Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs

4.50 from 38 votes
Recipe IndexJump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read myย privacy policy.

Skinless and boneless Instant Pot chicken recipe with a rich and creamy garlic sauce. This recipe takes only 5 minutes in the pressure cooker, so easy to make and delicious. You can serve the chicken thighs with pasta or rice for a complete meal.

Instant pot chicken thighs with creamy garlic sauce in a dish, ready to serve.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

How To Cook Chicken Thighs In Instant Pot

There are many ways to cook chicken thighs in Instant Pot and one of my favorite methods is to brown and saute the chicken thighs using the Saute function and then pressure cooked using Manual function.

There is no need to use trivet, but you will need at least 1/2 cup of liquid to create the steam to pressure cook the chicken thighs.


Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Time

Instant pot creamy garlic chicken thighs topped with rosemary.

The time you need to cook chicken thighs depends on whether or not the chicken is boneless or bone-in.

For organic boneless and skinless chicken thighs, I usually pressure cook on High for 5-6 minutes in the Instant Pot. Organic chicken thighs are smaller in size and 5 minutes is just perfect as you don’t want the chicken meat to be too tender. If your chicken thighs are bigger, increase the cook time by 1 minute.

For bone-in chicken thighs, I pressure cook on High for 6-8 minutes. The total time depends on the size of the chicken thighs as some chicken thighs can be very big so it takes longer time to become soft and tender.


Can I Cook Frozen Chicken In Instant Pot

A piece of chicken thigh cooked in instant pot, ready to be served.

The answer is yes. If you use frozen chicken straight from the freezer, just add extra 2 minutes pressure cooking time. I must warn you that for the best texture and flavor of the chicken, it’s best you thaw them before pressure cooking.


Creamy Garlic Sauce

Top down picture of a boneless and skinless chicken thigh with creamy garlic sauce, served with a wooden spoon.

One of the best sauces to go with chicken in the Instant Pot is the creamy garlic sauce. You can’t go wrong with the rich and delicious garlic sauce, which is made with only 5 simple ingredients:

  • Garlic
  • Chicken broth
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Bottled Grated Parmesan cheese such as Kraft
  • Salt

This recipe is absolutely delicious, with a mouthwatering rich, creamy and savory sauce. The chicken thighs are so tender, juicy and moist. The rosemary infuses the sauce with intense aroma.

This is going to be the most delicious chicken dinner you’ll make in an Instant Pot!


Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 366 calories per serving.

Close up picture of a tender piece of instant pot chicken thighs with creamy sauce.

What To Serve With Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs

This meal is best served with a side of skillet garlic bread (use the bread to sop up the creamy sauce), easy spaghetti or cilantro lime rice. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


Other Recipes You Might Like

Freshly baked cod fillet with seasonings crust on a plate, garnished with lemon slices and herbs.
5 Secrets to 20-Minute Dinners
FREE EMAIL BONUS: How would it feel to have dinner DONE in 20 minutes? I’ll show you how!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
4.50 from 38 votes

Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs

Skinless and boneless Instant Pot chicken thighs with a rich and creamy garlic sauce. This recipe takes only 5 minutes in the pressure cooker, so easy to make and delicious.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients  

  • 1 1/2 lbs (750g) skinless and boneless chicken thighs, trimmed off the fat
  • salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons Kraft grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • Trim off the excess fat on the chicken thighs with a pair of kitchen scissors. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. 
  • Turn on the Saute mode on your Instant Pot. As soon as the pot is fully heated (to make sure the chicken doesn’t stick to the pot), add the olive oil. Pan sear and brown the chicken thighs until both sides turn slightly brown. (You may pan-fry the chicken on a regular skillet or non-stick skillet.) 
  • Add the garlic, rosemary and chicken broth to the Instant Pot. Sprinkle the paprika on the chicken thighs. Cover the pot and select Manual and set to High pressure for 5 minutes. 
  • When it beeps, turn to Quick Release. When the valve drops, remove the cover carefully, add the heavy whipping cream, salt and grated Parmesan cheese, stir to mix well. Turn to Saute mode for a few minutes to reduce the sauce to a thicker consistency. Add more salt to taste. Serve immediately. 

Video

Notes

I used a 6-quart Instant Pot.
After pressure cooking, the garlic will become soft and mushy, infusing the creamy sauce with amazing garlicky flavor.
You may use chicken breasts. If you use frozen chicken, increase the pressure cooking time by 2 minutes. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs on a stove top. Just pan-fry the chicken on a skillet and follow the same method above. Simmer on low heat until the chicken thighs are cooked through and the sauce is reduced.

Nutrition

Serving: 4people, Calories: 366kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 192mg, Sodium: 471mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





29 Comments

  1. Ruth Graber says:

    I made this recipe and adjusted it a tiny bit. I used 4 bone-in chicken thighs, 3 teaspoons of minced garlic from a jar and whisked-in a couple teaspoons of cornstarch into the heavy cream to make a gravy.
    Excellent recipe! My husband had 2 helpings, so that tells me that this will be a go-to dinner for cold, winter nights.

    1. Admin says:

      Thanks for your trying.

    2. Emily says:

      Can I double this recipe by adding more broth and adding a couple of minutes of pressure cooking?

      1. Bee Yinn Low says:

        I think you don’t need more broth. A couple of minutes of extra cooking will make the chicken mushy.

        1. Angie says:

          So does that mean the recipe cannot be doubled?

          1. Bee Yinn Low says:

            You can double it but it will be very liquidy so cut the liquid part to 1.5 x.