This instant pot chicken cacciatore recipe is so tasty and easy that it makes for a great weeknight meal! The chicken is incredibly tender, the gravy is robust and delicious, and the instant pot does most of the work!
When I was growing up, we had chicken cacciatore a lot. My mom alternated between serving us this delicious dish and serving chicken marengo. And even though the dishes are similar, I definitely get a hankering for each of them for different reasons.
The difference between the two is: this instant pot chicken cacciatore has a touch of sherry and chicken marengo has a good dose of (usually) red wine.
I love the simplicity of the instant pot chicken cacciatore. If I made this on the stove top, it would have taken over an hour. I heart you, IP.
I’ve talked about loving my instant pot before, but I can’t even tell you how it has simplified my life. Now when I think of making dinner or something for the blog, the first thing I ask myself is, “Hmmm, can I make it with my instant pot?”
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive oil – I always use extra virgin olive oil because of the peppery and delicious taste.
- Onion – I use Vidalia onions because I love the slightly sweet taste but if you prefer to use a yellow onion, that’s fine.
- Bell Peppers – I use two different colors – green and red. The red gives it a slightly sweet taste and the green pepper is more conventional.
- Mushrooms – I enjoy baby portobellos in this recipe but white button mushrooms are fine too.
- Chicken thighs – I used organic free-range chicken thighs with the skin on and bones in for this recipe but you can use boneless and skinless thighs if you prefer.
- Crushed tomatoes – I use a 28 ounce can.
- Chicken broth – I enjoy Trader Joe’s free-range organic broth.
- Dry sherry – Feel free to omit this though it does flavor the gravy quite nicely.
- Herbs – I use dried organic oregano and basil.
- Bay leaf – It is always a great addition to tomato sauce.
- Salt – I use fine grain sea salt.
- Pepper – Use as much as you want. I can’t because hubby is sensitive to it.
- Garlic paste – I love this paste because it’s quick, easy and truthfully, no one knows the difference. The only thing that may be remarkable about this paste and garlic cloves is there aren’t noticeable chunks of garlic floating around. If you love chopping garlic, one teaspoon of garlic paste = one clove of garlic.
Helpful Tips
- I’ve made this recipe with both skin and bone thighs and thighs that have been boned and the skin removed. It’s delicious both ways.
- If you do use boneless and skinless, there is no need to brown them. You will also change the pressure cook time to 10 minutes.
- This recipe can be made without dry sherry but it’s so flavorful, I say try it like this first.
- The thighs I used were huge so I decided to brown them outside of the Instant pot, mainly because I wanted the skin to stay attached and sometimes that doesn’t happen when you are sautéing in the deep IP insert. But if you don’t want to use another pan and don’t care about tearing the skin, sauté the chicken in the IP.
- I also don’t usually sauté the veggies anymore when I use the IP but I chose to because I wanted them to shrink somewhat since the thighs were so big and I didn’t want to overfill the IP.
How to make instant pot chicken cacciatore
Pre-step
Get your Instant pot and a sauté pan if you’re going to sauté the chicken outside of the IP, as I did.
Step one
Gather red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion and mushrooms.
Step two
Chop onion and bell peppers into chunks and slice the mushrooms.
Step three
Open the can of crushed tomatoes and gather the herbs, bay leaf, salt, pepper, chicken broth and sherry. (You don’t need to put the herbs in the can, I just did it for the photo.)
Step four
Either sauté the chicken thighs in the IP with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or do as I do and heat up a sauté pan on medium. Add olive oil and once that heats up, add the chicken skin side down and sauté for 3 minutes. Flip and sauté for 1 minute more.
Take chicken out of the pan and set aside. (A)
Step five
Plug in the instant pot and push the sauté button. When it has heated up, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and once that heats up, add the onion and peppers and let them sauté for 3 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms, garlic paste, salt and pepper and sauté for one minute more. (B)
Step six
Place chicken on top of the veggies. (C)
Step seven
Add crushed tomatoes, herbs, bay leaf and garlic paste. (D)
Step eight
Lock the IP and make sure the venting knob is sealed. Press the pressure cook button, make sure the pressure is set to high and set the timer for 13 minutes.
