Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore (Paleo, Whole30, Low FODMAP)

Take a trip to Italy without having to get on plane with this Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore! A rustic, classic Italian dish, this chicken cacciatore recipe is packed with flavourful chicken and veggies and a cinch to make in the Instant Pot! It's also Paleo, Whole30 and low FODMAP.

Why Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore?

Chicken cacciatore was one of the first dishes I ever learned how to cook. I love how it's both rustic and nutritious - a 'no frills' type of healthy dinner that's easy to make.

It can also be incredibly filling, especially when served with a starch component. I like serving mine with the low FODMAP version of my Instant Pot "Garlic" Mashed Potatoes or brown rice noodles (low FODMAP but not Paleo or Whole30).

The first version of chicken cacciatore I learned how to cook was on the stove top, but I now prefer making it in the Instant Pot. Once everything is seared and sauteed, you can close the lid and let the IP do its magic. The chicken and veggies come out so tender and flavourful, and when served together with mashed potatoes or brown rice noodles - every bite is just divine.

Necessary Equipment

The equipment I use to make this Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore includes:

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Paper towel
• 2 sets of tongs
• Large plate
• Plastic spoon for scraping
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Cutting board
• Chopping knife
• Spatula
• Platter or bowl
• Instant read thermometer
• Large spoon

If thickening the sauce:

• Small bowl or measuring cup
• Whisk
• Stirring spoon

Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore: Ingredients and Tips for Success

Chicken

I use bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe, but essentially any parts of the chicken can be used. If you plan to use other parts, adjust the cooking time accordingly per the Instant Pot Cooking Time Tables.

Regardless which parts you choose, be sure to dry them thoroughly with paper towels before searing. Then sprinkle generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Press sauté on the Instant Pot and add 2 tbsp of garlic-infused olive oil. Once the display reads "Hot", add half of the thighs, skin side down, and sear for 5 minutes or until the chicken skin releases from the pan - do not force it, or it will rip and look awful. Flip and sear on the other side for 2 minutes. Repeat for the remaining chicken thighs.

If you're in a hurry, you can sear all of the chicken at one time on the stove top in a large skillet on medium high heat. However, if you do that, make sure to transfer all of the chicken's juices from the pan to the pot when it is time to start the cooking cycle.

Vegetables

I love lots of vegetables in my chicken cacciatore! I add two red bell peppers, two large carrots, canned sliced mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms (depending on availability), and leek. A few things to note:

Carrots

I slice the carrots on the bias, which I explain with photos in my Instant Pot Glazed Carrots post.

Mushrooms

I first wrote this recipe using king oyster mushrooms; however, I am currently unable to locate them. I still love including mushrooms in this recipe, so I've substituted ½ cup of sliced canned mushrooms (about ½ of an 284 ml can). I only use ½ cup to prevent FODMAP stacking. If you decide to use canned, be sure to rinse them well before adding them as FODMAPs leach from the mushrooms into the brine during the canning process.

If you're not concerned with FODMAPs, you could use 1 cup of sliced white button or cremini mushrooms instead.

Leek

To keep this recipe low FODMAP, I use ½ cup of finely chopped leek instead of onion. If you're not worried about FODMAPs, feel free to substitute 1 medium sweet or white onion for the leek. Onions require more saute time than leek, so if you do decide to use onion, start the saute of the onion 2 minutes before stirring in the remaining veggies, and saute all of the veggies together for another 3 minutes.

Canned Tomatoes

Once the veggies are done sauteing, I hit "Cancel" on the Instant Pot and stir in a 14 oz can of canned tomatoes including their juice. This not only provides a tomatoy component customary to chicken cacciatore but also provides some liquid to use to scrape any cooking debris off the bottom of the Instant Pot. It also adds to the liquid already in the pot created from the oil, chicken and veggie juices. I don't add any other liquid as I find this to be a sufficient amount to successfully execute the recipe.

Some chicken cacciatore recipes call for tomato sauce, but mine does not as I like to keep it super rustic, and I love the flavour as it is. If you prefer more tomato flavour in your chicken cacciatore, you could add a canned tomato sauce (check for garlic or onion powder in the ingredients for low FODMAP) or strained tomatoes, but if you do so, due to their thicker nature you will probably want to add some chicken broth with the sauce avoid getting the dreaded burn error (dun dun DUN!).

Seasonings

To season my chicken cacciatore, I use 1 tbsp of my homemade Italian seasoning recipe (you can also use store-bought, of course), one extra tsp of oregano, bay leaves, salt and freshly ground black pepper, which I add prior to starting the pressure cooking cycle. I add capers after the cooking cycle is completed, which add a yummy note of acidity (although, I think I forgot to add them when making the recipe for these photos...ooops!).

Optional Ingredients

After the cooking cycle is completed, if you find that the sauce is not thick enough for your liking, remove the chicken to a platter and whisk together 2 tbsp of tapoica flour (a.k.a. tapioca starch) with 2 tbsp of cold water to make a slurry. Hit "Sauté" on the Instant Pot, wait a few seconds for the liquid to start boiling, and then slowly stir in the slurry. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens to your liking. Hit "Cancel" on the Instant Pot and serve the sauce over the chicken.

Serving Options

Chicken cacciatore is often served over pasta. If you prefer not to eat pasta, it also goes well with my Instant Pot "Garlic" Mashed Potatoes (Paleo, Whole30, low FODMAP option). We typically eat it over brown rice spaghetti noodles, which I love, but they're not Paleo or Whole30 compliant (they are low FODMAP and gluten-free, though). You could also serve it over carrot noodles (Paleo, Whole30 and low FODMAP), white or brown rice (low FODMAP and gluten-free) or cauliflower rice (Paleo and Whole30 but not low FODMAP).

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