Pressure-cooker chicken, chorizo and butter‑bean stew
Hearty, fast one‑pot stew — tender chicken thighs, smoky chorizo and butter beans cooked in a rich tomato sauce in your pressure cooker.
This pressure‑cooker stew is your quickest route to a proper, stick-to-the-ribs dinner. Smoky chorizo and succulent chicken thighs braise in a tomato sauce until meltingly tender, with butter beans for bulk and comfort.
It’s brilliant for weeknights — minimal fuss, maximum flavour, and everything cooks in one pot. Use a hob-safe pressure cooker or an electric multicooker with a pressure setting.
Ingredients
- 800 g chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 150 g chorizo — sliced into 1 cm rounds
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — medium, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves — crushed
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml dried thyme
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 400 ml chicken stock — preferably low-salt
- 400 g tinned butter beans — drained weight about 240 g
- 1 lemon — zest and juice
- 20 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
- pressure cooker (hob-safe or electric)
Instructions
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with the sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Set your pressure cooker to the sauté / browning setting or place a hob-safe pressure cooker over a medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and fry the chorizo for 3–4 minutes until it releases oil and gets slightly crisp. Transfer the chorizo to a plate and reserve the oil.
Working in two batches if necessary, brown the chicken thighs in the hot oil for 3–4 minutes per side until golden. They do not need to be cooked through. Transfer the chicken to the plate with the chorizo.
Add the sliced brown onion to the cooker and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in the smoked paprika and dried thyme and cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
Pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes and chicken stock, then nestle the browned chicken thighs and the fried chorizo back into the sauce. Lock the lid and bring to high pressure, then cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes (do not force-release), then carefully open the lid.
Stir in the drained tinned butter beans, lemon zest and lemon juice. Switch the cooker to sauté (or place back on a medium hob) and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to heat the beans and lightly thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Stir through the fresh parsley, divide between bowls and serve straight away.
Tips
- Pat the chicken completely dry before browning — it makes a huge difference to colour and flavour.
- If your pressure cooker has a ‘burn’ warning, deglaze thoroughly with a splash of stock after browning to lift any stuck bits.
- For an even quicker dinner, use pre-sliced chorizo and buy tinned chicken stock — but still brown the meat for the best flavour.
- Make‑ahead: stew keeps well in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob or in an electric pressure cooker on low pressure for 3 minutes.
- Leftovers freeze well for up to 3 months. Cool completely, portion into airtight tubs and freeze flat.
Substitutions
tinned butter beans → tinned cannellini beans, same weight
Stays closechorizo → smoked paprika (add an extra 1 tsp) and 100 g smoked bacon lardons
Noticeably differentchicken thighs, boneless and skinless → chicken breast, 800 g
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 640
- Calories
- 60 g
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use dried beans instead of tinned?
Yes, but cook them separately first. Dried beans need long soaking and boiling; add cooked beans after pressure cooking the chicken so they keep their shape.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Replace chicken with extra firm cubed aubergine or chunks of squash and use a smoked vegetarian sausage or extra smoked paprika. Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
How do I avoid the 'burn' warning on an electric pressure cooker?
Always deglaze the base after browning (scrape in a splash of stock or wine). Remove any stubborn bits before sealing the lid and ensure there’s adequate liquid.
Is natural release necessary?
A short natural release (10 minutes) keeps the chicken moist. Quick release can be used if you’re in a hurry, but the meat may be slightly drier.
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