An easy Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore dinner that tastes as good as the original in less than half the time. All the delicious flavors of the Italian favorite you love - tomatoes, peppers, onion and spices, all simmered together in one pot! And that means easy cleanup and a delicious dinner in no time! Great for low carb, paleo and gluten-free diets.
Everyone loves easy dinners and, I don't know about you, but I love the easy clean up too. This easy chicken cacciatore recipe fulfills both of my requirements hands down. All I can say is, the Instant Pot is a miracle worker.
I used to cook all the time with the old-fashioned kind of pressure cooker and until they stopped carrying any replacement parts, I used it all the time. It was a great way to prepare a quick dinner when working all day. Now, with the advent of these safer Instant Pot appliances, I can go back to cooking all my favorites from years ago.
What is chicken cacciatore?
Chicken Cacciatore or Chicken in the Style of the Hunter, originated in the Tuscany region of Italy sometime around the Renaissance period, 1450 to 1600. Cacciatore means hunter in Italian and when used in cooking, alla cacciatore means meals prepared hunter-style. These usually include onions, tomatoes, herbs, bell peppers and wine. The most popular dish is made with chicken or rabbit.
It is quick & easy recipes like Chicken Bacon Mac and Cheese or Southwest Chicken Casserole that are my mainstay to get dinner on the table before bedtime. And now I can add this Chicken Cacciatore Instant Pot recipe to the list. It's hassle-free, has a beautiful array of fresh ingredients, and comes together super quick for my "not enough hours in a day" busy weeknights.
How to Make Chicken Cacciatore in an Instant Pot
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté mode and add a little olive oil. Season chicken then brown it in the pot for about 6 minutes on each side.
- Remove chicken and set aside. Add pepper and onions to the pot with a little more oil, if necessary, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Turn Instant Pot off.
- Place chicken back in the pot and add drained tomatoes, reserving the liquid.
- Combine the tomato juice with wine, flour and spices then pour over chicken. That's all the hands-on cooking you'll need to do!
- It's all set to cook. Close and lock the pressure cooker and set it on high pressure for 25 minutes. When it's done, release pressure naturally for 15 minutes then release the remainder manually. During this 15 minutes, prepare rice or your preferred side.
- Beautifully cooked and it smells divine.
What comes out is moist chicken with plump tomatoes and onions in a gloriously tasty sauce. A winner-winner chicken dinner for sure that's delicious, quick and nearly no cleanup. Your family will think you took hours preparing dinner but I won't tell. It will be our secret. 🙂 Enjoy!
What to serve with this easy chicken cacciatore
I like to serve mine over rice to enjoy all the deliciously flavored sauce. You can also opt for pasta or low-carb options like riced cauliflower, zucchini noodles, or quinoa. These fit well into low-carb, gluten-free, and paleo lifestyles.
And, if you like to enjoy wine with your chicken cacciatore, I would opt for the same dry red wine you used in the recipe. I prefer varieties such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, red Zinfandel and Chianti, which all work to balance out the natural acidity of the tomatoes. Enjoy!
More Instant Pot Recipes
Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin Instant Pot is full of wonderful Asian flavors.
Greek Beef Stew is a hearty meal and perfect winter comfort food.
Sweet Potato Squash Soup with warm spices and goat cheese.
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Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 2 ½ - 3 lbs whole cut-up fryer chicken or chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 cup onions thinly sliced
- 28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained reserve liquid
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup dry red wine
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour cornstarch for gluten-free & arrowroot for paleo
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar omit for low carb & paleo diets
Instructions
- Wash & pat dry chicken pieces then season with salt, pepper and paprika.
- Turn Instant Pot to saute and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Saute chicken pieces, in batches if necessary, for 6 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken from Instant Pot and set aside.
- If needed, add a little more olive oil to Instant Pot. Saute pepper and onion for 5 minutes or until soft.
- Turn off Instant Pot. Add chicken back in.
- Drain whole tomatoes, reserving juice. Place tomatoes around chicken and add bay leaf.
- Mix remaining tomato liquid with ¼ cup flour and stir until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and stir until blended. Pour liquid over chicken.
- Close Instant Pot and set to high pressure and cook chicken for 25 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes then release manually to alleviate remaining pressure.
- Remove bay leaf and serve over rice, pasta, riced cauliflower, zucchini noodles or quinoa.
Notes
What to serve with this easy chicken cacciatore
- Rice
- Pasta
- Riced Cauliflower
- Zucchini noodles
- Quinoa
