Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe. How to cook perfectly moist and juicy chicken thighs in your Instant Pot pressure cooker. With tips on how to cook from fresh or frozen.
In an effort to bring you more quick and easy dinner ideas and also more easy Instant Pot recipes, I’m excited to share this Instant Pot chicken thighs recipe with you! Judging by the popularity of my baked chicken thighs recipe, many of you love flavorful chicken thighs as much as I do.
You can cook these perfect juicy, seasoned chicken thighs in your Instant Pot in just 30 minutes, start to finish. Cooking chicken in your Instant Pot frees up all of your oven space so you can roast a pan of veggies to serve alongside the chicken. If you prefer a crockpot recipe, try my Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs.
The spice rub on these chicken thighs is similar to the rub that I use on my baked chicken thighs, and it is so good! It adds so much flavor to the meat.
When you make these pressure cooker chicken thighs you’ll use the sauté function on your Instant Pot to first brown the chicken on both sides. This step adds flavor and is a real benefit to using the Instant Pot. The convenience of sautéing and pressure cooking all in one pot is a busy cook’s dream!
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, I recommend reading my guide for how to use an Instant Pot. It will tell you everything you need to know to get started.
To cook chicken thighs in the Instant Pot, you’ll start by seasoning your chicken. I usually use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe but you can also use bone in. The seasoning is a simple mixture of spices. Rub the spice rub over both sides of the chicken thighs.
Next, you’ll heat a tablespoon of olive oil in your Instant Pot inner pot using sauté mode. Brown the chicken pieces for about 4 minutes per side. Try not to move the chicken around too much. The meat should release from the bottom of the pot easily once it has a good sear.
Remove the chicken to a clean plate. Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot and use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. This step will ensure you don’t get a burn warning during the pressure cooking process. You’ll leave the water in the Instant Pot, as it will create the steam that is needed for pressure cooking.
Set the metal trivet that came with your Instant Pot inside the inner pot and put the chicken on top of the trivet. This keeps the chicken out of the liquid during the cooking process.
For fresh boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Once the cooking cycle ends, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. Just leave the Instant Pot alone. The chicken will continue to cook during this time.
Quick release any remaining pressure in the pot by carefully turning the steam release valve to the venting position. When the float valve drops down, open the Instant Pot.
For food safety, chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. I like to use an instant read thermometer to check that the chicken is cooked through. The chicken should be done after browning and pressure cooking for 8 minutes. If it’s not, you can either cook 1-2 minutes more at high pressure, or, remove the trivet and water from the inner pot and cook the chicken on sauté mode until it’s done.
How to cook frozen chicken thighs in an Instant Pot
To cook frozen chicken thighs in your Instant Pot, first make sure that the chicken thigh pieces are separate and not frozen together. This will ensure that the chicken cooks evenly.
Skip the step of browning the chicken on sauté mode. Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot and place the metal trivet in the inner pot. Put the chicken thighs on top of the trivet.
Since the spice rub won’t stick well to frozen chicken, I recommend sprinkling half of it on the top of the chicken thighs after you place them on the trivet. After cooking you can add a little more seasoning and then brown the meat if you wish.
Cook frozen chicken thighs on high pressure for 15 minutes and then do 5 minutes of natural pressure release. You may want to brown the cooked chicken thighs under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes. Or, you can pour the water out of the Instant Pot and brown the cooked chicken thighs on sauté mode for a few minutes.
How to cook bone in chicken thighs in an Instant Pot
Fresh bone in chicken thighs are also perfect for cooking in your Instant Pot! Follow the same method as for boneless chicken thighs but increase the pressure cook time to 10 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes after cooking.
What to serve with Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
I like to serve mashed potatoes and a vegetable side dish with these chicken thighs. Try these crockpot mashed potatoes, honey roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash or avocado kale salad.
You might also enjoy my Instant Pot mashed potatoes recipe.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- 28+ Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs about 6 thighs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mixture over all sides of the chicken thighs.
- Pour the olive oil into the Instant Pot inner pot and press the "Sauté" button to turn on sauté mode. Once the oil is hot, spread it over the bottom of the pot. Carefully place the seasoned chicken thighs in the pot. Cook about 4 minutes per side, until both sides are browned. Remove chicken to a clean plate.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot. Use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. This will ensure that you do not get a burn warning during the pressure cooking process.
- Place the metal trivet in the Instant Pot. Put the chicken thighs on top of the trivet.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
- Press the Manual/Pressure Cook button and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 5 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down. When the Instant Pot beeps a few times to let you know that the cook time has finished, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes (just leave the Instant Pot alone).
- Then carefully turn the steam release valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure. When the float valve drops down carefully open the Instant Pot lid. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165 degrees F, the safe temperature for chicken.
Notes
- If using bone-in chicken thighs, follow the recipe as written and pressure cook for 10 minutes at high pressure plus 5 minutes natural pressure release.
- To cook frozen chicken thighs, skip the step of browning as you cannot brown frozen meat. Place 1 cup of water in the Instant Pot inner pot. Add the trivet to the pot and put the frozen chicken thighs on top of the trivet. Cook frozen chicken thighs for 15 minutes at high pressure plus 5 minutes natural pressure release.
Nutrition
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These chicken thighs were delicious! The seasoning really makes these something special—thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
I’m so glad you liked them! They’re one of my family’s favorites. 🙂
I made these tonight . They came really good. I swerved with pan fried potatoes sprinkled with Italian seasoning and steamed brussel sprouts, They were a hit. Thank you for sharing.
That sounds delicious!
What size instant pot do you use for this recipe?
I’ve made this in my 6 quart but an 8 quart will work as well.
Just made this chicken, absolutely delicious! So easy! Perfect amount of spice. Directions easy to follow. Thanks for an excellent recipe:)
That’s great to hear! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I made it tonight and it was amazing! Didn’t have oregano so I just added thyme and parsley. Thank you!
