J. Kenji López-Alt is one of the most respected food scientists and culinary storytellers working today. As the author of The Food Lab and a longtime contributor to Serious Eats, Kenji has built a devoted following by explaining not just how to cook, but why techniques work the way they do. When his YouTube channel serves up a five-ingredient Instant Pot chicken stew, you know there's serious thought behind every single step.
Why This Stew Is Deceptively Simple
The beauty of this recipe lies in what Kenji leaves out as much as what he puts in. Rather than layering in a dozen spices and aromatics, he trusts a small set of quality ingredients to do the heavy lifting under pressure. The Instant Pot creates an environment where collagen breaks down, broth concentrates, and chicken turns irresistibly tender — all in a fraction of the time you'd spend at the stove. The result is a bowl that tastes slow-cooked even though it's weeknight-fast.
This is exactly the kind of recipe that showcases why pressure cooking has become such a beloved technique. The flavors aren't just good — they're layered and full in a way that surprises people expecting something that came together in under an hour.
Key Tips from Kenji's Approach
- Go bone-in, skin-on for chicken thighs. The fat and collagen that render out during pressure cooking give the broth an incredible silkiness you simply can't get from lean breast meat.
- Brown first, even briefly. Just a couple of minutes of sautéing before sealing the lid creates a fond at the bottom of the pot that translates into deeper, more complex flavor in the finished stew.
- Use less liquid than instinct tells you. The sealed environment keeps moisture in, and the ingredients themselves release liquid as they cook — go conservative and you'll avoid a watery broth.
- Let the pressure drop naturally for 10 minutes. A rapid release can cause the chicken fibers to tighten and toughen. Patience in that final window makes a real difference in texture.
- Season only at the end. Pressure cooking concentrates flavors significantly, so what tastes under-seasoned going in will often be right on point once the stew is done.
Watch Kenji Make It
Seeing Kenji work through this recipe in real time is genuinely instructive — he explains his reasoning as he goes, making it easy to understand not just the steps but the logic behind each one. Whether you're a seasoned Instant Pot user or just getting started, there's something to take away from watching a professional approach a simple dish with this much care.
Watch the full video here: Five-Ingredient Pressure Cooker Chicken Stew | Kenji's Cooking Show
A Little Tip from Our Kitchen
Once your stew is done, try ladling it into an Artisan Cookware Co. Stackable Insert Pan to keep it warm without overcooking — the even heat retention means everything stays at the perfect serving temperature without the bottom scorching. If you're meal prepping, our stackable inserts are also ideal for portioning out this stew ahead of time; stack them right in your fridge and pull one out whenever you're ready for a quick, comforting meal.
Give It a Try
Simple recipes done right are some of the most satisfying things you can cook, and this one from Kenji is proof of that. Five ingredients, one pot, and a little patience — it's the kind of weeknight win that has you looking forward to dinner from the moment you press the button. Let us know in the comments how yours turned out!
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