I rarely say no to anything with coconut and curry in it. Mention the phrases “quick and easy” and “no added sugar,” and I’m sold. That’s why this Instant Pot Red Curry Chicken and Vegetables speaks to me on so many levels. It’s spicy and a little sweet, with some richness from the coconut milk, and a bunch of bright veggies throughout. This is clean comfort food at its finest, with a little Thai flavor added to spice things up. Best of all, it’s almost completely hands-off cooking. You chop a few veggies, throw everything into your Instant Pot, and walk away with a spring in your step. At least that’s what I do.

Let’s be real. It’s a new year, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve got a host of new items on your to-do list. Who has time to stand over the stove for 40 minutes when you’re trying to check off that list? Not me. I barely had time to write this post.

Instant Pot Red Curry Chicken and Vegetables is one of those weekly “small-step meal prep” kind of recipes I rely on to get me through the workweek. I’ve said it before, but I love having a big batch of pre-made chicken (or another clean protein) on hand at the start of the week. It makes life a whole lot easier. When the going gets tough in the middle of a stressful, frantic week, it’s easy to reach for those tasty refined carbohydrates (even if we try to justify it with the label of “gluten-free.” Of course I’m speaking from experience here).

So what’s a busy, stressed-out, carb-craving girl to do? Make sure you’ve got a backup plan waiting for you in your fridge. And that backup plan should probably include some clean protein and veggies. If you know hard-boiled eggs, chicken, and a carton of full-fat yogurt are waiting for you in your fridge, it’s easier to put back the cookies and crackers.

So go ahead and put down the cookies, you’ve got Instant Pot Red Curry Chicken and Vegetables.

the process

Don’t worry, this recipe for Instant Pot Red Curry Chicken and Vegetables is about as simple as they get. Here’s the Cliff’s Notes version: Prep your veggies. Saute them in a little avocado oil or coconut oil in your Instant Pot. Throw in some chicken. Mix in the red curry paste (I use McCormick Spices’ Thai Kitchen brand because it doesn’t have any added sugar or unnecessary junk). Add pepper (don’t add salt, because the curry paste has plenty of salt in it already), coconut aminos, and chicken broth. Seal. Let the Instant Pot do some magic for about 15 minutes (it’ll take longer than that in order to build up the pressure; you know the drill). When it’s done, let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes. Open. Whisk in some coconut milk and top with red pepper flakes if you’re feeling spicy.

No seriously, that’s it. This Red Curry Chicken and Vegetables is another reason why I’m so devoted to my Instant Pot. It makes healthy cooking (and eating) infinitely easier and tastier. The only tidbit I want to add here is to wait until the end to add the coconut milk. I know, you want to throw everything in at one time and then walk away with a spring in your step (as mentioned above), but the coconut milk needs to wait until the end for this one. Any kind of milk can be temperamental if you cook it too long, and that’s particularly the case with a pressure cooker. So with that in mind, just hold off until the end before you add your coconut milk. And voilà, a tasty, comforting Thai-influenced meal ready for the week ahead.