Instant Pot Chicken and Garlic Gravy

If you have some chicken and are looking for something easy to throw together last minute with few healthy pantry ingredients, this fits the bill!

This Chicken and Gravy Recipe is nothing fancy, but it’s definitely homey, comforting, & hearty to eat. Enjoy~ 😀

Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy

Prepare Ingredients for cooking Chicken and Gravy in Instant Pot:

Tools for Instant Pot Chicken with Gravy

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Wooden Spoon

Brown Chicken in Instant Pot

Heat up your Instant Pot by pressing Sauté button, then choose “Sauté More” function. Wait until the Instant Pot says “HOT”.

*Pro Tip: Make sure the Instant Pot is as hot as it can be to induce a Maillard reaction.

First, pat dry the chicken skin with paper towels.

Season with a generous amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Pour 1 – 2 tbsp (15ml – 30ml) olive oil in Instant Pot, then ensure to coat oil over whole bottom of the pot.

Now, place 2 chicken (skin side down) in the Instant Pot.

*Pro Tip: Don’t overcrowd the pot.

Then, season the meat side with more kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Brown the skin side & don’t touch it for 3 ½ minutes.

*Pro Tip: The chicken skin will stick to the inner pot in the beginning, but it’ll release itself at the 3-minute mark.

Now, flip and brown the meat side for 1.5 minutes, then remove and set aside.

*Note: If you’re preparing 4 chicken breasts, repeat this step for the other 2 chicken breasts.

Sauté Onion and Garlic

First, add diced onion in Instant Pot, then sauté for roughly 2.5 minutes until softened and lightly browned.

Add minced garlic, then sauté for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Sauté Celery and Carrot

Add in chopped celery and carrot, then sauté until the vegetables are slightly browned (roughly 3 minutes).

*Optional layer seasoning: taste and season with more kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Deglaze Instant Pot

Add a dash of sherry wine in the Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Pressure Cook Chicken

Add 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, 1 bay leaf, a pinch of salt, dried rosemary, and dried thyme.

*Pro Tip: you can rub the herbs with your fingers to “activate” them as you add them into the pot.

Finally, give it a quick stir, then layer 2 – 4 browned chicken on top.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Pressure Cooking Methods: Pressure cook at

• Bone-in Chicken Breasts – High Pressure for 6 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes
• Boneless Chicken Breasts – High Pressure for 5 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes
• Bone-in Chicken Thighs – High Pressure for 7 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes
• Boneless Chicken Thighs – High Pressure for 6 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes

After releasing the pressure naturally for 10 minutes, carefully release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position.

Then, open the lid carefully.

Thicken Chicken Gravy & Serve

First, set aside the cooked chicken on a chopping board.

Press “Cancel” button, then “Sauté” button to heat up the delicious chicken gravy.

In a small mixing bowl, mix 2.5 tbsp (22.5g) cornstarch with 3 tbsp (45ml) cold water.

To thicken the chicken gravy, mix the cornstarch mixture into the gravy one third at a time until your desired thickness.

Taste the chicken gravy and season with more salt & black pepper if necessary.

Finally, slice the tender & juicy chicken, then serve with homemade chicken gravy with your favorite side dishes (i.e. pasta, rice).

Enjoy delicious Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy!

Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Instant Pot Chicken Breast