Recipe: 30-Minute Pressure-Cooker Cacciatore Chicken (2024)

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Laura Pazzaglia

Laura Pazzaglia

Laura launched hip pressure cooking in 2010 to make pressure cooking easy and delicious for everyone. She has written two cookbooks on the subject – the most recent being Hip Pressure Cooking: Fast, Fresh & Flavorful

published Mar 24, 2016

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Recipe: 30-Minute Pressure-Cooker Cacciatore Chicken (1)

Serves4 to 6

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Recipe: 30-Minute Pressure-Cooker Cacciatore Chicken (2)

Can you bake or slow-cook frozen chicken? Nope … but you can pressure-cook it! Toss rock-hard frozen pieces of chicken into the pressure cooker and serve fall-off-the bone flavorful meat in less than 30 minutes.

Slow-cooking, stovetop simmering, or oven braising frozen chicken will keep it in the “danger zone,” (temperatures between 40°F and 140°F) long enough for the meat to host a stomach-wrenching bacteria party. Pressure-cooking meat with this method shoots the frozen chicken quickly past this zone and neutralizes any stragglers.

According to the USDA, any raw meat and poultry that’s been in the “danger zone” too long has allowed bacteria to multiply and grow enough to produce toxins. In addition to the bacteria, it’s those toxins that cause foodborne illnesses. Although bacteria is obliterated by the time the food boils, the heat-resistant toxins cannot be destroyed by the cooking process (even a low-and-slow eight-hour-long process), making even the fully cooked meat that has lingered in the danger zone too long unsafe to eat.

To pressure-cook chicken from frozen, you’ll need to make four adjustments to the recipe: boil it, adjust the pressure-cooking time, expect delays, and check the internal temperature.

Covering the frozen chicken with liquid ensures the heat will be transferred into most of the meat in the least amount of time. Making that cooking liquid flavorful will impart extra seasoning to the meat as well.

Increase the recommended pressure-cooking time for that cut of meat 50 percent or more. (In this case, bone-in chicken pieces usually require 10 minutes of pressure-cooking time, but going from frozen, that time is increased to 15 minutes.)

The pressure cooker will take slightly longer to reach pressure — that’s because the liquid that needs to boil inside in order to build pressure has a giant chicken ice cube in it. Depending on how much meat and liquid is in there, expect the cooker to take five to 10 minutes longer to build pressure. Some electric pressure cookers have a detector that turns off the cooker if it doesn’t reach pressure in a set amount of time. If this happen,s simply turn off the cooker, turn it back on, and reprogram the cooking time.

Lastly, to make sure that the right amount of heat got all the way to the middle of the chicken, slip a meat thermometer down to the bone and check that the internal temperature has reached 165°F.

Using fresh, not frozen, chicken? Make this pressure-cooker cacciatore chicken recipe the same way, but cut down the pressure-cooking time to 10 minutes.

Comments

30-Minute Cacciatore Chicken

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 cup

    salt-free chicken stock

  • 1 teaspoon

    salt (withhold if using salted stock)

  • 1

    bay leaf

  • 6 to 8

    bone-in chicken drumsticks (1 1/2 to 2 pounds, fresh or frozen), or a mix of drumsticks and thighs

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

  • 1 teaspoon

    garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon

    dried oregano

  • 1

    (28-ounce) can whole stewed tomatoes in purée

  • 1/2 cup

    black olives (about 2.5 ounces), pitted

Instructions

  1. Preheat the pressure cooker (by pressing brown/sauté mode).

  2. Add chicken stock, salt, and bay leaf and mix well. Then, in the following order, add chicken, onion, garlic powder, oregano, and tomatoes.

  3. Close the lid and pressure-cook for 15 minutes at high pressure. When time is up, open the pressure cooker with slow normal release: Open the valve on the lid slowly, or if the valve only opens at full throttle, in small bursts.

  4. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you. Mix the contents well, remove, and discard the bay leaf. If the meat isn't almost falling off the bones (it should be), take the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is at least 165°F.

  5. Using a slotted spoon, arrange the chicken and tomatoes on a deep serving dish. Drizzle with cooking liquid and sprinkle with black olives before serving.

  6. Reduce the cooking liquid and serve over chicken and cooked pasta.

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Frozen Foods

Ingredient

Instant Pot

Recipe: 30-Minute Pressure-Cooker Cacciatore Chicken (2024)

FAQs

Does cooking chicken in pressure cooker make it tender? ›

By placing cooking liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker and placing the chicken in the steamer basket above the liquid, you are guaranteed tender, moist chicken every time. However, you can also use the cooker to make a sauce and cook your chicken submerged in flavour.

