Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken is a sweet and tangy, juicy chicken dish that is ready in less than 30 minutes. It is a great freezer meal.
Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken
Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken
You may remember my beached whale. Well, I made this for dinner tonight again and decided to reshoot the main photo.
This recipe has been floating around the internet for years and years and it looks like many bloggers have posted the recipe on their blogs. There is no way to know who actually created the recipe.
I’ve made Russian Chicken several times over the years, in my Slow Cooker and decided it was about time to adapt it for the Pressure Cooker.
This is a super simple recipe with only a few ingredients. However, if you want to save a bit of money and make it more homemade, make my Homemade Russian/Catalina Salad Dressing, instead of buying a bottle of dressing. Russian tastes about the same as Catalina, so, no worries.
Cast of Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken
Very few ingredients are needed. Chicken, apricot preserves, onion soup mix and a bottle of Russian Dressing. Catalina Dressing is essentially the same thing as Russian Dressing and in the past, I used either one. This time, however, I decided to make Homemade Catalina Salad Dressing.
It is so easy to make, why not, right? If you don’t have the time or don’t feel like making your own, just pick up a bottle of Russian or Catalina Dressing at the grocery store.
This makes a great freezer meal. Grab some chicken when it is on sale and whip up a batch or two of the sauce. Divide the chicken into Food Saver Bags and pour in the sauce. Place them in the freezer. Next time you feel like Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken, just pop the contents of the bag into your Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker and you are good to go.
Pressure Cooker Perfectly Cooked Pot In Pot Rice
Turn this Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken recipe into a one-pot meal!
You will just need these two accessories. One Round Stainless Steel Pan and a Tall Legged Stainless Steel Steaming Rack/Trivet.
Place Chicken into Pressure Cooker Cooking Pot
Place all the chicken into the Pressure Cooker cooking pot with a little water.
Mix together the Catalina Dressing and Apricot Preserves
Whisk together the Homemade Catalina Salad Dressing (or a bottle of Russian or Catalina Dressing) and the Apricot Preserves. Make sure the Preserves are completely broken down and incorporated with the Homemade Catalina Salad Dressing, so there aren’t any lumps.
I like using equal amounts of Homemade Russian Salad Dressing and Apricot Preserves. Play around with the taste, as you may like it sweeter or tangier.
Add in the Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Add in the Lipton Onion Soup Mix. If you like another brand better, like Laura Scudder, then use what you like. I’ve done it both ways and I think I like the Lipton a bit better.
Whisk in the Soup Mix
Whisk in the Lipton Soup Mix until it is all nicely combined.
Pour the sauce over the chicken
Pour the sauce over the chicken in the Pressure Cooker. That’s it. This is a super simple recipe. As I said, you can make your own Homemade Catalina Salad Dressing or you can buy a bottle of Wishbone Russian or Kraft Catalina Salad Dressing. Your choice.
Place the rice over the Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken
If you are making this a One Pot Meal using my Pressure Cooker Perfectly Cooked Pot In Pot Rice recipe, add your Tall Legged Trivet and Rice now.
You are ready to lock the lid and cook your entire dinner in ONE pot at the same time!!!
Perfectly Cooked Rice
Open the pot and remove the Pan of rice.
Remove the chicken and press the Sauté or Browning button on your Pressure Cooker and allow the sauce to simmer a few minutes and thicken up.
Freezer Meal Russian Chicken
As with so many of my recipes, I like to make a large amount of chicken, or whatever meat is on sale and divided it up into portions. Then I will whip up different marinades and add them to the bags of meat and seal them up in my FoodSaver.
This way, whenever I want to cook something, I can just pull it out the night before and as it defrosts, it is marinating in the premade marinade.
It is a huge time saver and the taste of the meat is better. If I have forgotten to take out something for dinner, I can still use what I pull out of the freezer and just dump it right into the Pressure Cooker.
Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken with Rice and Broccoli
Pour the sauce over your beached whale, I mean chicken and/or place in a bowl to use as a dipping sauce. The Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken goes really well with Pressure Cooker Garlic Whipped Potatoes, which you can also do Pot in Pot!
If you don’t want to cook your rice with your Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken, you can make it in a separate pot, using this recipe, Pressure Cooker White Rice. Alternatively, if you are cooking for a crowd and need a larger portion of rice, using the “Pot In Pot” method, try my Pressure Cooker Perfectly Cooked Pot In Pot Rice.
Other dishes to try are my One Pot Pressure Cooker Chinese Orange Pepper Chicken & Rice, Pressure Cooker Chinese Take-Out Beef & Broccoli and Pressure Cooker Healthy Inside Out “Eggrolls.”
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot Smart DUO60
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Culina Stackable (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk – a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
- Sonder LA End Grain Teak Cutting Board, Juice Grooves & Compartments
- Ball 16 oz Wide Mouth Mason Jars
- Homemade Catalina Salad Dressing
- Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- Pressure Cooker Perfectly Cooked Pot In Pot Rice
Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue to bring you more wonderful recipes!
