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
Don’t forget to pin this post to save it for later!
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.
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
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 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons white wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed with the side of a knife
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 sprig rosemary
After cooking
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 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.
Michelle
Going to try this recipe for my meal prep next week! If I half the recipe (3-4 thighs), do I need to change any of the Instant Pot cooking times? Thanks!
Denise Bustard
Hi Michelle! It should still be the same cook time. Hope you enjoy!
Marisa Merritt
The slow cooker version is a staple in our house! So hearty and yummy, perfect for our rainy WA winters! I was curious if the tomato paste was left off the IP version for any particular reason?
Denise
Hi Marisa! So happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the slow cooker version 🙂 I left the tomato paste out because I found it so annoying to use just 1 tablespoon (I think it was 1?). I found I didn’t even notice it missing, but feel free to add it if you’d like!
Jane
Great recipe. The entire family loved it. Thank you
Paul
Hi Denise, I’m getting ready to make this for tonight (San Rafael, Calif). Have you tried flour dredge and saute on the chicken before closing the pot?
Denise
Hi Paul, I haven’t tried this myself but I bet it would work great! Let me know if you try it!
Leanne
I made this tonight and not only was it quick and easy but it is really delicious! The balsamic vinegar gives it a little zip that i wasn’t expecting but i really like. Nice to have something easy, warm, hearty and healthy this time of year! Thanks for the recipe, i’ll be making it again.
Denise
Hi Leanne! So happy to hear you enjoyed the stew. Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
Sara
Another win! I have loved every single recipe that I’ve made from your site!!
For those that have a mini, I was able to get most of the ingredients in!
Denise
I’m so happy to hear that, Sara! Thank you so much for reporting back how it went for you and I’m glad it worked in the mini 🙂
Xanthe Blackburn
Wonderful recipe; absolutely delicious and so easy. I like the pearl barley idea too.
Denise
Hi Xanthe! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
Char
This recipe was absolutely amazing. I added a handful of fresh green beans and used 2 tablespoons of red wine instead of white (didn’t have white). I also used tiny red potatoes instead of white. It was soooooooo delicious. The balsamic vinegar is definitely a must. This is definitely a keeper.
Denise
Hi Char! I’m so happy you enjoyed the stew. Great idea with the green beans, and thanks for sharing your modifications with us, that’s very helpful to other readers!
Dave
Delicious! What a treat. I’m just “discovering” fennel seed and when I stumbled across this recipe I just had to try it. So glad that I did. We’ll be making this again and again. The only change I made was adding a little freshly ground black pepper. We find that most recipes contain too much salt for our taste so we automatically cut it in half but I ended up adding some salt to my serving so next time I’ll just use the recommended half tsp.
Thanks!
Denise
Hi Dave! So happy you enjoyed. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
Jenny
Stew smells and tastes amazing! The only problem I come up with is thickening it even by doubling the cornstarch water combo…
Denise
Hi Jenny! Sorry you’re having issues getting it to thicken. I have not had these issues at all, so I’m really unsure of how to advise you other than adding more cornstarch. Hope you enjoyed!
KLR
+ turnips and parsnips; + sage. Happy teens and tweens. Thanks.
Denise
Sounds delicious!
Morgan
I put 5 stars for the smell! We are still doing natural release, but as I’m pretty new to my InstantPot I wanted to comment this for other newbies. This was my first ‘dump’ recipe not using saute first, and I was worried something was wrong because of the hissing. (Thought I broke my steam valve!) Didn’t realize that it does take 30 minutes to get to pressure and the valve is a safety hatch, lol! I spent a lot of my 30 minutes on Google, so hope this saves someone stress and time. I’m addicted to this thing!
Denise
I hope it tasted as good as it smelled, Morgan! Yes, the Instant Pot takes FOREVER to come to pressure with soups and stews. If you try a low volume recipe like one of the chicken breast ones on my site, it’s much faster. Thanks for your review!
Morgan
Thanks for the new recipe ideas. It tasted even better than it smelled if possible! I’m actually making this recipe again for the 2nd time in 3 days per my husband’s request and a chicken sale at Target! My only tweaks were to add the whole box of chicken broth and a half cup of pilsner and red wine instead of white as it’s what I had. We are loving the extra sauce for dunking crusty bread!
Many thanks!
Denise
YAY! This makes me so happy! Glad it tasted as good as it smells, isn’t it so disappointing when it goes the other way?
Nats
Can I make this with chicken breasts (fresh not frozen) and would cooking times be different?
