Dig into this Instant Pot Chicken Stew with Farro for a dose of whole grains and lean protein. Stovetop instructions included. 336 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe with Farro Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Stew with Farro is the ultimate healthy comfort food, rich with lean protein and whole grains. And if you don’t have an electric pressure cooker, such as the Instant Pot, stovetop instructions are also included. If you do have one, you’ll be amazed at how easily this healthy stew recipe comes together.
While boneless, skinless chicken breasts have the reputation of being dry and flavorless, cooking them in the Instant Pot in an herb-flavored broth produces meat that is so tender that it practically falls apart into shreddable morsels.
(If you’re looking for additional healthy Instant Pot recipes, check out these recipes.)
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS INSTANT POT CHICKEN STEW RECIPE:
These are the main components for this recipe (including affiliate links)…
- Mirepoix: Mirepoix is the fancy name for the combination of onions, carrots and celery that is used for the base of many soups and stews. If you have those as a starting point, you have the base for a great meal.
- Dried herbs: Dried thyme and dried oregano add a wonderful layer of flavor. If you don’t have the individual herbs, but have a container of Italian seasoning on hand, use that instead.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts become tender and easily shreddable in an electric pressure cooker. If you only have frozen chicken breasts, feel free to use those. There’s no need to add extra cooking time – the pressure cooker will simply take longer to come to pressure.
- Farro: More on farro below, but it’s a nutty whole grain that can add both fiber and bulk to soups and stews. If you don’t have farro, barley (not the quick-cooking kind) would be a good substitute.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds just the right amount of tomato flavor to the broth. However, I have also made this stew without tomato paste and it turned out well, so no need to make a last-minute trip to the store if you don’t have it on hand.
What is farro?
Farro is an ancient whole grain that originally hails from Italy. Incorporate it into soups, salads and stews, or swap it for brown rice in side dishes. It has a nutty taste and a wonderful chewy texture, and can be cooked in about 30 minutes (quicker in a pressure cooker). Some of my favorite recipes using farro are this hearty soup and this pretty whole grain salad. It can be found in many grocery stores or on Amazon (affiliate link). I typically buy the Bob’s Red Mill version.
How to make Pressure Cooker Chicken Stew
Saute the onion, carrots and celery in the Instant Pot (I use this one – affiliate link), using the Saute mode, until starting to soften. Next stir in the garlic, herbs and tomato paste. Pour in the chicken broth, then rest the chicken breasts and farro on top. Cook at HIGH pressure for 12 minutes (the Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure). Once the pressure is released, shred the chicken breasts, stir in the parsley, and season to taste. Easy and delicious!
How to make healthy chicken stew on the stovetop
The difference in this method is that the chicken is cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked in the saucepan, then set aside until the end. Saute the veggies and tomato paste, then stir in the chicken broth and farro. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the farro until tender. Stir in the chicken, reheat, add the parsley, then serve.
Other Healthy Instant Pot Recipes:
Vegan Instant Pot Mushroom Soup {Cookin’ Canuck}
Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato {Cookin’ Canuck}
Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili {Cookin’ Canuck}
African Beef Stew {Thyme & Joy}
Instant Pot Moroccan Chickpea Stew {Holy Cow!}
Instant Pot Chicken Stew with Farro
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 carrots cut into thin half-circles
- 2 large celery stalks diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup dry farro
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ cup minced flat leaf parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Heat the olive oil, then add the onion, carrots and celery. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, thyme, oregano and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken breasts, farro, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, close the steam vent and set to HIGH pressure using the manual setting. Set the time to 12 minutes. It will take the Instant Pot about 15 minutes to reach pressure.
- Once the time is expired, use natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board, shred with 2 forks, then transfer back to the Instant Pot. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Stovetop Directions:
- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Heat a large saucepan over medium-heat. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
- Heat the olive oil in the saucepan. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the farro and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the chicken and parsley. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 22, 2019 and updated on October 2, 2019.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Claudia says
I have heard so much about insta pot your inspiring me to buy one!
