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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.
Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes You Might Like
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken
- Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Honey Sesame Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Time
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?
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
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!
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
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.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 366 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. 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
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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.
Thanks for your trying.
Can I double this recipe by adding more broth and adding a couple of minutes of pressure cooking?
I think you don’t need more broth. A couple of minutes of extra cooking will make the chicken mushy.
So does that mean the recipe cannot be doubled?
You can double it but it will be very liquidy so cut the liquid part to 1.5 x.
This was great. I made as the recipe mostly as stated. At the end, before I added the cream, I added 1 cup more chicken broth, added some pasta and pressure cooked for 2 more minutes. Then added the cream and the cheese. Made a very cheesy pasta to go with it.
Made this last night. Was delish! I asked my husband what he thought and his reply was I like this very much!
Hi Noreen, thanks for trying my recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Hi Bee,
Been cooking your recipes for a while now and love them.
I am wondering what can I use as an alternative to parmesan cheese? I hate the taste of cheese but would like the thicker consistency in the sauce that the parm cheese would provide. You actually use cheese a bit in your other recipes too and I used to just leave it out but realized the sauce is always so watery. Please let me know what you recommend as a cheese substitute, thank you!!
Hi Karen, thanks for trying my recipes. If you don’t like Parmesan cheese, you can saute the sauce a little longer to thicken it up. I don’t use all purpose flour to thicken the sauce, I think it just tastes gross.
This looks so easy to make and it makes my mouth water! This could easily be a quick and delicious family dinner idea! I can’t wait to get my instant pot going.
I wonder if it is possible to cook rice with this? When would you add it, and how much liquid?
Yes you can use Instant Pot to cook rice.
I think she was asking if you could make the rice at the same time. I’m wondering the same…
Thanks!
hi what can you substitute for the heavy cream since I don’t have any? half and half or milk ok? thanks! Sokie
Thank you, the recipe was delicious. I like using the instant pot for cooking chicken; it comes out so tender and flavorful. I grow rosemary in the garden, love adding it to chicken dishes.
Hi June, yes rosemary will make the chicken even better.
Hi bee this recipe i dont have pressure cooker,is regular pot will work?
Yes.
Would half and half work? Thank you!
OK.
Hi. We are dairy free. Do you think coconut milk (full fat) would work well as a sub for heavy whipping cream? I will use nutritional yeast as sub for parm.
Let me know. Thanks.
I think coconut milk should work for this instant pot chicken thighs recipe.
I gave up on those green cylinders years ago–packaged grated parm tastes better, has a decent shelf life in the fridge, can be frozen, and is still inexpensive as it is often on sale for about $2 for a 5 oz pouch. I often dump some on a cutting board and chop the shreds a bit. This is an absolutely delicious dish–I used boneless chicken breasts (at $1.95 per lb, cheaper than thighs in my part of the world). I cut them into 3 smaller pieces, since they come from my butcher at about 1 lb each. I also cooked them completely on the stove top and it still only took 20 minutes. The garlic cloves would have done better with pressure cooking, but were still soft and delicious.
Hi Janet, sure use real Parm if you have it. Yes this is a delicious recipe!