Some nights I want a real, home-cooked dinner but I don't have it in me to stand at the stove. This is the meal I make on those nights.
It's chicken breast pressure cooked in a coconut curry sauce until it's tender enough to shred with a fork. Five minutes of prep, then the pot does the rest while I get the kids washed up or pull something from the garden for a side. It's mild enough that my little ones eat it, and it's just as good leftover for lunch the next day.
I use Kevin's Thai Coconut Sauce for this one. It's my shortcut for when I want the flavor of a slow-simmered curry without making the sauce from scratch.
Time
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Come to pressure: about 10 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Natural release: 8 minutes
- Total: about 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large)
- ½ cup water
- 1 pouch (7 oz) Kevin's Thai Coconut Sauce
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
To serve (optional): rice or cauliflower rice, steamed veggies, fresh cilantro or basil, a squeeze of lime
Instructions
1. Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Leave the breasts whole. They stay juicier than cubed chicken.
2. Layer the pot. Pour the water into the bottom of your pressure cooker. Lay the chicken on top, then pour the sauce over the chicken. Don't stir. Keeping the thick sauce off the bottom of the pot is what prevents the dreaded "burn" warning.
3. Pressure cook. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. If your breasts are on the thinner side (around 6 oz each), go with 8 minutes.
4. Release. Let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes, then quick-release the rest. The thickest part of the chicken should read 165°F.
5. Shred and thicken. Here's my favorite hack: move the chicken to a large bowl and shred it with a hand mixer on low. It's done in about 30 seconds, way faster than two forks. Stir it back into the sauce. If you'd like it thicker, switch to Sauté and let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then.
6. Serve. Spoon it over rice or cauliflower rice and top with fresh herbs and a little lime.
Tips
- Cooking from frozen? Increase the pressure cook time to 15 minutes.
- Shredding hack. A hand mixer on low shreds cooked chicken in seconds. Start slow so it doesn't fling, and use a deep bowl.
- Use water, not broth. The sauce is already seasoned, so water keeps the sodium in check.
- Meal prep friendly. Keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Stretch it. Toss in a bag of frozen broccoli or green beans during the sauté step to make it a full one-pot meal.
Nutrition (per serving, chicken and sauce only)
- Calories: about 260
- Protein: about 35g
- Fat: about 10g (saturated about 6g)
- Carbs: about 6g (sugar about 4g)
- Sodium: about 420mg
Nutrition is an estimate based on the sauce's current label and USDA values for chicken breast. It doesn't include rice or toppings. A cup of cooked jasmine rice adds roughly 200 calories and 45g carbs.
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