Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe, with gravy! How to cook perfectly moist and juicy chicken thighs in your Instant Pot pressure cooker. With tips for how to cook from fresh or frozen; use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs.
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 and Grilled Chicken Thighs, many of you love flavorful chicken thigh recipes 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.
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.
To make this easy recipe, 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! After the chicken thighs pressure cook, you can make a simple gravy from the juices left in the pot. It takes just minutes to make the gravy, right in the Instant Pot.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, I recommend reading my guide on 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. You can use either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken thighs in this recipe. The seasoning is a simple mixture of spices. Rub the spice rub over both sides of the chicken thighs. If you’re using skin-on thighs, try to rub some of the seasoning on the meat under the skin.
Next, you’ll heat a tablespoon of olive oil in your Instant Pot inner pot using the sauté function. 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 chicken broth 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 message during the pressure cooking process. You’ll leave the chicken broth 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. Close the Instant Pot lid, set the steam release valve to the sealing position, and pressure cook according to the cook times below. When it’s done cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure in the pot.
Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
How Long to Cook Chicken Thighs in an Instant Pot
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 by leaving the Instant Pot alone. The chicken will continue to cook during this time. The natural release ensures that the chicken comes out tender and juicy. Then quick release any remaining pressure.
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.
For food safety, chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F. The best way to check that the chicken is cooked through is to use an instant read thermometer. If it’s not done, you can turn on sauté to bring the broth to a boil, then turn off the pot and put the lid back on for a few minutes to finish cooking the thighs from the residual heat.
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. Add the chicken broth 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 bone-in chicken thighs on high pressure for 15 minutes and then do 5 minutes of natural pressure release. Frozen boneless thighs will take 13 minutes to cook. You may want to brown the cooked chicken thighs under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes. Or, you can remove the liquid from the Instant Pot and brown the cooked chicken thighs on sauté mode for a few minutes.
To Make Gravy
You can make a simple gravy from the liquid in the Instant Pot after cooking the chicken. It’s so good served with the chicken and makes it especially moist and flavorful. To make gravy, first stir a tablespoon of butter into the cooking liquid in the Instant Pot. Then stir in a cornstarch slurry and bring the gravy to a simmer using the sauté function, cooking until the gravy thickens.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve potatoes and a vegetable side dish or salad with these chicken thighs. Try these mashed potatoes or roasted sweet potatoes, plus roasted vegetables, roasted broccoli or a 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
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Or try one of these 28+ Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Looking for more ways to cook chicken thighs? Try these Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs. Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are also deliciously crispy.
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin on chicken thighs, or boneless skinless chicken thighs, see note for frozen
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth, or water, use 1.5 cups for 8 quart pot, use broth if you plan to make gravy
To Make Gravy (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
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, trying to get some under the skin if using skin-on 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, skin side down. Cook about 4 minutes per side, until both sides are browned. Remove chicken to a clean plate.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and pour the chicken broth 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, skin side up.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
- Pressure cook at high pressure:Bone-In Thighs: Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 5 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down. When the cook time has finished, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes (just leave the Instant Pot alone).Boneless, Skinless Thighs: Cook at 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 cook time has finished, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes (just leave the Instant Pot alone).Frozen Thighs: See note below.
- 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° F. (If not done, you can turn on sauté to bring the broth to a boil, then turn off the pot and put the lid back on for a few minutes to finish cooking the thighs from the residual heat.)
To Make Gravy (Optional):
- Remove chicken and trivet from pot. If desired, pour the liquid from the pot through a strainer to strain out any solids and then return the liquid to the pot. Turn on sauté. Add the butter to the broth in the pot.
- In a small bowl, stir together the 1 ½ tablespoons each of cornstarch and water. Stir this cornstarch slurry into the liquid in the pot. Bring to a boil and cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens. Remove from the heat and serve with the chicken.
Notes
- To cook frozen chicken thighs, skip the step of browning the chicken. Pour the broth into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place trivet in the pot and put frozen 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 bone-in thighs for 15 minutes at high pressure plus 5 minutes natural pressure release. Cook frozen boneless thighs for 13 minutes at high pressure plus 5 minutes natural pressure release.
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 added a heaping tablespoon of flour to the seasonings. Not only does it stretch the ability to cover the chicken thoroughly with the seasoning, but it also assists in the browning of the thighs. I used low sodium chicken broth instead of water. It’s easy to transform it into gravy by thickening it with corn starch and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. It was yummy with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables..
