Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (Fresh or Frozen, Bone-In or Boneless)

Overhead look at crispy, perfect Instant Pot chicken thighs on a plate.

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (Fresh or Frozen, Bone-In or Boneless)

The ultimate guide to cooking chicken thighs in the Instant Pot, with perfect results whether you use fresh or frozen, skin-on or skin-off, bone-in or boneless thighs.

Prep: 10

Cook: 20

Total: 30

Yield:6 chicken thighs

Equipment

Cutting board or large plate, or parchment paper
Small bowl
Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker
Tongs
Large plate for fresh chicken thighs
Large wooden spoon for fresh chicken thighs
Instant Pot trivet
internal meat thermometer
Broiler for frozen chicken thighs
large baking sheet for frozen chicken thighs
Paper towels for frozen chicken thighs
Small saucepan optional, for gravy
medium mixing bowl optional, for gravy
whisk optional, for gravy

Ingredients

For the Chicken Thighs

6 medium chicken thighs fresh or frozen, bone-in or boneless; approximately 2-3 pounds
1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
½ teaspoon pepper more or less to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder more or less to taste
1 tablespoon neutral oil avocado oil, olive oil
1 cup chicken broth or water, see Notes

For the Gravy (Optional)

2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup dry white wine or ¼ cup chicken broth, or ¼ cup milk
1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

For Fresh Chicken Thighs (Bone-in or Boneless)

Place chicken thighs on cutting board, large plate, or flat surface covered with parchment paper.
Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to small bowl. Mix spices together, then sprinkle mixture on chicken thighs, covering thighs evenly. Flip chicken thighs over and repeat seasoning process. Set chicken thighs aside.
Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add neutral oil and stir oil slightly to distribute across bottom of Instant Pot insert.
When oil is hot and shimmery, place chicken thighs in Instant Pot, skin-side down. Sear chicken thighs 4 to 5 minutes or until skin is browned and releases easily from pot.
Flip thighs over and sear other sides 3 minutes or until meat is just no longer pink. Transfer chicken thighs to plate and set aside.
Pour chicken broth (or water) into Instant Pot to deglaze insert. Use large wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits of chicken that may be stuck to bottom of insert.
Place trivet in Instant Pot. Layer chicken thighs on top of trivet, then secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in Sealing position.
For Bone-in Thighs: Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 9 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize, then 9-minute cook time will begin.
For Boneless Thighs: Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 8 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize, then 8-minute cook time will begin.
Once cook time is up, Natural Release pressure for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, immediately Quick Release any remaining pressure.
Carefully remove lid and transfer chicken thighs to cutting board or platter. Allow chicken thighs to rest 5 minutes before serving.

For Frozen Chicken Thighs (Bone-in or Boneless)

Place chicken thighs on cutting board, large plate, or flat surface covered with parchment paper.
Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to small bowl. Mix spices together, then sprinkle mixture on chicken thighs, covering thighs evenly. Rub spice mixture into frozen chicken thighs to ensure spices stick. Flip chicken thighs over and repeat seasoning process. Set chicken thighs aside.
Pour chicken broth (or water) into Instant Pot. Place trivet in Instant Pot, then layer frozen chicken thighs on top of trivet. Secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in Sealing position.
For Bone-in Thighs: Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 13 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize, then 13-minute cook time will begin.
For Boneless Thighs: Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 10 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize, then 10-minute cook time will begin.
Once cook time is up, Natural Release pressure for 5 to 10 minutes. While pressure releases, preheat broiler on high. Arrange oven racks if needed so chicken thighs will sit approximately 10 to 12 inches below broiler.
After Natural Releasing pressure, carefully Quick Release any remaining pressure. Transfer chicken thighs to baking sheet and pat thighs dry on all sides with paper towels. If desired, sprinkle additional spice blend onto chicken thighs.
Place baking sheet under broiler. Broil chicken thighs 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken skin is golden brown and internal temperature of meat reaches 160° Fahrenheit. Note: skipping this step will likely result in undercooked chicken thighs. Broiling is crucial to this recipe.
Remove baking sheet from oven and set aside. Allow chicken thighs to rest 5 minutes before serving.

For the Gravy (Optional)

Heat small saucepan over medium-high heat. When saucepan is warm, add 1 cup chicken broth. Continue heating saucepan until chicken broth begins to gently boil.
While chicken broth comes to temperature, add 2 tablespoons cornstarch and ¼ cup white wine to medium bowl. Vigorously whisk ingredients together until combined into smooth cornstarch slurry.
When chicken broth just begins to boil, remove saucepan from heat. Add slurry to saucepan, stirring constantly until fully incorporated.
Return saucepan to heat. Simmer mixture approximately 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Once thickened, taste gravy and season with salt and pepper if needed.

To Serve

Once chicken thighs have rested 5 minutes, transfer chicken to serving plates. Serve immediately with desired sides and plenty of gravy (optional).

Notes

Dry White Wine: Sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio would both work well here. Avoid using any sweet or sparkling wines. For an alcohol-free gravy, replace the wine with chicken broth or milk.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik