Tastes like its been simmered for hours, in a fraction of the time, this Instant Pot Rustic Braised Chicken is a fast and impressively delicious dinner for the whole family!

Instant Pot Rustic Braised Chicken set on mashed potatoes in a shallow gray and white bowl viewed from overhead

I haven’t used my Instant Pot nearly as much as I should. That really has to change, but truth be told, I’m still intimidated by it a little bit. It’s like everything new in the kitchen, some things just take a little longer to get used to. When I first started cooking with cast iron I felt the same way – and heck, I loved it so much I ended up writing a cookbook on it! So, when people tell me they are “scared” of it, I totally empathize – because the Instant Pot, for me, is kind of the same thing.

But every once in a while, you really hit it out of the park.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Rustic Braised Chicken

This recipe is pretty versatile and you can use whatever cuts of chicken that you want. In this instance, I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, because it was what I had on hand. And this Instant Pot Rustic Braised Chicken would be even better with bone-in thighs, or bone-in chicken breasts if you ask me. The times might go up just slightly, because the bones act as an insulator to the meat, and prevent over cooking, but you really can’t argue with the flavor of this dish!

  • Bacon
  • Tomato Paste
  • Garlic
  • Dried Thyme
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • White Wine
  • Chicken Broth
  • Cremini Mushrooms
  • Diced Tomatoes
  • finely chopped
  • Chicken Breasts
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Cornstarch
  • Water
  • Fresh Parsley

Deciding what to serve with it can be as easy as mashed potatoes, or noodles with the sauce from this dish ladled liberally over the top. Or just more veggies. Really it is a great compliment to any side dish. The extra tomatoes and mushrooms make it hearty and filling, but not oppressively heavy.

I’m slowly building up my Instant Pot category, so be sure to take a peek and see if there are any other recipes you might fancy! Like maybe these pumpkin cranberry steel cut oats?

Two dishes of Instant Pot Rustic Braised Chicken set on mashed potatoes in a shallow gray and white bowls shot from overhead on tan napkins

So while I am still getting used to Instant Pot cooking, I am totally committed to getting more use out of it with dishes like this Instant Pot Rustic Braised chicken. It will be on repeat through fall and winter for sure!

Inspired Homemade Recipes to Try

Instant Pot Rosemary Dijon Pot Roast

Spicy Vegetable Coconut Curry

30 Minute Rustic Tomato Sauce

Instant Pot Roasted Garlic and Boursin Mashed Potatoes

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Instant Pot Rustic Braised Chicken

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  • Author: Megan Keno
  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 Minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Tastes like its been simmered for hours, in a fraction of the time, this Instant Pot Rustic Braised Chicken is a fast and impressively delicious dinner for the whole family!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4–6 slices of Bacon, sliced into 1/2″ pieces, fried and drained
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 cup White Wine
  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1 pound Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 4 Chicken Breasts, *see note*
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp Water
  • Fresh Parsley, minced for garnish

Instructions

  1. In the Instant Pot cooking pot, cook the bacon on the saute function until it is done and crispy. Remove it and drain on a paper towel. Set it aside for later.
  2. In the pot, still set to saute, add in the tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes until fragrant. About 1 minute. Stir in the wine, and scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot.
  3. Next, stir in the broth, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion. Season the chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper on all sides. Place them on top of the vegetables in the pot. Don’t worry, they will settle into the braising liquid as they cook and the vegetables reduce.
  4. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set it to high pressure, for 15 minutes. Perform a quick pressure release, and remove the lid when the pressure valve is down.
  5. In a small dish, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Pour it into the braising liquid and bring the liquid to a boil with the saute function. Whisk the liquid and boil for a couple of minutes to thicken the sauce.
  6. Serve the chicken over mashed potatoes, or noodles, topping with vegetables from the braising liquid, minced parsley and some chopped bacon!

Notes

You can use boneless skinless breasts for this, but it will be better with bone-in chicken breasts, or bone-in chicken thighs, as they act like an insulator to prevent overcooking. You can reduce the time for boneless skinless chicken breasts by a minute or two, but ensure they have reached 165 before serving.

Keywords: Chicken, Recipe, Instant Pot