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5.0 from 6 votes

Pressure Cooker Chicken Essence

Don't pay for chicken essence when it is this easy to make at home in the pressure cooker! It takes a few minutes to prepare and then allow the pressure cooker to do the rest of the work.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
natural release
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 14 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 759 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 5 chicken legs remove skin
  • 2 inch ginger fresh only, cut into disks or sticks
  • 1 head garlic cut in half across the equator
  • 3 talks green onion chopped
  • 1 tbs Turmeric
  • 2 tbs mirin or cooking sherry

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Remove the skin on the chicken, use a kitchen meat pounder to smash the chicken and to break the bone. Use a sharp knife to make several deep cuts to the meat throughout the piece.
  2. Add the chicken and the other ingredients to a bowl or a zip top bag and stir or massage the ingredients into the chicken. Place into the fridge for up to 24 hours. Allow to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours.
  3. Use a metal or glass bowl that fits into your pressure cooker turned right side up, be sure to leave enough of a gap between the larger bowl and the pressure cooker so that you can add water to the cooker. Invert a smaller bowl into the larger bowl. Place the chicken onto the smaller bowl. Avoid putting the herbs into the pressure cooker if possible.
  4. Carefully, so as not to splash water into the inside bowl, add water outside the large bowl into the pressure cooker pot. Fill to ½ way up the side of the larger bottom bowl.
  5. Apply the lid and pressure cook for 59 minutes. Allow a natural release. (if using instant pot, click the manual button and then set the time for 59 minutes. Do not release the pressure yourself, let the pressure come back to room pressure on it's own).
  6. When you remove the pressure cooker lid, you will find that most of the liquid is trapped in the inverted bowl. Be careful as the pans are likely still very hot. Use tongs to remove the chicken pieces, allow everything to cool or use hot pads to remove the bowls. If you note that there are chicken pieces in the essence, pour through a strainer to remove. Pour the essence into a lidded container to refrigerate.

Notes

  • Although it feels brutal, you'll get the best results if you break the bones of the chicken and make some cuts through the meat. Legs lend themselves best to this procedure. Thighs will work too.
  • There's no need to peel the ginger or the garlic, simply cut through them before marinating the chicken.
  • It's best to marinate the chicken overnight 12-24 hours in the fridge, however, if you don't have that kind of time, a few hours will work.
  • Remove the chicken skin as best you can and this will help to make sure that you don't have a lot of fat in your final chicken essence.
  • If you do notice a lot of fat, allow the essence to completely cool in the fridge and then, using a spoon, scrape the fat off the top.
  • You may note some small chunks of chicken, chicken goo or pieces of green onion or the other ingredients in your final product, simply pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth to remove. You can see me do this in the video.

Nutrition Information

Calories 759kcal (38%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 54g (108%) Fat 52g (80%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Polyunsaturated Fat 11g Monounsaturated Fat 21g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 300mg (100%) Sodium 408mg (17%) Potassium 877mg (25%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 477IU (10%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 75mg (8%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 759

% Daily Value*

Calories 759kcal 38%
Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Protein 54g 108%
Fat 52g 80%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Polyunsaturated Fat 11g 65%
Monounsaturated Fat 21g 105%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 300mg 100%
Sodium 408mg 17%
Potassium 877mg 19%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 477IU 10%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 75mg 8%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.