These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs make a succulent, easy, and very flavourful dinner that will make everyone at the table happy. Leftovers, if you have any, are great in tacos or enchiladas.
Lately, if I need to come up with a quick, easy dinner, there’s about a 90% chance I’m going to cook these Instant Pot chicken thighs.
Like most of you, I have been very into hands-off cooking and this chicken is my new Instant Pot obsession; few ingredients, tender, juicy meat, flavourful sauce, versatile, and incredibly tasty. So simple, it’s ideal for the busy weeknight and none of us seem to tire of it.
- Why You Will Love These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Ingredients You Will Need
- Minimal Amount Of Liquid
- *UPDATE ON THE AMOUNT OF LIQUID:
- Can I Skip Browning The Chicken Thighs?
- Can I use Chicken Breast?
- Can I use Frozen Chicken?
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs How To
- Tips To Make The Best Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Variations
- To Serve
- Storage Suggestions
- Check Out These Other Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (Fresh or Frozen)
- More Ideas
Incredibly, this dish is just as good made with frozen chicken so you need to have made zero planning ahead.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot, this one is nearly impossible to get wrong. The process is beyond simple: lightly browned chicken thighs cook atop a bed of onions and peppers then pressured cooked until tender and juicy. Combined with the chicken juices, the onion and pepper mixture creates an unexpectedly flavourful and bold sauce that will both surprise and thrill you.
Best of all, as good as it is the night you make it, the leftovers are even better the next day. I’m telling you, these chicken thighs are amazing and will have your weeknight dinner covered.
Why You Will Love These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
In general, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are my go-to for quick weeknight dinners. Throw them in an Instant Pot, and they will be more tender, juicier, and more flavourful than you thought possible. Here’s why you will love this recipe:
- An incredibly easy, rich, and flavourful sauce: The vibrant and gorgeous sauce you see in the photos is made simply with sliced onions and mixed peppers. When the vegetables are steamed in the Instant pot they release a lot of flavourful juices. Mixed with the chicken spices and juices, it gives you something far tastier than it should for the amount of work you put in.
- Simple, pantry-friendly spices: There are no exotic, hard to find spices here. Sweet paprika, garlic powder, and a little oregano, is all that is needed. The paprika is what gives the chicken and the sauce its lovely colour without the need for too much browning.
- Versatile: I have made these Instant Pot chicken thighs dozens of times, varying the vegetables and spices to suit my mood and refrigerator inventory. The dish always works.
- A last minute dinner: I love to cook and I love a nice dinner, but I am a huge culinary procrastinator. Too often, come dinnertime, I have just started thinking about what to make. These Instant Pot chicken thighs are perfect for people like me. They cook in mere minutes and with impossibly few ingredients and effort, you are amply rewarded.
- Spoon-tender, deeply flavoured chicken: In the Instant Pot, spices penetrate the meat more deeply. These perfectly spiced chicken thighs emerge from the pressure cooker beautifully succulent and fall-apart tender.
- Works like a charm with frozen chicken thighs: Somewhat magically, these chicken thighs turn out just as delicious with frozen chicken. I will go as far as saying they might be even better. More on cooking frozen chicken thighs below.
Ingredients You Will Need
Just a handful of ingredients is all you need to make these juicy chicken thighs that the whole family will love.
- Chicken: My chicken preference for this recipe is boneless, skinless chicken thighs which are very forgiving and super tender.
- Spices: Here we are using very pantry-friendly spices: sweet paprika, garlic powder, and a little oregano. The paprika is what gives the chicken and the sauce its lovely colour without the need for too much browning.
- Veggies: Onions and a mix of red and green bell peppers add loads of flavor to this dish. If you prefer to use just one variety of bell pepper that will work, too. However, I urge you to try it with green peppers at least once. They really add more complex flavors to the dish.
Minimal Amount Of Liquid
I need to be really clear on the minimal amount of liquid needed for this recipe because people get very heated about this. Yes, the Instant Pot generally requires liquid to get to pressure, and to avoid the dreaded burn notice.
But, for this recipe, and for many others, you do not need a lot of liquid. The chicken and vegetables release plenty of liquid to make everything work just fine.