Note for your timing: it takes between 10 – 15 minutes for the IP to come to pressure before it starts counting down the 10 minutes.
Step nine
Once the cacciatore is done, either wait 10 – 15 minutes for the pressure to release naturally or put on an oven mitt and after 5 minutes, carefully vent the pressure by tapping the venting knob for about a minute before locking it into the vent position.
Transfer the chicken to your serving dish. I use my Dutch oven.
Doesn’t that gravy look outstanding? I spoon some pasta on a plate and add the instant pot chicken cacciatore right on top.
Look at all those chunky veggies!
Now for the overhead view.
Other popular chicken recipes on Dishes Delish:
I hope you enjoy this instant pot chicken cacciatore recipe as much as Christopher and I do.
Please feel free to leave me a comment!
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
This quick and easy chicken recipe is so delicious, it will taste like you slaved over it for hours!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 7 chicken thighs (skin and bone in)
- 1 medium onion (chopped in chunks)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (chopped in chunks)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (chopped in chunks)
- 10 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons oregano (dried)
- 2 teaspoons basil (dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 teaspoons garlic paste (or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed)
Heat a sauté pan on medium. Once that heats up, add 1 tablespoon oil and after that heats up, add chicken skin side down. (You may have to do this in two batches). Sauté for 3 minutes, flip and cook for an additional minute. Remove chicken and set aside
Plug the IP in and press the sauté button. After it has heated up, add one tablespoon of oil and add the onion and red and green peppers. Sauté for 3 minutes
Add mushroom, salt and pepper and sauté for 1 minute
Add chicken, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, sherry, oregano, basil, bay leaf and garlic paste
Seal the IP, make sure the venting knob is set to sealed and push the pressure cook button and set the timer to 13 minutes. It will take an additional 10 - 15 minutes for the pressure to build until the timer starts to count down.
Once the pressure cooker beeps that it is done, either let the IP release pressure naturally or put on an oven mitt and carefully release the pressure, by tapping the knob over and over for a quick release.
Transfer the chicken and gravy over to a serving dish or serve out of IP
Ladle some chicken cacciatore over some pasta or rice along with some vegetable
Serve
Enjoy
Helpful Tips
- I've made this recipe with both skin and bone thighs and thighs that have been boned and the skin removed. It's delicious both ways.
- If you do use boneless and skinless, there is no need to brown them. You will also change the pressure cook time to 10 minutes.
- This recipe can be made without dry sherry but it's so flavorful, I say try it like this first.
- The thighs I used were huge so I decided to brown them outside of the Instant pot, mainly because I wanted the skin to stay attached and sometimes that doesn't happen when you are sautéing in the deep IP insert. But if you don't want to use another pan and don't care about tearing the skin, sauté the chicken in the IP.
- I also don't usually sauté the veggies anymore when I use the IP but I chose to because I wanted them to shrink somewhat since the thighs were so big and I didn't want to overfill the IP.
Originally published May of 2018.
I love chicken cacciatore though we only had it occasionally when I was a kid. Great way to use the instant pot! I love all that gravy!
Thanks so much Katie!
Chicken is my any-time-of-the-day go-to-protein and this chicken cacciatore looks awesome.
Thank you Jo!
I don’t have an Instant Pot just yet, but I may have to get one to try this out! Looks so delicious and comforting! All I’d need is a big hunk of bread for dunkin’ 😉
Mmmm. Dunking bread in this delicious gravy is simply divine. One of the things hubby loves best about this recipe is that there is plenty of leftover gravy to dollop on pasta!! Thanks Dawn!
Loved the recipe , and how you have explained it . Chicken is my favorite and I would love to try this recipe in instant pot
Thank you Swati! I appreciate it!
This really convinces me that I need to get the Instant Pot asap. This chicken looks fantastic and it is so easy to make! Love this recipe.
Edyta, I know that IP’s are hyped, but let me tell you, I am so glad I got mine! Even if you don’t make this recipe, it’s so easy and fun to use!
I love chicken cacciatore, and I can’t even remember the last time I had it. This looks great….and since I don’t have an instant pot….I will try it in the regular pressure cooker. This is a great way to feed a family.
