Chicken Chasseur (Instant Pot Recipe)

by Cheryl Whyte 15 August 2019

written by Cheryl Whyte 15 August 2019

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There’s nothing quite like a stew to get the tastebuds tingling. So, it seems only right that a healthier, real food version of the French classic, Chicken Chasseur should feature on the blog.

Growing up, my Ma would cook this fantastic French classic during the winter months. You could expect this hearty stew on the dinner table at least once a week, served up with either roast or mashed potatoes and baby carrots. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!!

DARE TO DITCH THE FLAVOUR PACKET?

Like many Brits I know, our house would turn to the ‘flavour packet’ to make Chicken Chasseur. In our case, the contents of a “Colman’s Great Tasting Chicken Chasseur Family Seasoning Mix”. And, in all honesty, I can understand why. These handy sachets are super affordable (approx. 70p), cheaper than a jar of highly processed sauce, and pretty simple to make. Just add chicken, onions, mushrooms, tomato puree and water and the result – a hearty dinner on the table in about an hour and a half.

But, here’s the issue – sachets of seasoning mixes tend to include lots of processed ingredients. To give you an idea, here’s a lowdown of what you can expect to find, specifically in the “Colman’s Chicken Chasseur Family Seasoning Mix” sachet (as of August 2019):

WHEAT flour, corn starch, salt, onion powder (8.5%), tomato powder (6.5%), sugar, paprika (3%), flavourings (contains WHEAT, BARLEY), yeast extract (contains BARLEY), maltodextrin, mushroom juice concentrate (2%), garlic, BARLEY malt extract, herbs (parsley, sage), pepper, lemon juice powder. May contain milk, egg, celery and mustard.

Now, don’t get me wrong this is definitely not the worst list of ingredients I’ve ever seen. However, this little 43g packet of Coleman’s Recipe Mix does still include some processed ingredients that we don’t need in our body. For example:

MALTODEXTRIN

Maltodextrin is a highly processed ingredient approved for human consumption in minimal amounts. It is high on the glycemic index and is likely to cause your blood sugar level to spike. It’s probably being used here as a thickener, a filler, or a preservative. (Source)

THICKENING AGENTS

Food labels show ingredients in order by weight. So, that tells us that this pack contains mostly thickening agents or fillers. In this case, Wheat Flour and Corn Starch. They are the first two ingredients on the label.

Now, you do need to use some form of thickener to achieve the right consistency in the sauce. But, when you make a Chicken Chasseur from scratch, thickeners are certainly not the number one and two dry ingredients by weight!

SALT

Salt is the third ingredient on the ingredient list and totals 23% of our total daily allowance per portion.

SUGAR

Sugar is also high up on the list, most probably added in to enhance the flavour.

THE VERDICT

Naively, I would have hoped to see herbs and spices being amongst the main ingredients on the list. But, unfortunately, herbs are ranking close to last.

And, if you’re eating a gluten-free based diet, well, there’s no way you could eat this because the sachet is packed full of wheat and barley.

So, I believe we can do better.

This real food version of Chicken Chasseur will have you leaving the ‘flavour packet’ on the supermarket shelf for good. This recipe is hands down the best Chicken Chasseur I have ever tasted. It’s rich and flavourful and easy to prepare.

IS COOKING CHICKEN CHASSEUR FROM SCRATCH AS EASY AS USING A FLAVOUR PACKET?

Yes. Hands-on preparation time is about the same because Coleman’s Chicken Chasseur still requires you to prepare and cook some ingredients before adding them to a casserole dish.

IS COOKING CHICKEN CHASSEUR FROM SCRATCH AS BUDGET-FRIENDLY AS USING A FLAVOUR PACKET?

Unfortunately, no. Making chicken chasseur from scratch will cost you more than using a flavour packet because you will need to buy the ingredients separately.

However, the ingredients can commonly be found in most grocery stores. And, you will certainly have herbs and spices leftover for later use. Or, they will be on hand if you want to make Chicken Chasseur again in the future. Which I hope is true!

Personally, I think the nutritional value far outweighs the cost and the flavour is far superior. So, if you can swing it, I promise you it will be worth every penny.

IS COOKING CHICKEN CHASSEUR FROM SCRATCH AS QUICK AS USING A FLAVOUR PACKET?

Yes and no. As mentioned before, the hands-on prep time is about the same. However, the cooking time does take longer.

I’ve tested this recipe many times and the 2 hour cook time is just right for the flavours to infuse together for a delicious sauce and pull apart chicken. It’s worth it, I promise.

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN CHASSEUR IN THE INSTANT POT?

Check out the below step-by-step instructions, or scroll down to find the printable recipe card.

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

Ingredients weighed out on marble surface.

Prepare all your ingredients and get your equipment ready.

Wash the carrots and slice off the root end (no need to peel), brush the dirt from the mushrooms, peel the shallots and finely chop, wash and finely dice the tomatoes and finally, juice the lemon.

Browning two chicken breasts in instant pot

Turn on the sauté function on your Instant Pot and let it heat up.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper (1/4 teaspoon of each salt and pepper on each breast).

Add the olive oil into the Instant Pot and brown two chicken breasts for 5 minutes on each side.

Browning two chicken breasts in an Instant Pot

When the first two chicken breasts are nicely brown, remove them from the Instant Pot, put them on a clean plate and place to one side. Repeat with the remaining two chicken breasts.

Browning the chicken adds so much flavour to the overall dish. Please don’t skip this step – it’s worth the time!

When all four chicken breasts are and lovely brown, keep them to one side.

Now, add the wine to the Instant Pot and scrape (deglaze) all the little bits of brown and chicken pieces that may have stuck to the bottom.

Now, more flavour. First, add the tomato puree, and give it a good stir until it dissolves into the wine. Now, add the garlic, anchovies, fresh tomatoes, paprika, parsley, sage, thyme, bay leaves, celery salt, onion granules, maple syrup and lemon juice. Stir everything together.

Now, turn off the saute function on the Instant Pot.

Browned chicken and mushrooms in Instant Pot

Add the chicken (and all its juices) back into the Instant Pot, together with the mushrooms, carrots and shallots.

Ingredients mixed together in Instant Pot

Pour in the chicken stock and give everything one final stir, Ensure the chicken is submerged in the liquid and then secure the lid to the Instant Pot and select the Pressure Cook button.

You want high pressure for 1hr 40 minutes. Do not use the Meat Stew function as it does not cook the Chicken Chasseur long enough for the depth of flavour we want!

The Instant Pot should take 10 minutes to generate steam and start cooking.

Once cooked, do a quick release, and when safe to do so, remove the lid.

When you remove the lid, you can expect to see the stew looking something like this.

Hand pouring arrowroot slurry into an instant pot

Immediately, turn on the sauté function. The sauce will begin to reduce down and develop even more flavour.

To encourage thickening, take a small bowl and add two tablespoons of arrowroot flour and combine this with four tablespoons of liquid from your stew. Mix until you have a smooth paste. Pour the arrowroot paste back into the Instant Pot and stir. After 10 minutes, your Chicken Chasseur will be ready to eat.

chicken chasseur on plate with cauliflower mash

Serve and enjoy!

I think this stew is best served with some sort of potato or vegetable mash to soak up all the sauce. Try this Creamy Cauliflower Mash with Thyme.

I hope you LOVE this recipe as much as I do!

And, if you do get the chance to give this Chicken Chasseur at try, please drop me a note in the comment section and provide star rating. I’d love to know what you think.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

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