The amount of sauce you see in the photos of the finished dish was achieved with only 4 tablespoons of water added. In fact, I usually use way less, or none. Don’t feel tempted to use more or you will have a very thin, watery sauce.
The only reason I add those 4 tablespoons of water, is to scrape up the browned bits left behind from browning the chicken. Doing this will 100% prevent the burn warning. Trust.
*UPDATE ON THE AMOUNT OF LIQUID:
Many readers continue to express concerns about the small amount of liquid this recipe calls for. Here is an explanation you might find helpful by Urvashi Pitre — a bestselling Instant Pot cookbook author:
“Many recipes call for too much water, which makes users wonder why their food is so bland or overcooked. Yes, it is true that you need a certain amount of water for the pot to come to pressure—but that water does not all need to come from the tap. Most vegetables, fruits, and meats release water while cooking. A LOT of water, in fact. In contrast, rice, most grains, potatoes, and pasta all absorb water.
Once you understand how this works, you will realize why many of my recipes don’t call for added water. Not only does it make food bland, but to thicken the sauce, you often end up having to use the Sauté function after the food is already well cooked—resulting in overcooked food.” ~ URVASHI PITRE via Food52.
NOTE: If you are still nervous about using only 1/4 cup of water for this recipe, please go ahead and add 1/2 cup, or 1 cup. It will still be great but the sauce will be a little less tasty, even if you sauté it for a while.
Can I Skip Browning The Chicken Thighs?
I shouldn’t admit that I often skip this step when cooking skinless chicken thighs in the Instant Pot, but I do. The sauté function in the Instant Pot is incredibly convenient for browning vegetables and meat. The small surface, however, makes it very tedious to brown even a small amount of meat.
Unfortunately, we all know that browning does add depth and flavour to the finished dish, and here it also adds complexity and colour to the sauce.
So I compromise. I brown the meat on one side only. I find this gives me the nice browned bits on the bottom of the pan that add so much flavour, without spending too long on the task.
Can I use Chicken Breast?
Yes you can. With a few considerations to keep in mind. Dark chicken meat is forgiving, even when overcooked in the Instant pot by a minute or two. Meltingly-tender, you just can’t mess it up. Chicken breast on the hand, is not that straightforward or easy. It just almost always will taste dry. If you have no choice but to use breasts, reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes, and consider shredding the cooked chicken into the sauce.
Can I use Frozen Chicken?
Yes! In fact, the first time I tested this recipe I used a block of frozen chicken thighs. They were shockingly delicious. Simply follow the recipe exactly, skip browning the chicken, and add 4 to 5 minutes more cooking time. If you wish, increase the spice amount by just a touch.
Note: You can find all the detailed instructions for cooking frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot in the recipe notes.
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs How To
These chicken thighs are incredibly flavourful and easy to prepare thanks to to a few pantry-friendly and the handy Instant Pot. After quickly browning the chicken and sautéing some onions and peppers, then add in just about a half hour, it is done!
Here is a visual step-by-step:
- Season chicken with spices and slice onions and peppers.
- Brown chicken in two batches in the Instant Pot on one side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Sauté onions and peppers. Deglaze the pan with a few tablespoons of water and scrape up all the browned bits.
- Place chicken on top of sautéed onions and peppers.
- Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes for fresh chicken thighs, and 12 minutes for frozen. If using bone-in thighs, add 2 minutes to cooking time.
- Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 to 15 minutes then turn the valve to “venting” to release any remaining steam.
- Release any remaining pressure. When the steam has released, turn the lid, and carefully remove it. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot, and sauté the sauce to thicken, if desired.
Tips To Make The Best Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 10 minutes: This helps keep the meat from seizing up and becoming tough. It will also help finish the meat to cook through completely and absorb more flavours.
- Thicken the sauce: I really enjoy this dish without needing to thicken the sauce. If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove the cooked chicken from the Instant Pot, and turn on the Sauté setting. Cook the sauce for about 5 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened. Alternatively, make a slurry by mixing 3 Tablespoons water with 3 Tablespoons flour until smooth. Stir into the sauce and cook on saute for 1 – 2 minutes until thickened.
