Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe
Learn how to make chicken thighs recipe in your instant pot pressure cooker. This instant pot chicken thighs recipe is not only quick to make thanks to the electric pressure cooker. You are guaranteed moist, delicious and tender chicken at all times.
This recipe comes with tips on how to make the best perfectly moist boneless or bone-in chicken thighs.
The chicken thighs are my go-to chicken parts, it is the juiciest and I love its versatility as well as you can easily swap it for a recipe that calls for chicken breast. You can cook chicken thighs on the stove top, in the oven or the grill.
I’ve already shared my stove top chicken thighs recipe and it is fast becoming popular too, you also want to make these garlic chicken thighs too. You should check it out especially if you don’t have an instant pot ( IP ) or pressure cooker.
Why this Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe Works
- You can use frozen chicken thighs for this instant pot recipe unlike the other methods of cooking it.
- This instant pot (IP) chicken thigh recipe only used a handful of kitchen staple ingredients you may already have.
- I can’t emphasise enough how easy and convenient you get your cooking done in instant pot electric pressure cooker. I now own two brands of a pressure cooker, IP and pressure king pro and they have literally saved my cooking life. Yes, cooking the chicken thighs in my instant pot was like a breeze in the park. After searing the chicken and locking the instant pot to safety, I didn’t need to wait around, I left to do other things around the house, and I let the pressure cooker do its thing.
- You can serve this chicken with just about anything.
- All types of chicken thighs work well for this recipe, boneless skinless thighs, frozen or bone-in. All of them still cook faster than the stove top or oven in an instant pot, although there is a slight difference in cooking times.
- You are guaranteed perfect, delicious and moist chicken at all times. If you are using skin-on chicken thighs and you fancy it crispy, simply grill or broil for a few minutes after
- No chance of a dry chicken here, instant pot chicken thighs are seasoned to the bone.
- When you cook in your instant pot electric pressure cooker, you are freeing up your oven to make other sides like roasted potatoes or potato wedges. What this means is that you can have this chicken and other sides from the kitchen to your table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients for IP Chicken
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Chicken thighs: boneless skinless chicken thighs, boneless chicken thighs, bone-in etc like I mentioned earlier, any would work for this instant pot recipe, but timing may vary.
Smoked paprika: I am an unapologetic lover of smoked paprika, but you can also use sweet paprika for this recipe.
Dried coriander: This can be easily substituted for any other herb of choice
Dried Sage
Garlic granules:
Salt and ground black pepper
Chicken broth: you may use water if you don’t have chicken broth. I recommend you use broth or stock if you would be using the pan sauce as gravy. You need at least 1 cup of broth or water for this recipe
Olive oil: any other flavourless oil like avocado oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil etc is perfect too
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Prepare the chicken: remove any excess skin and visible fat. You may choose to wash the chicken if you want. If you do, ensure that you pat the chicken dry with kitchen towel before cooking.
Make the spice rub: add the smoked paprika, coriander, thyme, garlic granules, onion powder and salt together to combine.
Season the chicken: Sprinkle the spice rub on the chicken on both sides and rub in a little to combine
Sauté the chicken: turn on the instant pot and set to the sauté mode, add olive oil and leave till hot, working in batches, add the chicken thighs skin side down and cook for 3 minutes then flip sides and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. This is to seal in all the flavours from the amazing simple spice rub.
Cook the chicken: remove the chicken from the IP add the chicken broth then place a trivet in the pot. Carefully add the seared chicken on top of the trivet. Set the instant pot to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
Once the chicken has finished cooking, leave to natural pressure release for 5 minutes then carefully quick release. Open the lid, serve immediately and enjoy.
Alternatively, if you would prefer crispy skin, broil or grill for another 2 to 5 minutes. Use the instant pot sauce as desired.
Cooking times for Chicken thighs in an instant pot (IP)
Boneless skinless chicken thighs, 5 minutes then do a quick release, see this pressure cooker rice and chicken to be a believer.
Bone-in chicken thighs, 6 minutes then 5 minutes natural release pressure
Frozen chicken thighs: If you would be using frozen chicken thighs, ensure they are separated pieces, in this case, you may not be able to marinate the chicken or brown it (sauté) as you would with a fresh one.
Sprinkle the spice rub on the frozen chicken, add water or broth to the instant pot, place the trivet in the pot and then move to add the frozen chicken thighs on a single layer on top of the trivet.
Set the instant pot to high pressure and set the timer for 15 minutes then 5 minutes natural pressure release.
More Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes
Pressure Cooker Rice and Chicken
Pressure cooker shredded chicken
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Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 7 pcs Bone-in-skin-on chicken thighs About 1kg / 2 lb
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ tablespoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon salt or use according to preference
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken by removing any excess skin and visible fat. You may choose to wash the chicken if you want. If you do, ensure that you pat the chicken dry with kitchen towel before cooking.
- Add the smoked paprika, coriander, sage, garlic granules, salt and pepper together to combine. Sprinkle the spice rub on the chicken on both sides and rub in a little.
- Sauté the chicken: turn on the instant pot and set to the sauté mode, add olive oil and leave till hot, working in batches if need be, add the chicken thighs skin side down and cook for 3 minutes then flip sides and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. This is to seal in all the flavours from the amazing simple spice rub.
- Remove the chicken from the instant pot, add the chicken broth then place a trivet in the pot. Carefully add the seared chicken on top of the trivet. Set the instant pot to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Once the timer counts down, leave to natural pressure release for 5 minutes then carefully do a quick release. Open the lid, serve immediately and enjoy. Alternatively, if you would prefer crispy skin, broil or grill for another 2 to 3 minutes. Use the instant pot sauce as desired.
Notes
Cooking Times for Chicken Thighs In An Instant Pot
Boneless skinless chicken thighs: 5 minutes then do a quick release, see this pressure cooker rice and chicken to be a believer. Bone-in chicken thighs: 6 minutes then 5 minutes natural release pressure. Do 8 minutes if you won't be broiling the chicken to crisp up. Frozen chicken thighs: If you would be using frozen chicken thighs, ensure they are separated pieces, in this case, you may not be able to marinade the chicken or brown it (sauté) as you would with a fresh one. Sprinkle the spice rub on the frozen chicken, add water or broth to the instant pot, place the trivet in the pot and then move to add the frozen chicken thighs on a single layer on top of the trivet. Set the instant pot to high pressure and set the timer for 15 minutes then 5 minutes natural pressure release.How To Make Instant Pot Gravy
Make a cornflour slurry and add the sauce from the instant pot. Mix to combine and cook on saute for another 1 minute or 2. Serve and use as desired.Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
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Jess says
Thank you for this recipe, my chicken came out nice and flavourful. I would use this recipe again.