Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe – the best and easy way to cook bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs in your pressure cooker. Bonus: you can also make a delicious gravy!
I am so excited to share my recipe and tips on how to cook chicken thighs in the Instant Pot pressure cooker! It’s my favorite way to cook chicken thighs in my IP. They are juicy, flavorful with golden brown buttery skin. Perfect served for main dish or meal prep chicken cooked ahead of time for other dishes.
INSTANT POT CHICKEN THIGHS
These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs are so easy to make and budget friendly. You can use the thighs as a main dish or remove the meat off the bones and use in other recipes, as it is very flavorful because it’s the dark meat. Save the liquid from cooking for soups or make a gravy to serve over the chicken. Gravy is always a good idea, just like in my Instant Pot Turkey Breast recipe!
HOW TO SEASON INSTANT POT CHICKEN THIGHS?
Since my goal is to always make the recipe easy without sacrificing the flavors, I am sharing my go-to easy poultry seasoning. I season the chicken thighs on the skin side first. All you need is: salt, black pepper, paprika and dried oregano. That’s it! Sprinkle and you are done. The skin side is the first one to be browned in the pot so place the thighs skin side down in a heated pot with oil and butter. Let it brown for 2 to 3 minutes. The addition of butter will give you the crispy, golden brown skin. The more browned the chicken is, the more flavor it and the gravy will have but watch it so it won’t burn.
Next, flip it on the other side and let it cook for just a minute. Press “cancel/off” button. Remove the chicken onto a plate and add water to the IP. Scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the IP insert. Place the trivet in the insert and arrange chicken thighs on the trivet. Now all you need to do is set the IP to cook for 12 minutes. Always check the internal temperature of the cooked meat. For chicken it’s at least 165 degrees F. I checked my chicken thighs and they all were around 200 degrees F.
TIPS FOR COOKING CHICKEN THIGHS IN THE INSTANT POT:
- Use chicken thighs that are roughly the same size for even cooking. I also like to trim any excess fat and skin from the thighs.
- Use combination of olive oil and butter for beautifully golden brown skin. That also means lots of flavor!
- Brown the skin side first. Let it brown until you see a good amount of brown bits on the bottom of the IP insert. Again, we are working on flavor here. It will also make for a very flavorful gravy!
- Twelve minutes was perfect for 4 good size chicken thighs. They came out absolutely perfect! If you want them more falling off the bone style, add 3 more minutes to cooking time.
- Letting the pressure release naturally is the best here, because it will prevent the chicken from drying out and make the thighs super juicy! I recommend the same in my Instant Pot Turkey Breast recipe.
- Let the chicken thighs rest for 10 minutes before serving. It will prevent the juices from escaping the meat.
- Making gravy is as easy as just thickening the liquid remaining in the IP insert after cooking the chicken thighs. You can use flour but I always recommend cornstarch because it makes the smoothest sauces and gravy.
HOW TO MAKE THE GRAVY?
When your Instant Pot is done, let it release the pressure naturally. It won’t take long and you can set the table in the meantime. Remove the chicken thighs and the trivet from the insert. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water and add to the liquid at the bottom of the insert. You can press “saute” button and let it cook until it thickens. The liquid might just be hot enough so you won’t need to do that.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN THIGHS?
My favorite side dish to serve with these chicken thighs, is a classic: mashed potatoes! We also love my Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts on the side. Perfect dinner for Sunday or even a special occasion. You can also make my Sweet Potato Casserole (it’s not only for the holidays!), German Potato Salad with Bacon, Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole or my Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes. There are so many options!
MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES:
Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes.
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To learn more about the Instant Pot, check out my Guide for Beginners. Also, learn how to fix and prevent the “burn” message in my Instant Pot Burn Message post.
More delicious Instant Pot recipes: www.crunchycreamysweet.com
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Trim excess skin and fat from chicken thighs.
- Season with salt, pepper, paprika and oregano on the skin side.
- Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot.
