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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.
If you prefer you can also make Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe.
Table of Contents
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
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Recipe
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Legs Recipe
- Easy Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken Recipe
- Instant Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup 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 chicken thighs boneless
- 8 ounces sliced baby bella cremini mushrooms optional
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 red bell pepper sliced into strips
- 1/2 green bell pepper sliced into strips
- 1/2 large onion sliced
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- fresh parsley to top
Instructions
- Place everything in the Instant pot except the parsley. Add the lid and set the valve to sealing.
- Set the pressure to 25 minutes.
- Do a quick release.
- shred the chicken into big chunks.
- Serve over 16 oz angel hair pasta. and you can top with parmesan cheese.
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.
Did you use frozen chicken?
Thanks