• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hunger Thirst Play

Delicious Recipes for Every Season

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • eBooks
  • Work with Me
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • eBooks
  • Work with Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • eBooks
    • Work with Me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Hunger

    Instant Pot Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Stew

    By Lauren on November 30, 2018, Updated April 27, 2021 18 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    overhead photo of hearty chicken stew

    Easy pulled chicken, diced tomatoes, tender kale, hearty wild rice and rich chicken stock simmered in less than half the time with a little help from the instant pot. Instant Pot Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Stew is perfect for cold weather comfort food cravings!

    overhead photo of hearty chicken stew

    Oh here it is. The magic instant pot chicken stew we've been eating on repeat for the last two months. And I am 100% not exaggerating this.

    Not like a "hey family I'm going to force feed you the same soup over and over again." No, no. It's like "this soup is so good and filling and healthy and ridiculously easy so I'm just going to keep it stocked in the fridge at all times, kthanksbye."

    (My thoughts are typically run on sentences for the record.)

    overhead photo of hearty chicken stew

    Using the Instant Pot for frozen chicken

    You know those days, or nights, when you walk in the door and your brain is immediately like, "what the hell are we going to eat, all the meat is in the freezer?" Especially been feeling this since I've been using Butcher Box for all our meat.

    instant pot pulled chicken for soup

    Convenience of having all your meat mailed to you: 11 out of 10

    Awesomeness of customizing your box with exactly what you want: 10 out of 10

    Occasionally forgetting to thaw out your meat in time for dinner: 3 out of 10....well, unless you've got a handy pressure cooker to help you take the defrosting short cut!

    Just grab two packages - about 1.5 pounds - of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and throw them right in the pot after the white wine. The chicken comes out of the pressure cooker near falling apart. Just pull the pieces out with a pair of tongs and pull apart with two forks before adding back to the soup.

    Then all you need a is huge bowl and some crusty bread.

    easy instant pot chicken and wild rice soup

    But what if my chicken is fresh? Well, congratulations on being better prepared for life than me. Just cook all the ingredients for the same amount of time.

    The hardest part about this soup is waiting for the Instant Pot to depressurize so you can vent it, pull the chicken and get on to eating. And don't sweat it if some of the kale and rice and what not come out with the pieces of chicken. Everything is going right back in the pot after, so it doesn't really matter if there are a few stragglers.

    Did you score an Instant Pot during Black Friday/Cyber Monday? If you're just starting out your pressure cooking journey, here are a few more recipes to try out this cold weather season:

    • Instant Pot Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle
    • Instant Pot Creamy [VEGAN!] Tomato Soup
    • Instant Pot Pad Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

    Still need a pressure cooker in your life? The 8 quart Instant Pot is the one that I have and love. The bigger size is great for making large batches of chicken stock and soups like this one. If that's a bit too much gadget for you, they also make a 6-quart version.

    spoon full of hearty chicken and wild rice stew

    Before we get on to good eating, I have one last tip for you. When it comes to adding the chicken stock to your instant pot chicken and wild rice soup, I'd recommend using either homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken stock and then adding salt and pepper to taste. For me, that ended up being about 2 teaspoons but saltiness of stocks and the type of salt you use varies. So just see about it as you go.

    Go forth and eat good soup my friends.

    overhead photo of hearty chicken stew

    Instant Pot Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Stew

    Tender pulled chicken, wild rice, tuscan kale and chopped tomatoes in rich chicken stock cooks up in no time in the Instant Pot.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cooking frozen chicken in the instant pot, hearty winter soups, instant pot soup
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 35 mins
    Servings: 6 to 8 servings
    Calories: 349kcal
    Author: Lauren
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 yellow onion (diced)
    • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
    • ⅓ cup white wine
    • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs ( (fresh or frozen))
    • 4 cups tuscan kale (chopped)
    • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes ((do not drain))
    • 1 cup wild rice
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2 quarts low-sodium chicken stock
    • salt and pepper (to taste)

    Instructions

    • Turn your Instant Pot to the 'Sauté' setting.  When the olive oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes until translucent.  Add garlic and cook about 1 minute until fragrant.
    • Add the chopped kale to the pot and let it cook down for 1 minute while stirring.  Pour in white wine and reduce for about 2 minutes.  Incorporate the remaining ingredients to the pot.
    • Close the lid to the pot and set to 'seal'.  Cook for 20 minutes on high pressure or using the 'stew' setting, depending on your Instant Pot model.  After cooking, let the Instant Pot naturally depressurize for 10 minutes before venting.  Once the red toggle button is down, you can open the lid.
    • Remove the large pieces of chicken to a cutting board or plate.  Using two fork separate the chicken into pulled chicken pieces.  Once all the chicken is pulled, stir it back into the Instant Pot and serve.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 772mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1433IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg
    « Honey Fig Goat Cheese Flatbread
    14 Gifts for the Wino in Your Life »
    430 shares
    • Share56
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Savy says

      December 31, 2020 at 11:43 am

      It looks like I'm the only person so far rating this recipe who actually made it. It was pretty good. I did have a problem when I first sealed the lid to cook it and got the message that it was burning, so I had to add more liquid. I think it was a bit bland and had to add a bunch of additional spices to give it flavor. Thanks for sharing the idea.

