Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy

In our house, nothing makes my husband happier than a classic roast‑chicken dinner—crispy skin, rich gravy, and a generous scoop of mashed potatoes. I love the meal just as much, but the process can be a marathon: roasting the bird, skimming the drippings, making the gravy, prepping the potatoes… and then facing the mountain of dishes. Enter Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy to the rescue!

This Instant Pot version has become my weeknight hero. The chicken cooks quickly, the gravy develops right in the pot, and the natural juices create deep, savory flavor without any fuss. I’ll admit that on busy days I grab store‑bought mashed potatoes, and dinner still feels wonderfully homemade.

You can absolutely make this with a whole chicken, but I had two bone‑in breasts tucked away in the freezer—so I adapted the recipe and continued my mission to cook through my freezer stash.

This recipe was adapted from “Whole Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon Sauce”. America’s Test Kitchen- Pressure Cooker Perfection. America’s Test Kitchen, 2013

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This easy one‑pot meal delivers all the comfort of a classic roast‑chicken dinner—just without the crispy skin.
• The gravy practically makes itself as the chicken cooks in the Instant Pot.
• The chicken breasts turn out incredibly moist, tender, and full of flavor.

What Makes This Recipe So Flavorful

The secret to this recipe:

• Browning the chicken breast skin develops flavorful fond.
• Deglazing the pot with white wine lifts all the browned bits and adds rich, layered flavor.
• Pressure‑cooking the chicken breasts locks in moisture, giving you incredibly tender meat every time.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy

• 2 large Bone in, skin on chicken breasts
• Onion
• Garlic
• Fresh Thyme/Rosemary
• Flour
• White wine
• Chicken broth

How to Make Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy : Step‑by‑Step

1. Brown the chicken breasts
   Brown the chicken breasts in vegetable oil, 4 minutes per side.
2. Build the flavor base
   Sauté onion in drippings from chicken breasts till onion is softened, Add garlic, rosemary and thyme to pot and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and cook for about 2 minutes, then add white wine and deglaze the pot.
3. Pressure cook
   Add chicken broth, return chicken breasts to pot skin side up and pressure cook on manual setting (high) for 9 minutes, followed by a natural release. Place chicken on a platter tented with foil for 10 minutes
4. Finish the gravy
   Strain the sauce to remove bits of onion, skim off surface fat, bring sauce to a simmer and then add butter and lemon juice to finish.
5. Carve the chicken
   Carve chicken breasts into slices and serve with the gravy.

Tips for Success

• Browning the chicken breast skin to develop fond (browned bits) in the bottom of the pot for added flavor
• Make sure to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits to avoid getting a burn notice

Variations and Substitutions

• Use whole chicken and adjust cooking time to 18 minutes for 3 pound chicken, 24 minutes for a 4 pound chicken, then natural release
• Use spice of your choice: Sage, Poultry seasoning…
• Really short on time? Brown the chicken breasts, Deglaze the pan with the white wine, add chicken stock, return chicken breasts to the pot and pour a jar of prepared chicken gravy over the breasts, then cook as instructed. No need to add butter or lemon juice at the end. I like Better than Gravy Roasted Chicken gravy
  

How to Store, and Reheat Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy

• Leftovers will last 3-4 days in airtight container in refrigerator
• Best reheating method: Place in a saucepan with a small amount of chicken broth and bring to a simmer, let cook for 15 minutes until warmed through

Serving Suggestions

FAQ About Making Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy

• Can I make ahead of time? You can make ahead of time, carve the chicken breast into slices and reheat in the gravy on the stve
• Can I freeze? I have not done so but see no reason why it would not freeze well in the gravy

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to rate it in the recipe card and let me know how it went in the comments below. Your ratings and feedback help others find and trust my recipes, and they mean so much to me. Thanks for cooking along!

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