Instant Pot Cream Stew クリームシチュー (圧力鍋)

This creamy, hearty, and delicious Japanese Cream Stew is a popular western-style (yoshoku) dish consisting of chicken and vegetables with a savory white sauce. Cooked in the Instant Pot, it’s a true comfort food in cold winter months! 

The Japanese have an affinity for western-influenced dishes like Japanese Curry, Tonkatsu, Korokke (Croquettes), and Hayashi Rice (recipe coming soon). Known as the Yoshoku (洋食), they inevitably play a big part in shaping what Japanese cuisine is today.

Cream Stew (クリームシチュー), or sometimes called White Stew (ホワイトシチュー), is one of those favorites you can find on the yoshoku menu. Many Japanese families with young children enjoy the dish frequently at both home and restaurants. Today we’re making this delicious cream stew in my favorite Instant Pot!

No pressure cooker (Instant Pot)? Here’s my Japanese Cream Stew recipe you can cook on the stovetop.

What is Cream Stew (White Stew)?

You probably have some idea of what Cream Stew tastes like. Interesting enough, there is no “Japanese” element in the recipe at all, yet it’s a somewhat uniquely Japanese dish. Here, chicken (or pork), onions, carrots, and potatoes are cooked in chicken or vegetable broth, and the white sauce roux (bechamel sauce) is added to thicken the stew.

Why Cream Stew is such a family favorite? Aside from deliciousness, the cooking process is very similar to making Japanese Chicken Curry. Up until you add the roux (bechamel sauce), it’s pretty much identical to the base for curry. That means you can decide whether to make a cream stew or curry at the last minute!

The Japanese love the convenience of using packaged Japanese Curry Roux or Cream/White Stew Roux. All you need to do is to dissolve the cubed roux in the pre-seasoned stew.

However, today, we’ll make everything from scratch!

What is White Sauce (Béchamel) and How to Make It

White sauce (ホワイトソース), or also known as Béchamel sauce, is a classic all-purpose French sauce made from butter, flour, and milk. It pretty much forms the basis of French dishes, such as casseroles, cream croquettes, and savory soufflés. And it’s pretty easy and simple to make at home.

Here are the 3 simple steps.

1. Warm up the milk in the microwave or in a pot over the stovetop.
2. Melt the butter, add flour, and whisk until flour is cooked.
3. Gradually add warm milk until thickened to the right consistency.

The Basic White Sauce Ratio

A roux is usually a mixture of an equal volume of butter and flour. Here in this recipe, I used 3 tablespoons (43 g) of butter and 3 tablespoons (23 g) of all-purpose flour. Besides butter, ghee, coconut oil or other fat can be used. You can also use gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose flour.

The roux then will be mixed with 2 cups of milk, and the amount can be adjustable based on how thick you want the sauce to be. In this recipe, I used 1 cup milk and 1 cup liquid from the stew.

Cream Stew Ingredients and Substitutes:

1. Protein

Chicken and pork are typically used as the main protein, but feel free to substitute with other choices. I think seafood works beautifully in the stew. For vegetarian, you can skip protein and use just vegetables. Perhaps cauliflower or a variety of wild mushrooms as your main ingredient.

2. Vegetables

Onions, potatoes, and carrots are the basic vegetables in the cream stew. Most cream stew has some type of green vegetables; broccoli is a popular choice, then green peas and green beans.

For potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes have a smooth, slightly waxy, and firm texture. Russet potatoes have a creamy, crumbly, starchy texture, but they don’t hold their shape well. If you like to use this type, remember to cut it into bigger chunks as I did.

3. Mushrooms

Button mushrooms are commonly used but some people use Japanese mushrooms like shimeji mushrooms and maitake mushrooms. I don’t recommend shiitake mushrooms as they have distinct flavors and fragrances that don’t go well with this dish.

4. Stock

The packaged cream stew roux requires simple water, but when you make a homemade white sauce (bechamel sauce), I recommend using chicken or vegetable broth to create more depth and complexity in the flavors.

5. Other Commonly Used Ingredients

Heavy cream, corn, and cheese are common additions to the cream stew.

How to Cook Cream Stew without Instant Pot

If you don’t own an Instant Pot, double the amount of chicken/vegetable broth (add more if broth doesn’t cover the ingredients) and cook all the ingredients in the pot for 20 minutes. The rest of the process is the same.

3 Tips to Make Instant Pot Cream Stew

1. Cut vegetables into uniform sizes or adjust the cutting size.

Each vegetable, whether hard or tender, must be cooked for the same amount of time in the Instant Pot. To achieve the perfect texture, you need to cut the vegetables into uniform sizes so they cook roughly at the same rate.

One trick to shorten the cooking time is to cut the tough vegetables into slightly smaller sizes so they cook faster.

If one vegetable tends to cook too fast, you may need to cut it into a slightly bigger size. In this recipe, that’s Russet potatoes. If you cut the potatoes into the same size as other vegetables, these starchy potatoes will disintegrate into the stew.

2. Make the white sauce outside of the Instant Pot and add it after pressure cooking

Milk isn’t so great in the Instant Pot as the high heat and pressure separate the milk proteins and lead to curdling. Although it is perfectly safe to eat, it doesn’t look appetizing.

Therefore, you have to make the white sauce in a separate pot, and then add the sauce after you’re finished pressure cooking. All you need to do is to combine and warm everything up on lower heat until the right consistency.

