Emperor Herb Chicken

Instant pot recipe

Emperor Herbal Chicken Soup (Pressure Cooker Version)

A quietly comforting soup made with whole chicken and traditional herbs thats rich in nourishment and low on effort

Just 10 minutes of prep, and the pressure cooker does the rest

Emperor Herbal Chicken Soup (Pressure Cooker Version)

There’s something quietly grounding about cooking a whole chicken, especially when it simmers in a pot of nourishing herbs and fills the house with warmth.

This version uses a prepackaged Emperor herbs spice mix, making it one of the easiest ways to bring traditional Chinese herbal flavours to the table with just 10 minutes of prep and no frying involved.

The herbs are known for their gentle immune-boosting and circulation-enhancing properties. Ingredients like dang gui (angelica root) and yu zhu (solomon’s seal) are often used in postpartum and recovery cooking for their blood-nourishing, yin-restoring effects. This soup is still mild enough for everyday family dinners.

I use frozen chicken, it’s affordable and comes already headless and without feet. Add some carrot for sweetness and goji berries for a touch of brightness at the end, and that’s it.

Why I Love It:

✔️ High-protein
✔️ Lunchbox-friendly, reheats beautifully
✔️ Clean ingredients, no extra oils
✔️ Toddler-safe, family friendly version included
✔️ 10 minutes of prep, press cook and forget about it

Ingredients:

– 1 whole chicken (about 1–1.2kg), rinsed and trimmed
– 1 packet Emperor Herbal Chicken spice mix
– 2 carrots, chopped
– 1 tbsp Hua Tiao Jiu (Chinese cooking wine)
– 1 litre water (adjust depending how strong you like the soup)

To serve
– A handful of soaked goji berries (added at the end)
– Chopped spring onions and parsley
– Optional: sliced red chilli in dark soy sauce

Instructions:

1. Rinse and clean the whole chicken. Trim away excess fat.
2. Sprinkle the herb powder over the chicken, including inside the cavity.
3. Stuff chopped carrots into the cavity.
4. Place chicken into your pressure cooker. Add dried herbs from the packet, cooking wine, and water.
5. Pressure cook for 30 minutes.
6. Once done, add soaked goji berries and simmer for a few minutes until softened.
7. Garnish with spring onions and parsley. Serve with rice and a side of dark soy and chilli.

👶🏻 Toddler-Friendly Tip:

This is a traditional herbal dish so be warned, the taste is distinctly herbal.
My kids enjoy it, but yours might take a while to get used to it. Feel free to dilute the soup with extra water, or stir in a splash of sesame oil or soy sauce to make it more palatable for little ones.

Watch how I made it

What I Used to Make This

These are the tools I use and love. Some links are affiliate, thank you for your quiet support 🤍

Most used appliance

Tefal Pressure Cooker

This pressure cooker saves me on the busiest days. It locks in flavour, cooks everything faster, and makes broths, soups, and stews taste like they’ve simmered for hours but in just 20 mins. I use it for everything from toddler meals to melt-in-your-mouth dinners with none of the wait

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Non-toxic swap

Stainless Steel Inner Pot

I swapped out the original non-stick pot for this stainless steel inner pot. It’s a simple, low-tox upgrade that gives me peace of mind. No peeling coatings, just clean, even cooking I can trust for family meals. It's a pretty penny when compared with the cost of the Tefal pressure cooker, but worth every dollar for the peace of mind it offers in my books

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Essential kitchen tool

Titanium Kitchen Scissors

These are the only kitchen scissors I own. They cut through meat, bones, herbs, and more, and they come apart for easy cleaning.

You only need one pair of scissors, make it this one. I’ve never looked back.

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Non toxic swap

Bamboo Chopping Board

I swapped out all our plastic cutting boards for wood and haven’t looked back

It’s a simple, non-toxic upgrade that’s gentler on knives and free of microplastic wear. This one’s sturdy, light, easy to clean, and actually looks nice on the counter too

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