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.

Vertical image of a serving platter of braised white wine chicken with vegetables, with kale mashed potatoes and green beans in the background, printed with white and orange text.

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.

Overhead shot of a white serving plate of white wine braised chicken with gold serving utensils, with a white square bowl of mashed potatoes and a rectangular white serving platter or roasted green beans, on a brown table with white and blue checkered cloths.

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.

Vertical closely cropped image of a plate of Coq au Vin Blanc, green beans, and mashed potatoes.

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.

A black and white patterned dinner plate of chicken with carrots and mushrooms, roasted green beans, and mashed potatoes with kale.

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.

Vertical image of a serving platter of braised chicken with carrots and mushrooms in the foreground, garnished with sprigs of fresh thyme, with a bowl of kale mashed potatoes and a platter of parmesan green beans in the background.

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.

A dinner plate is piled high with wine braised chicken with vegetables, parmesan green beans, and kale red-skinned mashed potatoes, with a fork.

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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A white serving dish with a black platter, topped with braised chicken with vegetables, and sprigs of fresh herbs.

Instant Pot White Wine Braised Chicken


  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Description

A lighter take on coq au vin, Instant Pot white wine braised chicken is simple to make, a deliciously satisfying combination of poultry and vegetables.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs chicken (8 pieces total – bone-in thighs, breasts, wings, and drumsticks)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 strips bacon, diced
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
  • 2 cups diced leeks
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
  • 1/2 Tbsp white or yellow miso paste
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/4 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth, divided
  • 1 2/3 cups dry white wine
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
  2. Set Instant Pot to Saute. Once hot, add chopped bacon and cook until crispy, approximately 3-4 minutes. Then hit Cancel, and set bacon aside.
  3. Return Instant Pot to Saute. Brown chicken well on all sides, then set aside.
  4. Add butter to the Instant Pot and coat the bottom, then add mushrooms. Saute until golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes, then remove and set aside.
  5. Add leeks and carrots, and cook until fork tender, approximately 3-4 minutes.
  6. Stir in miso paste and flour. Cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  7. Deglaze the insert with 1/4 cup chicken broth, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
  8. Add the chicken, white wine, remaining broth, thyme sprigs, bacon, and bay leaf.
  9. Cover and set to Manual Pressure for 12 minutes. Quick release when finished. The chicken should be cooked through completely at this point (internal temperature of 165°F).
  10. Stir in mushrooms. If the sauce hasn’t thickened, set to Saute and simmer for a few minutes until reduced.
  11. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Serve immediately with a garnish of fresh thyme leaves.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Instant Pot
  • Method: Pressure Cooker
  • Cuisine: French

Keywords: Instant Pot, pressure cooker, coq au vin blanc, white wine, chicken

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.

Raw chicken pieces arranged on a white cutting board, sprinkled with salt and pepper.

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.

Four small glass bowls of chopped and prepped carrots, leeks, bacon, and crimini mushrooms, on a brown wood surface.

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.

Fat is being rendered out of bacon in the bottom of a metal pressure cooker insert.

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.

Chicken braising in liquid in the bottom of an Instant Pot insert.

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

Sliced mushrooms are sauteeing in a metal Instant Pot insert.

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.

Leeks and carrots in a metal pressure cooker insert.

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.

Sauteed carrots and leeks in the bottom of a metal pressure cooker insert.

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.

Chicken, a yellow liquid, and chopped vegetables are in the bottom of an Instant Pot.

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.

How to Choose the Right White Wine

When you are making this dish, choosing the right white wine is key. If you end up with a wine that is too oaky, the flavor of the dish will be thrown off. And if you use a wine without enough flavor, the recipe will be a little lackluster.

Image of the 2020 Bernard Magrez Sauvignon Blanc.

2020 Bernard Magrez Sauvignon Blanc, available from Wine Insiders

The key is to choose a white wine that is light, bright, dry, and full of flavor, like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Wine Insiders offers a hand-picked selection of white wines. Choose something that you like to drink (rather than a cooking wine) that isn’t too sweet.

A white serving dish with a black platter, topped with braised chicken with vegetables, and sprigs of fresh herbs.

Both of these options offer a nice hint of citrus, crisp in flavor with notes of grapefruit or orange. That little touch of acid really adds dimension to the braised chicken, lifting the flavors in a subtle yet stunning way.

Do you like cooking with wine? Tell us what type you love to cook with in the comments below. And when you give this recipe a try, be sure to give it a five-star rating if you loved it!

And for more chicken dishes, try these next:

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on January 12, 2010. Last updated: April 21, 2023 at 14:26 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

22 thoughts on “Light and Bright Instant Pot White Wine Braised Chicken Is Going to Be Your New Favorite Dinner”

  1. Boozy chicken sounds like a good start to a lot of things. And have I mentioned that I’m loving all of your playing around with textures? So much fun!

    Reply
  2. ok, so i’ve had this chicken sitting in my freezer forever because i’m too scared to roast it (silly, i know), but i’ve so been wanting some sort of chicken that i make on a sunday night and use up the whole week. i might have to try this sometime. or, roast that chicken already. or both! btw, this reminds me of a recipe i just made last night that is perfect for leftover chicken and i think you’d really like. i’ll email you later today with the details!

    Reply
  3. Several summers ago I had almost an entire bottle of leftover wine that I wasn’t going to drink and I poured it over a whole cut-up chicken then stuck it in the fridge. After a turn on the grill it was the most delectable and delicious tasting meat I’ve had. I wrote a rather hilarious ode to ‘Drunken Chicken’ and laughed at the search hits that came to my blog afterwards.

    I can almost taste your version.

    Reply
  4. I’ve had a chicken-in-lettuce-wraps recipe sitting in my must-make pile for ages. But I’ve been too uncertain to try it. … Now I’m tossing it and heading for the fridge to try your version. (After I get my chicken good and soused, that is.) 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
  5. I love this!!! Both of these recipes are so enticingly simple and adaptable. I can’t wait until I get another chicken in my meat CSA so I can try this!

    Reply
  6. Oh, how I love this idea of “boozy chicken”! And the story of a whole week of chickeny meals is just wonderful. Don’t you love it when all the little bits come together in a miraculous end?

    Reply
  7. Boozy chicken, I love it! I’ve recently gotten into making chicken lettuce wraps. We found a really simply recipe that includes a mix of honey and soy sauce. I will have to try this one!

    Reply
  8. Everything sounds delicious. I will definetly be trying these. Thanks for the recipes. I have eaten lettuce wraps before and they are to die for.

    Reply
  9. The recipe instructions are a little vague but I made assumptions as I love French cuisine and wanted to try it. I did not find “miso paste” at either grocery stores near me so I just used additional butter with the flour and made a roux. This recipe is more labor-intensive than I like and while it was very tasty, I found it not to be worth the effort.

    Reply

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