Denise
Hi Nats! I would try 5 minutes and if your potatoes are under, put it on for a few more minutes. I’m pretty sure they will be done though 🙂 Hope this helps!
Alicia
Hello,
I can’t do cornstarch- any other substitutions or ideas? I hve used arrowroot powder in the past…
Denise
Hi Alicia! I would do arrowroot starch. I find you usually need about half the amount of cornstarch. Good luck, I hope you enjoy!
John
Hi! I’m currently in the middle of making this. Someone asked earlier how to make it with frozen chicken breasts. I have an answer (or, at least, this is how I’ve done it):
Take the frozen breasts, separate them, put them with some salt and pepper (and any other seasonings, if you want to get creative) and a cup of chicken stock in the Instant Pot. Manual for 11 minutes (brings them to 160F) or 10 minutes (~150F), then slow release for 10 minutes. Prepare everything else for the stew (note: the 1 cup of chicken stock will now be roughly two cups surrounding the breasts when you open the Instant Pot). Fully release the pressure (quick release), remove the breasts, let them sit for 10 minutes while you sauté the onion and garlic with the sauté function, then throw in the wine, let it cook off for a bit, then place everything else (including the now 2 cups of chicken stock, but NOT including the water, balsamic vinegar and corn starch) into the pot. Select manual high pressure for 10 minutes, and while it’s coming up to pressure, cut the breasts into chunks, place them in a bowl, hit them with salt and pepper (I used a bit of Old Bay, too), toss, and hit them again.
When the pot beeps, let it sit (natural release) for 10 minutes or so, then quick release. Open the Instant Pot, stir and taste the liquid. Season if necessary. Mix the water (or some of the liquid in the pot) in a small bowl with the corn starch ’til the lumps are gone, mix that slurry into the pot, put the chicken chunks into the pot with the balsamic vinegar. Stir. If it’s not sufficiently thick, press ‘Sauté’ and stir occasionally ’til you’re happy with the result. By now, the earlier-cooked chicken is the same temp as the rest of the stew. Ladle into serving bowls. Yum!
Denise
Thank you so much for sharing your method, John! So happy you enjoyed!
Lindsay
hey john so you cooked them first seperately? hmm I wonder if you could just do it all together..
John
Hi, Lindsay —
I cooked them separately because they were frozen; I’d probably have followed Denise’s method had they been thawed or fresh. Mind you, I’ve made this again since I wrote that reply (again, from frozen) and I’m clearly a creature of habit 🙂
LBT
Someone asked for a SLOW COOKER or CROCKPOT adaptation. What would you recommend? You sent her your IP recipe again.
Denise
Here’s the link. It’s also linked in the text above https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/slow-cooker-tuscan-chicken-stew/
Tandi
Hi. I’m confused! Your recipe says the cook time is 10 minutes, although in the header of the recipe it says 40 minutes. Which one is wrong? Thanks
Denise
Hi Tandi! The Instant Pot will take 20 minutes to come to pressure, and then with a 10-min natural pressure release the total time is 40 minutes. I just don’t want anyone to think this recipe actually cooks in 10 minutes. Hope that makes sense!
Avis
I made this tonight, and it was fabulous! I halved the recipe as I have a 3qt mini Instant Pot, and it was great. I think I kept the celery and tomatoes the same but everything else I halved. Not sure if I needed to, but I did! I might try and make a full recipe as it didn’t come anywhere near the top fill line on the insert. So tasty, and as I’m alone I think it will provide 2-3 meals or a bit more… depending on if I have seconds! Will definitely make it again and again. The Balsamic vinegar is the secret ingredient that makes it pop!
Denise
Yay! So happy you enjoyed. THank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Peggy
Made the stew for the first time tonight. It was delicious! I added barley to the recipe. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes on your website. I had never done any meal prep ever, but now I am able to meal prep most of my meals each week. Thanks again Denise!
Denise
I LOVE the idea of adding barley to this! I must try. Thanks so much for your review, Peggy!
Lori
My husband is not a fan of carrots and celery. What other veggies would you recommend? Green beans? Mushrooms? Corn? Or would those defeat the “Tuscan”?
Denise
That’s so tough! You could just leave them out. I think green beans would work in this recipe but I’d add them closer to the end of cooking.
Emily
I have chicken breast but it’s not defrosted. How you you adjust the cook time?
Denise
Hi Emily! That’s a great question and I haven’t tried. I would try adding 2 minutes onto the cook time, and check if it’s cooked through. If not, you can add a few extra min…the pot will come back to pressure quickly second time around!
