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Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore sounds fancy but it is really an easy meal to prepare. The instant pot makes it super fast and the chicken is tender and flavorful with lots of bell peppers, tomatoes and more.
Dinner time can be a little hectic but fast meals like this Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore really take the stress out of feeding a family.
Toss everything into the pressure cooker and in less than 30 minutes, dinner is ready for your family to enjoy. Check out more quick and easy instant pot recipes such as this Instant Pot Chili.
If you prefer you can also make Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe.
What's in this post: Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
What is Chicken Cacciatore?
This Classic Italian dish is loaded with flavor. Cacciatore means to have your chicken hunter style which is cooked in a tomato based sauce. The chicken is so tender and the tomato sauce is loaded with veggies for amazing flavor.
Serve it all over pasta or rice for a simple meal idea your family will absolutely love.
Ingredients
- Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Bell Peppers (any color)
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Chicken Broth
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Basil
- Black Olives
- Capers (optional)
- Fresh Parsley
Scroll to see the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
Variations Ideas
- Chicken – We used chicken thighs in this recipe, but you can also use chicken breasts.
- Seasoning – Feel free to add or change seasoning to what you prefer. You can add in ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or black pepper for extra flavor of spice. Fresh herbs are a great options such as thyme, cloves garlic, or fresh basil.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1 – Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and black pepper.
Step 2 – Turn the Instant Pot to saute function and heat the olive oil. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and brown for about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside.
Step 3 – In the pot, add the bell peppers and onion, sautéing until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and mushrooms, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 4 – Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, and basil.
Step 5 – Return the chicken to the pot. Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to ‘Manual’ or high pressure for 10 minutes to pressure cook.
- Step 6 – After cooking, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, followed by a quick release.
- Step 7 – Open the lid, add black olives and capers (if using). If the sauce is too thin, simmer using ‘Sauté’ until it thickens.
- Step 8 – Garnish with parsley before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Cooking Chicken – Brown the chicken thighs on the sauté option in the pressure cooker to brown the outside. Then remove to continue cooking the veggies tender. You can serve the chicken whole or shred it.
- Cooking Time – Cooking time will vary based on your instant pot and size of chicken. We recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken cacciatore is delicious served with your favorite pasta or over white rice. We have even made zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash for a low-carb option.
When serving with spaghetti or fettuccini noodles, we like to make our homemade breadsticks to make sure we every last drop of the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you need a thicker sauce, you can add in a cornstarch slurry to the tomato sauce mixture. This can be made with 2 tbsp of cornstarch and water combined together in a bowl. You may add a can of tomato paste to help thicken the sauce.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The leftovers will last about 4 days and taste even better the next day. The tomato sauce marinates into the chicken leaving the chicken tender and juicy.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop depending on how much you have leftover.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
- Instant Pot Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Recipe
We love to hear from you. If you make this chicken cacciatore instant pot recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 Bell Peppers (sliced) any color
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 cup Mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 can Crushed Tomatoes (28 ounces)
- ½ cup Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ cup Black Olives (pitted and sliced)
- 2 Tablespoons Capers (drained) optional
- Fresh Parsley (chopped) for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Turn the Instant Pot to 'Sauté' mode and heat the olive oil. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and brown for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- In the pot, add the onion and bell peppers, sautéing until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and mushrooms, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, and basil.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' on high for 10 minutes.
- After cooking, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, followed by a quick release.
- Open the lid, add black olives and capers (if using). If the sauce is too thin, simmer using 'Sauté' until it thickens.
- Garnish with parsley before serving.
The description says to brown the chicken & saute the veggies in the insta pot, add all together & pressure cook 10 minutes, but the instructions say to put everything in the pot at once & pressure cook for 25 minutes. Please explain! Thank you, Judy
Judy – I’m sorry for the confusion. This recipe has recently been updated and I have corrected the recipe to reflect the updated instructions. I recommend browning the chicken with the vegetables and then pressuring cooking for 10 minutes. I hope you try and enjoy the recipe!
Did you use frozen chicken?
Thanks
Yes, I used frozen when I made this recipe but you can use fresh too just reduce the cook time by 1 hour on low.