Can you overcook chicken in a pressure cooker? ›

Oddly enough, it can be really challenging to get the right texture when cooking boneless chicken breasts. They cook quickly in the Instant Pot, but if you don't cook them long enough they get a weird, rubber-like texture that's nearly impossible to chew, and if you cook them too long, their texture gets dry.

What goes good with chicken cacciatore? ›

This means pasta or rice (the Italians would say that rice is a form of pasta); potato gnocchi, availiable in many US groceries, would be a good choice. I like pasta any kind to go with the chicken cacciatore. A tuscan salad and garlic bread or foccaccia with olive butter.

How much water do you add to pressure cooked chicken? ›

How To Cook Chicken in the Instant Pot
  1. 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
  2. 1 cup water.
  3. 1 teaspoon salt (use less if chicken is brined or otherwise pre-seasoned)
  4. 2 bay leaves.
  5. 3 cloves garlic.

How long does it take to cook chicken in a pressure cooker? ›

Cooking Time: A 3-4 lb chicken generally takes about 20-25 minutes on high pressure. Add an additional 5 minutes for every additional pound. Natural Release: Allow for 10-15 minutes of natural release before doing a quick release.

Why is my chicken tough after pressure cooking? ›

Maybe the pressure build-up inside wasn't enough for the chicken. Maybe you didn't really cook it long enough. Maybe you released the pressure too soon, without allowing it to cook completely. Maybe there's something wrong with your pressure cooker.

How do you know when pressure cooked chicken is done? ›

Be forewarned: You must check the internal temperature of the cooked meat at the thickest part has reached 165℉ with a food thermometer. A Quick pressure release is recommended immediately after cooking is finished – natural release is likely to overcook chicken breast.

How much liquid do you need in a pressure cooker? ›

Add Liquid

“Jiggle top” cookers need a minimum of one cup of water, while valve cookers need at least half a cup. Put food in the cooker first, then add water. When learning how to use a pressure cooker, make sure the unit is never more than two-thirds full of liquid, so the steam has enough space to accumulate.

Do you cover meat with liquid in pressure cooker? ›

There's lots of water in the meat too, so even 1 cup added water will result in a fair amount of liquid after cooking. No you do not have to cover it. I usually do about 2 cups or so of stock.

What do Italians eat with cacciatore? ›

Chicken braised in a zesty tomato sauce goes well with mashed potatoes, soft polenta, or even buttered pasta.

How do you thicken Cacciatore sauce? ›

Easy Chicken Cacciatore tips

To thicken the sauce using the cornstarch method, just whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of cold water.

What is chicken cacciatore sauce made of? ›

Aside from the chicken, the basic ingredients in chicken cacciatore are: onions, herbs, tomatoes and sometimes mushrooms. Some variations will call for carrots and celery, while others call for bell peppers or other vegetables. Some even flavor the tomato sauce with anchovies, which I haven't tried yet.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook chicken breast? ›

Chicken breasts are a less ideal choice for slow cooking. One reason why you shouldn't make boneless chicken breasts in a slow cooker is because they're too low in fat to withstand cooking for a long time. Your final product will likely come out tough and chewy.

Does a pressure cooker dry out chicken? ›

If you quick release, all the pressure in the meat forces the liquid out... resulting in a dry finish. If pressure is release naturally (slowly) equilibrium occurs and the moisture stays in the meat.

Does pressure cooking make meat more tender? ›

Both slow cookers and pressure cookers do a good job of tenderizing tough meat, but each makes meat more edible in a different way.

Does pressure cooker make meat softer? ›

Pressure cooking, like slow cooking, will tenderize tough cuts of meat like beef brisket, beef chuck, pork shoulder and lots of other cheaper, tougher cuts. Pressure cooking (or slow cooking) is not the best approach for cooking expensive, tender steaks or rib roasts.

What cooking method makes chicken most tender? ›

Low and slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, or smoking are most effective when trying to create tender, succulent chicken.

Will pressure cooking cooked meat make it tender? ›

This technique also forces moisture into the food quickly. That's why things like meaty stews and curries are so perfect in a pressure cooker — all of the moisture makes for saucy, extra-tender, succulent results.

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