3. Add separately blanched green vegetables at the end.

Do not cook the green vegetables in the Instant Pot as they will change to dark and sad-looking greens. Instead, blanch the green vegetables of your choice in a separate pot, and add them to reheat together. This way, you retain the beautiful color in your dish.

I hope you add this instant pot cream stew to your family dinner rotation. Comforting, warm, and delicious, it could well be on its way to becoming your kids’ nostalgic craving in the future.

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Instant Pot Cream Stew

4.86 from 61 votes

This creamy, hearty, and delicious Japanese Cream Stew is a popular Western-style (yoshoku) dish consisting of chicken and vegetables with a savory white sauce. Cooked in the Instant Pot, it‘s true comfort food in the cold winter months! 

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Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb chicken thigh (substitute with vegetables/mashrooms for vegetarian)
• ▢ ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 potatoes (14 oz, 397 g; you can use Yukon gold or russet potatoes; I used russets here)
• ▢ 1 carrot (4.5 oz, 128 g)
• ▢ 1 onion (10 oz, 280 g)
• ▢ 5 mushrooms
• ▢ 1 head broccoli (small)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ▢ 1¾ cups chicken stock/broth (or vegetable broth)
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 box Japanese Cream Stew Mix (or make your own with my White Sauce/Bechamel Sauce recipe below)

For the White Sauce (Bechamel Sauce)

• ▢ 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ▢ 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• ▢ ⅛ tsp white pepper powder (highly recommend!)
• ▢ ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (to taste)
• ▢ 1 cup milk (I used 2% lactose-free milk)
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients.
  

To Prepare the Ingredients

• Peel and cut 2 potatoes into large chunks (if you want to keep their shape when serving).
  
• Peel 1 carrot and cut into smaller chunks. I use the rangiri Japanese cutting technique.
  
• Cut 1 onion in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into 6 wedges. Finally, cut them in half widthwise.
  
• Slice 5 mushrooms and cut 1 head broccoli into florets.
  
• Cut 1 lb chicken thigh into smaller pieces. I use the sogigiri Japanese cutting technique to create more surface area so the chicken pieces cook faster. Season the chicken with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  

To Cook the Stew in the Instant Pot

• Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot and heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp unsalted butter.
  
• When the pot is hot and the butter is melted, add the chicken.
  
• Stir and coat the chicken with the oil.
  
• Add the onion, carrot, mushrooms, and potatoes.
  
• Add 1¾ cups chicken stock/broth and 1 bay leaf.
  
• Close the lid and set to High pressure for 2 minutes. If you‘re making the homemade white sauce, wait until after pressure cooking is done to add it to the stew (see below). If you‘re using the packaged 1 box Japanese Cream Stew Mix, add it now; break it up into small cubes and place them ON TOP of the ingredients (DO NOT MIX). Then, close the lid to cook. Once the pressure cooking is done, stir and wait to see how it thickens. Add more cubes to achieve the consistency you like.
  
• Make sure the steam release handle points at Sealing and not Venting. The float valve goes up when pressurized.
  

To Blanch the Broccoli

• While pressure cooking, blanch the broccoli. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, add a pinch of salt and the broccoli florets.
  
• Cook until tender but do not overcook. Transfer the broccoli to ice water to stop cooking further. Once cool, remove, drain, and set aside.
  

To Make the White Sauce (Bechamel Sauce)

• In a saucepan, melt 3 Tbsp unsalted butter on medium heat but don’t let it brown. Microwave 1 cup milk until it is warm to the touch and set aside.
  
• Once the butter is melted completely, add 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour).
  
• Stir quickly and constantly with a whisk to combine. Cook the flour mixture for 3–4 minutes, without letting it brown.
  
• Pour a small amount of the warm milk at a time, and stir as the sauce thickens.
  
• Gradually add the rest of the milk by whisking continually until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until starting to bubble and thicken.
  
• Lower the heat and add ⅛ tsp white pepper powder and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste.
  
• Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  

Once Pressure Cooking Is Done…

• When it’s finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the Keep Warm mode. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes and then proceed with the quick release by turning the steam release handle to the Venting position to let steam out until the float valve drops down. Tip: Hold a kitchen towel and do not place your hand or face over the steam release valve. There should only be a little bit of steam left after 15 minutes of natural release.
• Open the lid and insert a skewer in the center of the potato to see if it’s cooked through.
  
• Using a ladle, take out 1 cup of soup broth from the stew.
  
• Put the white sauce back on the stove and heat on low heat. Add several tablespoons of the soup and whisk well to combine.
  
• Gradually add the rest of cup of soup, stirring constantly, to combine.
  
• Pour the white sauce into the Instant Pot and gently mix the white sauce with the rest of the stew.
  
• Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot and press Adjust to set Less heat.
  
• The stew will thicken as it‘s heated. Season with freshly ground black pepper and discard the bay leaf if you can find it.
  
• Add the blanched broccoli and heat up. Serve steamed rice on one side of the bowl and pour the Cream Stew on the other side of the bowl.
  

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (but remove potatoes as they will change the texture once frozen).

Nutrition

Calories: 618 kcal · Carbohydrates: 46 g · Protein: 30 g · Fat: 37 g · Saturated Fat: 14 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 150 mg · Sodium: 709 mg · Potassium: 1507 mg · Fiber: 9 g · Sugar: 12 g · Vitamin A: 6831 IU · Vitamin C: 163 mg · Calcium: 195 mg · Iron: 3 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: cream stew, instant pot

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