This Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore is pure comfort food! Made conveniently in the pressure cooker, this Italian classic is made with chicken thighs and flavorful tomato sauce with veggies.
Similar to my Instant Pot Chicken Marsala, this dish is saucy and perfect served with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta.
This classic Italian hunter’s stew dish is pure comfort food! The chicken is fall-apart tender and cooked in the veggie-loaded sauce. It tastes like it’s been cooking all day but it only took 12 minutes or pressure cooking time! It’s a rustic dish made with the convenience of a modern small appliance and I am obsessed with it.
Ingredients:
- boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- yellow onion
- red bell pepper
- carrots
- mushrooms
- diced tomatoes (1 can)
- tomato paste
- Italian seasoning
- black olives
- chicken broth
How to make Chicken Cacciatore in the Instant Pot?
- Heat up oil in the Instant Pot.
- Seasoning chicken and brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove onto a plate.
- Add more oil and saute veggies (garlic, onion, pepper).
- Add Italian seasoning and stir in. Saute for a couple of minutes.
- Add carrots, mushrooms and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add diced tomatoes and olives.
- Place chicken thighs back in the Instant Pot.
- Lock the lid, set pressure valve to sealing position and press “manual” button.
- Set timer to 12 minutes to cook on HIGH pressure.
- Once done, press “cancel/off” and let the IP release pressure naturally.
What to serve with this Chicken Cacciatore?
Since this dish is very saucy, I like to serve it with mashed potatoes, a side of a salad (like my Perfect Caesar Salad), and sourdough bread or Focaccia bread. You will need it to soak up every bit of the delicious sauce!
Rice, quinoa, or pasta is also great with this chicken. Feel free to use what you like!
Chicken thighs vs. chicken breasts
I prefer and recommend chicken thighs for this dish because they are more flavorful. Also, they make this dish very affordable since the thighs are the cheapest cut of meat you can buy. If you don’t have or don’t like thighs, by all means, feel free to use breasts.
Expert tips:
- Saute the Italian seasoning with veggies to “activate” the dried herbs and ensure that the dish is flavorful.
- It is very important to deglaze the bottom of the pot after browning the meat and sauteing the vegetables. This will prevent the dish from burning on the bottom which can lead to the IP not being able to build the pressure.
- Serve whole chicken thighs with sauce or shred the meat and mix in.
- To freeze: cool the dish completely, then portion out into freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then heat up with 1/2 cup of water in the Instant Pot.
More Instant Pot dinner recipes:
For more recipes using the digital pressure cooker, feel free to browse our Instant Pot Category. Also, check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance! Seeing BURN message on your IP? Read my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn why and how to save your dish.
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
This Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore is pure comfort food! Made conveniently in the pressure cooker, this Italian classic is made with chicken thighs and flavorful tomato sauce with veggies.
- 4 to 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 4 baby Bella mushrooms washed and sliced
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup black olives halved
- 3/4 cup chicken broth or stock
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Press the "Saute" button and add 1 tablespoon of oil to your Instant Pot.
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Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on all sides.
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Brown chicken in the oil, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
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Remove chicken onto a plate.
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Add more oil to the IP and add garlic, onion, and pepper. Saute, stirring often, until the onion is almost translucent.
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Add Italian seasoning and stir in. Saute for 1 minute.
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Add carrots and mushrooms, saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Add half of the chicken broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot. That means scraping any cooked-on bits with a wooden spoon. This will prevent the burn message.
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Add remaining broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and olives. Stir well. Place chicken back in the IP.
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Close the lid, set valve to "sealing" position (the newer models do it on their own). Make sure the Instant Pot is set to cook at high pressure.
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Press the "manual" or "pressure cook" button and set timer to 12 minutes. The IP will beep after a few seconds and it will start building up pressure. This can take about 5 to 8 minutes.
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Once the cooking cycle is done, press the "cancel/off" button. Let the IP release pressure on it's own. That means do not touch the pressure valve.
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Once the pressure valve pin is down, carefully open the lid away from your face. Let the dish sit for a few minutes while you set the table.
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Serve whole pieces of chicken with the sauce or shred the meat and stir in.
- Serve this dish with pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.
- To freeze: cool the dish completely, then portion out into freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then heat up with 1/2 cup of water in the Instant Pot.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Melissa says
Sounds delicious but is it possible to cook the rice at the same time in the instant pot?
Tracey Person says
We don’t care for mushrooms, do you have a suggestion for a substitute? If not, do I need to alter the recipe in any way if I omit them? Thanks, I’m looking forward to trying this recipe!
DJ says
Loved the recipe, really tasty. But no mention on when to add the bell pepper. When should that be added. Also, no need to let the IP release pressure on its own. That can take 30 min. I released after 10 min by turning the pressure valve. Also, the chicken came out fine, but the chicken thighs were not whole, but rather completely broken apart. Would love a suggestion on how to prevent that from happening. Thanks
Felicity Thambyah says
Very tasty. Made tonight and doubled recipe. Only added half amount of water. Came out very saucy but thin so thickened with corn flour. Method doesn’t mention when to add capsicum but I just added with carrot step. Adding this recipe to my list for bulk cooking meals for freezer. I served with cauliflower rice for myself, regular rice for husband and pasta for kids (rice and pasta were already cooked in frige so was just using up all leftovers, normally wouldn’t serve so many different options haha)
Anna says
Thank you, Felicity! I am so glad the cacciatore was a hit!
Lorna Weber says
I’m going to try this today, but with bone-in thighs. Will follow IP instructions for bone-in cooking and let you know!
Laura says
My boyfriend made this chicken cacciatore for dinner last night and it was SO GOOD. He doubled the recipe so we’d have leftovers, and I was excited to eat it again for the 2nd night in a row. Chicken falls apart and there’s lots of tasty sauce for putting over pasta (or cauliflower rice for a healthier option). We also served with French bread. Kids ages 5 and 7 approved as well so I’d say it was a hit! Will definitely make again.
Rachel says
Can you make with chicken breasts and would you change the pressure time?
ishtar says
Yum yum yum even better the next day!!! Thanks CCS!!
Audrey says
This is now my favorite comfort food ever! I love how saucy this dish is! Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
Anna says
Comfort food for sure! Thank you, Audrey!
Eden says
So happy with how this turned out! Incredibly easy to make and delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
Anna says
Thank you, Eden! I am so glad it was a hit!
Natasha says
The sauce and chicken is so full of flavor! I served this to my family the other night with mashed potatoes and pasta and it was a hit!
Anna says
That’s fantastic! Thank you, Natasha!
wilhelmina says
This turned out amazing! Incredible flavor and the chicken was juicy and fall-apart tender. Delicious!
Anna says
Awesome! Thank you, Wilhelmina!
Julia says
Wow! My Hubby just made this for dinner and we can’t get enough! The sauce is incredible and the chicken falls apart. Delicious! I can’t wait to have it again.
Anna says
I love that! So glad it was a hit! Thank you, Julia!