Chicken Murphy–an Instant Pot or slow cooker dish featuring Italian sausage, tender chicken thighs, red potatoes, and mushrooms in a savory sauce.
Chicken Murphy
This is a one pot meal with your carbs, protein and veg all in one pot. You can make this in the Instant Pot or the slow cooker. It’s got lots of flavor from the Italian sausage and the addition of the cherry pepper brine and vinegar adds a bit of a tang. It’s something different and fun from your normal boring weeknight dinner!
This recipe has been adapted from Chicken Murphy on All Recipes.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Italian sausage–I used mild
- Onion–yellow or white
- Mushroom
- Garlic cloves
- Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
- White wine vinegar–or red wine vinegar
- Brine from hot cherry peppers–find these by the pickles and banana peppers
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Red potatoes–or peeled russet potatoes
- Green bell pepper–or red bell pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Cornstarch
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the sausage and break it up. Add in the onions and mushrooms and brown for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir.
Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
Add in the vinegar, brine, chicken thighs, potatoes, green peppers, Italian seasoning and salt.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook time to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
In a small bowl stir together 2 Tbsp of cornstarch and 3 Tbsp of water until smooth. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the pot to thicken the sauce. It will thicken up quickly. Turn off pot.
Scoop into bowls and serve.
Notes/Tips
- We ate this as a one pot meal but you can serve alongside garlic bread or focaccia bread and some roasted green beans. Some people like to serve this over pasta.
- Try adding in some of the hot cherry peppers if you like spice!
- Love tomatoes? Try adding in half a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes drained of the juice.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- Can I use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs? Yes, although chicken breasts tend to get more dried out whereas the thighs stay moist and tender.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with a half pound of Italian sausage are Mountain Music Casserole and Susan’s Casserole.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Chicken Murphy
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
An Instant Pot or slow cooker dish featuring Italian sausage, tender chicken thighs, red potatoes, and mushrooms in a savory sauce.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 4 ounces quartered mushroom
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp brine from hot cherry peppers
- 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 6 pieces each
- 8 ounces red potatoes, cubed
- 1/2 of one green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the sausage and break it up. Add in the onions and mushrooms and brown for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Add in the vinegar, brine, chicken thighs, potatoes, green peppers, Italian seasoning and salt.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook time to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- In a small bowl stir together 2 Tbsp of cornstarch and 3 Tbsp of water until smooth. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the pot to thicken the sauce. It will thicken up quickly. Turn off pot.
- Scoop into bowls and serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add in the sausage and break it up. Add in the onions and mushrooms and brown for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add in only ¼ cup of broth, vinegar, brine, chicken thighs, potatoes, green peppers, Italian seasoning and salt. Stir.
- Cover and cook on high 2 hours or low 4 hours.
- In a small bowl stir together 1 Tbsp of cornstarch and 2 Tbsp of water until smooth. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce. Cook on high without the lid until it thickens.
- Scoop into bowls and serve.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
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3/20/25 – Tried this recipe for a dinner for wife & I. Used ½ lb hot Smithfield ground sausage, 3 boneless Aldi chicken thighs, ½ each green & orange bell pepper, 1 small onion diced, 4 oz mushrooms, 11 oz red potato diced. Used brine from sweet cherry peppers as I didn’t have hot (but that’s why I used hot sausage). I did add the optional diced tomatoes. Made it in the 3 quart Instant pot which filled it to max. This recipe is Really Good!. It has a very unique flavor profile. Easy, quick recipe. Instant favorite!
I love/appreciate your recipes. They really help me as I’m a full-time caregiver for my wife now and do all the cooking.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I’m glad that my recipes have been helpful to you as your care for your wife. That can be taxing I bet! I hope these easy recipes can help.
Not sure I’ll ever have hot cherry peppers here to get the brine from them. Any suggested substitute
Red Wine Vinegar or basically brine is water, vinegar and pinch of salt.
I would just use banana pepper brine or pepperoncini