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In a rush to make dinner? These lemon garlic chicken thighs are made in the Instant Pot in just 5 minutes! A simple one pot meal that cooks up juicy, tender chicken that’s full of delicious flavor. No mess and no fuss! Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 too!
HOW TO MAKE LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN IN THE INSTANT POT
Make the rub
Start preparing this lemon garlic chicken by making the delicious spice rub. Whisk it all together into a small ramekin or bowl and set aside.
Remove the raw chicken from it’s packaging and set the chicken on a baking sheet. If the chicken is very wet, blot it with paper towels to absorb the juices before sprinkling on the rub.
Season the chicken
Sprinkle an even layer of the dry rub seasoning onto each side of the chicken thighs. Press the saute button on your instant pot. Once instant pot reads “hot”, add the olive oil (wait a few seconds for the oil to heat up) and using tongs, place the chicken in the pot to begin browning the chicken.
Brown the chicken
Working in batches (I was able to fit 5 chicken thighs at a time in the bottom of the instant pot), cook the chicken for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. At 3-4 minutes, lift one chicken thigh up with tongs to check if the chicken is browned. Once chicken is browned on each side, transfer it back to the baking sheet.
Deglaze bottom of instant pot
Turn off the instant pot by pressing the cancel/off button. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the instant pot. Using a wooden spatula, scrape (or deglaze) the brown bits from the bottom of the instant pot.
Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes
Add the metal trivet to the bottom of the instant pot and stack chicken on top of the trivet. Add the lemon slices over the chicken, and lock the lid. Turn the steam release valve to “sealing”. Select the manual pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
If your not familiar with the instant pot, it takes 5-10 minutes to come to pressure and will then start counting down the timer.
Chow down
When the instant pot beeps, and the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 3-5 minutes. Essentially this means to leave the instant pot alone in the sealed position after the timer beeps.
After 3-5 minutes, you can then turn the steam valve knob to “venting”. I recommend doing this with a long spoon and to turn your face away to avoid getting burned. The instant pot will take a few additional minutes to release additional pressure. Once the float valve drops, and you don’t hear or see any steam coming out, you can then open the instant pot lid.
Now you can chow down on some juicy, tender lemon garlic chicken thighs!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK CHICKEN IN THE INSTANT POT?
Cooking times will vary based on thickness and whether chicken thighs are bone-in, or boneless. I used both boneless and bone-in chicken thighs when testing this recipe, and I will say that the bone-in chicken thighs were juicer than the boneless. However, both were still delicious.
For boneless chicken thighs – brown for 2-3 minutes and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes
For bone-in chicken thighs – brown for 3-4 minutes, and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes
Instant pot is really a great appliance. When I need a fast and easy dinner, Instant pot is my go-to appliance. It basically combines a pressure cooker and a slow cooker and it is designed to cook food faster than a stovetop or oven. Should you want to learn more about this versatile tool, check out this article.
WHAT SIDES GO WITH INSTANT POT LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN?
This recipe can go with a variety of sides. Since it is a lighter recipe that’s perfect for spring, any spring veggie will do!
CAN I COOK FROZEN CHICKEN THIGHS IN THE INSTANT POT?
It is best to let the chicken thaw completely before cooking them in the instant pot. Thaw chicken the night before in the refrigerator, or place it in the sink under some cold water a few hours before cooking it.
HOW DO I GET CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS IN THE INSTANT POT?
If you want crispy chicken thighs, broil them in the oven to crisp the skin after they are cooked in the instant pot.
STORING INSTANT POT CHICKEN THIGHS
Storing: once chicken is cooled, store chicken thighs in an air-tight glass container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Reheat chicken in the microwave until it is warmed through, or in an oiled skillet on low-medium heat.
Freezing: Once chicken is cooled, place it in an air-tight, freezer safe, glass container. Chicken will stay good in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the refrigerator the day-night before you plan to have it.
In a rush to make dinner? These lemon garlic chicken thighs are made in the Instant Pot in just 5 minutes! A simple one pot meal that cooks up juicy, tender chicken that’s full of delicious flavor. No mess and no fuss! Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 too!
In a small bowl, whisk together salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, basil, oregano, and parsley. Rub the spice mixture on all sides of the chicken.
Press the saute button on the instant pot and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken into the pot with tongs. Working in batches, cook chicken on each side for 2-4 minutes (see recipe notes) or until golden brown. Remove chicken from instant pot and transfer it to a clean plate.
Turn off instant pot by pressing the cancel/off button. Pour chicken broth to the bottom of the instant pot. Using a wooden spatula, scrape the brown bits on the bottom of the pot (deglazing).
Add the metal trivet to the instant pot and stack the chicken on top of the trivet. Add the lemon slices over the chicken.
Lock the lid and turn the steam release valve to “sealing”. Select the manual/pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. The instant pot will take 5-7 minutes to reach pressure, and will then start counting down. Once the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 3-5 minutes (leave alone).
Using a long spoon so that you don’t burn yourself, turn the steam release valve to “venting”, to release the remaining pressure. Once the float valve drops, open the instant pot lid.
I made this, didn’t have a trivia so put in a cup of stock and put the lemons on the bottom of the pan, chicken on top and at the end squeezed more lemon on top for good measure. It was tasty, made a sauce that I put over steamed broccoli and served with basmati-I’m not paleo but GF/DF. I’d make again
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I made this, didn’t have a trivia so put in a cup of stock and put the lemons on the bottom of the pan, chicken on top and at the end squeezed more lemon on top for good measure. It was tasty, made a sauce that I put over steamed broccoli and served with basmati-I’m not paleo but GF/DF. I’d make again
★★★★