A couple of weeks ago a blog reader sent me a recipe that involved cooking chicken breasts in the pressure cooker. When I make gumbo or chicken salad or most anything that requires cooked chicken, I either use leftover smoked chicken or will boil a chicken with celery, onions, peppercorns, bay leaves, etc. added to the liquid.
After pressure cooking those chicken breasts, the meat was SO good and shredded so nicely with a fork that I decided to pressure cook a whole chicken. Whole chickens were on sale at the grocery store this week and I bought enough to hopefully last til they’re on sale again.
I whacked the whole chicken in half (all the while thinking Smokey should see what happens to chickens who aren’t treated so well as she is!). Put the chicken in the pressure cooker, with water, of course. Add celery, carrots, onions, peppercorns, bay leaves and a few tablespoons of this:
Pressure cooked for maybe 8 minutes. Then I took the chicken off the bone, shredded it with a fork and divided the meat into thirds (roughly . . didn’t measure). I made chicken salad, put some meat in a bag for chicken noodle soup and froze the third bag.
I saved the broth and used half of it today to make the chicken noodle soup which I did by sauteeing some onions and celery in a bit of olive oil, then adding several carrots which I sliced, the broth, some water, a little salt, pepper, thyme, couple of bay leaves. Add the shredded chicken and let that all simmer for 30 minutes or so. Then add the wide egg noodles and simmer til the noodles are done. Throw in some chopped parsley . . yum!
Pat says
Sounds yummy!!!
Vicky says
I’m definitely going to do that next weekend! Wow, it wounds wonderful!
Joyce says
I haven’t used a pressure cooker in about 15 years, but, if you keep it up, you will make me go buy a new one.
Keep it up Judy. I love your blog
Karen L says
I love using the pressure cooker for broth….I think it tastes better……and it cooks so much faster!!!
Karen
Joanne says
It must be the weekend for cooking chicken. I also cooked the whole chicken (because it was on sale), made chicken noodle soup, cut some up for chicken pot pie later this week and froze a third package! I bought a second chicken for the freezer. Maybe I’ll use the pressure cooker for that one. It sure smelled good in the house while I was putting together my Freeze Frame!
Tammy says
Judy, I just really enjoy reading your blog………….not only do I usually get a quilty fix, but I love hearing about your cooking. I’ve never used my pressure cooker for anything but green beans.(Made just like my mamma and grandma used to make!)
8 Minutes……..for a cooked chicken……….sounds like something I need to try.
Linda Steller says
I love my pressure cooker — especially for chicken. Just like the crockpot, only super duper fast!
Sheryl says
You know I’m terrified of my pressure cooker/canner but I might just have to give this a try. 🙂
Have you ever tried the “Vigo” chicken/beef broth granules? I love it. I get it at the local produce stand.
CJ says
Judy, like you I smoke nearly all my whole chickens and use the flecked meat, yum! But Jim also loves pressure cooked chicken. I put mine in whole, there’s really no need to cut it up.
It does make the best broth, I agree!
Bessie H says
I always use the pressure cooker to cook chicken for chicken and dumplings. I have five pressure cookers if you count my canner. Different sizes for the job. Green beans in the pressure cooker with new potatoes are the best!
Madison says
Keep the pc recipies coming! Love ’em; love chicken noodle soup. Thanks.
Maria Stahl says
Anybody want to help this novice who has used her pressure cooker exactly once with how to cook a whole turkey on one?
Maria Stahl says
I did it! I used these general directions
http://www.eclectichomeschool.org/resources/recipes/recipe.asp?recipeid=75&course=6&category=13
only I added a big bunch of celery, about 6 cloves of garlic and 2 onions, and for seasoning I put in about a tablespoon of pickling spice. I was concerned that 1 hour wouldn’t be enough cooking time because the turkey had not 100% thawed, but when I opened the cooker, the turkey was all falling apart and the broth was thick and flavorful. Yummy.
Brenda B. says
I cooked a whole chicken this weekend too. But mine was in a crockpot. I’ve never used a pressure cooker, I’m like your other reader – a little scared of them. I’ll need to remember all the spices you listed, except I need to find something in place of the Boullion granules, we’re now on a low sodium diet (for Jerry’s heart).
I need to go back to the grocery store and get a couple more birds for all your ideas! Thanks!