Pressure-Cooker Chicken Youvetsi (Chicken and Orzo in Tomato Sauce)
Known for its simplicity, Chicken Youvetsi is essentially a tomato based chicken stew that is often cooked in the oven from beginning to end. This recipe speeds up the process by cooking the chicken in a pressure cooker and finishing it off on the stove top.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks or thighs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1/2 jar tomato sauce (I use a simple homemade tomato sauce with tomato and basil)
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- salt and pepper
- 3 cups orzo pasta
- mitzithra cheese (or Parmesan cheese) to serve
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the chicken. Add the olive oil to a pressure cooker and add the chicken and onion. Cook on medium heat to brown the chicken on all sides. Add the tomato sauce, water and cinnamon and secure the lid on the pressure cooker.
- Once the pressure cooker has reached desired pressure and is whistling, lower the stove temperature to medium low. Cook for 8 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the pressure cooker to cool.
- When it is safe to do so, remove the lid on the pressure cooker. [Note: Pressure cookers vary so be sure to follow the safety instructions for your own model]. Remove the chicken and set it aside. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the orzo pasta. Cook until the orzo is fully cooked, stirring often. As the orzo is cooking, most of the liquid will be absorbed. If the liquid is absorbed before the orzo is cooked, add hot water. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Spoon orzo into dishes and top with chicken. Serve with shredded mitzithra cheese (or Parmesan cheese).
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
Calories: 374kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 21gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 309mgPotassium: 448mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 219IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
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