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.
I made this for dinner. Your directions were clear and easy to follow. I used bone in chicken thighs. Came out perfect and so full of flavor! Thank you for sharing. I’m still learning how to use my instapot! Your awesome!
Forgot to mention I served the chicken with gnocchi in pesto sauce and broiled yellow squash!! Thanks again for sharing this awesome recipe.
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!
Sitting your chicken on top of an onion sliced in half or into thirds; arranging it on the bottom so that the surface area is level, has turned out really nicely for me before. (One day when I was convinced I had no trivet.) I’ve since found my trivet but I still like to put a whole onion down in there with it. Then after it depressurization later I broil it with a pat of butter until it’s crispy, I take my instant pot juices and add that as the liquid for cooking in my rice in (keeping in onion and garlic chunks) and sauté some zucchini or carrots or whatever veggie we’ve got and we scarf it down and then talk as a family about how good I am at stuff. As a rule I double all spices at minimum and crank up that garlic, add ground mustard seed idk why but it makes things better.
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. 🙂
Great recipe! I am cooking just for myself, and I found a BOGO chicken thigh deal at the store today. I used your recipe in my mini Instant Pot (2 batches) and divvied up individual portions to freeze. Now I have dinners for days! Thank you!
I’m so glad this recipe worked well for you! It’s the best when you can do the work once and get many meals out of it!
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!
We used your modifications, Tammie, minus substituting garlic-infused olive oil for the garlic and onion powders. We also added about 2 cups of ½” thick carrot coins on top of the chicken. It turned out delicious, thank you Kristine and Tammie! I posted a separate comment with a more detailed description of what we did but wanted to reply to you directly to let you know your modifications worked great for us!
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!
I made this tonight and everybody loved it. Thanks for a great recipe!
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!
Hi Kristine,
I realize I’m replying to an old post but I’m with Joseph D.
I have a Duo Plus 6 and can access the same settings:
Pressing ‘Pressure Cook’ toggles between Low & High
Pressing ‘Pressure Level’ toggles between Less, Normal & More while in the ‘Pressure Cook’ mode.
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..
These were wonderful! I used bone-in thighs, but took the skin off. The only modification I made was adding chicken bone broth, instead of water. After the thighs were cooked I took them out, turned the IP on sautee, and added a cornstarch slurry to make the liquid into gravy. Delicious!
I made this tonight and we loved it! I thickened up the sauce after the chicken was finished and also made mashed potatoes and steamed spinach as sides. Super easy recipe. Will make this again!
You are making me hungry! Thank you for sharing how you served this. It all sounds so delicious!
These were delicious! I doubled the quantity of chicken and seasoning, sautéed them in 2 batches, stacked them on the trivet but cooked for the same length of time in my 8qt IP, came out great! I had hoped for leftovers but everyone gobbled them up!
I’m making gravy with that 1 cup of broth left in the pot!
Hi Debbie, How did you make the gravy? Heavy cream?flour?
Thanks
SOOOO YUM and simple recipe! Thank you Kristine! The timing of 8 min. was perfect for 1.47 lbs. after browning. Served it with cream of mushroom soup, garnished with fresh parsley.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
Does the time change for frozen, bone in thighs? New IP user here!
I would try 15 minutes at high pressure plus 10 minutes natural pressure release. Check that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F. Enjoy!
Not sure what happened, but my chicken was very bland. I used chicken breast. Maybe that was it. I even doubled the seasonings.
This recipe is best with chicken thighs because they have more flavor than chicken breast. The cook time will also be different for chicken breast versus chicken thighs.
If I double the recipe, would I need to double the cooking time?
No, the cook time will stay the same for a double recipe. Enjoy!
Thanks for the clear and simple times listed for different types of chicken thighs and the simple recipe.
I have been wanting to try cooking frozen chicken thighs in the Pot. I have a 3 quart and found that 3 large thighs will fit just fine on the trivet without touching each other. I seasoned heavily with a dry rub for chicken on one side like directed and then cooked as you suggested. After the 5 minute release I opened up the thighs to flatten and put a strong flavored Hickory BBQ sauce on them and broiled for about 5 minutes. They were great because the smokey BBQ sauce gave them the flavor that they could have been cooked on the grill. Who would have thought that BBQ’d thighs would have been so easy and flavorful in 20 minutes? We now have a new favorite…thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! Adding BBQ sauce is a great idea.
