Instant Pot Chicken Béchamel with veggies
A French favourite, this creamy chicken béchamel with mushrooms, carrots and celery is quick and easy to prepare in the Instant pot.
Ingredients
 | 3 pounds of fresh or frozen chicken (approx. 4-6 pieces of breast, thigh or leg) |
 | 1 cup of sliced fresh or frozen mushrooms (eg. white mushrooms or oyster mushrooms) |
 | 1 onion – chopped or sliced white onion is preferable. |
 | 1 carrot – chopped fresh or frozen carrots |
 | 1 celery branch – chopped fresh or frozen celery |
 | (Optional) 6 strips of bacon sliced into small pieces |
Spices and flavoring ingredients:
 | 2 crushed garlic cloves or teaspoons of garlic powder |
 | 4 sprigs of fresh or dried parsley |
 | 1 bay leaf |
 | 1 cup of liquid chicken stock or cube of chicken stock with water |
 | Pinch of salt and pepper |
For the Béchamel sauce:
 | 20 cl (3/4 cup) of crème fraiche or heavy cream for the base of the sauce |
 | 1 egg yolk to bind the béchamel sauce together |
 | 2 tablespoons of butter to sear the bacon |
 | 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce |
How to make this chicken béchamel
In the Instant Pot
- Add the chicken thighs, bacon, and butter to the Instant Pot and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients.
- Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 12 minutes.
- Allow a natural pressure release for 15 minutes once cooking finishes.
For the Béchamel Sauce
- Whisk the flour, heavy cream, and egg yolk in a bowl until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a deep saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the cream mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the sauce into the Instant Pot and stir to blend.
- Press Sauté (lid open) and cook for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Serve warm.
A creamy chicken bechamel recipe is a hearty and delicious way to warm up on a cold winter day. If you’re looking for a stew that’s packed full of flavor, this dish is for you.
This creamy chicken recipe is adapted from the French blanquette de veau, which is veal. However, with the chicken being equally rich, smooth, and full of flavor, this has become a favorite in our household, and certainly easier to have on hand than veal.
Vegetables are included directly into dish, so that there is no need for a separate vegetable dish. The béchamel sauce is mixed on the side, and added into the instant pot after the chicken finishes cooking, to avoid it curdling. And with that, you have with a bowl of warm, creamy goodness, perfect for any occasion.
Cooking tips
- You can use any type of mushrooms, but particular favorites are white or oyster mushrooms.
- Frozen ingredients will work in this recipe, as the Instant pot will automatically adjust its timing.
- The béchamal sauce should be added after the Instant pot finishes cooking the chicken, because otherwise the sauce will turn.
Similar recipes
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Instant pot creamy chicken bechamel
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of chicken (approx. 4-6 pieces of breast, thigh or leg)
- 1 cup of sliced white or oyster mushrooms
- 1 onion chopped up
- 3 carrots sliced
- 1 chopped celery branch
- 2 garlic cloves chopped up
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 6 strips of bacon sliced into small pieces (optional)
- 4 sprigs of parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon of butter
- Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Béchamel Cream sauce
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 20 cl of crème fraiche or heavy cream (approx. 3/4 cup)
- 1 egg yolk
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
In the Instant Pot
- Add the chicken thighs, bacon, and butter in the Instant pot and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 12 minutes.
- Once the countdown has finished, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
For the Béchamel Sauce
- In a bowl, mix the flour, heavy cream, and egg yolk until it is smooth.
- Add in the salt and pepper.
- In a deep saucepan, melt the butter.
- Add in the mixture and cook at medium temperature for 2-3 minutes until it looks well-blended.
- Add mixture to the Instant pot, stirring as it is blended in.
- Press Sauté on the Instant Pot for 5 minutes (with lid open).
- Serve while warm.
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
This creamy chicken bechamel goes quite well with mashed potatoes, as well as tagliatelle pasta.
You can also serve it with rice if you prefer, my favorite is long-grain brown rice or wild rice. It is drier and less sweet than some other accompanying dishes, and so I find it goes really well. (I usually have my rice cooker going at the same time.)
And there are many other possibilities as well such as polenta, or even bulgur.
How to store it?
If you would like to freeze the creamy chicken bechamel, I would recommend doing so before the béchamel sauce is added. This will help the chicken keep its consistency. Let the chicken cool and store it in an airtight glass container.
You can prepare the béchamel sauce separately when you wish to heat it up and eat.
