Easy Instant Pot Chicken, Potatoes, and Carrots

Looking for an easy and fast weeknight Instant Pot recipe? This Instant Pot chicken pot potatoes & carrots recipe is perfect! With minimal prep time, you can have a delicious and nutritious dinner on the table in no time.

The Instant Pot makes cooking this dish a breeze – perfect if you’re short on time and need something with a quicker cook time. So why not give it a try tonight? You won’t be disappointed! It is one of the best Instant Pot chicken recipes around!

It’s a busy weeknight and you have no idea what to cook for dinner. After a long day at work, cooking can feel like a nuisance. You don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen cooking after your hard day, but you still want to eat healthy and delicious food.

Our mouth-watering Instant Pot chicken potatoes and carrots recipe is guaranteed to finish your busy day on a high! This easy-to-follow recipe doesn’t take much time at all, which makes it perfect for those busy weeknights. It’s such a simple Instant pot chicken recipe that everyone should have in their recipe box that the entire family will love.

We love that this dish is a great recipe for busy nights but it is filled with fresh veggies, buttery potatoes, and it only takes a few extra minutes in the kitchen to make. We also love that it’s so versatile – you can easily swap out ingredients you don’t have for other ones. Don’t have large carrots? No problem – just use baby carrots instead. Wishing you could have a tasty Instant Pot chicken thighs meal? Great – chicken thighs work beautifully in this recipe as well!

This would also make for a fantastic Sunday supper. If you aren’t a fan of roast beef, this is a similar idea – just with chicken. It is also great for meal prepping for the week, as you can easily portion it into smaller containers to be eaten throughout the week. It also might feel similar to an Instant Pot chicken stew, just not with as much liquid.

Can I use a different kind of potatoes?

 Yes, you can use any kind of potatoes for this Instant Pot chicken potatoes and carrots dish. Red potatoes work best because they hold their shape after cooking, but if you don’t have those at home, any other variety will work.

Yukon gold potatoes are another favorite of mine – they are such flavorful potatoes. Russet potatoes are probably my least favorite for this dish. I think sweet potatoes would mix up the flavor a little bit and make it even more of tasty comfort food. I wouldn’t recommend putting large potatoes into the pot, though. Make sure you pre-cut them.

How much liquid should I add?

We recommend using the 1.5 cups of chicken broth that is recommended in the recipe.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?

This recipe also works perfectly with chicken thighs. Just increase the cooking time to 5 minutes instead of 5 minutes on high pressure and one minute on the quick release.

My potatoes are not soft! What did I do wrong?

This is probably because you didn’t cut the carrots into small pieces before cooking them with the potatoes. Cutting them into smaller pieces ensures that they will cook faster and be ready at the same time as your chicken thighs.

Can I add other vegetables to this meal?

Absolutely! Vegetables such as corn, green peas or even carrots can be added to this meal; just make sure you cut everything into small pieces before cooking.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in roughly 2 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 pounds baby red potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and skinned carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin if possible
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• ) 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dry Ranch seasoning 
• 2 teaspoons dry Ranch seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Chopped onion, for garnish if desired
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In large bowl toss chicken, potatoes and carrots in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir together garlic, thyme, oregano, and 2 tablespoons of the Ranch seasoning. Sprinkle mixture on top of the chicken and potatoes. Gently toss to distribute the ingredients evenly.
3. Add chicken broth to the pressure cooker.
4. Place chicken in the broth, and top with the potatoes.
5. Place the lid on in the locked position and turn the vent to the sealed position. 
6. Set instant pot to “pressure cook” for 15 minutes. Once finished, do a slow release for five minutes and “quick release” by turning the vent to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. After the valve has dropped, remove the lid.
7. Drain the pressure cooker or transfer chicken, potatoes, and carrots to a serving dish.  
8. Sprinkle chicken, potatoes, and carrots with parmesan cheese and remaining ranch seasoning before serving.
9. Garnish with fresh, chopped green onions if desired

Can I change what herbs I use?

Sure! Use whatever herbs your family would prefer. We do think the combination we’ve provided is pretty delicious, though!

Can I make this recipe in my crockpot or slow cooker?

Yes, this dish also works great in the crockpot or slow cooker so if you don’t have an Instant Pot you can still enjoy it! Cook on low heat for 6-7 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken thighs before serving and stir in chopped parsley.

What sides should I serve with this?

Something that is so great about this recipe is that it is almost your entire meal – it has protein, grains, and vegetables. We think it’s perfect when served with a side of homemade yeast dinner rolls.

What are some variations?

What we love about this recipe is how adaptable it is. You can experiment with what fresh vegetables you put in it (green beans would be delicious!), add some lemon zest before serving, and even change up the herbs. Fresh dill, anyone?!

If you want to crisp up the chicken a little bit, you could place it under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.

If you add more broth, you could even make it into a delicious chicken soup!

Can I use pre-cooked chicken?

While I don’t recommend this, if you happen to have a rotisserie chicken, you could add that in after it’s cooked.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. To reheat, just put in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until fully heated through. You can also freeze these leftovers for up to 2 months in an airtight container for easy future meals!

Portion control I love using my Pyrex 3-cup Glass Rectangular containers with lids to store and reheat leftovers because they’re microwavable and dishwasher safe!

what can I do with the leftovers?

This meal can have some leftovers – one of our favorite things to do is make it into an Instant Pot Chicken stew! Yum!

Why do you use Ranch Dressing in This Instant Pot Chicken Recipe?

Great question! 🙂

The extra sprinkles of powdered ranch give an extra boost of flavor.

I’m sure Grandma would have put it in her chicken, potatoes, and carrot recipe too!

It takes a chicken recipe from…”Okay” to “Oh…YUM!!!”

How do I make a homemade powdered ranch mix?

Here is a great homemade version you can try out!

Can I use italian seasoning instead of the thyme and oregano?

Absolutely! We frequently do this.

Can I use another type of pressure cooker?

This should work well in any brand of an electric pressure cooker.

Can I use fresh herbs instead?

You absolutely can!

Can you freeze this recipe?

Yes. Simply freeze AFTER you’ve completed the recipe.

• Let mixture cool and place in a freezer-friendly air-tight container.
• You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months.
• When ready to eat, simply thaw mixture and reheat on stove.

More Instant Pot Dinners Ideas:

• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Easy Instant Pot Steak Fajitas Recipe
• Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
• Extra Cheesy Instant Pot Lasagna
• Instant Pot Ham Potato and Cheddar Soup

This delicious meal is ready in under 30 minutes using your electric pressure cooker! What more could you ask for? This tasty dish will make dinner a breeze even on busy weeknights that uses many basic ingredients you might already have in your pantry!

Get creative and add your favorite ingredients to take this meal to another level. For an extra spiciness kick, try adding your favorite hot sauce. Pair this meal with a glass of white wine for the perfect end to a long day!