Instant Pot Ranch Chicken with tender potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms in a creamy Ranch gravy. This easy one-pot meal requires just 5 minutes of prep and is ready to serve in about 40 minutes.
This is the first Instant Pot chicken recipe I’ve published. Why?
Because the pressure cooker is just so gosh darned good at cooking big, tough cuts of beef like in my Instant Pot Pot Roast and Instant Pot Beef Stew. And, don’t even get me started on my deep feelings about pressure cooking dry beans like my Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans and Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup.
But, I decided to give it a whirl with this easy, one-pot, creamy Ranch Chicken. And, hi, let me introduce myself. I’m officially an Instant Pot chicken recipe convert.
Table of contents
Recipe Highlights
- Easy Prep – Small creamer potatoes and baby carrots eliminate the need to chop the vegetables in advance.
- Quick – Chicken and vegetables cook quickly and the Instant Pot only needs to come to pressure once, saving precious time.
- One Pot Meal – Chicken, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms make this a complete meal. Just warm some French bread for dipping in the luscious gravy.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil and butter – The oil is for searing the chicken and the butter is for sautéing the mushrooms and garlic.
- Chicken breasts – You want regular thickness (not thin-sliced) boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Seasoning for the chicken – Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Vegetables – Baby carrots, creamer potatoes, and mushrooms. Look for bagged creamer potatoes like the ones from Little Potato Company. They come pre-washed and ready to go in a combination of red and yellow potatoes.
- Minced garlic
- Broth – The basis for the gravy is low sodium chicken broth.
- Heavy cream – To add richness to the gravy.
- Dry Ranch seasoning mix – An easy way to add great flavor to the gravy. There is more than enough in one packet of dry Ranch seasoning for this recipe.
- Cornstarch – To thicken the gravy.
- Parsley – A little fresh Italian parsley perks up the gravy with a little fresh, herby flavor. Save some to garnish the finished dish.
How to Make Instant Pot Ranch Chicken
This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Prep – Cut the chicken breasts in half (either lengthwise or crosswise) and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Sear the Chicken – Press SAUTE on the Instant Pot and toggle to MORE. When it reads HOT add the oil and allow the oil to get hot. Sear the chicken on the SAUTE setting, in batches, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the seared chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté the Mushrooms and Garlic – Add the butter to the Instant Pot and when melted, add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms have softened just slightly.
- Broth and Chicken – Add the chicken broth and cook, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Press CANCEL. Put the chicken back in the pot along with any accumulated juices.
- Add the Veggies and Cook – Place the potatoes and carrots on top of the chicken. Secure the lid and set the vent to SEAL. Select the manual/high pressure setting and set the cooking time for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will take around 8 to 10 minutes to come to pressure and start counting down.
- Quick Release – When the cooking time completes, do a quick release of the steam. Carefully remove the lid and use a slotted spoon to transfer the veggies and chicken to a bowl and set it aside.
- Cornstarch Slurry – Whisk the heavy cream with the Ranch seasoning and cornstarch.
- Make the Gravy – Press SAUTE and whisk the cream mixture into the sauce in the Instant Pot. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir in 2 tablespoons parsley and press CANCEL.
- Finish and Serve– Return the chicken and veggies to the Instant Pot and stir to coat them well with the gravy. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve.
FAQ and Valerie’s Tips
If you’re using anything larger than creamer potatoes and baby carrots, you’ll need to cut them down into smaller, even-sized chunks.
I have only tested this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breasts, however, I believe it would work just as well with boneless chicken thighs. Thighs typically cook a little more quickly than breasts, but they contain more fat so a couple extra minutes of pressure cooking probably won’t affect the texture in a negative way.
To prevent chicken with a rubbery texture, follow the directions on the recipe and cook it for 10 minutes with a quick release of pressure at the end. The moisture from the broth and a 10 minute cooking time should create perfectly cooked, tender chicken.
Not necessarily. Chicken breasts have a very short cooking time so 1 to 2 cups of liquid is typically enough. The 2 cups of chicken broth called for in this recipe will rise up the sides but not completely cover the chicken (see the photos above).
You can cook chicken straight from the freezer in your Instant Pot, but not for this recipe. Frozen chicken requires more liquid and more time than thawed chicken. The timing in recipe is crucial since you are cooking the chicken and vegetables together.
More Easy Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- Creamy Tomato Chicken Skillet
- Easy Balsamic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Easy Chicken Scallopini
- Creamy Lemon Chicken with Pasta
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Instant Pot Ranch Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, regular thickness
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (discard stems)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ pounds creamer potatoes, Little Potato Company’s Dynamic Duo
- 8 ounces baby carrots
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons dry Ranch seasoning
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half (to make smaller portion sizes) and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Press SAUTE on the Instant Pot and toggle to MORE. When it reads HOT add the oil and allow the oil to get hot. Place half the chicken in the Instant Pot and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding additional oil, if needed. Transfer the 2nd batch of chicken to the plate and set it aside.
- Add the butter to the Instant Pot and when melted, add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms have softened just slightly. Add the chicken broth and cook, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Press CANCEL.
- Put the chicken back in the pot along with any accumulated juices. Place the potatoes and carrots on top of the chicken. Secure the lid and set the vent to SEAL. Select the PRESSURE COOK/HIGH setting and set the cooking time for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will take around 8 to 10 minutes to come to pressure and start counting down.
- When the cooking time completes, press the vent to do a quick release of the steam. Carefully remove the lid and use a slotted spoon to transfer the veggies and chicken to a bowl and set it aside.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the heavy cream with the Ranch seasoning and cornstarch.
- Press SAUTE and whisk the cream mixture into the sauce in the Instant Pot. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir in 2 tablespoons parsley. Press CANCEL.
- Return the chicken and veggies to the Instant Pot and stir to coat well with the gravy. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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It was a hit with the entire family even my teen daughter who is so picky. It wasn’t too creamy…we shredded the chicken and ate it more like a soup but next time I’ll make rice too. I decided to add the entire packet of ranch otherwise I cooked it exactly as the recipe states. Will make again and again! New favorite recipe!
I love to hear this! Thanks so much for your taking the time to leave a comment and rating. 🙂
I don’t have an instant pot. Can I do this on the stovetop? Will there be any changes to the recipe if I did on the stovetop?
Hi Zariah. I haven’t tested this recipe on the stovetop but I do believe it should work well. Use a Dutch oven and follow the instructions as written. I’d guess that you’d need to allow the chicken and veggies to simmer in the broth, covered, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When they are tender, remove them and make the gravy, as instructed. Hope that helps!
I noticed the recipe states to use a quick release rather than natural release, but then you talk in the notes about using a natural release to keep the chicken from being rubbery. Could you clarify? Thanks =)
Thanks for catching that, Steph! I fixed the error in the FAQ section to state that you should do a quick release of pressure after the cooking time.