Here is the handy printable recipe:
Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 4-6 Chicken Breasts Boneless/Skinless boneless and skinless
- 16 oz Bottle of Russian Dressing OR
- 16 oz Homemade Catalina/Russian Salad Dressing
- 16 oz Apricot Preserves
- 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- 1/4 cup Fresh Water
Instructions
- Mix together Russian/Catalina Dressing, Apricot Preserves, and Lipton Onion Soup Mix.
- Add water to your Pressure Cooker cooking pot.
- Place chicken in Pressure Cooker cooking pot. Pour Sauce over the chicken.
- If making this a One Pot Meal, add the Prepared PIP Rice now.
- Lock on Lid and Close Pressure Valve. Cook at High Pressure for 6 minutes.
- When Beep sounds, allow a 12-minute Natural Pressure Release.
- Remove rice and trivet. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Select Sauté or Browning and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Plate chicken and pour sauce on top.
Slow Cooker
- Add chicken to slow cooker and pour sauce on top. Do not add water.
- Cook on LOW for 5 hours or HIGH for 3.5 hours.
Notes
PIN this Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken!
Slow Cooker / Pressure Cooker Russian Chicken (Instant Pot)
My grandmother got this recipe off Good Morning America back in the 70s. It was made with chicken wings. I made this for my husband before we were married in ‘94 and he still asks for it all the time — he has even bought all the ingredients to ‘stock up” so he can have it whenever he wants. I make it all the time, but it is a MUST for his birthday every year.
Trying in the Instant Pot for the first time today.
Hi Donna. When you make this, what parts of the chicken do you use? Like your grandmother using only wings, or the whole bird? Jill
This is pretty much a recipe i learned 30 years ago but a tad different.chicken breasts marinated in french dressing. Then cover with onion soup Liptons. Then a big blob of Apricot jelly on top od each chicken. Cook slowly in oven and devour. Love this, will try yours to.
Thank you Jill
I’ve made this on the stove top for years but I use canned cranberry sauce instead of apricot jam. I’ll try it your way if you try mine!😊 Thanks for the IP version!
Ohmigosh! I was just thinking of this chicken, wishing I could remember the recipe. I looked through my mom’s old recipe box and was disappointed to find it wasn’t included.
I have a recipe request for you as well.
Do you have, or know of, an IP recipe for Jewish sweet and sour cabbage soup? It’s not only delicious, but it’s the best thing when you have an upper respiratory infection! I have a stovetop version, which is way too large for the IP, and I’m not sure how to convert it for the IP. I’d be forever in your debt if you can come up with a recipe for me!
Btw, I have recommended your website many times as one with trusted recipes and easy to follow directions. Your yogurt is the BEST EVER!!
Thanks much,
Julie
I have made this for many years. The recipe was originally printed on the package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix and was called Sweet and Sour Chicken. I have changed the recipe a little by using only about 2/3 of the jar of Apricot Preserves and the rest Orange Marmalade. It is delicious! I’m excited to try in my new Instant Pot.
Wow, Jean. I had no idea of the history. I wonder how the name was changed over the years. Glad you enjoyed the recipe in the IP. Jill
My instant pot flashed “burn” until we added more water, but otherwise this came out pretty good, though the sauce was pretty thin with an extra 1/2 cup water.
Can I use something like kraft Catalina dressing?
Absolutely. Jill
I tried your recipe for Russian chicken tonight and it’s a winner. I did substitute plum preserves for apricot as that’s all I had. I also used chicken thighs instead of breasts. I skinned them before cooking. Otherwise I followed your recipe. Okay, i gave the ipot 8 minutes instead of 6. Call me nervous. Everything was perfect. I ladled the sauce over rice and it was yummy too. I’ll make this again. And again. Thanks Jill.
I was wondering if this can be made with beef. I have a meat and potatoes kind of dad, and chicken is at the bottom of his list.
Denise, I don’t see why not. You will need to adjust the time, depending on the cut of beef. Jill
If I freeze it and then put it in the instant pot frozen, do I need to increase the cook time? Can i still do the PIP rice with a frozen start?
This is a great recipe. Everyone in my house loved it. Even my picky son.
Hi Libby~
Yay, wonderful news. When the picky eater eats, it’s such a relief Jill
Can this be done with the chicken wings? What would the cooking time be in the instant pot? And what would the natural release time be? I would love to make this. I just got my instant pot and am looking for chicken wing ideas.
This recipe sounds delicious! If I follow your instructions to make homemade catalina salad dressing, how much do I put in the pot for Russian chicken? Not sure what 16 oz would equate to in cups.. Hope to hear from you so I try this out! Thanks 🙂
One cup is 8 ounces of liquid
My mother in law was making this recipe 50 years ago. It was one of the family favorite recipes she gave me when I married her son.
How long for bone in chicken thighs with skin?
Would love to be able to save this recipe via Big Oven, which I just found tonight as I started looking for Instant Pot Recipes, and which it seems many other bloggers are using to allow users to save their recipes online/in an app. Looks like a great recipe.
We call this “Ugly Chicken”, but we use Pineapple/Apricot jam, rather than just apricot. Yum!
I love this recipe…an oldie but a goodie. It was a family favorite when I was young and my own family always loved this slow cooker recipe. I love how good it is, always flawless. The only difference is we always added raisins. So happy at the prospect of doing this in my instant pot tonight. I LOVE my IP.