Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (pressure cooker)

written by Ashley Fehr

4.98 from 42 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Jump to Recipe

Last updated on June 1, 2020

These Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs are easy and delicious! Use bone in or boneless chicken thighs — both come out perfectly in the pressure cooker!

Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (pressure cooker) - The Recipe Rebel (2)

Can I cook frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot?
How do I get crispy chicken thighs in the Instant Pot pressure cooker?
How long do you cook chicken thighs in the pressure cooker?
Variations on these Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs:
What to serve with these Instant Pot Chicken Thighs?
Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe

So in December, I got a little carried away with holiday cookies and mashed potatoes and hot caffeinated drinks and such, but I want you to know we’re back to real food and I’m bringing my Instant Pot along for the ride!

I have a lot of fun dinner recipes planned, and these Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs are just the beginning.

I know that these sound a little indulgent, but there’s just a little cream in this recipe, that’s stirred into the sauce just before serving (don’t try to pressure cook the cream or you’ll have trouble!), and it makes this a luxuriously comforting but also relatively healthy weeknight dinner.

Plus, we love sauce.

A creamy, garlicy sauce to boot? Yes. Yes please.

These pressure cooker chicken thighs are perfect over mashed potatoes or pasta, but they’re also great with a side of steamed green beans or broccoli or a simple side salad.

Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (pressure cooker) - The Recipe Rebel (3)

Can I cook frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot?

You can absolutely cook frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot, but you won’t be able to brown them first.

Check out my post here on how to cook Instant Pot chicken thighs from frozen, and find my recipe for BBQ chicken thighs.

How do I get crispy chicken thighs in the Instant Pot pressure cooker?

When I’m cooking bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, I always brown the chicken thighs, skin side down, first.

With all of the steam that the pressure cooker creates, the skin isn’t going to stay crispy, but it will be much better than if we had skipped this step altogether.

For truly crispy Instant Pot chicken thighs, you will want to remove the chicken thighs from the Instant Pot after cooking and broil for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the skin, while the sauce finishes in the pressure cooker.

I know this is an extra step, but if crispy skin is important to you, you’ll find it’s worth it.

If you, like me, don’t eat the skin, you can simply peel it off after cooking (it adds so much moisture if you leave it on during the cooking process!), and enjoy!

How long do you cook chicken thighs in the pressure cooker?

Bone in chicken thighs:

For fresh, bone-in chicken thighs of around 5-6oz, you will pressure cook for 10 minutes. For frozen chicken thighs, you’ll likely want to add a few minutes and cook for 13-15 minutes.

Boneless chicken thighs:

For fresh, boneless chicken thighs, you will cook for about 7-8 minutes. For frozen boneless chicken thighs, you will cook for 12-13 minutes on high pressure.

Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (pressure cooker) - The Recipe Rebel (4)

Variations on these Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs:

You can make this recipe dairy-free by omitting the cream or using your favorite non-dairy milk in its place. Keep in mind that this will affect the flavor.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, but be sure to double check all of your ingredients.
To lighten up this recipe, substitute the heavy cream for half and half or light cream. You can also remove the skin before eating.
Feel free to add vegetables to this recipe! Mushrooms, broccoli or green beans would be great in here, but you’ll need to keep in mind that they could much more quickly and won’t stand up well to a 8-15 minute cook time. Potatoes and carrots would also do well, and larger chunks or whole small potatoes should be fine to cook with the chicken.

What to serve with these Instant Pot Chicken Thighs?

This recipe has so much flavor going on that we prefer to serve it with mashed potatoes, rice or plain pasta! But any of these would also be great options:

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe

Pin this recipe to save for later

Pin this recipe to your favorite board

Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

written by Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon canola oil
▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1/4 teaspoon paprika
▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
▢ 8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
▢ 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream
▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

Instructions

Turn a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot to saute. When it says “hot”, add the oil.
Meanwhile, combine the Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken thighs, skin side up.
Sear chicken thighs, skin side down, for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken moves easily. I do this in two sets of 4 thighs. If it seems to be stuck to the pot, it is not ready to be removed yet. (you may have to tilt and swirl your pot during this process so that the oil evenly coats the bottom of the pot)
Remove chicken thighs to a plate, drain remaining oil and add in minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
Add broth to the hot pot, and scrape the bottom so the brown bits come up into the broth.
Turn off the Instant Pot, add the chicken thighs back in in a single layer (you may have to overlap them just slightly as pictured), skin side up.
Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and select Manual or Pressure Cook for a cook time of 10 minutes (see alternate cook times above). It will take 6-8 minutes to come to pressure and begin counting down.
When the cook time is over, let pressure release naturally for 7-8 minutes before opening the valve and removing the lid.
Remove chicken to a plate (see notes above about broiling if desired). Whisk together cream and corn starch and stir into remaining liquid in Instant Pot.
Turn the Instant Pot to saute, whisk and simmer the sauce until thickened. Serve with chicken thighs.

