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Instant Pot Chicken and Potato Stew

By Nicole Konstantinakos

Published on February 22, 2023

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Instant Pot Chicken and Potato Stew

Ingredients

2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed1½ teaspoons table salt, divided½ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling2 onions, chopped8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled1 tablespoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 cup dry white wine 3 cups Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce, divided1½ cups chicken broth 2 bay leaves 1¾ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved if medium, cut into thirds if large2 cups frozen peas 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)

Before You Begin

We prefer chicken thighs in this recipe for their deep flavor and richness. If you'd like to substitute chicken breasts, shred the cooked breasts as the peas warm through in step 4 and then return the shredded chicken to the pot before serving. We prefer Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce; you can substitute other brands of marinara, but the texture of the finished stew may vary. Note that only 1½ cups of marinara are added to the pot before cooking; 1½ cups are added after cooking to contribute texture and brightness to the finished stew. For extra richness, top with a dollop of your favorite pesto.

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot until just smoking. Arrange half of chicken in even layer in pot and cook until well browned on first side, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  2. Add onions, garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits, until onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in oregano and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any remaining browned bits, and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1½ cups marinara sauce, broth, and bay leaves.
  3. Add chicken and any accumulated juices to broth mixture, and arrange potatoes on top of chicken, pressing down gently to submerge potatoes completely in broth mixture. Lock lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you. Off heat, gently stir peas and remaining 1½ cups marinara sauce into cooking liquid and let sit, covered, until peas are heated through, about 2 minutes; discard bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual portions with Parmesan and drizzle with extra oil. Serve.
Instant Pot Chicken and Potato Stew
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Sasha Coleman.

Instant Pot Chicken and Potato Stew

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Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1½ teaspoons table salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 onions, chopped
8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce, divided
1½ cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1¾ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved if medium, cut into thirds if large
2 cups frozen peas
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)

Ingredients

2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1½ teaspoons table salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 onions, chopped
8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce, divided
1½ cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1¾ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved if medium, cut into thirds if large
2 cups frozen peas
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)

Ingredients

2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1½ teaspoons table salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 onions, chopped
8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce, divided
1½ cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1¾ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved if medium, cut into thirds if large
2 cups frozen peas
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)

Why This Recipe Works

This family-friendly stew of chicken thighs, potatoes, and peas in an aromatic tomato broth comes together quickly and easily thanks to the Instant Pot. Browning the chicken first, using the pot's sauté function, helped build a flavorful base and gave the finished chicken a pleasing range of textures. Pieces of creamy, broth-saturated potatoes (left large to prevent them from overcooking in the time it took to cook the chicken, just 10 minutes under pressure) yielded satisfyingly to a soupspoon. To be sure the aromatics—onions, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, white wine, and bay leaves—would stand up to the high temperatures inside the pot when cooking under pressure, we used generous amounts of each. We used a 1:1 ratio of our favorite jarred marinara sauce (Rao's Homemade brand) and chicken broth as the cooking medium; too many solids, or liquid that is too thick, will invariably result in a disappointing burn message from the Instant Pot. To thicken the broth after cooking, we added some additional marinara sauce and then let the peas cook in the residual heat. For added richness, we topped individual portions with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Before You Begin

We prefer chicken thighs in this recipe for their deep flavor and richness. If you'd like to substitute chicken breasts, shred the cooked breasts as the peas warm through in step 4 and then return the shredded chicken to the pot before serving. We prefer Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce; you can substitute other brands of marinara, but the texture of the finished stew may vary. Note that only 1½ cups of marinara are added to the pot before cooking; 1½ cups are added after cooking to contribute texture and brightness to the finished stew. For extra richness, top with a dollop of your favorite pesto.

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot until just smoking. Arrange half of chicken in even layer in pot and cook until well browned on first side, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  2. Add onions, garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits, until onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in oregano and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any remaining browned bits, and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1½ cups marinara sauce, broth, and bay leaves.
  3. Add chicken and any accumulated juices to broth mixture, and arrange potatoes on top of chicken, pressing down gently to submerge potatoes completely in broth mixture. Lock lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you. Off heat, gently stir peas and remaining 1½ cups marinara sauce into cooking liquid and let sit, covered, until peas are heated through, about 2 minutes; discard bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual portions with Parmesan and drizzle with extra oil. Serve.

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