Hello, you may have already answered this somewhere, but how long do you cook bone in thighs that are frozen? I was thinking the bone in option you gave was for fresh bone in thighs. Thank you!
I would try 16 minutes plus 10 minutes natural release for frozen bone in chicken thighs. You won’t be able to brown frozen chicken, so skip the step of browning it before pressure cooking.
Fastest, easiest chicken thigh recipe ever! My husband said they were delicious! (I thought so too.) Leftovers will be great served cold tomorrow.
Made this tonight. Added some dried basil and thyme. Very easy and very tasty. I used 1 1/2 cups water with Chicken Better than Bullion and made gravy for our rice. I will definitely be making this again.
Going to try this week because I have made your cilantro lime thighs so many times, we LOVE them. My kids get excited when I make them!
I used frozen bone-in chicken thighs, increasing the cooking time to 18 minutes. In order to help the herb & spices mix to adhere to frozen chicken, I drizzled olive oil over it. I did not get a trivet with my Instant Pot, so I crumpled some aluminum foil and set the chicken on top of it. We really enjoyed it. I am very thankful for your instructions regarding how to adjust the cooking process and time for frozen chicken. I think this is one of the best benefits the Instant Pot offers: a meal quickly prepared from freezer to table!
Loved this recipe. I’ve tried so many recipes for chicken thighs with skin and bones for the InstantPot and yours is the only one that browns the skin. I served it with asparagus and couscous and my husband and I really enjoyed every bite.
We made this recipe with Tammie Hull’s modifications, minus substituting garlic-infused olive oil for the garlic and onion powders, and added about 2 cups of ½” thick carrot coins on top of the chicken. We also deglazed with a little white wine before adding the chicken broth but I’m not sure that changed the flavor profile much. We pressure cooked for 5 rather than 8 minutes and used half breast and half thigh meat, both boneless/skinless, because my mom only eats breast meat. If not for that, we would’ve used all thighs like the recipe calls for and which my dad, husband and I prefer. We reduced the time because with every Instant Pot recipe we’ve tried the given cook time overcooks the meat and also because the thighs we used were quite small. Even with the time reduction, the breast meat was dry but the cook on the thighs was fine. If we use the same cuts next time, we’ll reduce the cook time to 4 minutes. All of that said, we thoroughly enjoyed the chicken and the rice was perfectly cooked and flavored beautifully with the dry rub spices, so yummy! And the carrots were just right, soft but not too soft, just how we like them. With these modifications it was an easy and delicious one-pot meal!
How can I cook them without the trivet? Can I use the tray that came with my instant Pot?
Most Instant Pots should come with the trivet. I’m not sure what you mean by the tray that came with your Instant Pot, but anything that raises the chicken thighs up so that they are not sitting in the liquid will work.
So many delicious possibilities! I can see this being on regular rotation!
It was wonderful.Love this recipe! Thank you so much!
Loved this—served it with steamed broccoli and air-fried potatoes with garlic, rosemary, and a sprinkle of lime juice. I switched the water for chicken broth because husband loves sauces, and reduced the sauce with a bit of arrowroot to thicken. This is definitely a keeper!
I made this for dinner. Your directions were clear and easy to follow. I used bone in chicken thighs. Came out perfect and so full of flavor! Thank you for sharing. I’m still learning how to use my instapot! Your awesome!
I need to double, even sometimes triple this recipe (and all your recipes as a matter of fact) as my boys can’t have enough of it.
I’m just a regular, retired (64 yr-old) guy. I LOVE to cook. My first attempt with this new contraption was “Arroz con Pollo” (chicken and rice). While the chicken was DELICIOUS, the rice was a mushy, ugly disaster. It seems you have loads of chicken and rice (accompanying) recipes. Should I cook them separately (seems odd…), or, what am I doing wrong? Do you have a similar recipe like this on hand (like a Cuban variety with carrots)? I like the rice kinda “dry” (and reddish/orange).