Nutrition Information

Keywords instant pot, pressure cooker

Want to save this recipe?

Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.

Tried this recipe?

Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!

Tag @thereciperebel

Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (pressure cooker) - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

FAQs

Does chicken get more tender the longer you cook it in an Instant Pot? ›

If your boneless chicken breast winds up with a weird, rubbery texture, it probably means that you need to cook it longer. In general, the Instant Pot does better with longer cook times for meat.

Get More Info ›

Can you overcook chicken in a pressure cooker? ›

Chicken can get a rubbery texture in the instant pot when over cooked. To avoid this, try not to over cook your chicken. Storing the chicken in chicken broth can help rehydrate the chicken and make it less rubbery.

Learn More ›

Does chicken cook faster in pressure cooker? ›

Pressure cookers save you time by cooking foods TWO to TEN times faster than other cooking methods. They are the fastest way to cook delicious meals: beef roasts, chicken, rice, dry beans, you name it.

Know More ›

How much liquid do I add to Instant Pot for chicken? ›

You can cook chicken breasts in whatever size instant pot you have. Just make sure you add at least 1 cup of liquid, and then place the chicken in the pot in a single layer.

Explore More ›

Is it better to pressure cook or slow cook chicken? ›

Ultimately, slow cooking allowed our chicken to be perfectly seasoned without compromising the meat texture, a luxury pressure cooking can't afford.

Learn More Now ›

Does pressure cooking chicken longer make it softer? ›

Cooking any meat on high heat (or high pressure) for an extended period will both: denature more the proteins / collagen making the meat more tender; "squeeze" more water out of the meat, making it drier / chalkier in texture.

Read On ›

How do you know when pressure cooked chicken is done? ›

Open the pot, then use a digital thermometer to check the thickest part of a piece of chicken—it should be at least 165oF. If the chicken is not quite up to temperature, put the lid back on with the vent closed and cook for another minute or two.

Does a pressure cooker dry out chicken? ›

While all cuts of chicken are fair game for the Instant Pot, thighs are the most forgiving. Because chicken breast is so lean, just a couple of extra minutes of cook time turns them from juicy to overcooked and dry.

Keep Reading ›

Does chicken need to be submerged in pressure cooker? ›

By placing cooking liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker and placing the chicken in the steamer basket above the liquid, you are guaranteed tender, moist chicken every time. However, you can also use the cooker to make a sauce and cook your chicken submerged in flavour.

Keep Reading ›

How long does it take to cook chicken in a pressure cooker? ›

For boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, a cooking time of 10 to 15 minutes at high pressure is usually sufficient. For larger pieces or whole chickens, it may take 15 to 20 minutes. It's essential to follow the specific recipe and guidelines for your pressure cooker to ensure safe and delicious results.

How much water do you put in a pressure cooker? ›

When you use a pressure cooker, you need to have enough liquid in the pot for it to come up to pressure and cook the food properly. The rule of liquids in pressure cooking is to always add at least 1 cup of liquid unless the recipe states otherwise. The liquid will help create enough steam to cook the meal. 3.

Tell Me More ›

Why does KFC pressure cook their chicken? ›

Because it is fast and practical, it also saves labor. More tasty: When a piece of chicken is inserted in very hot oil in pressure fryer tank, it rapidly gets sealed making it difficult fort he juice inside the chicken to escape. Entrapping the chicken juice within while cooking adds to its taste.

Get More Info Here ›

How long does it take for meat to become tender in a pressure cooker? ›

Steam penetrates food easily under pressure. So connective tissues in cubes of beef for soups or stews soften in 15 minutes or less, and a pot roast will be medium-rare in 30 minutes.

Show Me More ›

Does cooking meat longer make it more tender? ›

Cook It Slowly

This is certainly true when it comes to notoriously tough cuts of meat like beef brisket and pork shoulder. Cooking these cuts of meat slowly, either by braising, stewing or grill roasting, is the best way to get these tasty cuts of meat meltingly tender.