Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs are deliciously seasoned and incredibly juicy, with an option to make an easy gravy using the pot’s flavorful juices. This recipe includes instructions for cooking fresh or frozen thighs, with both bone-in and boneless options.
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 an 8-quart pot; use broth if making gravy
To Make Gravy (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Rub the spice blend over all sides of the chicken thighs, making sure to get some under the skin if using skin-on thighs.
- Pour the olive oil into the Instant Pot and press the ""Sauté"" button. Once the oil is hot, spread it evenly over the bottom of the pot. Carefully place the seasoned chicken thighs skin side down in the pot. Sear for about 4 minutes per side, until both sides are browned. Transfer the 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 from the bottom to prevent a burn warning during pressure cooking.
- Place the metal trivet in the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken thighs on top, skin side up.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the steam release valve to the Sealing position.
- Pressure Cook at High Pressure:
- Bone-In Thighs: Cook for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 5 minutes to reach pressure before the cook time begins. Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
- Boneless, Skinless Thighs: Cook for 8 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 5 minutes to reach pressure before the cook time begins. Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
- Frozen Thighs: See note below.
- Carefully turn the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. Once the float valve drops, open the lid. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165°F.
- (If the chicken isn’t fully cooked, turn on Sauté to bring the broth to a boil, then turn off the pot and cover with the lid for a few minutes to finish cooking with residual heat.)
To Make Gravy (Optional):
- Remove the chicken and trivet from the Instant Pot. If desired, pour the liquid through a strainer to remove any solids, then return the strained liquid to the pot.
- Turn on Sauté mode and add the butter to the broth.
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 ½ tablespoons each of cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the broth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens.
- Remove from heat and serve the gravy with the chicken.
Notes
To cook frozen chicken thighs, skip the browning step. Pour the broth into the Instant Pot and place the trivet inside. Arrange the frozen thighs on top of the trivet.
Since the spice rub won’t stick well to frozen chicken, sprinkle half of it over the top of the chicken thighs after placing them in the pot. After cooking, you can add more seasoning and brown the meat if desired.
Pressure Cook at High Pressure:
- Frozen Bone-In Thighs: 15 minutes + 5 minutes natural pressure release
- Frozen Boneless Thighs: 13 minutes + 5 minutes natural pressure release