Ace
HI. I accidentally purchased bone-in thighs. Will you help with the cooking time difference? Thank you!
Denise
Hi Ace! I think the cook time should be pretty similar. You can get away with cooking bone-in a bit longer than boneless. Just be careful there isn’t too much fat on your thighs or you could end up with an unappetizing stew.
LBT
I dd not change a thing using bone in chicken thighs and it worked perfectly.
Denise
Glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing!
Denise Britt
I like your recipe a lot. I tweaked it a bit though. I used the sauted the onion, carrots and celery til translucent and added garlic for 1 more minute. I also added oregano to the seasonings. At the end of the cooking time I added a can of red kidney beans and white kidney beans (cannoloni) and fresh spinach to make it a bit heartier and the pop of green made it look amazing. Thanks!
Denise
Sounds delicious! I like to skip the sautee step because this way I can assemble everything ahead and store in the fridge/freezer until I’m ready to cook. But sauteeing does add a bit more flavor.
Denise
Am I doing something wrong. I just put this recipe together and it’s my first time using my instant pot. I can only program it for four minutes at a time. Does that make sense?
Denise
Hi Denise! If you push the + or – buttons, it should adjust the cook time! Although if you have a different model than me it might be different. Are you using the 7-in-1 DUO?
Kathy
This was fantastic! I used chicken tenders, and cooked it for a little too long (15 minutes) but the chicken was melt in your mouth wonderful. I also used some home made roasted tomato sauce rather than the chicken broth and tomatoes. I also used thyme instead of fennel. Will keep this in my rotation. Loved it!
Denise
Hi Kathy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed! I will have to try thyme next time! Thanks so much for your review.
Denise
Hi Roxanne! I have only ever used an Instant Pot, so I can’t say with 100% certainty, but I do believe it would work fine in a normal pressure cooker as well.
Jennifer Payne
I can’t wait to make this tomorrow night! How much boneless chicken breast should I use? One pound or two?
Denise
Hi Jennifer! I’d use 1.5 lbs, roughly 3 large chicken breasts. Hope you enjoy!
Kimberly
Hi Denise!
We don’t have many cold snaps in Texas, but we had a big one this week. This soup was perfect to make and fill our bellies! My teenage son LOVED it so much that he has warmed it in the mornings and taken it in a thermos for lunch the past two days. When I asked him this morning if he wanted the soup for lunch, I received a resounding “YES!” Thank you so much for sharing it!
Denise
Wow, kid approval is the BEST approval! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, Kimberly!
eva a
Please convert to 8 & 10 qt pots please
Denise
Hi Eva! This should work fine in a 8 quart instant pot! Same cook time etc. Hope you enjoy!
Kelen
Hello, this sounds and looks like a very yummy recipe. I have a question though. The prep + cooking time says 55 minutes in total but when reading the recipe it says 10 cooking + 10 minutes before releasing the valve… Can you tell me which one is correct?
Thank you very much!
Denise
Hi Kelen! The Instant Pot will take quite a bit of time to come to pressure, I’m estimating around 30 minutes for this recipe.
Robyn
I’m currently expecting a baby in 2 months and have been trialing new recipes for freezing and dumping. This one was super delicious and quick to make. I love the balsamic at the end which really brings the stew to life!
Denise
I’m so happy to hear that! Good luck with the baby, Robyn!
Lisa
Can you make this in the crockpot? If so can you send instructions for using a crockpot ? Thanks!
Denise
Hi Lisa! Here’s the IP instructions: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/instant-pot-tuscan-chicken-stew/
Chanelle
Just made this stew but substituted the potatoes with sweet potatoes. Super good recipe, can’t wait to make it again!
Denise
Love that swap idea! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, Chanelle 🙂
Michelle
Hi, there, I want to make this recipe but not sure, do I the carrots, celery and other ingredients first or put it straight in the pressure cooker? Never used my pressure cooker before an electric one so want to try this recipe using it for the first time.
Thanks you!
Denise
Hi Michelle, is your question do you need to cook the carrots etc first? If so, no you do not. Hope you enjoy!
Amanda
Hi Denise, I made this recipe , and it was so delicious and bursting with flavor. Thank you so much for sharing and I am looking forward to trying your other recipes. I’m making this one my all time favorite!
Denise
I’m so happy to hear that, Amanda! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!
Marissa
Great recipe! Made it last week and everyone loved it! Will definitely add it to the recipe book to make again!
Denise
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Marissa! Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to leave such a nice review 🙂