Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe Instant Pot

These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs make a succulent, easy, and very flavourful dinner that will make everyone at the table happy. Leftovers, if you have any, are great in tacos or enchiladas. 

Lately, if I need to come up with a quick, easy dinner, there’s about a 90% chance I’m going to cook these Instant Pot chicken thighs.

Like most of you, I have been very into hands-off cooking and this chicken is my new Instant Pot obsession; few ingredients, tender, juicy meat, flavourful sauce, versatile, and incredibly tasty. So simple, it’s ideal for the busy weeknight and none of us seem to tire of it.

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs And Rice Recipe

If you’re new to the Instant Pot, this one is nearly impossible to get wrong. The process is beyond simple: lightly browned chicken thighs cook atop a bed of onions and peppers then pressured cooked until tender and juicy. Combined with the chicken juices, the onion and pepper mixture creates an unexpectedly flavourful and bold sauce that will both surprise and thrill you.

Best of all, as good as it is the night you make it, the leftovers are even better the next day. I’m telling you, these chicken thighs are amazing and will have your weeknight dinner covered.

In general, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are my go-to for quick weeknight dinners. Throw them in an Instant Pot, and they will be more tender, juicier, and more flavourful than you thought possible. Here’s why you will love this recipe:

Mediterranean Chicken Thighs

I need to be really clear on the minimal amount of liquid needed for this recipe because people get very heated about this. Yes, the Instant Pot generally requires liquid to get to pressure, and to avoid the dreaded burn notice.

But, for this recipe, and for many others, you do not need a lot of liquid. The chicken and vegetables release plenty of liquid to make everything work just fine.

The amount of sauce you see in the photos of the finished dish was achieved with only 4 tablespoons of water added. In fact, I usually use way less, or none. Don’t feel tempted to use more or you will have a very thin, watery sauce.

Instant Pot Bbq Chicken Thighs {no Grill!}

The only reason I add those 4 tablespoons of water, is to scrape up the browned bits left behind from browning the chicken. Doing this will 100% prevent the burn warning. Trust.

Many readers continue to express concerns about the small amount of liquid this recipe calls for. Here is an explanation you might find helpful by Urvashi Pitre — a bestselling Instant Pot cookbook author:

“Many recipes call for too much water, which makes users wonder why their food is so bland or overcooked. Yes, it is true that you need a certain amount of water for the pot to come to pressure—but that water does not all need to come from the tap. Most vegetables, fruits, and meats release water while cooking. A LOT of water, in fact. In contrast, rice, most grains, potatoes, and pasta all absorb water.

How To Make Lemon Garlic Chicken In An Instant Pot

Once you understand how this works, you will realize why many of my recipes don’t call for added water. Not only does it make food bland, but to thicken the sauce, you often end up having to use the Sauté function after the food is already well cooked—resulting in overcooked food.” ~URVASHI PITRE via Food52.

NOTE: If you are still nervous about using only 1/4 cup of water for this recipe, please go ahead and add 1/2 cup, or 1 cup. It will still be great but the sauce will be a little less tasty, even if you sauté it for a while.

I shouldn’t admit that I often skip this step when cooking skinless chicken thighs in the Instant Pot, but I do. The sauté function in the Instant Pot is incredibly convenient for browning vegetables and meat. The small surface, however, makes it very tedious to brown even a small amount of meat.

Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

Unfortunately, we all know that browning does add depth and flavour to the finished dish, and here it also adds complexity and colour to the sauce.

So I compromise. I brown the meat on one side only. I find this gives me the nice browned bits on the bottom of the pan that add so much flavour, without spending too long on thetask.

Yes you can. With a few considerations to keep in mind. Dark chicken meat is forgiving, even when overcooked in the Instant pot by a minute or two. Meltingly-tender, you just can’t mess it up. Chicken breast on the hand, is not that straightforward or easy. It just almost always will taste dry. If you have no choice but to use breasts, reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes, and consider shredding the cooked chicken into the sauce.

Bbq Instant Pot Chicken Thighs: From Fresh Or Frozen

Yes! In fact, the first time I tested this recipe I used a block of frozen chicken thighs. They were shockingly delicious. Simply follow the recipe exactly, skip browning the chicken, and add 4 to 5 minutes more cooking time. If you wish, increase the spice amount by just a touch.

These chicken thighs are incredibly flavourful and easy to prepare thanks to to a few pantry-friendly and the handy Instant Pot. After quickly browning the chicken and sautéing some onions and peppers, then add in just about a half hour, it is done!

You can certainly have some fun with these Instant Pot chicken thighs. Switch up the spices and make them lean towards a curry, or Thai flavoured dish.

Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

I absolutely love the flavour of the peppers in this dish. Very reminiscent of a Dominican pollo guisado (stewed chicken) or an Italian chicken cacciatore. That said, I have made this with just onions and the chicken is still super delicious.

You can even omit the onions in which case you will have no sauce, but the chicken will still be great. If you go this route, you may need to add a little more water and use a trivet for the chicken to rest on.

Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat gently over medium heat on the stovetop.

Easy And Quick Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Recipes

If you give this Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (fresh or Frozen) recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. Your feedback is very helpful to me and to other readers. Thank you!

Note: If using frozen thighs with the skin on, the skin will be limp after cooking so it is best to remove it. Alternatively, once cooked, you can broil the skin-on chicken for a few minutes to crisp up the skin. Enjoy tender and juicy chicken thighs with onions, carrots, and a glaze-like balsamic sauce that's equally tangy and sweet. This low carb dinner is quick enough for a weeknight meal, yet fancy enough to make for company.

PHOTOS NOTES & TIPS(1) Chicken. Two pounds is about 8 chicken thighs. I use boneless and skinless chicken thighs and haven’t tested with other cuts. Thighs are my preference because they’re more resilient to pressure cooking, and less likely to become tough or dry compared to chicken breasts. I use fresh chicken; if yours is frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using in this recipe.

Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe

(2) Red Wine. Any dry red wine will work for this recipe, and in this case “dry” means not sweet. I typically use Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon; other dry reds include Merlot and Zinfandel.

(3) Pressure Cooker. I use a 6-quart Instant Pot. You can use a different size of electric pressure cooker as long as all ingredients fit within the maximum capacity line.

(4) Serving / Leftovers. Serve these chicken thighs with mashed cauliflower, roasted brussels sprouts, or a roasted vegetable medley. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and reheated using the microwave. The reheated dish will still taste great, but the meat may be slightly less tender.

Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (pressure Cooker)

(5) Thickening Sauce. You don’t need to stir or touch the chicken while reducing the liquid into a sauce. In my experiments, I boiled for exactly 5 minutes in order to get a final consistency that I liked, but it could take a shorter or longer time for you. To figure out when the sauce is done, pay attention to the consistency while it’s boiling. If the sauce is still thin and watery, it’s not done yet. If it’s starting to look sticky and glaze-like, it’s done. If it’s starting to stick and burn to the bottom of the pot, it’s overdone.

(6) Recipe Yield. You can double or triple the recipe. Scale the ingredients proportionally, but keep the pressure cooking time the same.

Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth, and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes in a user-friendly format. She typically prefers savory foods over sweet, hence the name of the site. Contact her at julia@.null.com.Ready for the most delicious Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe on the internet? Say hello to these sticky, sweet Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs.

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Recipe

First, sear the chicken thighs in the Instant Pot.