Feestzaal says
This chicken stew looks delicious and I’ll definitely try this. Thank you! 🙂
Jennifer Blake says
I immediately added this to my dinner menu planning. I can smell it already!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I love that you used farro!
Jennifer Farley says
This is perfect for this cold weather we are having!
Carolyn says
Instant pot recipes are the BEST!
Nicole C says
I made this tonight for my husband, parents, brother, and his wife and it got RAVE reviews. They absolutely LOVED it. So flavorful and tender. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Nicole C says
I made this for my family when they were all in town a couple of weekends ago. They RAVED about it and they all wanted the recipe. While I am not eating meat (not specifically vegetarian, just cutting back), I tasted the broth and it was so rich and flavorful. This recipe made me want to start eating meat again. Easy too! Thanks!
Diane says
Is there something I can use in place of the farro?
Dara says
Barley would be a great substitution!
LisaD says
Sounds great. How can I modify this recipe if my chicken is frozen?
Dara says
Hi Lisa, the general rule for cooking frozen food in the Instant Pot is to add 1 to 3 minutes of cooking time. The Instant Pot will take additional time to come to pressure.
Trista says
Any change to the time if I use frozen chicken breast?
Dara says
The general rule for cooking frozen food in the Instant Pot is to add 1 to 3 minutes of cooking time. The Instant Pot will take additional time to come to pressure.
Laura says
Do leftovers freeze well? I’ve never frozen soups with farro in it
Dara says
Yes, overall it does freeze well. Like rice, the farro will come out a bit mushier after defrosting, but not enough to stop me from freezing it.
Christine says
I just made this in my Instant Pot. It’s delicious! The ingredients were so simple, I wasn’t expecting such a flavorful stew. The farro gives it a great, hearty bite. I normally tweak recipes, but this one is excellent. I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you.
Jessica Hudson says
Another great recipe, Dara! My 4-year old ate two bowls, which is nothing short of a miracle. We’ll be making this again.
Marci Gray says
This stew is so flavorful that my hubby who has nerve damage to his tongue could taste it!! Am making again tonight and thinking about extra veggies to add like mushrooms and parsnips!
Dara says
If that isn’t a great endorsement for flavor, I don’t know what is (though I am sorry to hear about your husband’s nerve damage)! 🙂 Thanks so much, Marci and I love the idea of adding in some mushrooms and parsnips.
Wes Garman says
Outstanding recipe. Wife really like it and she’s pretty picky.
Wes Garman says
Made this for one or our Lions Club Soup/Chili suppers and we went home with an empty pot. I originally followed the Instant Pot recipe to initially check on the taste, which, of course, it passed with flying colors. However, since I needed a double batch for feeding an army of people, I tossed everything into a slow cooker and let it go for about 8 hours on low. Results were the same. Lots of very positive comments on the taste and health aspects. This is going to be staple in our family for those cold, winter suppers.
Dawn Powell says
I made this as meal prep for the work week. It is great. I think the tomato is a bit too much for me so I added some light cream cheese to make it more creamy and it is wonderful. I might try less tomato paste or none at all next time.
Dara says
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Dawn! I actually made it without tomato paste a couple of weeks ago (didn’t have any in the house) and it tasted just as good.
Kathie says
I added a cup of chopped purple cabbage. Love eating the rainbow.
Ben says
This was the second time I made the stew. It came out even better than the first because this time I subbed stock made with jarred concentrate for the broth . So good that way!
Also, an even easier way to shred the chicken is to use a hand mixer.
Scarlet says
This sounds so yummy and good for you. I recently discovered farro but I don’t know what to do with it most often so thanks for this delicious stew recipe with farro.
Amanda says
I do not have celery. Will it ruin it or can I sub something else?? I don’t have much else in the fridge
Dara says
Hi Amanda, it definitely won’t ruin it! Feel free to add a diced carrot if you’d like.
Rebecca says
My mother made this in her instant pot and it was delicious! I don’t have an instant pot and am wondering if this could be made in a crockpot?
Dara says
Hi Rebecca, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tried this in a crockpot yet, but I’d imagine it would work well. Farro can take anywhere from 2-4 hours on HIGH in a crockpot.