5-Ingredient Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Italian Chicken Dinner (Paleo, Whole30)

There are only 5 ingredients in this easy & healthy one-pot meal. Make this Italian chicken dinner in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.

PIN FOR LATER

Updated 2020 with Instant Pot instructions

Only 5 Ingredients

It doesn’t take much to make a healthy, slow cooker or pressure cooker recipe. Chicken, potatoes, vegetables, diced tomatoes, and Italian seasoning…that’s it. I don’t count salt & pepper in the ingredient tally. If you do, then technically it’s 7 ingredients. If you want to add additional ingredients to this recipe be my guest. I suggest adding some garlic or perhaps more vegetables.

the 5 ingredients

If you don’t have an Italian seasoning, you can use my homemade blend that’s at the bottom of this blog post. You can also substitute a single herb like parsley, oregano, or basil.

before (slow cooker)

after (slow cooker)

What Cut Of Chicken To Use

Any cut you want! Dark meat works better in the slow cooker because it’s less likely to dry out. I usually use chicken thighs when making this but like as with the majority of my recipes, it doesn’t matter what cut of chicken you use.  If you do choose to use white meat, lower the cooking time by an hour or more in the slow cooker and 2-3 minutes for the electric pressure cooker. This is so the chicken doesn’t overcook.  When I use my electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot) and skinless chicken, I don’t brown the meat first. I just add it in to the appliance raw. I pretty much only saute my chicken in my pressure cooker if it’s skin-on chicken. You can use anywhere between 2-3 pounds of chicken without having to modify any measurements. I used 2.8 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.

Other 5 ingredient or less recipes you might enjoy:

Slow Cooker Ham (Paleo)

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken (Paleo)

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Pot Roast (Paleo, Whole30)

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage (Paleo, Whole30)

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Roasted Tomato Soup (Paleo, Whole30)

What Type Of Potatoes To Use

Waxy potatoes always work best because they hold their shape better than other forms of potatoes. Having said that, like most of my recipes, I encourage you to use the ingredients you have & like. Meaning, you can use your preferred potato whether it be a waxy potato like red or yellow potatoes, or a non-waxy potato like russet or sweet potatoes. If you use a non-waxy potato, I suggest you cut them into larger chunks than you usually would. This will help them hold their shape during the cooking process and not turn mushy on you.

What Type Of Vegetable To Use

The sky is the limit when it comes to picking out the vegetables for this recipe. As usual, I encourage you to use your favorite vegetables but some work better than others. In general, sturdy, root vegetables are best for the slow cooker or pressure cooker because they can withstand the cooking time. Personally I almost always use green beans or asparagus. If you’re going to use a more delicate vegetable like zucchini squash, cut the veggies into larger chunks than you normally would. This will help them hold their shape. I used fresh vegetables. If you want to use frozen, for the slow cooker wait until the last 30 minutes of cooking time before adding them. For the pressure cooker, they go in at the same time fresh vegetables would.

Broiling The Skin

When I use a cut of chicken that has skin on it, I almost always remove the chicken from the slow cooker to broil it. What can I say, I like crispy skin. I do this whether I use the slow cooker or pressure cooker. It’s an optional but recommended step.

PIN FOR LATER

I highly recommend you pour the leftover tomato juice from the slow cooker or pressure cooker on top of the chicken before serving. To make this recipe, I use a 6-quart slow cooker /or Instant Pot.

5-Ingredient Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Italian Chicken Dinner (Paleo, Whole30)

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Fit SlowCooker Queen
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 2–3 pounds chicken (any cut, see blog post)
• 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, chopped
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed & chopped
• 15 ounces diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth (for pressure cooker)
• 1 tablespoon oil

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Instructions

Slow Cooker

1. Add potatoes and green beans to the slow cooker. Stir to mix.
2. Season chicken with salt & pepper. Add chicken on top of potatoes & green beans.
3. Season all the food with the Italian seasoning.
4. Pour the diced tomatoes on top of the chicken.
5. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.

Electric Pressure Cooker 

1. Season chicken with salt & pepper.
2. Turn the pressure cooker to saute. Once hot, add the oil and chicken skin-side  down and sear, few minutes until browned. If you are using boneless, skinless chicken skip this step and add the chicken directly to the pressure cooker. 
3. Pour in broth and add potatoes on top of chicken. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top of chicken & potatoes. Add diced tomatoes on top of the potatoes and do not stir. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook 10 minutes. Quick release pressure.
4. Add vegetables and cook another 3 minutes on high pressure. Quick release pressure when done. Make sure internal temperature for the chicken is 165° Fahrenheit).
5. Season with more salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning if needed.

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Looking for an Italian seasoning? Here’s my homemade blend:

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