Rich, creamy chicken stew loaded with vegetables and topped with fluffy drop biscuits. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting while you make fresh biscuits. Pure comfort food.
Sauté the Vegetables
Set Instant Pot to "Sauté" mode. Melt 2 tbsp butter. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook 5-6 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more.
Add Chicken & Broth
Add chicken thighs (whole is fine), 4 cups chicken broth, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir to combine.
Pressure Cook
Close lid, set valve to "Sealing." Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Let naturally release for 5 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
Shred Chicken
Remove chicken to a cutting board, shred with two forks. Set aside.
Make the Gravy
Turn Instant Pot back to "Sauté." In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tbsp butter (melted) with 1/3 cup flour to make a paste. Slowly whisk this into the hot broth in the pot. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes until thickened.
Finish the Filling
Stir in 1 cup heavy cream, shredded chicken, and 1 cup frozen peas. Taste and adjust salt/pepper. Turn off Instant Pot. Remove bay leaf.
¶ Step 2: Make Drop Biscuits (15 min prep + 12-15 min bake)
Preheat Oven
Preheat to 425°F.
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar.
Cut in Butter
Add 6 tbsp cold butter cubes. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (pea-sized pieces).
Add Milk
Pour in 3/4 cup milk (and cheese/parsley if using). Stir with a fork just until dough comes together. Don't overmix! Add a splash more milk if too dry.
Drop & Bake
Drop heaping spoonfuls of biscuit dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (makes 10-12 biscuits). Bake 12-15 minutes until golden on top.
Shortcut Alert: Use store-bought biscuits (like Pillsbury Grands) if you're short on time. Just pop them in the oven per package directions while the filling finishes.
Vegetable Flexibility: Don't have celery? Use more carrots. No carrots? Add diced potatoes. This is very forgiving.
Thicker Filling: Want it even thicker? Add an extra tablespoon of flour to the roux.
Kid-Friendly: This is mild and creamy - perfect for kids. If you have a picky eater, they can eat just the biscuits dipped in the gravy!
Leftovers: This actually gets better the next day. Store filling and biscuits separately, reheat filling on stovetop and warm biscuits in the oven.
No Instant Pot? Make this stovetop: simmer chicken in broth for 25-30 minutes until cooked through, then follow the rest of the steps.
Chicken Breast Swap: Use 2 lbs chicken breasts, reduce pressure cook time to 8 minutes.
Pairs well with:
A simple green salad, cornbread on the side, and the knowledge that everyone's going back for seconds.