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This Instant Pot chicken and gravy recipe has tender chicken breasts smothered in ranch gravy. It’s easy to make, comforting, and ready in just over 30 minutes!
Try my Easy 3-Ingredient Shredded Chicken and Gravy or Easy Ranch Chicken next.
Why you’ll love it
I knew I had to try my Crockpot Chicken and Gravy in the Instant Pot as well, and the results are fantastic! Turns out it’s easy to adapt, and it’s ready in a fraction of the time. Prep time is minimal, and the whole thing is done in just over 30 minutes for a cozy meal.
We’ve got juicy chicken with a ranch gravy that’s made with a few shortcuts, but there’s no condensed soup in my version. Ranch seasoning adds a zesty and bright quality. There’s just so much flavor for so few ingredients in this easy Instant pot chicken recipe!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Chicken broth – the base of the gravy
- Ranch seasoning – my go-to is Hidden Valley. It gives this gravy and chicken a subtle herby, buttermilk taste.
- Garlic powder and pepper – more depth of savory flavor
- Cornstarch – to thicken up the sauce
- Chicken gravy mix – use your favorite!
Pro tip
Make sure you don’t add the gravy mix in at the beginning. It contains cornstarch, and that is not a good thing for pressure cooking. It can cause scorching and goes weirdly gloopy (yes, I tested it). The cornstarch/gravy mix goes in last for the results we’re looking for!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here is the Instant Pot model I use. It’s a great little appliance for getting juicy meat fast and concentrated flavors.
- I use this classic wire whisk for the sauce.
- Easily cut up the chicken with a quality sharp chef’s knife.
How to make Instant Pot chicken and gravy
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Add the broth, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper to the Instant Pot. Whisk until everything has dissolved in.
- Place the chicken in, and spoon liquid over. Seal and cook on high pressure. Once the countdown is finished, do a quick release. Take the chicken out, and cut it up.
- Make a cornstarch slurry, and add it along with the gravy mix to your Instant Pot. Hit the sauté button so it thickens. Return the chicken.
Substitutions and variations
- The gravy mix and ranch seasoning both have salt, so use low-sodium chicken broth if you’re concerned about the salt content.
- You can make your own Ranch Seasoning Mix if you prefer.
- Packets of ranch seasoning and gravy mix can vary from brand to brand, so that’s why I don’t list sizes, but the ones I used were each around 1 ounce. As long as it’s in the ballpark, you’ll be good.
What to serve with Instant Pot chicken and gravy
- The gravy is fantastic over a big pile of mashed potatoes. Try my Boursin Mashed Potatoes for a creative change or my classic Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Rice works too like my Stick of Butter Rice or even pasta. Try my Garlic Butter Noodles.
- It’s great with my Easy Roasted Green Beans or sautéed spinach.
- Round out the dinner with a bright salad. Spring mix and my Homemade Italian Dressing or Creamy Balsamic Dressing are tasty options.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover chicken and gravy for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Reheat over a low heat until warmed through. Add a splash of broth if needed.
- You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Talk to me in the comments below if you made this chicken and gravy in the Instant Pot! I love reader reviews. Or tag me on Instagram if you made any S&L recipe.
Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless skinless
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix (I used Hidden Valley)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 teaspoon cold water
- 1 packet chicken gravy mix
Instructions
- Add the chicken broth, ranch seasoning mix, garlic powder, and pepper to your Instant Pot. Whisk until the powders have dissolved.
- Add the chicken and ensure it's mostly submerged (spoon some liquid over top if it's not). Close the lid, ensure the valve is on "sealing", and then set the timer to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Take the chicken out of the Instant Pot. Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Pour it into your Instant Pot, along with the chicken gravy mix. Press the "sauté" button and whisk until the gravy mix has dissolved. The sauce will thicken within a few minutes, so turn the sauté function off (press the "keep warm" button) once it's about as thick as you want it. Meanwhile, cut the chicken up, and then add it back into the Instant Pot.
- Serve immediately. It's delicious with mashed potatoes (or baked potatoes), pasta/egg noodles, or rice.
Notes
- 4 medium-to-large chicken breasts total about 2 pounds. Anything in that ballpark works. If the chicken breasts are very large, add another minute or two to the cook time.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if salt is a concern for you. Keep in mind ranch and gravy mixes both contain salt as well.
- Here’s the Crockpot version of this recipe.
- This is the 6-quart Instant Pot I used to make this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My daughter, who is impossible to please, absolutely loves this and we have it at least once a week! So thank you!! We make mashed potato bowls out of it, layering mashed potatoes, corn and then this delicious goodness on top! Soooo good!!
Well that’s so nice to hear!! 😀
Just wondering, could I use 2 lbs of chicken breast tenerdloins and keep the same cook time?
Hi! I think that should be ok. I am somewhat concerned they may overcook as they’re cut up and will likely cook faster, but I can’t really advise on giving it less time without testing. If you opt to reduce the cook time a bit, just ensure they’re fully cooked before consuming.
Can you use an Italian dressing mix packet??
Hi! I’ve never tried that. You mean instead of the ranch? You probably could give it a go. Let me know if you try! 🙂
I tried this tonight and omg.. it was SO good. I didn’t have the chicken gravy so I used turkey gravy, but everything else was exact. It was delicious!
Awesome to hear, Desirae! 🙂
What if the chicken is frozen?
Hi! I haven’t tested it from frozen, but I’d probably add on an extra 2-3 minutes to the high pressure cook time. Just make sure it’s thoroughly cooked when you open up the IP. You could always cook it for a bit longer on the sauté function if needed once you’ve unsealed the IP.
Yum… My entire family loved this recipe, and it’s really hard to please the 7 year old;) Thank You for sharing!
That’s wonderful to hear!! Thanks for letting me know! 😀
Hi this sounds delicious…just wondering if I could saute the chicken alittle before adding the broth and other ingredients? I made a pork chop version of this and browned them a few minutes and scraped the bottom using the broth. The gravy was good with the bits of browned meat in it. Tyia
Sure, I don’t see why not! 🙂
When you take out the chicken in step 4 do you also remove what was left in the pot too? The chicken stock, etc? Are you putting in the gravy mix with that stuff, or starting new? That’s not very clear.
Hi Ashley! You don’t take anything out aside from the chicken. You’re just taking it out to cut it up. If I intended that the IP contents were to be dumped out, that would be explained. No one would know to do that unless it was clearly stated. You definitely don’t want to dump that stuff out… it adds a ton of flavor (and the base for the gravy/sauce). Hope this helps! 🙂
Delicious and easy!! My 2 favorite things 👏🏼 Was going to do this in the crockpot and then found this IP version so I couldn’t pass it up. I did use 2 packets of chicken gravy mix and I don’t regret that! Looking forward to trying more recipes!!
Yay!! So glad it worked for you, Anne. Thanks for letting me know.
This was very good. I had frozen chicken breast so I cooked for 15 minutes, then released for 5 mins. Came out perfect!
Wonderful!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!