Citrus Herb Chicken Chorizo in the Instant Pot

A delightful citrus herb chicken chorizo dish that’s meant to share. It’s seasoned with sun-dried tomatoes, orange juice, floral thyme and salty olives.

Today’s recipe comes from The Art of Great Cooking with Your Instant Pot by Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri. Emily is the founder of Recipes to Nourish, which is a blog full of recipes made with real food ingredients.

Although the cookbook isn’t low carb specific, many of the recipes can be easily adapted. For instant, orange juice is typically not used in keto cooking, but it can easily be replaced with lemon.

However, I made Emily’s Citrus Herb Chicken Chorizo recipe exactly as written in the cookbook. And, I’m glad I did because the flavor combination was amazing.

I wish I had time to try a few of the other recipes in the book because they all look so delicious. If you are just learning how to use the Instant Pot or know someone who is, this is a terrific book resource for making awesome pressure cooked foods.

I tried this yummy pressure cooker chicken dish right after finishing my one month AIP paleo elimination diet. And, it was a perfect opportunity to reintroduce tomatoes.

There was some spicy paprika in the chorizo which is one of the foods avoided on AIP. But, I wanted to make the dish authentic so I actually reintroduced two nightshades versus just one.

I did opt for nitrate-free fresh chorizo so at least I didn’t have to worry about nitrates. This was the first time I’ve used organic chicken chorizo and I liked it better than the regular sausage made with pork.

In her cookbook, Emily says that the recipe was inspired by the flavors of Basque cuisine which are simple yet bold. Since her husband is of Basque heritage, I’m sure they enjoy a lot of  Basque inspired dishes.

The flavors in this pressure cooker citrus herb chicken dish reminded me of some of the Spanish dishes I used to enjoy living in Florida. I had to look up where the Basque region is as I didn’t know. Turns out it’s a region right on the border of France and Spain.

Emily gave great detailed instructions for cooking this dish in the Instant Pot. I’m still a beginner when it comes to pressure cooking so I was glad that the recipe was easy to follow.

I usually don’t cook with olives or dried tomatoes so it was a nice change from my usual meals. And, I rarely eat chorizo. But, after enjoying this citrus her chicken chorizo, I may need to buy it more often.

Because of my Graves’ Disease and vitiligo, both autoimmune condition, I won’t be eating too many nightshades. Unfortunately, tomatoes and the paprika in chorizo are in the nightshade family.

I didn’t notice any obvious symptoms coming back after eating the tomatoes and chorizo, so I may be okay eating both occasionally. However, I’d like to stick to the AIP friendly foods as much as possible.

It was nice to make a real meal in my Instant Pot versus the coconut dairy free yogurt that’s usually brewing in my pressure cooker. And, it’s a much needed step above the vegetables that I frequently steam in the pot.

This isn’t the first time I’ve done chicken in the electric pressure cooker, though. I regularly make pressure cooker whole chicken which I then use the carcass for making Instant Pot bone broth.

I’ll admit the the Instant Pot was a bit overwhelming at first. But, thanks to cookbook’s like The Art of Great Cooking with Your Instant Pot, I’m finally getting the hang of using the pressure cooker.

I absolutely love how you can brown the meat right in the Instant Pot so you don’t have to dirty another pot. And, the keep warm cycle is perfect to keep food warm when entertaining.

My Instant Pot has become such a useful tool, I need to make room for it on my kitchen counter. It’s definitely more useful than the coffee pot, especially since I’ve stopped drinking coffee!

Are you a fan of cooking in the electric pressure cooker? What’s your favorite dish to make?

Basque Citrus Herb Chicken Chorizo in the Instant Pot Recipe

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Citrus Herb Chicken Chorizo in the Instant Pot

This delightful chicken dish is full of spicy chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet and tangy orange juice, floral thyme and salty olives. It’s meant to be shared family style with those you love.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Basque

Keyword chicken, Instant Pot

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 769 kcal

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp grass-fed butter, ghee or avocado oil 43 g, divided
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1¼ tsp sea salt 4 g, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion thickly sliced
• 4 fresh garlic cloves minced
• 5 fresh thyme sprigs leaves removed and stems discarded
• ½ lb chorizo 230 g, casing removed
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes 18 g
• ½ cup pitted green olives 67 g
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 79 ml
• ¾ cup chicken bone broth 177 ml
• Handful of fresh cilantro for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Add 2 tablespoons (29 g) of healthy fat of choice to the Instant Pot and press “Sauté.” Once the fat has melted, add the chicken thighs, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of sea salt and brown for about 2½ minutes per side. Remove the browned chicken to a plate and set aside. 

2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (14 g) of healthy fat of choice, onion, garlic, thyme leaves and the remaining ¾ teaspoon of sea salt, sautéing for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the chorizo and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, orange juice and bone broth. Give it a good stir. Add the browned chicken, making sure it’s submerged and some of the liquid is ladled over it.

5. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure the steam release valve is sealed. Press the “Poultry” setting, then increase the time using the “+” button until you reach 20 minutes.

6. When the Instant Pot is done and beeps, press “Keep Warm/Cancel.” Using an oven mitt, “quick release”/open the steam release valve. When the steam venting stops and the silver dial drops, carefully open the lid.
7. Serve immediately, topped with fresh cilantro.

Recipe Notes

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Art of Great Cooking With Your Instant Pot by Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017.

Nutrition Facts

Citrus Herb Chicken Chorizo in the Instant Pot

Amount Per Serving (0.25 recipe)

Calories 769 Calories from Fat 450

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 50g 77%

Saturated Fat 13g 65%

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 23mg 8%

Sodium 987mg 41%

Potassium 234mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates 8g 3%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 4g

Protein 47g 94%

Vitamin A 8%

Vitamin C 12%

Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.