Instant Pot Tuscan chicken stew is heathy comfort food at it's best! Full of veggies, with a boost of flavor from fennel seeds, rosemary and balsamic vinegar. Quick and simple to prepare and is gluten-free.
The Instant Pot is great year round, but come fall, we are all about the soups and stews: from Instant Pot carrot ginger soup to chickpea chili, it's an easy hands off way to cook them.
Instant Pot Tuscan chicken stew is another family favorite! Rustic and full of unique flavor thanks to fennel, rosemary, and a splash of balsamic vinegar, this is the perfect stew to warm you up!
We love serving with a chunk of bread for dunking.
Reasons you’ll ♡ Instant Pot Tuscan chicken stew
- no sautéing means you can get the ingredients into the Instant Pot quickly
- it has uniquely delicious flavor thanks to fennel, rosemary and balsamic vinegar
- you can prep it as a freezer meal
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Ingredient notes
- chicken thighs- I recommend boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe as they will stay nice and juicy while not releasing fat into the stew. You may swap for chicken breast, but do not cook longer than 8 minutes; I might even try 6 minutes.
- rustic veggies- baby potatoes (halved), celery, carrots, onion, tomatoes and garlic go into this stew, you can keep the cuts larger as they will soften significantly as the stew cooks. If you are looking to add other veggies, stick to hardy ones like butternut squash.
- cooking liquid- we are using a mixture of chicken stock and white wine; you can leave the wine out if you'd prefer
- dried fennel seeds- this adds a delicious but subtle layer of anise flavor to the stew that compliments the rosemary and balsamic vinegar so well
- rosemary- fresh works best for this recipe, but in a pinch you can use dried rosemary. I like to throw the whole sprig in because it's easy to remove after cooking.
- balsamic vinegar- this stew benefits from the addition of an acid at the end of cooking; this brightens all the flavors up
Cooking Tuscan chicken stew
The beauty of this Instant Pot Tuscan chicken stew recipe is that there is no saute step. This means you can get the recipe into the Instant Pot and ready to cook in under 15 minutes!
To cook the recipe, assemble the chicken, vegetables, chicken stock, wine, fennel seeds, salt and rosemary. Stir to combine, then place the lid on the Instant Pot. Set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position, then pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
10 minute natural pressure release
When cooking soups or stews in the Instant Pot, I like to use a 10 minute natural pressure release to avoid liquid spewing through the vent. What this means is that when the cooking cycle is done, we let the Instant Pot sit for 10 minutes. At this point, we can carefully move the steam release handle into the 'venting' position, allowing the remaining pressure to release.
For more information about when to use a quick versus natural pressure release, check out Instant Pot 101.
Thickening the stew
After releasing the pressure, carefully remove the Instant Pot lid, then stir in the balsamic vinegar and a mixture of cornstarch + water (mixed into a slurry).
Select the 'sautee' button on the Instant Pot, and simmer until the stew is thickened to your liking. This should only take 1-2 minutes; if it's still not thickened to your liking, add additional cornstarch slurry.
Storage + Meal Prep
Storage
The thing I really love about Instant Pot Tuscan chicken stew is that it actually tastes even better on day 2! Here's how to store after cooking:
- Fridge- store cooked stew in an air tight container for up to 4 days
- Freezer- freeze stew in a glass or plastic freezer jar for up to 3 months
- Thaw- thaw for 48 hours in the fridge, or immerse the jar partially in cold water for a few hours to speed the process
- Reheat- heat on medium-low heat in a pot on the stove; stir gently until warmed through
Meal prep
Tuscan chicken stew can be used as a meal prep recipe using two different strategies:
1. Reheat meals
Cook the stew through, then store in the fridge or freezer using directions above. Reheat for easy meals!
2. Freezer packs
This recipe also works great as a freezer to Instant Pot meal. Here's how to do this:
- Leave baby potatoes whole when freezing (they get a weird texture otherwise).
- Place all ingredients in a gallon sized freezer bag or large meal prep container. You can leave the stock out if the bag/container is quite full.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
To cook:
- Thaw completely in the fridge (48 hours).
- Dump into the Instant Pot, and cook using the directions in the card.
Check out my favorite freezer containers.
FAQ + reader tips
Can I cook this in a slow cooker?
Yes, here is the slow cooker Tuscan chicken stew recipe.
Can I add beef?
I'd recommend checking out this Instant Pot Beef Stew.
Instant Pot models that work
I have successfully cooked this recipe in my 6 quart Instant Pot as well as in my 8 quart Instant Pot. Reader Sara says "For those that have a mini, I was able to get most of the ingredients in!"
Reader ingredient swaps
- Veggies- Reader Char added green beans; reader KLR added parsnips and turnips; reader Denise added fresh spinach at the end
- Wine- Readers Char and Morgan swapped the white wine with red wine
- Potatoes- Reader Chanelle swapped potatoes for sweet potatoes
- Seasonings- Reader Dave added fresh ground pepper
- Herbs- Reader KRL added sage leaves; reader Kathy used thyme
- Extras- Reader Peggy added barley to the stew; reader Denise added a can of kidney beans
- Chicken- Reader LBT used bone-in chicken thighs with the same cook time
More Instant Pot recipes
- Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Spicy Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry
- Instant Pot Taco Meat
- Perfect + Tender Instant Pot Broccoli
- 7 Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes
- Fluffy Instant Pot Basmati Rice
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Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs see note 1
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 celery ribs sliced
- 1 onion diced
- 2 tomatoes diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 12 baby potatoes halved (or left whole)
- 1 ¾ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons white wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed with the side of a knife
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 sprig rosemary
After cooking
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Add the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, chicken stock, wine, fennel, salt and rosemary to the stainless steel insert of an Instant Pot.
- Set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position, place the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot beeps, allow it to sit for 10 minutes (natural pressure release). After 10 minutes, carefully turn the steam release handle to the 'venting' position to release the remaining pressure.
- Stir together the water and cornstarch, then add to the pot with the balsamic vinegar.
- Select the 'sautee' button on the Instant Pot and simmer for 2 or so minutes, until stew is thickened to your liking (see note 2).
- Serve with crusty bread.
To prep ahead and freeze
- Add all ingredients not labelled 'after cooking' to a gallon sized freezer bag (see note 3).
- Remove as much air as possible, and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
- To cook, thaw completely before cooking as directed above.
Tips:
Nutrition Information
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