Craving tender, juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin… but only have frozen chicken thighs on hand? This Instant Pot recipe produces unbelievably moist and tender chicken with (really!) crispy, delicious skin, and there’s no need to even thaw the chicken thighs!
What Makes These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs So Good
- Cooking your chicken thighs in the Instant Pot with just a couple ingredients makes dinner so incredibly easy, yet still SO tasty. This recipe is also perfect for meal prep or cooking your chicken to use in another recipe.
- I literally gasped when I tried these chicken thighs for the first time and said out loud (TO MYSELF!), “Oh, mama!” You know it’s good when you can’t stop yourself from shouting for joy!
- Forgot to thaw chicken for dinner? No problem! This recipe is meant for frozen chicken thighs. No more long waits or accidentally nuking your chicken in the microwave!
Key Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Chicken Thighs – I know a lot of people shy away from dark meat chicken, but honestly I love chicken thighs. They have so much flavor and they’re so juicy, especially if you’re using bone-in thighs (which we are!) and they’re a little higher in nutrients than chicken breasts. They’re a little fattier than chicken breasts, too, so they’re great for anyone following a keto way of eating!
Chicken Broth – This method steams the chicken thighs, so you need a liquid in there to get the job done! I like to use chicken broth for added flavor, but you can use water instead if you want. Just make sure to use at least 1 cup of whichever liquid you choose if you’re using a 6-quart Instant Pot. An 8-quart Instant Pot will need 1.5 cups of liquid.
Chef’s Tips
- This recipe was created for frozen bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, but you can use boneless thighs if you prefer! You’ll just need to adjust the cook time. After broiling, be sure to test the chicken with a thermometer, and aim for a minimum of 165° Fahrenheit for food safety.
- Cooking more than 4 chicken thighs? If they don’t fit in a single layer, that’s ok. You can stack the chicken thighs in the Instant Pot without fear of them cooking unevenly. The cook times will remain the same.
- For a different flavor, use pineapple juice or apple juice in the bottom of the Instant Pot, instead of chicken broth. You could also add a little minced garlic or onion to the broth!
More Incredible Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Sushi Rice
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- 50 Low Carb Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- The Best EVER Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Hey – you’ve made it this far, and now we’re best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 frozen chicken thighs bone in, skin on, see Notes for boneless
- 1 cup chicken broth see Notes
Instructions
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on frozen chicken thighs. Add broth to bottom of Instant Pot, then set trivet inside. Place seasoned chicken thighs on trivet.
- Seal and cook on high pressure for 13 minutes. See Notes if cooking boneless chicken thighs. While chicken is in Instant Pot, preheat broiler.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes. Place chicken thighs on a baking sheet and pat dry. Add more salt or seasoning if desired.
- Place chicken thighs under the broiler, about 10 to 12 inches from heat. Broil 5-10 minutes or until skin is golden brown. Note: if you skip this step, your chicken thighs may be undercooked. This is an important part of the recipe.
Notes
- Boneless Thighs: For boneless thighs, cook on High Manual Pressure in the Instant Pot for 8 minutes.
- Chicken Broth: For a 6-quart Instant Pot, use 1 cup of broth. For an 8-quart Instant Pot, use 1.5 cups of broth.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out 40 Aprons Premium! 40 Aprons Premium offers exclusive recipes, monthly meal plans, grocery lists, and more – all completely ad free!
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
Brie says
I have an Instant Pot Duo Crisp. After following the Instant Pot part of your recipe, instead of transferring them to the oven to broil, I plan to just leave them in the Instant Pot, but switch out to the crisping lid. Have you tried this? If so, should I just set the crisping top to “broil” and otherwise follow your recipe as-written? Or should I do something different?
I am a beginner on the Instant Pot, so this is all brand new to me! I appreciate any advice you could offer me!
Thanks!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Hey Brie, we haven’t tried this method, but if you do please let us know how it turns out! We would think setting he crisping top to broil should do the trick, but keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn.
Tom F. says
This is my new favorite recipe for chicken thighs! This came out amazing. I put a little paprika and Cajun seasoning on the skin right before I put it under the broiler so it would get a nice char. I also broiled the onions I had put in the pressure cooker. I served that all over bowls of spicy succotash (lima beans, corn, diced tomatoes with habanero, cabbage and paprika). Very little effort for an amazing dinner!
My broiler runs cool so I had to broil an additional 10 min.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
We’re so glad you enjoyed this dish! It’s a great staple recipe to keep on-hand. 🙂
Lisa Martin says
Should the broiler on a gas oven be set on high or low when browning the chicken thighs after cooked in the insta pot?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Start off with low, you can always increase the time!
kate says
How much would the cook time change if I wanted to cook 8 boneless chicken thighs instead of 4?
jackie says
Got home late and needed to cook something for dinner. Had frozen thighs in the Freezer. about 40 minutes to dinner. Very happy with the chicken.
Joseph Robbins says
When it is done is it supposed to be on “keep warm” or just off waiting for the natural pressure release?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
You’ll just want the pressure to release. 🙂
Katherine McKay says
Tried this recipe, but used vegetable stock and added a sweet and sour sauce to the broth. Then coated with a mango pepper jelly and 10 min in the broiler. Perfect, juicy and my husband said “WOW”. Easy and didn’t have to defrost my chicken thighs. Thanks so much!
Allie says
The recipe description says boneless thighs should be cooked for 10 minutes and in the notes section it says eight minutes. What am I missing? Two minutes is a big difference in the instant pot. Can you clarify?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
If the chicken thighs are bone-in, they will need to be cooked for 13 mins. If they are boneless, they will need to be cooked for 8 mins.
judith levy says
Can you tell me what to do if all the chicken thighs are frozen stuck together?
Can they still go into the insta pot? Will that work?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Just make sure they are cooked all the way or run them under cold water until they separate. 🙂
Juli says
I did everything right and my chicken was still raw… I put them back in for 5 min on high pressure fingers crossed
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Oh, no! We are so sorry. How did they turn out? Let us know if we can help!
Heather says
This happened also.. I put mine back in now..
Jennypenny says
Wonderful! So fast and easy. Give it a try.
Amelia Camurati says
Glad you liked it so much!
Carla says
Another 40 Aprons WINNER! I only had boneless skinless chicken thighs so I added some paprika to the chicken before broiling to give them some color. The entire family devoured them! My husband said it tasted like fried chicken. Thank you!
40 aprons cookbook please!!!!!
Tracy says
Thanks for sharing! I also only have Boneless skinless and thought the broiler step would be too much. I’ll give it a try after all!!
Amelia Camurati says
Let us know how it goes Tracy!
Angie says
Carla
How long did u have it in the instant pot for? I have boneless skinless as well. Thanks
Angie
Alexa Williamson says
I followed the recipe and after putting them under the broiler for 5 minutes, the chicken came out pretty dry. What did I do wrong?