- Use fresh spices: Paprika, in particular, loses its strength and flavour rather quickly. Use the freshest spices possible for maximum flavour.
- Don’t skimp on the veggies! The onions and peppers are doing double duty here; for delicious flavour, of course, but they also release a lot of liquid which means we don’t need to add a lot of water. If you significantly reduce the amount of veggies, then double the amount of water.
- Don’t add too much liquid: Repeating this again due to how important it is to not add too much liquid. Particularly for this recipe which includes vegetables that release a lot of liquid when pressure cooked.
- No need to use a trivet: Most recipes will have you place the chicken thighs on a trivet to prevent them from boiling in the liquid. In this recipe, the chicken will rest on the large amount of onions and peppers so one is not needed. That said, if you are omitting the peppers, or you don’t have a lot of vegetables, consider using a trivet if you have one.
- Remove a few onions for garnish: This is optional but once the onions brown, I like to remove a few and reserve them for garnish.
Variations
You can certainly have some fun with these Instant Pot chicken thighs. Switch up the spices and make them lean towards a curry, or Thai flavoured dish.
I absolutely love the flavour of the peppers in this dish. Very reminiscent of a Dominican pollo guisado (stewed chicken) or an Italian chicken cacciatore. That said, I have made this with just onions and the chicken is still super delicious.
You can even omit the onions in which case you will have no sauce, but the chicken will still be great. If you go this route, you may need to add a little more water and use a trivet for the chicken to rest on.
To Serve
A crusty loaf will come in handy with this one as this dish offers plentiful sauce for mopping up.
These chicken thighs are excellent with marinated white beans, white or brown rice, a creamy polenta, or a cauliflower mash.
If avoiding carbs, serve the chicken with a hearty salad, such as this Mexican Chopped Salad, so good.
Storage Suggestions
Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat gently over medium heat on the stovetop.
To freeze, transfer chicken to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Check Out These Other Instant Pot Recipes
- Salsa Verde Chicken (Slow Cooker and Instant Pot)
- Instant Pot Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Instant Pot Barley Minestrone Soup
If you give this Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (fresh or Frozen) recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. Your feedback is very helpful to me and to other readers. Thank you!
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs (Fresh or Frozen)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs about 6 large thighs
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or any other dried spice such as thyme, rosemary or a favourite blend
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 medium onions, sliced into 1/4-inch rings, or half rings
- 1 small green pepper sliced into 1/4-inch rings, or thin slices
- 1 small red pepper sliced into 1/4-inch rings, or thin slices
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mixture all over the top and underside of the chicken thighs.
- Press the "Saute" function and wait until the Instant Pot displays "Hot" about 2-3 minutes. Once hot, pour in 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread over the bottom of the pot. Place half of the chicken thighs in the pot and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned on one side. Remove chicken to a clean plate, and repeat with remaing chicken. Set chicken aside.
- Pour in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and stir in the onions, green pepper, and red peppers. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until starting to brown, but barely transluscent. If you wish, remove a few of the browned onions and reserve them for garnish.
- Turn "Saute" function off and pour in 1/4 cup of water into the inner pot. Use a flat wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. This will ensure that you do not get a burn warning during the pressure cooking process.
- Return the chicken thighs back to the Instant Pot, placing them right on top of the onions and peppers. Sprinkle the red chili flakes over the chicken, if using.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the steam release valve to the "Sealing" position. Press "High Pressure/Manual" and set the timer for 8 minutes, or 9 minutes if your chicken thighs are big. The Instant Pot will take about 5 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
- Once the IP is done cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once done, turn the steam release valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure. When the float valve drops down, carefully open the lid. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place in a serving bowl or platter. If sauce is too thin for your taste, turn on the "saute" function and cook for 5 minutes until sauce reduces and thickens to deisred consistency. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with chopped parsley, if you wish.
Notes
- Sauté onions and peppers as per recipe instructions. Add 2 tablespoons water to deglaze bottom of the pan. Place frozen chicken thighs on top of sautéed vegetables. Sprinkle spice mixture over top (you may not need to use all the seasoning).
