Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
Posted: 03/31/20
Updated: 03/21/23
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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 – with zero need to thaw the frozen chicken thighs!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Cooking frozen 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 Instant Pot recipe is meant for frozen chicken thighs. No more long waits or accidentally nuking your chicken in the microwave!
Key Ingredients
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
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
Cooked in the Instant Pot with just a couple ingredients, these chicken thighs are tender, juicy, and incredibly delicious with crispy skin.
thighs
Ingredients
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 frozen chicken thighs bone in, skin on, see Notes for boneless
- 1 cup chicken broth see Notes
Equipment
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
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 Information
Serving Size: 1thigh, Calories: 281kcal, Protein: 19g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 111mg, Sodium: 302mg, Potassium: 279mg, Total Carbs: 1g, Net Carbs: 1g, Vitamin A: 88IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
I’ve made this recipe about 5 times. Delicious every single time!
So happy you love this one, Lori! Thanks for the review!
Even my fussiest eater said she loved this. Will definitely make this again.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Perfect! This is great for a newbie InstantPot-er like me, never would have thought of the broiling part, it works! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can you do the last step in an air fryer
Sure thing! You can cook at 400 for the same amount of time, or until the skin has crisped up. Here are some great air fryer chicken recipes: https://40aprons.com/instant-pot-frozen-chicken-thighs/#search/q=air%20fryer%20chicken.
Easy, tasty and fast. Just what a grandad needs. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Easy and tasty!
We agree!
I make this regularly and it works Everytime: everyone says “it’s really good!”
So glad to hear it! 🙂
Made as directed with boneless skin on frozen thighs, cooked for 8 minutes in instant pot with quick release, then put instant stuffing on a sheet pan with the thighs on top to crisp the skin under the broiler for 10 minutes. Thighs were juicy, skin crispy, and stuffing had some crispy edges, YUM. Love that I can pull out frozen thighs and put them in the instant pot without thawing, because I either forget to thaw ahead, or thaw ahead and plans change and I don’t get the chicken used. will be my go to winter chicken thigh plan, in the summer those babys go on the grill!
So glad you enjoyed it!
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!
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.
Made this today!!! So yummy 😋 Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
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.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this dish! It’s a great staple recipe to keep on-hand. 🙂