black beans in place of the carrots and green beans.
Stovetop Instructions
This chicken stew recipe can also be adapted for the stove top. I reccomend using a heavy dutch oven for the stove top method.
- Set your pot over medium heat and begin by sauteing the onion and celery in olive oil.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken, seasonings, and vegetables. Stir everything together and bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the cream and cornstarch slurry and simmer for another 3-4 minutes until thickened.
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
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 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 your Instant Pot to sauté mode and allow it to preheat. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil then add the onion and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened, then turn off the pot.
- Add the chicken broth and chicken chunks, then add the dried thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- 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. Seal the lid and cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes.
- After cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then carefully vent the remaining pressure before opening the lid.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and stir in the cream. Combine the cornstarch and ¼ cup cold water to form a slurry, then stir into the pot. Bring to a simmer and stir until thickened, around 2-3 minutes.
Notes
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.
Katrina
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
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.
Olimpia
Delicious. Tastes like clam chowder without the seafood.
Scott
Thanks so much!