Press the "saute" function. Wait for 2 to 3 minutes and add oil and butter to the insert.
When the butter is melted and sizzling, add garlic and stir in. Add chicken thighs to IP skin side down.
- Brown for 2 to 3 minutes. The longer you let it brown and make brown bits on the bottom of the pot, the more flavor the chicken and gravy will have. Just make sure the chicken doesn't burn!
- Flip the chicken onto the other side and cook for 1 minutes.
- Press "cancel/off" button.
- Remove chicken onto a plate and set aside.
- Add water to Instant Pot and use wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the insert.
- Place trivet in the IP and arrange the chicken thighs on top.
- Close lid, set the valve to "sealing" position and press "manual" button. Set the timer to 12 minutes. The IP will beep and start coming to pressure. Since it is already hot, it won't take long.
- Once the IP is done cooking, press "cancel/off" button. Do not release the pressure but let it release naturally. If you are in a hurry, let it release naturally for at least 5 minutes.
- When done, carefully open the lid away from your face. Place chicken on a plate and let rest.
- Remove trivet from the IP.
- In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water. Make sure there are no clumps. Add to liquid at the bottom of the IP. Stir until thickened. You can press the "saute" function to simmer it for a few minutes to help thicken the gravy.Serve chicken with gravy. You can also keep the liquid without thickening it and use for soups.
The chicken thighs are delicious served right away with classic side dishes like mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables OR you can let them cool until easy to handle and pull the meat off the bones. Use in salads and main dishes.
Cindy J says
August 27, 2019 at 5:42 pmThis turned out great! My family loved it. Easy instructions but I let my pot heat up too much and when I added the butter I had to quickly put the lid on. Butter and oil pops all over. Things went well after that though 😉. Very tasty!
Janene says
August 8, 2019 at 9:43 pmHubby and I both loved your recipe! I made it exactly as written and we were both just blown away at how good this was. I will certainly make the recipe again! Thank you 🙏.
P.S. I just got a pricey, new induction/convection stove too but now I’m thinking of using my instant pot more! What have you done to me!😁
Anna says
August 12, 2019 at 9:46 pmHi Janene! Haha! I love that! Always happy to see Instant Pot fans over here. I am so glad the chicken was a hit! Thank you for trying my recipe!
Lucy says
May 29, 2019 at 5:00 pmI made this with 10 chicken thighs in my 6 quart instant pot.
I doubled the spices and sauteed 3 to 4 chicken pieces at a time.
I used(1cup) chicken stock instead of water and piled all the pieces on top of the trivet. I set it on high pressure for 13 minutes and it came out absolutely perfect!! And the gravy was delicious!! Served it with some mashed potatoes and it was an absolute hit!!!
Ruth says
May 17, 2019 at 8:39 amI grilled the chicken over the stove first to give it those lines the hubby likes to see then followed the recipe (minus the gravy- we aren’t gravy lovers) and it was oh so VERY GOOD. Best part, besides flavor, was how EASY this is.
THANK YOU
Anna says
May 17, 2019 at 1:25 pmHi Ruth! Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I love that you grilled them first! Thank you for sharing!
Whalefreak says
May 15, 2019 at 1:24 amHi Anna! I made this recipe last nite, using Frozen Chicken Quarters & my Favorite BBQ seasoning Rub! I did 4 Frozen Chicken Quarters, plus 4 Frozen Chicken legs.. Increased the Pressure to 30 minutes to compensate for the Chicken being Frozen.. Did everything else the same & when it was done with the Natural release, it was falling Off the bones!! 😁 I’m soo Excited, as I’ve only had my IP since Easter! Yer a Genius! Btw, my IP is a 6qt. 😉
Anna says
May 16, 2019 at 3:04 pmThat’s fantastic! I am so glad it was a hit! Thank you for sharing your variation, I know it will be useful to a lot of people.
