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    Home » Entrees

    Instant Pot Chicken Stew with Farro {+ Stovetop Directions}

    Published: Oct 3, 2019 · Modified: Mar 4, 2021 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 41 Comments

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    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
    Dig into this Chicken Stew (Instant pot) with farro for a dose of whole grains and lean protein. Stovetop instructions included. 336 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP #instantpot #pressurecooker #chickenstew #weightwatchers

    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.

    This Instant Pot Chicken Stew with Farro is a breeze to put together! Healthy and delicious comfort food. 336 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

    Shredded chicken made in electric pressure cooker

    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.

    Use your Instant Pot to make this easy, delicious Chicken Stew with Farro. Stovetop instructions also included. 336 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

    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!}

    We make this hearty Instant Pot Chicken Stew throughout the fall and winter. Easy, healthy and so flavorful! 336 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP #pressurecookerrecipes #chickenstew #weightwatchers

    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 with Farro

    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
    4.82 from 32 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Entrees
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Healthy Dinner Recipes, Poultry Recipes
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 32 minutes
    Total Time: 52 minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 335.7kcal
    Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

    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
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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.

    Video

    Notes

    Weight Watchers Points: 4 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 7 (SmartPoints), 8 (Points+)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1.66Cups | Calories: 335.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.6g | Protein: 32.8g | Fat: 6.7g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 402.2mg | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 3.5g
    Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

    This post was originally published on January 22, 2019 and updated on October 2, 2019.

    We make this hearty Instant Pot Chicken Stew throughout the fall and winter. Easy, healthy and so flavorful! 336 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP #pressurecookerrecipes #chickenstew #weightwatchers

    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.

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Jess

        July 11, 2021 at 5:31 pm

        5 stars
        Just made this for the first time tonight, and it's pretty darn good. I'm not much of a cook, so I love these recipes where I can just dump everything in and let it cook, yet still taste like I know what I'm doing. Thanks!

        Reply
        • Dara

          July 12, 2021 at 10:27 am

          I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it!

          Reply
      2. Dawn

        May 08, 2021 at 3:46 pm

        5 stars
        Made this today in my instant pot and it was perfect! I added a Sunday or two of balsamic vinegar and a dash of red pepper flakes. Delicious

        Reply
      3. Kara

        March 28, 2021 at 12:20 pm

        HI, any suggestions on a gluten-free substitute for the farro? Thx!

        Reply
        • Dara

          March 28, 2021 at 4:07 pm

          You could use brown rice or quinoa. They won't have the same chewy texture as farro, but would still work well in the stew. Cooking times would have to be adjusted, particularly for the quinoa, which takes just 20 minutes to cook.

          Reply
          • Kara

            March 28, 2021 at 5:20 pm

            Thx!

            Reply
      4. Christy

        January 08, 2021 at 8:57 pm

        5 stars
        I found your recipe while searching for away to use that box of farro that keeps staring at me from the cupboard. It was a hit with my husband (and myself!) I am happy to stumble across your site, and look forward to taste testing more of your recipes. Thank you!

        Reply
      5. may

        June 08, 2020 at 8:17 pm

        5 stars
        I love this recipe! I found this as a new instant pot user and I couldn't be happier.
        Thank you SO much for posting this. =)

        Reply
      6. Tip

        June 06, 2020 at 8:43 pm

        5 stars
        Just made it. Delicious! Thanks for the great recipe.

        Reply
      7. Rebecca

        November 14, 2019 at 2:58 am

        5 stars
        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?

        Reply
        • Dara

          November 25, 2019 at 1:38 pm

          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.

          Reply
      8. Scarlet

        October 12, 2019 at 10:32 am

        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.

        Reply
        • Amanda

          March 24, 2020 at 3:36 pm

          I do not have celery. Will it ruin it or can I sub something else?? I don’t have much else in the fridge

          Reply
          • Dara

            March 24, 2020 at 3:46 pm

            Hi Amanda, it definitely won't ruin it! Feel free to add a diced carrot if you'd like.

            Reply
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      Hi there! Welcome to Cookin' Canuck.

      I'm Dara, a Canadian living in the U.S. and sharing my favorite healthy recipes. My cooking motto is that healthy eating never needs to be boring!

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