Somewhere between a soup and a stew, Waterzooi is one of the classic recipes from the Flemish part of Belgium. Chicken with vegetables in a broth thickened with cream, waterzooi is simple and delicious. Here is my take on Instant Pot Waterzooi, inspired by a cooking class I took with Suzy Louwers in Ghent.
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This recipe is inspired by my summer trip to Belgium and all the fantastic food I ate there. I have a bunch of recipes coming from this trip, but this was one of my favorites, because I got to make it with a local! Suzy invites people to her house in Ghent and teaches cooking classes there; we had a fantastic evening with Suzy and her husband, chatting, cooking, drinking (Belgian beer!), and eating. Thank you, Suzy, for the wonderful visit and the inspiration for this recipe!
Where did the name Waterzooi come from? It's derived from the old Dutch words water and 'zooien', which means boiled or stewed. (Flemish is the version of Dutch spoken in Northern Belgium.) It's pronounced "vater-zoy" in Flemish.
Step-by-Step Pictures of Instant Pot Chicken Waterzooi
Sweat the vegetables in butter
Melt the butter in the pot, then sweat the vegetables in the pot (with the lid on) until they are softened.
Add the chicken, potatoes, and broth
Everything into the pot for pressure cooking...
Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes with a quick release
Pressure cook for 10 minutes
Shred the chicken and put it back into the pot
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and add it back into the pot. Stir in the cream thickened with cornstarch, pepper, and parsley, and serve. Enjoy!
Ingredients Notes
- Chicken: 2 boneless breasts plus 4 boneless thighs are sold as "Boneless Chicken Lover's Choice" packs at my local grocery store. You can use all breasts or all thighs if you want; it should total 1½ to 2 pounds of chicken.
- Bone-in chicken: You can use bone-in chicken instead of boneless. Use a whole cut-up chicken (or about 3½ pounds of pieces). Increase the pressure cooking time to 20 minutes, and discard the skin and bones when shredding the chicken. (Bone-in chicken is traditional in waterzooi, but that's because it is made with water, and the bones help turn the water into chicken broth during the cooking. Since I am using homemade broth, I've already got a chicken-infused liquid, and don't need the bones to add to it.
Tips and Tricks
- Homemade chicken broth is the key to this recipe. It tastes significantly better than store-bought and is easy to make if you have a pressure cooker. Check out my Instant Pot Chicken Broth, made with cheap chicken backs, or my easy Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Broth, made easier by using a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- The cream and cornstarch help thicken up the broth, but it is still close to a soup. If you want a thicker stew, cut the chicken broth back to 2 cups. (The rest of the recipe stays the same).
- Sweating the vegetables (instead of sautéing): There are a lot of vegetables in this pot, and sweating the vegetables (sautéing them with the non-pressure lid on) traps the heat and cooks them a lot faster. If you don't have the non-pressure lid for your pressure cooker, any lid that will cover the pot will do.
- Cornstarch instead of eggs: The traditional recipe thickens the sauce by whisking eggs into the cream, then heating it gently in the pot - but not too much, or the eggs will curdle. I find it simpler to use cornstarch instead of the eggs and avoid the risk of curdling altogether. If you want to use eggs, whisk two of them into the cream, temper the cream and eggs with a cup of the broth from the pot, then stir the cream and the eggs into the pot, stirring until the sauce thickens. (Remove the pot liner from the Instant Pot base once it thickens, so it doesn't overheat.)
Instant Pot Waterzooi (Flemish chicken and vegetable stew with cream sauce)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 quarts of waterzooi
Description
Instant Pot Waterzooi is a classic recipe from Belgium. Somewhere between a soup and a stew, chicken with vegetables in a broth thickened with cream, waterzooi is simple and delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch thick rounds
- 2 ribs of celery, cut into 1-inch thick rounds
- 1 leek (white parts only), rinsed and cut into ½-inch thick rounds
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 4 more thighs)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 2 more breasts)
- 12 ounces baby yellow potatoes
- 4 cups homemade chicken broth (or low-sodium store-bought broth)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (½ teaspoon if using store-bought broth)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup minced parsley, plus more for garnish
Cream and starch slurry
- 1 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
Instructions
- Sweat the vegetables: Melt the butter in an Instant Pot set to Sauté Mode - High (or medium-high heat in a stovetop pressure cooker). Add the onion, carrots, celery, leek, and sprig of thyme. Sprinkle the ½ teaspoon of salt over the vegetables, then stir to coat all the vegetables with the butter. Put a non-pressure lid on the pot and sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, about 10 minutes. (If you don't have a non-pressure lid, sauté the vegetables, stirring often, until they are tender, about 15 minutes.)
- Chicken, potatoes, and broth into the pot: Add the potatoes to the pot in a single layer, then lay the chicken on top of the potatoes. Pour in the broth and add the teaspoon of fine sea salt.
- Pressure cook for 10 minutes at high pressure with a Quick Release: Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes in an Instant Pot, electric pressure cooker, or stovetop pressure cooker. (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode with an Instant Pot). Quick release the pressure after the cooking finishes.
- Shred the chicken, thicken, and serve: Unlock the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam. Move the chicken pieces to a large bowl or platter, and shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. (I use a pair of forks). Stir the chicken back into the pot. Make a cream and starch slurry by whisking the heavy cream and the corn starch together. Stir the starch, black pepper, and ½ cup of minced parsley into the pot. Serve, sprinkling each bowl with a little more parsley right before serving. Enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Belgian
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 332
- Sugar: 3.6 g
- Sodium: 419.9 mg
- Fat: 14.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.6 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 34.5 g
- Cholesterol: 144.3 mg
What to serve with Waterzooi
Waterzooi is a one-pot meal, with chicken, potatoes, and vegetables all in the pot. Serve it with a loaf of bread to soak up the sauce and a salad. That said, the sace makes a wonderful gravy, and I like to serve it with mashed potatoes. Bonus points if the mashed potatoes are Hutspot or Stamppot, which are traditional in Belgium. (Recipes for both coming soon!)
Make-ahead instructions
Waterzooi can be made ahead of time - follow the instructions, including shredding the cooked chicken and putting it back in the pot, but stop before stirring in the cream and corn starch slurry. When you are ready to serve, reheat the pot, then stir in the cream and corn starch slurry (and pepper and parsley). You can also freeze leftover waterzooi for up to six months. (I freeze it in 2-cup containers, so I have single servings for later lunches.)
Related Posts
Instant Pot Flemish Beef Stew
Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
Pressure Cooker Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
Pressure Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup in Red Chile Broth (Caldo de Pollo Rojo)
Instant Pot Chicken Paprikash recipe (with boneless chicken thighs)
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken and Lentil Soup
If you're looking for something else, here is my index of Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes.
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Jen says
Do you have any details on your trip to Belgium? I'm headed there over Christmas!
Mike Vrobel says
Make sure try a waffle, some frites, Belgian beer, and Bitterballen while you're in Belgium.
In Brussels, my favorite meal was at Nüetnigenough and my favorite Belgian bar was Poechenellekelder. (Both near the Grand Place.)
In Bruges, my favorite meal was at De Vlaamsche Pot, and my favorite Belgian bar was 't Brugs Beertje.
And if you're near Ghent, and want a cooking class, see if Suzy has any availabliity: https://www.travelingspoon.com/hosts/4461-authentic-belgian-cooking-class-in-a-beautiful-home-in-ghent
Enjoy!