Ready for the most delicious Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe In Internet? Say hello to these sticky sweets Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Honey.
First, brown the chicken thighs in the Instant Pot. Then brush them with honey garlic sauce and pressure cook them for just 5-7 minutes!
This is one of our most popular. Instant Pot Chicken Thigh Recipes! Many of you have made these Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and rated them 5 stars and with good reason. The honey garlic sauce is incredibly flavorful and easy to make and her chicken comes out perfect every time.
Whenever I need a quick weeknight dinner, I make these thighs and serve them alongside white rice and steamed broccoli. All you have to do is brown the chicken thighs in the Instant Pot for 2-3 minutes and then add the honey garlic sauce. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release.
PS: check out our Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken for a similar recipe made in the Crockpot!
What Kind of Chicken Thighs Should I Use for Instant Pot Chicken Thighs?
The good news for you is that we have tested this recipe many times with different types of chicken thighs. Do you love skin-on chicken thighs? Or boneless chicken thighs? They both work! So feel free to use around 2 lbs. of the following:
- With bone
- no spikes
- with skin
- without skin
If you’re wondering what kind of thighs we prefer, it’s hands down. with bone and skin. However, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are also delicious.
Tip #1 for Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Our #1 tip for perfect IP chicken thighs is brown BEFORE pressure cooking! This will give your chicken thighs gorgeous color and the texture of seared chicken thighs without having to use the stove.
Plus, it will actually help preheat your Instant Pot, cutting pressurization time almost in half. Whatever you do, don’t skip this step.
How Long to Cook Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot
- Frozen: cook frozen chicken thighs and sauce (or water) for 15 minutes on high pressure with a quick release.
- From thawed: brown chicken thighs for 2-3 minutes on both sides. Next, cook the chicken thighs with sauce in your pressure cooker on high for 5-7 minutes.
here’s a tip
Chicken thighs can vary greatly in size and thickness. The goal is to get the internal temperature of the chicken to 165ºF. So if you have larger thighs, you may need to cook a bit longer to reach a safe temperature.
Try it!
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The best honey garlic sauce
If you’ve ever had our Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken, you know how delicious our Honey Garlic Sauce is. This is a slightly modified version of that sauce, but just as delicious.
This is what you need: honey, minced garlic, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and cornstarch.
Do I have to use cornstarch?
The sauce is then thickened with a little cornstarch, but you always have the option to skip that step. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use tapioca starch instead.
Chicken Thighs Instant Pot Questions and Answers
Can you stack chicken thighs in an Instant Pot?
You can absolutely stack chicken thighs in your Instant Pot, however we only recommend doing so if you plan on shredding the chicken.
Stacking the thighs will reduce the crispiness of the skin, making it perfect for shredding. However, if you want each thigh to have amazing texture, be sure NOT to stack them.
What setting do you cook chicken on in an Instant Pot?
For the most perfect Instant Pot chicken thigh recipe with sauce, first, sauté the thighs in olive oil on both sides for about 2-3 minutes. Next, add your sauce and close the Instant Pot. Turn valve to seal and cook on high for 5 minutes. Once the timer goes off, do a quick release.
How do you cook Instant Pot frozen chicken thighs?
Cooking frozen thighs in the Instant Pot is pretty easy. Add frozen thighs to the Instant Pot and then add your sauce (or you can substitute water). Then, cook on high heat for about 15 minutes.
Do you have to use a trivet in the Instant Pot?
Technically, you don’t HAVE to use the trivet when cooking chicken thighs in the Instant Pot. However, it is useful to prevent the burn notice from appearing.
All Instant Pots are different. Our Instant Pot above is much less finicky when it comes to trivets, and we typically don’t use one when making Instant Pot Chicken Thighs. Our new one almost always gets the burnt notice though, so a trivet is a must!
Storage
Let the chicken thighs cool completely. Then, store the IP chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days.
freezer instructions
After cooked: Let the instant pot chicken thighs cool completely. Then, transfer them to a gallon-size freezer-safe bag, pushing out as much air as possible. Seal and freeze up to 3 months.
Before cooking: place everything raw ingredients (minus cornstarch and sesame seeds) in a gallon-size freezer-safe bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal. Freeze up to 3 months.
When you are ready to cook, transfer the frozen contents of the bag directly into your Instant Pot. Then seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes with a quick release. Thicken the sauce as directed on the recipe card.
Serving Suggestions
Make your Honey Garlic Chicken Instant Pot recipe a complete meal by serving it with a grain and your favorite vegetable. Here are some ideas: Shrimp Fried Rice, Coconut Rice, Quinoa, Roasted Broccoli, or Sautéed Green Beans.
The Best Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Honey Garlic Sauce
Let’s make the best instant pot chicken thighs on the internet! This recipe is made with chicken thighs and the most delicious Asian-inspired honey garlic sauce you’ll ever taste.
Homework:25 minutes
Cook:5 minutes
Total:30 minutes
Instructions
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First, use a few paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible of your chicken thighs.
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Next, turn on the Instant Pot’s sauté feature. Add olive oil and then brown both sides of each chicken thigh for 2-3 minutes to give them a nice brown color.
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While the chicken thighs are being sautéed, prepare the honey and garlic sauce. Mix minced garlic, honey, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce.
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Once the chicken thighs are golden brown, turn off the sauté function and then pour in the honey garlic sauce. If your Instant Pot easily gets the burn notice often, feel free to use your trivet for your chicken. We never get the burn notice when making this recipe, but feel free to use the trivet just in case.
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Close your Instant Pot and turn the valve to seal. Turn your Instant Pot to manual > high pressure > and set the timer for 5 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure to build up before the 5 minute countdown begins.
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When the timer goes off, Quickly release your Instant Pot opening the valve.
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Remove the lid, and then check the internal temperature of the chicken. If they are at least between 160ºF and 165ºF, then they are done and you can remove them. If they are not done, replace the lid and cook for an additional 1-3 minutes.
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Option to serve immediately and pour sauce over chicken thighs. Or you you have the option of thickening your sauce with a slurry of cornstarch. To thicken, turn on the Instant Pot’s sauté function (it needs the heat to ignite the thickening agent). Next, mix the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch dissolves to create a cornstarch slurry. Pour the slurry into the sauce and beat until the sauce thickens.
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Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with sesame seeds and your favorite grains and vegetables.
Tips and Notes
- Type of chicken thighs: We tried bone-in, skin-on AND bone-in, skin-off and they both work!
- From frozen addresses: Place the frozen chicken thighs and the rest of the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and sesame seeds in your Instant Pot. Seal and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes with a quick release. If you plan to use this method, we recommend boneless, skinless thighs and shredding the chicken last. Follow the directions for thickening the sauce above.
- Nutrition was calculated using boneless chicken thighs and includes only the chicken.
Nutritional information
Calories: 284kcal Carbohydrates: 17gram Protein: 30gram Fat: 9gram Fiber: 0gram Sugar: sixteengram