Luna says
March 19, 2019 at 1:12 pmWhat if I don’t have a trivet for my pressure cooker?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
March 19, 2019 at 4:22 pmHi Luna! Each Instant Pot comes with a trivet, if you didn’t get it I suggest contacting the brand. In the meantime, you can make balls of aluminum foil but I’ve never used foil in the IP so I am not sure if it will give the ham a metallic taste.
Sherri says
September 5, 2019 at 6:39 pmCan i put the chicken into the water? I dont have a trivet and dont want to use foil
Anna says
September 5, 2019 at 8:50 pmHi Sherri! If you don’t have a trivet, you can place the chicken in the water but the bottom of each piece will be boiled. You may need to flip them during crisping up in the oven after pressure cooking. I hope this helps!
Darla says
February 24, 2019 at 8:46 pmCooked it on normal on accident. Still has 7 min. To go but should I pop em in the oven a bit? Oops.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
February 26, 2019 at 2:12 pmHi Darla! Check the thighs with a meat thermometer and cook for a few more minutes at high pressure or in the oven.
Mack says
February 15, 2019 at 7:37 pmThis looks amazing! I’m hoping to make it tomorrow for my mom’s birthday. Do you think it would be possible to cook more thighs? Maybe around 10-12. And do you know what the cooking times would be if I were to up the amount. I don’t know much about Instant Pots. This will be my first time using one.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
February 16, 2019 at 12:04 pmHi Mack! I did not test this recipe with 12 thighs so I can’t guarantee the result, but it should be fine. The time stays the same, it may just take longer for the IP to come to pressure. Let me know how it goes!
Clay says
January 28, 2019 at 6:45 pmWhen is the garlic added?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 28, 2019 at 10:19 pmHi Clay! It’s in step 5.
Mandy says
January 26, 2019 at 1:08 pmI made this recipe last night. Added potatoes and it was PERFECT! The gravy is such a delicious bonus. Thank you for the recipe!
Tara says
January 23, 2019 at 8:53 amI haven’t tried making chicken thighs in my Instant Pot, yet. These look amazing — definitely making them!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 25, 2019 at 6:04 pmThanks, Tara!
Billy says
January 23, 2019 at 8:08 amI’ve got to get with the instant pot program, these chicken thighs look super good.
Mallory Lanz says
January 22, 2019 at 10:43 pmMy husband loves the basic flavors on this chicken. It makes a great addition to our weeknight meal rotation.
Sommer says
January 22, 2019 at 9:10 pmMy new favorite way to prepare chicken thighs!
Kristyn says
January 22, 2019 at 4:22 pmThose chicken thighs look tender & juicy!! I am so excited for new, yummy recipes to try in the instant pot.
Aimee Shugarman says
January 22, 2019 at 4:05 pmThis turned out perfectly. SO GOOD, thank you!
Debbie says
January 21, 2019 at 2:06 amCan I use rolled aluminum foil in a round shape if I don’t have the trivet?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 22, 2019 at 1:18 amI am not sure. I would be worried it would affect the taste of the gravy. What happened to your trivet? It didn’t come with your IP?
Kathy says
January 13, 2019 at 2:07 pmNew to IP. … How should I modify the time on this recipe if I use reg size wings (not small wings) and drumsticks?
Lauren says
January 12, 2019 at 11:31 pmI made these for dinner tonight and everyone loved them! Best recipe for chicken thighs in the Instant Pot!
Casey says
January 10, 2019 at 6:35 pmI have boneless, skinless chicken things. Would I still brown them first?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 11, 2019 at 12:21 pmYep, I would still brown them. Hope this helps!
kathie says
January 10, 2019 at 5:32 amdo you spray insert with cooking spray so they don’t stick? just got my IP yesterday and can’t wait to use it!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 11, 2019 at 12:36 pmHi Kathie! I never spray the inner pot. If you use the oil and butter, as directed in the recipe, you won’t need to spray it. Hope this helps!
Jill says
January 9, 2019 at 12:30 pmHello! I am cooking for a family of 5, and have to use about 8 to 9 thighs. Should I double the entire recipe (liquid and time too)? Thanks!