Thank you Gloria!! It really is yummy and the pressure cooker would cook it perfectly!
2 questions, can you use bone-in chicken thighs? If so, any guess on how much longer it would take? And can you use minced garlic instead of the paste? Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Karen! Yes, you can use bone in thighs and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Just add 5 minutes to the pressure cook time and that should do it. It’s super delicious and you’ll have lots of extra gravy (red sauce) for pasta, etc. I hope you enjoy it! Elaine
Just wanted to come back and say I made it and loved it! It was delicious! Served it over egg noddles and it was a big hit! Thanks!
Yay Karen! Thank you so much for telling me. I appreciate it and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This looks perfect for weeknight meals or for meal-prep lunches! Will hopefully have some homegrown peppers from the garden to try it this year..
Ooo, Kelli! Homegrown peppers!! That sounds glorious! And thank you! I appreciate your comment!
I love how you took this Chicken Cacciatore and made it an easy meal in the insta pot. Can’t wait to try this out for dinner soon.
Thanks Sharon!
I’m moving this weekend and an instant pot is one of the first things on my list to buy when I get to my new place. This is going on my list of recipes to make once I get one!
Yahoo! Kathryn, thank you. Have a easy and smooth move!
So first off…I just printed this recipe off for our dinner menu next week. YEAH ! So excited to try this recipe out! Next – I love that you have made this so easy!! Can’t WAIT to try this! Love my Instant Pot!
Yay!! I’m always trying to find more ways to use my instant pot!! I hope you enjoy it!
I keep saying this, but I really do need to just get an instant pot! The flavors here sound bonkers good!
Thanks Kate!! I know. I was a big IP holdout, but not that I’ve had it for a while, I can’t believe I lived without!
We love chicken cacciatore but it’s been a long time since we had it! Chicken and fish are our go-to protein and making the bird cacciatore style gives it lots of flavor. Thanks for reminding me of this recipe.
Thanks Marisa 🙂 I appreciate your comment!
I’m still getting used to the Instant Pot that I have, so I’m always looking for foolproof recipes that I can try as I learn its ins and outs. Can’t wait to give this one a try!
Thanks Kitty! It’s a great and comforting recipe!
Instant pot is really amazing. I still don’t have it but seriously thinking about getting one. This chicken looks absolutely delicious. My family would love this recipe. It sounds very flavorful and I love all the veggies that are inside.
If there’s one thing I love it’s pasta with veggies in red gravy! Mmmmm. Chicken is a bonus.
I have been seriously procrastinating on getting an instant pot…this recipe is just screaming at me making me want to get one right now just to be able to make something that looks this delicious so quickly…
Thanks Femi! IP’s are really awesome. 🙂
This makes me want to get into the Insta Pot madness! This recipe looks so yummy and perfect for an easy weeknight dinner!
It really is Rezel! I finally got one a while back and haven’t regretted it at all!
Wow I’m loving all the flavors in this Instant Pot Chick Cacciatore recipe, one more great recipe for my Instant Pot.
Thanks so much Michelle!
Can you make it with chicken breast and if so how long should I cook it? It looks delicious!
Hi Julie! If it has the bone, then 13 minutes. If not than I would say the same as the thighs which is 10 minutes! I hope you enjoy it. It’s so tasty! I updated the recipe card to reflect the time in the notes section. 🙂
I love this! Everything looks healthy, colorful, and full of bursting flavor. The perfect dish to make with all of the lovely peppers popping up in my garden right now. And, as always, your photos are lovely. I wish I had your eye!
Aww. Thanks Jenni! I really appreciate it!
Thank you for the recipe. Will try it on the weekend for sure. Especially in the winter season in Sydney.
Thanks Bella!! 🙂 It’s so comforting in the winter!
Do you remember Chicken Tonight? As a teenager that jar of chicken cacciatore seemed gourmet! Glad there’s a scratch version for my adult palate!
Hi Kitty! I don’t remember Chicken tonight, I’m assuming it was jarred cacciatore? Thanks so much for your comment!
