Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Season & Dredge Chicken:
Season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and black pepper. Place ¼ cup (32g) all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Lightly coat the chicken with flour on both sides.

Brown Chicken Thighs in Instant Pot:
Press "Saute" button to "Sauté More" function to heat up Instant Pot. Wait until it says "HOT" on the screen (roughly 8 mins). Add 1½ tbsp (22.5ml) olive oil in Instant Pot's inner pot. Cover the whole bottom with oil.

Add in flour-coated chicken, then brown the skin side for 4 minutes, and the other side for 2.5 minutes. Set aside the browned chicken.

*Pro Tip: If you're cooking 6 chicken thighs, it's best to brown them in two separate batches.

Saute Onion & Spices:
Sauté onion slices in Instant Pot for 3 minutes.

Add in 1 tsp dried oregano leaves, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp (15ml) tomato paste, 2 bay leaves, and bell pepper slices. Saute for another minute.

Add in minced garlic, then saute for 30 seconds until fragrant.

*Pro Tip - Tomato Paste:
If your Instant Pot is sensitive to the Burn Error, layer the tomato paste on top of the fire-roasted tomatoes in Step 5.

Deglaze Instant Pot:
Pour ½ cup (125ml) dry white wine in Instant Pot. Deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix. Let the mixture come to a boil, then boil for 1 minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate.

Pressure Cook Chicken Cacciatore:
Add ¼ cup pitted black olives, 2 tbsp - ¼ cup (30g - 60g) drained capers, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce, and ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix.

Add in the browned chicken thighs and all the meat juice. Layer 1 can (28oz) fire-roasted crushed tomatoes on top. Do not mix.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position. Close the lid. Turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes. Open the lid carefully.

Thicken & Adjust Seasoning:
Give the Chicken Cacciatore a quick mix. Place the chicken on a serving plate.

Bring the Cacciatore sauce to a simmer with the “Saute” function. Allow the sauce to simmer for 3 to 6 minutes to your desired thickness. Taste and adjust the sauce with more salt and black pepper (if necessary).

*Pro Tip: If your tomatoes are very acidic, you may need to balance the sauce with a bit of sugar. For reference, we used ¼ tsp sugar to balance the sauce.

Turn off the heat (press "Cancel") or switch to Keep Warm mode.

Serve:
Drizzle the flavorful cacciatore sauce on your tender & juicy chicken. Garnish with finely chopped Italian parsley, then serve with side dishes.