I appreciate your blog (I’ve read TONS of them). Regards. 🙂
You can cook chicken and rice at the same time, but you have to consider the cook time the chicken and the rice would each take and choose the types accordingly. For example, long grain white rice usually cooks in about 4 minutes, while long grain brown rice cooks in about 22 minutes. So you would have the most success cutting your chicken into bite-size pieces if you want to cook it with white rice. My best advice is to follow recipes from trusted sources until you are comfortable enough experimenting on your own. I don’t have any Cuban chicken and rice recipes. Best of luck to you with your new Instant Pot!
Tried this recipe tonight! It was very juicy. My family loved it and it was easy to make. Thank you!
just rec’d my pot and want to try this recipe ….with quartered potato pieces. 2 questions, Kristine: can I brown the potatoes with the bone-in/skin-on thighs & then put the potato pieces on the trivit along with the chickie thighs? And the cooking time? would it be the same? Or would you suggest using only halves of potato ….am guessing depending on size of potato? Am eager to subscribe eventually and trying many of your recipes. Thank you in advance!!
Hi Sally, Yes, you can cook potatoes on the trivet with the chicken. Potato cook time does depend on the size of the potato. You might find my Instant Pot Baked Potatoes post helpful as a guide. If you are using quartered Russet potatoes, I think they would be too soft after the 8 minute cook time plus 5 minute natural release in this recipe, so I would recommend halving the potatoes. If you are using red potatoes or Yukon gold or similar, I would try leaving them whole. Sometimes it takes a little experimenting to find the perfect cook times/sizes. 🙂
Thx, Kristine, for reply…. which I didn’t see before starting the ritual of using a NEW pot….testing first, etc. I rubbed, then browned the thighs, leaving the skin on. because the inner pot is “non-stick”, there were no bits of anything to scrape up; I cut the russet in large chunks and browned a bit in the left-over coconut oil [subbed for olive oil]. I used a liquid combo of water, bone broth & wine in the quantity recommended by this pot brand. set the trivet [egg boiler] in the pot; laid the 4 thighs on it and topped with the potato chunks. Pressure cooked per your instructions. Steamed some broccoli and cauliflower in MW as pressure was naturally releasing, so it was ready when the process was finished. Final result: DEEELISHus meal of just right chickie thighs & potatoes. I served 1 thigh & a 1/4 of the potato chunks & all the veggies for my late meal, and put the other 3 thighs each with their serving of potatoes into indvidual freezer baggies & will have for a meal to thaw/heat this or next week. Thank you for this recipe and more to come — trying the Chicken Breast with veggies and rice next ….maybe even today.
P.S. also made a slurry to thicken the remaining liquid and have that in fridge awaiting more cook time to thicken more.
I’m so glad your meal turned out so well! Thank you for trying my recipe and reporting back. 🙂
Hi Kristine, thanks so much for you guide to using Instant Pot. Can’t wait to try your recipes!
Wow, this was really good! I guess my Instant Pot runs very hot on Saute because I only needed about 2 minutes per side to brown them.
I did not use your rub ingredients but used a premixed rub. Husband said the only thing wrong with the meal was the spices. So next time I will use your ingredients. The chicken was very tender – I cut mine with a fork. Will definitely use this recipe again.
Thank You!
Perfect! Tasty, juicy and delicious! Thanks.
I made this tonight. The spices on the chicken thighs was so delicious. I had 12 smaller boneless skinless chicken thighs. I put potatoes and large carrots at the bottom with 2 cups of water. I used my 8 qt instant pot. Had lots of potatoes and carrots in there. I had enough water left to make gravy. Soo good. Thank you for the recipe.
I’ve made this chicken probably 8 times in the last two months! Everyone LOVES it and I have friends asking me for the recipe!
We used to be only white meat chicken eaters, but in our later years, we have discovered the juiciness and tenderness of boneless, skinless chicken thighs so I am always looking for a new way to fix them. This time, I have found a recipe that I will continue to make – yours! These were scrumptious!!! As an earlier reviewer commented about adding carrot medallions to be top of the thighs before cooking, I did that as well, and those were very tasty.
I’m thrilled I found your site! Thank you!
Hi! I just started using my Instant Pot, and have found your recipes to be SUPER helpful. I wanted to ask about seasoning frozen pieces of meat before cooking. Are there any tips or tricks you use to get the herbs to stick during cooking? Thanks!
