Instant Pot Easy Chicken & Sweet Potato Dinner

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Last Updated on March 22, 2020

Here’s an Easy Instant Pot Chicken & Sweet Potato Dinner recipe that only takes 35 minutes. It’s a delicious pantry meal perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

This recipe was created at the end of a long week when I hardly had any food left in the house. Please tell me I’m not the only one who runs out of food sometimes?

I was so happy that even though the ingredients are just so simple, they tasted great cooked together this way. This recipe is also perfect if you are trying to cook out of your pantry and don’t have a lot of fresh ingredients on hand. 

Instant Pot Chicken

I am so in love with cooking chicken in the Instant Pot. I have yet to have a chicken dish that wasn’t juicy and full of flavor. I think it’s one of those foods that is ideal for pressure cooking, since the moisture is trapped inside the pot. 

For Instant Pot chicken, the general cooking times are:

• Whole, bonelesss chicken breasts – 10-12 minutes
• Cubed chicken breasts or chicken tenders – 8-10 minutes
• Boneless or bone-in chicken thighs – 8-10 minutes
• Whole chicken – 23-25 minutes (or six minutes per pound)

Since this recipe uses chicken pieces, you only need to cook it at pressure for 8 minutes.

Recipe Steps

You’ll never believe how easy this recipe is.

Step One

The first step is to sauté the chicken and onion in the pot with a little olive or avocado oil. You can skip this step if you are in a real hurry, but it will add extra flavor to the dish. Next, add the dried thyme, garlic powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

Step Two

Cancel the sauté function and add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and water. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.

Step Three

When you’re ready to serve, stir in the chopped cilantro and fresh lemon or lime juice.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, this recipe is paleo, Whole30, and gluten-free!

FAQS

What if I don’t have onions?

You can just leave them out. This recipe is very forgiving. You can get creative with the spices, too. Just use what you have and love.

Can you use frozen chicken for this recipe?

Yes, you can use frozen chicken. Just add 10 minutes to the time (so 18 minutes total). 

Other Easy Instant Pot Recipes You Might Like

• Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Rice
• Instant Pot Chicken & Potato Stew
• Instant Pot Beef Chili with Sweet Potato
• Instant Pot Salmon with Vegetables
• Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi
• Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chicken & Rice

Also, don’t miss my epic round-up of Instant Pot chicken recipes, all gluten-free and dairy-free.

You might also want to check out my entire index of healthy Instant Pot recipes. 

Here’s my printable recipe:

Instant Pot Chicken and Sweet Potato Dinner

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★★★★★ 4.8 from 20 reviews

• Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Main dish
• Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
• Cuisine: Healthy
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Here’s a super simple and easy Chicken & Sweet Potato Dinner recipe that only takes 35 minutes. It’s a delicious Instant Pot chicken recipe perfect for busy weeknights.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped*
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 14.5-ounce canned chopped tomatoes, with the juices
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional, for topping)
• 1 medium lemon or lime, juiced

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Instructions

1. Drizzle your cooking oil into the Instant Pot bowl and press the Sauté button. Let the oil heat up for about two minutes.
2. Place the onion and chicken in the pot and use a wooden spoon or spatula to move it around. Add the thyme, garlic powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
3. Cancel the sauté function and add the water, chopped sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, and stir to combine.
4. Lock on the lid and set the cooking time to 8 minutes on high pressure.
5. When the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release the remaining pressure. Remove the lid and stir in the cilantro and lemon or lime juice.
6. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in a tightly-sealed container for up to 4 days.

Notes

This dish will keep up to several months in the freezer in a tightly-sealed container.

*Leave out the onions if you don’t have one or don’t like onions.

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