Warm and welcoming, this easy Instant Pot Chicken Barley Stew makes a great weeknight dinner since it's ready, from start to finish, in just a little over 30 minutes. Turmeric adds a hint of peppery spice to the stew along with a comforting yellow color.
Easy instant pot barley chicken stew
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Instant Pot Stew?
According to my calculations, each serving has 270 calories and
4 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
7 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
How to Make Chicken Barley Stew, Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Ready to make the chicken stew
Step 2: Add the chicken, onion, carrots, barley, turmeric, salt, pepper and broth to the inner pot and stir to combine.
Ready to cook the stew
Step 3: Lock the lid and move pressure-release valve to sealing (or closed) position. Cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes once cooking time is complete, then manually (quick) release any remaining pressure by moving the pressure release valve to venting (being careful of the hot steam).
Step 5: Remove the lid, place the cooked chicken in a large bowl and shred with two forks.
Shredding the cooked chicken
Add the shredded chicken back into the pot and mix well.
Fresh made chicken barley stew
Step 6: Divide the stew evenly between 4 bowls and top with chopped parsley.
Easy Chicken Stew with Barley
Recipe Notes
Find ground turmeric in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. I found a larger organic bottle at my local Costco. Turmeric has been used in India for thousands of years as both a medicinal herb and a spice, mostly commonly found in many curries.
This stew can also be made with bone-in skinless chicken thighs. After cooking and before shredding, remove the chicken from the bones. You may find that this broth has a richer taste thanks to the nutrients from the cooked chicken bones.
Chicken Stew Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this light & healthy chicken stew with warm crusty bread and a simple green salad.
Protein-Packed Chicken Barley Stew
Ways to Use Leftover Chicken Barley Stew
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stew can be reheated in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (affiliate link), or in a saucepan on the stove top.
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If you've made this fiber-packed Chicken Stew with Barley, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Instant Pot Barley Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- ½ cup pearled barley
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Add the chicken, onion, carrots, barley, turmeric, salt, pepper and broth to the Instant Pot (affiliate link) and stir to combine.
- Lock the lid and move pressure-release valve to sealing (or closed) position. Cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes once cooking time is complete, then manually (quick) release any remaining pressure by moving the pressure release valve to venting (being careful of the hot steam).
- Remove the lid, place the cooked chicken in a bowl and shred with two forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and mix well.
- Divide stew evenly between 4 bowls and top with chopped parsley.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
Recipe source: Instant Pot Miracle Healthy Cookbook (affiliate link) by Urvashi Pitre
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Light & Healthy Instant Pot Recipes for Weight Watchers:
- Healthy Instant Pot Cheddar Broccoli Soup
- Easy InstantPot Taco Soup
- Healthy Vegetable Meatball Soup
- Skinny Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
- Two Ingredient Chili Verde for the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Chris
Add turmeric with everything ?
Martha McKinnon
Yes, I've updated the recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
P.
I added more vegetables. Very delicious.
Pam S.
Really simple prep work—used larger-sized dices of onion and carrots. Great flavor, although it was more the consistency of a soup than a stew. With fast prep, hands-off IP cooking, and delicious results, this recipe is a keeper! This will be perfect for those cold, winter months, and will definitely serve with crusty bread in the future.
Martha McKinnon
Glad you liked it Pam. Thanks for taking the time to let us know. ~Martha
Mary
Can you make this in a slow cooker instead?