I would try partially defrosting the meat so that the outside is thawed. You can also rub the chicken thighs with a little olive oil to help the seasonings stick better. To partially thaw, you can try placing the frozen meat in a zip-top bag in cool water for a few minutes.
Wonderful tips! Thanks so much.
This was good, but not what I was expecting. We both liked the baked chicken thigh recipe better.
I have made this many times in the past year and it is always delicious. It was the first recipe I tried when I got my instapot. Your details and care of explaining every step of the way gave me the confidence I needed to feel comfortable with my instapot but this is by far my favorite recipe! Thank you
Great recipe! It’s my husband’s favorite and he’s really picky.
Delicious and easy! I used the recipe as is except used vegetable bouillon, as it was what I had on hand. Will definitely make again
Oh my gosh, this was FANTASTIC!!!! I am extremely picky about meat as I typically don’t care for the taste, but I made this for my fiancé and fell in LOVE with these thighs! Delicious!!!!!!! Thank You!!
I made your boneless skinless chicken thighs tonight and they were amazing! I cooked them with vegetables on which I used the same seasoning, All delicious! Thank you for such a great recipe AND fully explaining each step and for having so many variations included.
I was about to give up on Pinterest recipes having so many turn out less than… and now you have given me hope.
Dot
I had chicken tenders, along with 2 thighs. Used the rub on both, did the thighs in the IP and the tenders in the air fryer. Both were great.
Another raving review! I cannot believe how easy this is with spices already in my cabinet. I used bone in thighs and they were perfect at 10 min. I will make this again and again. Thank you! 🙂 Served with roasted veggies and side salad.
Super easy and very flavorful! Followed the recipe without changing quantities for 4 thighs. The only change I made was to use broth (Better Than Bouillon) with a splash of white wine(( instead of plain water in the bottom of the pot. Thanks for a lovely, quick meal.
I made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! I used a bit more spice than called for. I also used chicken stock instead of water, then at the end, took the chIcken out and added some flour to the liquid and made gravy to go with the chicken and a side of brown rice. We added a salad and had a very yummy dinner! Will definitely make again. So easy!
This was really good and easy. Chicken cooked well and didn’t turn into mush. I might do 7 minutes next time. Used some chicken bullion in the water then made gravy like some else suggested, with a little corn starch and a tablespoon or 2 of half and half. I will make again for sure.
Great, tasty recipe, and healthier because all the fat from the chicken thighs draing into the bottom of the instant pot! Thanks so much!!
Loved the seasoning! Would be great on a grilled chicken breast! Was very easy and quick to make for a late Sunday dinner. Thank you!
So I got diagnosed with High Blood Pressure just recently, and I stumbled upon this recipe. Wow, this is good. I omitted the salt and still used the butter (all I had was salted butter) for the Gravy. I used salt-free chicken broth still has about 180mg of sodium per cup, but with the amount of Gravy you use, that’s nothing. After making the gravy, I threw the chicken in with the sauce. So good and moist! My wife was impressed not to mention she woke up from a nap with that yummy aroma in the air while it cooking.
Wow! This was SO dang delicious! I, too, doubled the spices and I’m glad I did. And the gravy! Holy moly, it was fantastic and plentiful!
I used this recipe more as a base but it turned out great. I was in an hurry so I added a cup of rice to the bottom with a cup of water, salt, butter and then placed the trivet with 6 bone-in chicken thighs on top. Pressure cooked for 11 minutes then let rest for 10. Everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Absolutely delicious! We love the gravy, too.
I just came across this recipe. I am always looking for a recipe that my grandchildren will enjoy and they just loved it! I had to stop them from getting out a spoon to finish off the gravy!😋
Made the recipe this evening as written. Absolutely delicious! Can Boneless chicken breasts be substituted for the thighs and if so, what changes would need to be made to the recipe
Hi Elise,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It sounds like you may also enjoy my Instant Pot Chicken Breast recipe. It’s just as easy as this one and also includes a gravy. I think you’ll love it!
We had this for today’s Sunday supper. It turned out great. Thank you.
Thank you Kristine. This was my first attempt at chicken in an instant pot. I used your recipe but with many alterations as I didn’t have all the ingredients. For the rub I used Ajika Georgian seasoning blend in addition to the other spices. I deglazed the pot with yogurt whey instead of broth, which made the sauce a tiny bit sour. Added coriander to the gravy as it’s the only herb I had. And poured the gravy over the chicken to serve. The end result was pretty good! Coupled the chicken with roasted asparagus and thickly sliced red potatoes sautéed with garlic and shallots.