- Seal and cook on “high pressure” for 12 minutes for boneless chicken, or 15 minutes for bone-in. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once done, turn the steam release valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure. When the float valve drops down, carefully open the lid. Separate the chicken if it is still a little stuck together and allow it to sit in the hot juices for a few minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
- To finish, follow the written recipe above.
Vilma Sánchez
Outstandingl!!!! This one’s a keeper! So easy; so flavorful!!!! Thank you!!!! ❤️❤️👏💥
Sandra Valvassori
Yay!! This makes me so happy! Isn’t it sooo good?? And so, so easy to make. Thank you for sharing!!
Heather
Delicious and so easy! I added grape tomatoes because I was short on peppers. Thank you!
Sandra Valvassori
Great to hear! Love that you used grape tomatoes which would make the sauce a little sweeter – I’ll have to try that. Thank you for sharing 🙂
LeAnna
We substitute poblano peppers for the bell peppers. So yummy!
Sandra Valvassori
Love the idea of using poblanos here, I’ll have to give it a try! Thank you so much for writing and sharing with us :))
Rainy
I’m so glad you can use frozen chicken in the instant pot. For this recipe it says 1/4 cup of water. Is that enough for the pressure cooker? Mine says to make sure there is at least 1 cup on liquid before pressure cooking.
Sandra Valvassori
Hi Rainy, I’m so glad this recipe works with frozen chicken, too. In fact frozen chicken thighs work so well I almost prefer them to thawed – super tender! In regards to the amount of liquid, I address this in the post because I knew it would make a lot of people nervous. I’ve made this recipe so so many times and it works like a charm, as long as you follow it as written. In other words, make sure you have enough onions and peppers for the chicken to rest on and the veggies will also release a lot of liquid. It works with just onions as well but make sure you add plenty and slice in thick-ish rings, not diced. Hope this helps and do come back and let us know how it worked out for you!
Jose Barranco
Hi Sandra,
I tried this recipe last night and its delicious, however, just one detail regarding the amount of liquid. In order for the Instapot to presurize it needs to have a fair amount of liquid otherwise it won´t happen and will remain steaming for a long time and you may get the “burn” warning.
The minimum amount of liquid should be 1 cup (water ot broth), regardless of how much peppers, onions you add. It’s better to cook the chicken thoroughly and if the sauce is not as thick you can always remove the chicken and saute for a few minutes. I hope this helps some of the readers as I got a bit nervous about the amount of liquid. This one is a keeper! Thanks!
Sandra Valvassori
Hi Jose, so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I really appreciate your input regarding the amount of liquid called for in this recipe and I understand your concerns. I agree that most Instant Pot recipes absolutely require at least 1 cup of liquid to come to pressure. For this recipe, however, 1/4 cup of water is plenty. I have made it so many times as written and it is perfect every time. Because you are not the only one that has reached out with this concern, I will attach an explanation by Urvashi Pitre — a bestselling Instant Pot cookbook author:
“Many recipes call for too much water, which makes users wonder why their food is so bland or overcooked. Yes, it is true that you need a certain amount of water for the pot to come to pressure—but that water does not all need to come from the tap. Most vegetables, fruits, and meats release water while cooking. A LOT of water, in fact. In contrast, rice, most grains, potatoes, and pasta all absorb water.
Once you understand how this works, you will realize why many of my recipes don’t call for added water. Not only does it make food bland, but to thicken the sauce, you often end up having to use the Sauté function after the food is already well cooked—resulting in overcooked food.” — URVASHI PITRE via Food52.
Thank you again for taking the time to write and share your thoughts which are always helpful to other readers!
Gladys Lee
I made the chicken thigh receipe! It was absolutely wonderful and full of flavor. Even my guests who said “i have chicken thighs”, loved these. I used the same seasonings to make chicken drumsticks. They were wonderful too. Thank you for sharing!
Sandra Valvassori
So happy to hear this, Gladys! I will definitely have to try it with drumsticks soon. Thank you so much for writing!
