Instant Pot Chicken Pesto and Vegetables–tender bites of chicken, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and potatoes enveloped in flavorful basil pesto sauce. An easy one pot meal that you can make in minutes in your electric pressure cooker.
Get the SLOW COOKER version of the recipe here
Instant Pot Chicken Pesto and Vegetables
When I made this recipe for Instant Pot chicken pesto and vegetables I did the “one pot meal” dance. That involves me dancing around my kitchen island while my kids watch me warily. I just love one pot meals that contain the protein and the vegetables and the starch all together.
I love the “freshness” factor in this dish as well. The basil pesto is so tasty. I buy mine at Costco in a jar and use it for all sorts of recipes. The green and yellow zucchini squash and the tomatoes add a summer twist to this dish as well. This is a healthy meal that is great as dinner and the leftovers are perfect the next day too!
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Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Rice Soup
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make Instant Pot Chicken Pesto and Vegetables I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
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Instant Pot Chicken Pesto and Vegetables
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
Tender bites of chicken, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and potatoes enveloped in flavorful basil pesto sauce. An easy one pot meal that you can make in minutes in your electric pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds yellow or red potatoes
- 1 medium yellow zucchini squash
- 1 medium green zucchini squash
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
Instructions
- Add ingredients to the pot. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pot. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and place into the pot. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the chicken. Cut the potatoes into quarters (or 1 inch cubes). Place a steamer basket* on top of the chicken. Put the potatoes into the steamer basket.
- Pressure cook. Cover the Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 2 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit there undisturbed for 10 minutes. Then move the valve to “venting.”
- Prepare vegetables. While the chicken and potatoes are cooking cut your zucchinis into quarters: cut off each end of zucchini and cut lengthwise in half. Cut each half in half again ending up with quarters. Line up quarters and slice across zucchini. Slice the tomatoes in half.
- Finish the dish. Remove the lid of the Instant Pot. Carefully remove the steamer basket and set it aside. Stir the zucchinis and tomatoes into the pot. Let the zucchini heat up and partially cook in the hot pot for about 5 minutes. Then gently stir in the potatoes and the pesto. Toss together. Scoop onto serving plates and enjoy.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
Keywords: one pot meal
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I like my zucchini cooked a bit more. I dumped everything back in and sautéed it for a bit I also added spinach onion and extra tomato. Definitely salt and pepper the vegetables the pesto is good depending on how strong you make it yourself or is it a store-bought
★★★
Whoops meant to say depending on how you make your pesto or if you buy it. I made my own With garlic from the garden and it pretty much outweighed all of the other flavors lol
You do not say what setting to use when adding zucchini and tomatoes, sauté??
Pressure cook again?
Also No One mentions how long preheating takes in these recipes. I made oatmeal the other day and preheating was 45 min. , cooking 5 min. Good grief!
preheating should never be that long. Wonder if your seal was in place? Or did you accidentally push the timer button instead which is actually a way to delay start??
What about the second heating for the squash – saute or pressure again??
Just on the warm setting. They won’t completely cook through and it’s good like that. The hot food will warm them through and that is sufficient.
How would the recipe change if I used frozen chicken breasts?
Hi Charlene,
I would do this method:
To quickly defrost a chicken breast pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pot. Lay the trivet in the pot and place the chicken breast(s) on top of the trivet. Set the pressure cooking time for 1 minute. Use a quick release once the time is up. The chicken will be a little cooked on the outside but uncooked on the inside. You’ll be able to slice up the chicken into cubes and use for the recipe as stated.
Do you think I could sub the potatoes with pasta? Would that change the cooking time or the liquid needed?
Sure! That would be so tasty. I would use 8 oz of pasta and 1.75 cups of broth total. Then pressure cook for 5 minutes with 10 minute npr.
Thank you so much! I’m excited to try it out!
★★★
Your adjustments for the pasta worked perfect! Thanks again!
4.5* I have to say I doubted this would work, but it did However, the squash was little more than raw, but still good. I would’ve liked it a bit more cooked. I was glad that I saw the hyperlink to the steamer basket you used as I was about to use a different one, so I swapped for the same one you used and I think the potatoes cook faster in it than in my silicone one, so the potatoes came out perfectly; only the squash didn’t.
Nonetheless, I love having any excuse to use my homemade pesto and will be making this again!
Thank you.
★★★★
homemade pesto sounds fabulous!!!
What if I don’t have a steamer basket? Can I use the trivet and place the potatoes on top of that but keep them bigger chunks?
You could. You could also just put them on top of the chicken. It will work fine.
I followed the instructions exactly but mine came out soupy. Was I supposed to drain the liquid before putting the pesto in?
You can, I didn’t need to. I’m sorry it came out soupy!
I love this! It is so good. What suggestions do you have if I double the recipe? I want to feed 8 people.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Double the ingredients and keep the cooking time the same.
My husband is on his diet again so I eliminated the potatoes, added onions and it was great! I did the “happy dance” too. All in one pot and clean-up was 5 minutes. Love it. I couldn’t do this without you. The recipes are delicious and you tell us just how to do it. Thanks so much. Just wish you had a cook book.
Judy, thanks so much for the nice comment!!!
I wish I had a cookbook too! I should really start putting one together. It’s so much work but it would be worth it!
What other veggie could I use instead of the potatoes? I’m trying to limit carbs/starches 😊
Maybe cauliflower??
This was amazing! I loved all the different flavors with the pesto. Great summer dish.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it!!!