I’m so glad! I love this recipe because it’s flexible for whatever seasonings you have on hand.
This was really good. I needed a recipe tonight for chicken thighs and this was the first one that popped up for me on Pinterest. Basic ingredients mixed together for a tasty dish. Had broccoli and rice as sides. Hubby loved it too. Thank you!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Carolyn! Chicken, broccoli and rice is one of my favorite basic meals. 🙂
I want to try this tonight. Fairly new to pressure cooking. Can I double the recipe? Is water double also?
Hi Teja, You can double the recipe. Keep the amount of water the same. You’ll just need 1 cup of water to allow the Instant Pot to reach pressure. The cook time will also stay the same. Enjoy!
Do you have to brown them first or can you just put the spices on and then pressure cook them?
Browning the chicken adds flavor and the golden color, but you can skip it. The chicken does start cooking during the browning process, so you’ll want to check that the chicken has reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees F after pressure cooking. If it hasn’t, you can add another minute or two to the pressure cook time. Enjoy!
I made this recipe for my husband and myself adjusting ingredients for 2 servings. We loved it! Next time, I’ll definitely make the full recipe and freeze half for a future meal!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed this! You could also use the leftover chicken in a sandwich, pasta, or salad. It will stay good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 🙂
Hi Kristine,
Thank you for this recipe. Unfortunately, I cannot find the metal trivet that came with my insta-pot since I moved recently, and I am wondering if this will still work without the trivet or if there is something we could use in place of it?
Thanks for your help!
You definitely want to put the chicken on top of something so that it’s not sitting in the water in the bottom of the pot. You can purchase a replacement trivet on Amazon. If you search Amazon.com for “Instant Pot trivet” you will find many inexpensive options. You could also try a metal steamer basket if you have one of those. I hope that helps!
This really was a great recipe. Was quick, easy and delicious. My family really liked your chicken things recipe. I am going to make this again.
I’m happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed this recipe!
Too bland for my taste but like the basic recipe and that the spices can be switched up as needed.
Hi Tracy, Yes, you can use this method and then easily change up the spices to suit your tastes. Everyone’s tastes are different. 🙂
I’m not a big cook but getting better. This was my first time using the instapot and they turned out great. I made a salad and added the chicken to it. Thanks for the step by step directions. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
I’m happy that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
I am new to instant pot cooking but my directions say a minimum of 18 oz of liquid are required .
I am wondering if that’s for longer pressure cooking times.
I have never heard that! Does it say that in your Instant Pot manual? Which size and model do you have, and is it Instant Pot brand? I’ve used just 1 cup in both my 6 quart Instant Pot Lux and 8 quart Instant Pot Duo with no problem.
On page 22 of the InstaPot Duo user manual it says “Always add at least 18 fl oz. of water or other liquids so enough steam can be generated…”
You’re right, it does say that. I have used my Instant Pot many, many times and have always gone by the rule of using at lease 1 cup of liquid. I have never had a problem. Most recipes you will find online also go by the 1 cup rule. 🙂
These turned out better then I anticipated 🙂 thank you for sharing
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Great recipe. Because I follow a Low FODMAP diet, I substituted garlic-infused olive oil for the garlic and onion powders. Also, added a couple of pats of butter with the oil. I inadvertently used smoked paprika and it was delicious. Because I wanted to have rice with the chicken thighs, I increased the water (used chicken broth) by about 1/3 cup or so and added 1 cup of white rice to the liquid just before adding the trivet and thighs. Then finished off as directed. Really great!
I am glad it worked with your modifications!
I have to Instant Pot Lux 6 qt and it definitely says to use no less than 18 oz of liquid. I made pork tenderloin tonight…first time user ever…they turned out great. Almost all of the liquid was left.
If you say you have the same kind of Instant pot, I will try the 1 c of liquid next time.
I have that exact same Instant Pot, and I have always gone by the rule of using 1 cup of liquid and it has been fine! I’ve always heard 1 cup, so I would go by that. I’m glad you liked the pork tenderloin!
Can you use skin on chicken thighs? Thanks Monica
That will work fine, but the skin won’t crisp up in the Instant Pot.
totally loved this one. Its a keeper and repeater.
This was easy and quick! I used 1/4 cup white wine 3/4 cup water to deglaze! That added to the taste factor!
Great idea! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Haven’t tried them yet. Just started cooking. Our instant pot though has the pressure cook button but my options seem to be less/low pressure, normal/high pressure, or more/high pressure. Any idea what the difference is between normal/high and more/high?
For pressure cooking, you can only pressure cook at high or low pressure. The less, normal and more settings will give you different cooking temperatures when you use non-pressure cook functions such as saute or slow cook. On some of the preset functions, such as soup and beans, they will give you different preset cook times, which you can then adjust using the + and – buttons. I hope that helps!
I used your recipe and it turned out to be amazing. Question- what do you do with the water left at the bottom of instant pot? Do you throw it out or is that nutritious?
I just toss it.
This was quite delicious! I added 1 tsp better than bouillon garlic flavor to the water and cut up potatoes and placed the trivet and chicken on top of the potatoes. Made delicious mashed potatoes and used the leftover juice and broth to make gravy. Thank you for this recipe, will definitely make again!
Superb! Sooo good and really easy to make, very flavorful. The meat was tender, almost like a sous vide texture. It was very “gourmet” tasting. Exceeded my expectations. I also used bottom juices for a drizzle on the meat and some mashed potatoes. The spices hit the mark, I followed recipe exactly. Highly recommend. I will make this again…now that I know the technique, I can tweak the spices and flavors for variety…the possibilities seem endless. Yum! Thanks for a great recipe..