Tasha
Chicken was juicy and cooked through which I was skeptical about cooking from frozen and not being an experienced Instant Pot user. But my onions and peppers were very soggy. I didn’t add any water because of the frozen chicken, there was plenty of juice at the end and I tried adding corn starch and cooking it down. I used all the seasoning suggested but the seasoning was underwhelming. I’m glad I tried this recipe and it was nice that the chicken was juicy but probably won’t make again.
Sandra Valvassori
Hi Tasha, so sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you, it’s such a favourite of ours and a reader favourite as well. Because the onions and peppers cook in an Instant pot, they will be quite soft but they are still very tasty. Unfortunately, I think adding cornstarch may be what caused it to taste underwhelming for you. Thank you for writing and for your feedback.
Stephanie Grosso
Best chicken I have ever made. And. am not a fan of chicken thighs.
Sandra Valvassori
So happy to hear this, Stephanie! Thank you so much for writing and sharing 😊
Becky Davidson
My husband’s eyes widened, his brows went up to his hairline, and he said just one word, “WOW!”. That about sums up this dish. The most difficult part was assembling the ingredients. We love this dish. I plan to put it into our weekly rotation. It is easy, inexpensive, and most of all, delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Sandra Valvassori
Haha love to hear this, Becky! Thank you so much for writing and for your very kind review, I truly appreciate it. 😊
Lexi
Hi there! Excited to try this. Do you think you can substitute frozen onion and bell peppers instead of using fresh? Or do you think it would affect the flavor / consistency? Thank you!!
Sandra Valvassori
Hi Lexi, are the onions and peppers already cooked? If they are, I don’t think I recommend using them as they would completely disintegrate in the Instant Pot without adding enough flavor. If they are uncooked, they might work as long as you’re browning some of the chicken to get more flavor going. You can certainly use less fresh onion and peppers than the recipe calls for, and add the frozen veggies to the pot as well. Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Anand
Amazing recipe. She is 100% correct about the amount of water. One of the best recipes I have tried. Chicken and sauce are perfect.
Sandra Valvassori
Yay so happy to hear this, Anand! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this kind review, really appreciate it.
Margo
Delicious. I used 4 TBS red wine instead of water, turned out very good!
Sandra Valvassori
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Margo! Would have never thought to use wine but now I’ll have to try it. Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and write a review!
Sapna
Can i use mushrooms too?
Sandra Valvassori
Hi Sapna, you can definitely add mushrooms. I wouldn’t slice them too thin so they don’t get too soft. Also, I would sauté them until they release their liquid so they don’t make the sauce too watery. Hope this helps and would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Patricia
I’ll be making this today without peppers, I don’t care for them. I do have fresh green beans and will try that. I will report back.
Sandra Valvassori
Hi Patricia, not sure if you’ll see this message before you cook the recipe but just wanted to say that the peppers add a lot of liquid and flavor to the dish so if omitting them, slightly increase the amount of spices and add about 1/4 cup more water. The onions are pretty essential for moisture and flavor as well, so don’t omit them. Also, if you’d like to cook green beans, I recommend you cook them in the Instant Pot after you have removed the cooked chicken so they don’t overcook. Would love to hear how it turns out!
Bethany
So I have an instant pot but was too nervous to try this out with it bc it’s still new for me lol still getting used to how it works. Instead I tried this using a stainless steel pot — using 2 lbs chicken thighs, one large white onion and 1 bell pepper, and a little more than 1/2 cup of chicken broth. I altered the measurements a little since I wasn’t following the instant pot method. Similar to what the recipe calls for, I seared all my chicken first, then the onions and peppers, finally deglazed the pot using the broth (instead of water). Put my chicken back in and sat them on top of the veggies. Let it cook on medium for 8-9 min with lid covered. Turned off the heat and let it sit with lid on for another several minutes and it turned out so amazing! I even made a side of sautéed gnocchi to go with it. Will definitely make again and will eventually try with instant pot.
Sandra Valvassori
This is so great to hear, Bethany! Love the idea of serving the chicken with gnocchi – will have to try that! Thank you so much for this wonderful review, it will be very helpful to others that want to cook it on the stovetop.
Tyra
Made today! Super delicious 😋! Thank you for a tasty, easy peasy, quick recipe!!
Sandra Valvassori
I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Tyra! Thank you so much for making it, and for leaving a review!