Made exactly as written, both chicken & gravy. Chicken is not my favorite but when I cook it, I use thighs. Excellent recipe. I would & will serve this to friends. Such an easy recipe was a bonus. This is the the first time I have commented on a recipe as I usually make changes or substitutions, however, this is so good I wanted to comment. I used boneless, skinless thighs.
Mine turned out exactly like the picture! And it tasted better than it looked.
I am 70 years old and and have only been cooking for a couple of months. My Instant Pot and great recipes like this make me look like a chef.
I used bone-in skinless thighs since that is what I had on hand but other than that I followed the recipe.
Removed the skin from bone-in thighs to reduce the fat. They turned out perfectly tender and juicy. Putting them on the trivet keeps them from getting rubbery. I’ll play around with other spice mixtures. Will definitely make this again! Thank you for sharing!
I just made the boneless chicken thighs. I absolutely loved them. Sooo moist and so flavourful. Keep those recipes coming. Thank you Kristine!
Very good! I made a few substitutions to use what I had on hand. I used Harissa instead of paprika and 1/2 cup white wine with 1/2 cup chicken broth. This was very flavorful! I used boneless/skinless thighs. The chicken was tender and not rubbery. Thanks for this recipe!
Love this recipe so much!
Loved the chicken thighs, definitely will make this again!!
Really really good. Super easy, made exactly as per recipe, and my guy was almost licking the platter. It’s definitely going into the rotation!
I cooked this recipe and it turn out awesome!
I really love how easy it was to do, I will be back for more Recipe’s
Would there be any adjustment on the IP for making more than 6 pieces of chicken? I got a big package and there’s about12 pieces of skin on bone in thighs..
I’d recommend scaling up the seasonings and you’ll need to brown the chicken in batches. You can keep the amount of liquid and the pressure cooking time the same. Enjoy!
Do I need the trivet?
It is best to use the trivet to keep the chicken thighs out of the liquid as they cook.
What do I adjust if no trivet?
Hi Jenna,
You should put the chicken on top of something so that it’s not sitting in the liquid in the bottom of the pot. There are a few options. You can use a metal steamer basket if you have one of those. Another commenter suggested placing the chicken on top of an onion sliced in half or into thirds, arranging it on the bottom of the pot so that the surface area is level. You can also try a layer of gold or red potatoes or even use a few foil balls. You can also purchase a replacement trivet on Amazon. I hope that helps!
Delicious! My husband loved them. I marinated thighs first in a food saver appliance as a means to preserve thighs in fridge longer. Marinade: Italian salad dressing, prepared mustard, soy sauce, Wortcester sauce.
Super! I made the recipe with no changes using boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Also made the gravy. All was delicious! I paired with it steamed broccoli and rice.
Perfection!
Thanks again!
Made this and followed recipe to the letter. It was SO GOOD!! So Delicious and perfectly seasoned. My husband loved it and said “this is a keeper recipe.” Thanks, Kristine!
The chicken was fall-apart tender. I made the gravy, adding a tablespoon of spicy ranch seasoning when making the cornstarch slurry. Great taste!
Love this recipe! So easy and delicious. I’ve told all my friends and family about it. Definitely a keeper
This is my favorite chicken thigh recipe. I love the Instant Pot and I love this recipe. Having guests that are spending the night after traveling across the country on their way to the other coast. I know they will love this chicken because it is the ultimate comfort food. Pairing it with green salad with the works, roasted potatoes and pumpkin custard for dessert. Life is amazing!!! Thank you for this fabulous recipe.
This is delicious and super easy! I served with rice and slice mango.
What a great recipe. I love that you included cooking times for bone in thighs. This will go into my cycle of dinner recipes.
Can you precook and finish on the BBQ
Sure, you could pressure cook the chicken in the Instant Pot and then put them on the grill to get a nice sear on the outside.
I cooked this multiple times now, and my husband who is a picky eater LOVES the gravy. I added a little pineapple juice to my gravy and it definitely kicks it up a knotch. There’s quite a bit of work in cooking the chicken, I would just skip the sauteing step all together. The chicken did turn out nice and tender, and the seasoning is nice!