This recipe looks and sounds so delicious and I’m crying because I don’t own an instant pot! I’m going to try it the old-fashioned way for now, but as soon as I make room in a cabinet…
I hear you Anne! I didn’t want to get it but then when I did, I couldn’t believe how easy it is to use!
I have a different brand of pressure cooker than an IP, are you setting your pressure to low, medium or high?
Mkorsch! I always set it to high!
I want to make this recipe. It looks delicious. Is it possible to cook the pasta in the instant pot? I’ve read other recipes that break the pasta and lay it on the top.
Hi Joyce! I’ve never tried cooking pasta in the IP before but I did some research. Here’s what I have deduced. You have to cook the recipe as written and then carefully do a quick release. Once it’s safe to open, fish out the chicken and set it aside and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the pasta of your choice and seal the IP again. Cook on the manual pressure cooking setting on high for 4 minutes and when it beeps that it’s done, let it naturally release for 5 minutes and THEN do a quick release. I hope this makes sense. Good luck. I’d love to know how it is cooking the pasta in the sauce. I hope you enjoy the recipe and thank you so much for your comment!
This sounds so good! I have a new instant pot and have been looking for recipes to try, this one is on my list to make real soon!
You won’t regret it Anne. When I first got my IP, it took me forever to use it.
I can’t wait to try this. I haven’t made chicken Cacciatore in forever because it takes so long doing it the regular way. I think this is going to be great.
Thanks so much Ben! Once I got the IP, I couldn’t wait to make CC in it!
I love this dish. It’s easy enough for daily rotation, and pretty and awesome enough to serve for special occasions. 🙂
Thanks Anita. You hit the nail right on the head!
This instant pot chicken cacciatore recipe looks really appetizing! My family will love to have this during our weeknight dinner. That tender chicken and delicious gravy made this recipe perfect.
Thanks so much Dennis! I appreciate it. It’s perfect during the weekend because it is so quick to make.
I made your recipe for a gathering the other day and everyone kept asking for the recipe. It was totally a hit!
I’m so pleased to hear that Shadi! I ‘m glad you all enjoyed it.
Cacciatore is one of my favorites but to be honest it is time-consuming so using the Instant Pot to make this recipe is genius! What a time saver.
Thanks Sharon. I love my Instant Pot more and more every time I make it.
This was such a delicious  dish; love all the perfectly balanced flavors! Can’t wait to make this again later this week!
Thank you Sara! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
What a delightful dish has all the perfect ingredients and so easy! Adding this recipe to my fall menu.
Thanks Adriana. I hope you enjoy it when you make it.
Very interesting. I would have ever thught about eating a pasta dish with a chicken bit with skin and bones, it really sounds new to me. As much as I would like to say that I would go for skin-and-boneless, I know those are crucial in giving much more flavour. Could be a very interesting experience to me!
Thank you Eva. 🙂
I love cooking in my Instant Pot, it makes cooking so much easier. I am adding your recipe to my list to try soon.
Thank you Denise. Sometimes I wonder how I got by without my IP. 🙂
Oh my goodness! This chicken cacciatore recipe looks and sounds amazing! I love that this is another great recipe that I can use my Instant Pot with! Score!
Hehe. Thanks Jess. That’s how I feel when I find another IP recipe!
Loved all the ingredients and the flavors in this recipe. Its a delight to enjoy chicken dish in this form.
Thank you Gunjan! I appreciate it.
This chicken with pasta look so comforting! Plus, I love that you make it in Instant Pot! It make the whole process so much easier! Will save the recipe and try it next week!
Thanks Veronika. I hope you enjoy it when you do try it!
I love that you made this in the Instant Pot! It’s a life saver for busy weeknights, especially this time of year! And this chicken dish is so hearty for fall. Great recipe Elaine!
Thanks Leanne! It’s very comforting and delicious! 🙂
Oh my God, this looks delicious! The flavors are perfect for me and love that it’s so easy to make. I love using my instant pot as much as I can. And I know what i’m making for my next meal.
Hehe. Thanks Jo. I adore my instant pot too! 🙂
This chicken cacciatore is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at our house. I’m loving it because the instant pot does most of the work and the kids will love it because of all the delicious ingredients.
Thanks Kelly! It’s so easy to make and I’d never go back to making it the old fashioned way.