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        January 09, 2021 at 9:43 pm

        Hi Savy! Thanks for your feedback! I'm not entirely sure why the burn notification came up, with the 2 quarts of stock, the wine, and the juices from the diced tomato there should be plenty of liquid in the pressure cooker. Sorry about that!

        Reply
    2. Andrea says

      December 10, 2018 at 12:42 pm

      I just received an instant pot, and I'm definitely adding this on my to cook list! Love all the flavors going on here!

      Reply
    3. Natalie says

      December 10, 2018 at 10:04 am

      Oh wow, this sounds and looks absolutely amazing. So comforting, warming and like it has healing powers (I'm sure it does!) I love the flavors you combined here and I love the addition of white vine. Saving this recipe and can't wait to give it a try.

      Reply
    4. Jagruti Dhanecha says

      December 10, 2018 at 4:05 am

      This wholesome recipe sounds perfect for winter nights, filling with so many good for you ingredients.

      Reply
    5. Amy says

      December 09, 2018 at 8:51 pm

      This looks incredible! This is a great recipe for the cold winter months! Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Anne Lawton says

      December 09, 2018 at 2:31 pm

      I could go for a big bowl of this soup right now! It looks so comforting for a chilly day.

      Reply
    7. Saima says

      December 09, 2018 at 1:36 pm

      I don't have an instant pot, but I'm guessing this stew can be made in a conventional pressure cooker as well? Such a perfect recipe for cold winter days!

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 09, 2018 at 9:50 pm

        for sure! It can be done on the stove top as well, but I would recommend cooking the chicken seperately so the soup can simmer with the rice while the chicken cooks.

        Reply
    8. Amanda Mason says

      December 08, 2018 at 6:50 pm

      I just printed this and I'm SO making it for lunches this week! Love that this can be made gluten free!!! Love every single ingredient in this!! YUM!

      Reply
    9. Allison says

      December 08, 2018 at 11:58 am

      I love that you add tomatoes and kale. A different twist from the version I make, but I'm sure I'll LOVE this one!

      Reply
    10. Carrie Ditton says

      December 07, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      What a perfect dish for the cold wintery nights. We are getting snow as I type this and I think I am going to have to make this for dinner tonight...with some crusty bread!

      Reply
    11. Kelly Anthony says

      December 07, 2018 at 7:11 am

      The colors in this soup are gorgeous! And it looks so rustic and comforting! Definitely putting chicken and wild rice soup on the list!

      Reply
    12. Analida Braeger says

      December 06, 2018 at 7:30 pm

      Mmm I always love a good winter soup. This one looks light enough to not give me a food coma, but hearty enough to warm me up in the snowiest of days. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    13. Veena Azmanov says

      December 06, 2018 at 4:42 pm

      Oh, I'm finally getting my instant pot for Christmas. This is saved so I can make it soon. Looks so good. Love wild rice and chicken combination.

      Reply
    14. Aleta says

      December 04, 2018 at 11:40 pm

      THIS! I just cracked open my instant pot and have been working it to the bone already... can't wait to give this recipe a try, it looks absolutely delicious!

      Reply
    15. Leslie Haasch says

      December 02, 2018 at 11:50 am

      My biggest problem right now is that to make this, I have to get out from under this blanket. But if I get out from under this blanket, I can make this, eat it, be warm, and then get BACK under the blanket.

      Decisions, decisions.

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 03, 2018 at 9:27 pm

        That's a seriously rough set of decisions.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Lauren! This is my slice of the internet to share seasonally-inspired recipes. I live in the heart of New England with my husband, two kiddos, English bulldog and our two local restaurants. Life is busy AND delicious!

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Low-Calorie Spicy Thai Peanut Dressing
    • Trader Joe's Kale Gnocchi with Arrabbiata
    • Whole Wheat Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
    • Iced Lavender Matcha Latte

    Get my Thanksgiving eCookbook!

    Footer

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Inquiries + Collabs
    • Subscribe for updates!

    Recipes

    • All Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes

    Our Restaurants

    • Bonefish Harrys
    • Portsmouth Feed Company
    • Thirsty Butcher Hospitality
    • Restaurant Photography

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Hunger Thirst Play

    Copyright© 2023 Hunger Thirst Play · Privacy Policy ·