Light and Bright Instant Pot White Wine Braised Chicken Is Going to Be Your New Favorite Dinner

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Are you in the mood for classic French cuisine, but not looking forward to the many hours spent hovering over a hot stove required to make it (not to mention the seemingly endless stacks of dishes)?

Well, you’re in luck:

This is the holy grail of fancy dinners, made completely easy.

I absolutely adore braising meats. From chicken to short ribs and so much more, braised proteins are what fall and winter dishes are all about.

Now that we are transitioning into the cool weather months, it’s time to start braising again, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about that fact.

This Instant Pot white wine braised chicken is going to totally rock your world in terms of flavor and the ease with which you’re able to make this dish.

If you haven’t hopped on the Instant Pot bandwagon just yet, it is about time that you did. When I purchased this appliance, it changed everything, from the way I cooked to the recipes I would try.

Not only is this appliance an electric pressure cooker, it’s also a slow cooker, so you can sear and saute in it, cook low and slow, or quickly pressure cook at various levels. When you can have all those functions in one appliance that doesn’t take up all of your counter space, that’s a win.

Sometimes, when recipes become easier to make, this gives you an excuse to experiment with new flavors. Once you have your Instant Pot, you can dive into making this simple and lighter take on coq au vin.

Coq au vin (or “rooster with wine”) is traditionally made with red wine and hearty ingredients, making it a very rich braised dish. However, this spin on coq au vin blanc is my version of the classic recipe, made with white wine instead of red. And you’re going to love the lighter and brighter flavor of this stew.

Dishes like these usually take hours of simmering on the stove or in the oven. This updated take on the classic is much faster to make. In fact, you can get it on the table in under an hour.

This is all because of the magic of the Instant Pot. The appliance cooks the chicken at double, if not triple, the speed that you’re probably used to. And you still get all of the flavors that you would typically build over a longer period of time.

The key is to layer the flavor intensives in the insert before you start braising the chicken. Prepping the bacon and mushrooms starts to build that rich flavor before you even begin braising the bird.

The result is velvet-tender pieces of chicken with a variety of vegetables, and a white wine sauce that is rich like a gravy, but isn’t as heavy as you might think it would be.

Fresh thyme lifts the entire dish with an herbaceous touch that enhances the earthiness of the mushrooms, the lightness of the vegetables, and the savory flavor of the chicken that accompanies these in every bite.

It’s a fancy meal that’s both delicious and easy to make. I plan to serve it at my next dinner party, and you should too.

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Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prepare Meat, Chop and Slice Vegetables, and Measure Remaining Ingredients

If working with a whole chicken, break it down into 8 pieces – 2 breasts, thighs, wings, and drumsticks. If your chicken pieces are already prepared, simply set them aside until you are ready to use them.

I prefer to include a mixture of white and dark meat when I’m making this recipe, but you could use all dark meat if you choose.

Dice the bacon strips. Set them aside.

Slice the crimini mushrooms, dice the leeks, chop the carrots, and mince the garlic. Set each ingredient aside separately, without combining them.

Measure the remaining ingredients as listed on the ingredients list. And be sure to get the best wine opener to open your bottle of wine with no issues! There are four main types, so choose the one that’s right for you!

Step 2 – Cook Bacon

Set your Instant Pot to Saute. Once the insert is hot, add the chopped bacon and cook until it is crispy, approximately 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Select Cancel and remove the bacon from the pan to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Be sure to keep as much of the bacon grease in the insert as you can. Set the bacon aside.

Step 3 – Brown Chicken

Brown the chicken in the bacon fat with the Instant Pot set to Saute.

Be sure to brown the chicken pieces well on all sides. The more browned they are, the better they will be at keeping their juices inside. This will take about 3 minutes per side, and you will likely need to work in batches as the pieces won’t all fit on the bottom of the insert in an even layer.

Remove the browned chicken and set it aside.

Step 4 – Cook Vegetables

Add the butter to the Instant Pot. Once it has melted, add the mushrooms and cook until they are golden brown. This should take about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the mushrooms and set them aside.

Add the leeks and carrots to the insert, and cook until the carrots are tender. This will take about 3-4 minutes. Be sure to stir the mixture occasionally while the vegetables cook.

Step 5 – Add Flavor Intensives and Thickening Ingredients

Stir in the miso paste and flour. Miso adds a big punch of umami flavor that pairs so wonderfully with the mushrooms. Don’t leave out this secret ingredient!

Cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Be sure to use white or yellow miso in this recipe, instead of red miso. The white miso is light and slightly sweet in flavor, which helps balance out the rich flavors already present in the dish.

Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Step 6 – Deglaze Pan

Add 1/4 cup chicken broth to the insert to deglaze the pan. You can feel free to use homemade chicken broth in this recipe, or a low-sodium store bought version.

Stir well, and be sure to scrape up all those bits of flavorful fond from the bottom of the pan, using a wooden spoon or plastic spatula. Do not use metal, as it may scratch the bottom of the insert.

Step 7 – Braise Chicken

Stir in white wine, the remaining broth, cooked bacon, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Add the chicken pieces back in as well.

Place the top back on the Instant Pot and set it to Manual Pressure for 12 minutes. If you will be serving rice or another starch alongside this dish, now is a great time to get that started.

Quick release when finished.

Step 8 – Add Mushrooms and Thicken Sauce

Stir in the mushrooms.

If the sauce hasn’t thickened enough, set the Instant Pot to Saute and simmer the sauce for a few minutes until it reduces a bit. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, like brown gravy.

Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Serve immediately with the gravy and a garnish of fresh thyme.

I love a hearty side of kale mashed potatoes with this bright and light chicken dish. Roasted parmesan green beans are also a fantastic side to give you a crisp-tender crunch of texture.