Southern Brunswick stew in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker

I was first introduced to this hearty southern staple when I first went to North Carolina with DH, before we ever moved here. It was hearty and filling and perfect for winter. It also seemed the perfect dish for the Instant Pot! The IP really shines when making soups and stews.

This dish relies on two pressure cook cycles, first to cook the meat and then to cook the stew. For this reason it's not a 10 minute soup but still much quicker in your instant pot that the traditional process.
Ingredients:
~1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (I would err on the side of less or it can be quite meaty)
~1 pound beef stew meat (in cubes, I would err on the side of less or it can be quite meaty)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp chopped garlic (I use this kind in the jar)
1/2 a small onion, diced
1 small bell pepper,diced (green is fine, I used yellow because that's what I had)
1 bay leaf
14.5oz  of chicken broth
14.5oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
12oz package of frozen corn
12oz package of frozen lima beans
3 tablespoons Corn starch

Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of your instant pot and put your trivet in the pot. Place your chicken thighs and stew meat on the of the trivet. Season the meat with the salt and pepper. Put your IP on manual pressure cook, high for 8 minutes. During this cooking cycle, you can dice your onions and pepper. Make sure the valve is closed. Quick release (QPR) the pressure. Remove the meat from your pot leaving the liquid at the bottom. Set the IP on saute, high to keep it warm for the next cycle.

Meat on the trivet ready to cook

Put the onions and garlic in the pot and allow to cook a few minutes. Then add the bay leaf, chicken broth, tomatoes, corn, pepper and lima beans ingredients to the pot. While your onions and garlic are cooking shred your chicken and stew meat. After it's shredded, add your meat to the pot and start the second pressure cooking cycle. Put the IP on manual, high for 10 minutes. Make sure your valve is closed. . When the cooking time is finished, allow the pressure to naturally release for 2-3 minutes and then you can QPR the remaining pressure.

Everything in the pot ready to do the second cook cycle

If the stew is not thick enough, take 1 cup of broth from the pot and whisk with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and add it to the pot. Allow to simmer on saute mode, high until it reaches desired thickness.

Cooked! Isn't it nice that my bay leaf came to the top? Easy to find!

Makes approximately 6 servings, total prep and cook time is an hour and 15 minutes. It's not the fastest meal you can make in your IP but most of the time is for it to cook, very little active prep time.

If you liked this stew, check out this round up of other soups you can make in your IP.

Time to eat!