Hühnerfrikassee is a crazy velvety-lemony-delicious German chicken stew that's ready to hit the dinner table in just about an hour! It's served with steamed rice to soak up all that sauce, and seriously leaves you with the best kind of leftovers. Perfect to make ahead and freeze for days filled with snow or rain.
Hühnerfrikassee is perfect for those colder days when you're craving a hearty meal. And also for those rainy or snowy Sundays when you don't want to leave the house and just hide under a blanket with a good book.
When you combine fall-off-the-bone, stewed chicken, seasonal, fresh veggies, some cream, delicious Riesling wine, capers, and rice, what else could you possibly want in a comforting meal?
I used portabella mushrooms, snap peas, carrots and green asparagus for my veggies, but feel free to use any veggies that look good to you at that time (peas, cauliflower, green beans and even fresh spinach would also be great options!).
To reduce cooking time, I set and forgot my chicken and broth in my Instant Pot (this never version even comes with a super genius air fryer lid!). This allowed me to finish the other ingredients on my gas cooktop in the meantime.
I had dinner ready in just about an hour including cooking a whole, frozen chicken (even faster if you use a fresh chicken). Instant Pots are magicians and I don't use them often enough! If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can cook your chicken in a 6- to 10-quart pot on your cooktop for about 3 to 4 hours for frozen or around 2 hours for fresh (or until you can easily remove a leg). Want to skip making the chicken altogether? Just use the meat of one rotisserie chicken instead!
How Long To Cook Whole Chicken In Instant Pot
I had the same question when making my chicken for Hühnerfrikassee. It took me a bit of experimenting to find out that my small, 3-pound chicken took 40 minutes from frozen to fall-off-the-bone tender (crazy!). I have the 6-quart Instant Pot by the way and I don't use it often enough because, to be honest, it can be a bit intimidating not knowing how long to cook things for. I found a good cooking time chart on ifoodreal that I am reposting here for you for the most popular Instant Pot sizes (she is posting more suggestions for smaller versions of this pressure cooker on her post).
For 6-quart Instant Pot:
- 3 lbs whole chicken – 50 minutes for frozen (18 minutes for fresh)
- 4 lbs whole chicken – 60 minutes for frozen (24 minutes for fresh)
- 5 lbs whole chicken – 70 minutes for frozen (30 minutes for fresh)
For 8-quart Instant Pot:
- 4 lbs whole chicken – 40 minutes for frozen (18 minutes for fresh)
- 5 lbs whole chicken – 50 minutes for frozen (24 minutes for fresh)
- 6 lbs whole chicken – 60 minutes for frozen (30 minutes for fresh)
Instant Pot: Pressure Release and the Max Line
You'll use natural release for this recipe, which means the valve stays sealed position, but the pressure pin has dropped naturally. Keep in mind that the natural pressure release can take a while for the instant pot (around 15 minutes for the 6-quart version and up to 40 minutes for the 8-quart version). The chicken continues to cook during those times, too, which is why having a cooking chart handy is great!
With the liquids of the recipe and my 3 pound chicken, the volume of my Instant Pot almost reached the Max line, so you don't want to go larger than 4 pounds on your chicken for this recipe (especially if using a 6-quart Instant Pot). If you do, reduce the added water to only come to the Max line (you will have delicious leftover broth as a bonus with this German chicken stew recipe, so reducing the amount of water is just fine!).
Add Affentaler Riesling
Good Riesling is easier than ever to come by in the US these days! The German Affentaler winery makes a beautifully balanced Riesling in the iconic monkey bottle (Affental means monkey valley in German). This German wine from the German Baden area in the southwest is refreshing, fruity, and versatile. Pair it with today's Hühnerfrikassee by adding it into your sauce as well as drinking a glass or two with dinner - guaranteed happy smiles all over! Check this link for availability in your area.
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The BEST German Chicken Stew Instant Pot (Hühnerfrikassee)
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken & Broth
- 2 kilo whole chicken I used a 3 pound chicken this time and it worked just fine. Make sure to adjust cooking times using the cooking chart I posted. No time to cook a whole chicken? Just skip this step and use a cooked rotisserie chicken instead!
- 2 liters water
- 1 lemon peel including white pith cut away to avoid bitterness
- 1 yellow onion peeled and cut in half
- 2 tomatoes diced
- garden herbs I used parsley and sage
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Veggies & Sauce
- 2 egg yolks
- 125 milliliters cream
- 1 kilo seasonal veggies I used green asparagus, heirloom carrots, snap peas, carrots and sliced mushrooms)
- 30 grams butter for roux, plus more for sautéing veggies
- 15 grams flour for roux
- 125 milliliters dry Riesling I used Affentaler Riesling
- 1 small jar capers
- salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice to taste
Instructions
- To prepare the chicken and stock, combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of an Instant Pot. Add the gasket, seal the lid and cook over high pressure for the recommended cooking time (for a 4 pound frozen chicken in a 6-quart Instant Pot, that's 60 minutes for frozen and 24 minutes for fresh).If you don't own an Instant Pot, combine all ingredients in a stockpot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for four hours. To test if the chicken is ready, pull off a leg (if it comes off with ease, you're good to go!2 kilo whole chicken, 2 liters water, 1 lemon, 1 yellow onion, 2 tomatoes, garden herbs, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Strain the stock, allow the chicken to rest, and slightly cool off for 10 minutes, then pull the meat off the bones and cut or tear into bite-sized pieces. Store any leftover stock in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- In the meantime, prep the veggies by cutting them into bite-size pieces. Sauté the veggies in some butter in a deep skillet or a large pot and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a plate.1 kilo seasonal veggies
- Add the 2 tablespoon of butter for the roux to the same pot or skillet and melt on medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour, then gradually add in 4 cups of chicken broth, cup after cup, to avoid lumps from forming. Bring to a boil while constantly whisking, until the sauce has thickened.30 grams butter, 15 grams flour
- Add in wine and capers. Whisk together the egg yolks and cream and add into the sauce.125 milliliters cream, 125 milliliters dry Riesling, 1 small jar capers, 2 egg yolks
- Finally, stir in the veggies and chicken, allow to heat back up, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with parsley.salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice
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