Trisha says
January 9, 2019 at 7:51 pmI cooked 7 thighs and left all the measurements and times the same and it came out great.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 11, 2019 at 12:37 pmThank you, Trisha!
Brandy says
February 7, 2019 at 12:39 pmSo did you stack them up to cook them for 12 minutes? I assume that they had to be cooked a few at a time to sauté them, correct?
Dianna says
January 8, 2019 at 8:43 pmOk my skin was not crispy, on the new cookers is it high or low pressure?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 9, 2019 at 11:27 amHi Dianna! Your Instant Pot should be set to high pressure. If you want crispy skin, place the cooked chicken thighs under a broiler for 2 minutes.
Carol zinter says
January 5, 2019 at 9:23 pmI made this tonight. The flavors were delicious, however, my skin didn’t stay crispy during the pressure cook stage. How did you get yours to stay crispy?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
January 8, 2019 at 12:54 amHi Carol! You can pop the chicken thighs under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp them up!
Susan says
December 20, 2018 at 8:22 pmI made this tonight for dinner and it turned out great! I did add chicken stock instead of water for added flavor. Placed the trivet in the bottom of the pot, added serveral small red potatoes, topped with chicken so everything sits above the liquid, set it for 11 min. The juice/gravy was nice on top the small potatoes once I smashed them with a fork. Nice flavor and thank you for the recipe! My husband really enjoyed it and will definitely be making this again.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
December 22, 2018 at 1:24 amHi Susan! Yay! That’s wonderful! I love that you added potatoes. I need to try that! Thank you so much for making my recipe!
Mike S says
December 10, 2018 at 7:28 amAwesome recipe , the only thing I did different is add chicken stock instead of water. Wow so much more flavor. I also took the chicken off the bones and added the meat to the gravy add severed it over rice. Wife love it and so did I . Thank you Mike
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
December 10, 2018 at 12:45 pmHi Mike! Thank you so much for making my recipe! I am so glad you love it! I need to try your idea of taking it off the bones to mix with gravy. That sounds amazing!
Alyssa says
December 6, 2018 at 1:19 pmCan I do this with frozen thighs? If so how long?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
December 10, 2018 at 12:49 pmHi Alyssa! If you will use frozen thighs, you won’t be able to get the sear on the skin. I will have a new recipe for frozen thighs soon!
Bliss says
December 2, 2018 at 1:21 pmI have a newer IP, and it doesn’t have a manual setting. What setting should I use?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
December 2, 2018 at 2:50 pmFor newer models, use “Pressure Cook” button. Hope this helps!
Cheyenne says
November 29, 2018 at 9:53 amDoes the calorie count include the gravy?
Laurie says
November 19, 2018 at 11:52 pmI make this often. Cheap, easy, great meal. My spices are Adobo and smoked paprika. I make the gravy and serve with mashed potatoes (made in my other instant pot) and a vegetable from our garden. Thanks for sharing!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
November 20, 2018 at 1:30 amHi Laurie! That’s fantastic! Thank you so much! PS: I have two IPs too and love it! 😀
Nageen says
November 11, 2018 at 11:11 pmI made this today for my fiance and he loved it! I added some ginger in with the garlic for an added zing and it was amazing!
Carla says
November 3, 2018 at 8:15 pmI made these tonight with your Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
Both were delicious!!!! Thank you so much for sharing these recipes!! The gravy made from the chicken juices is fantastic!!!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
November 3, 2018 at 11:29 pmHi Carla! Yay! That’s fantastic! I am so happy you made both. Thank you so much!!
Becky says
September 28, 2018 at 6:13 pmBest chicken ever! I’ve made this many times and it never disappoints! Thanks for sharing this failproof delicious recipe!!! 😍
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
September 29, 2018 at 6:00 pmHi Becky! YAY! That’s fantastic! I am so happy to know you love it! Thank you!!
Brittany says
September 18, 2018 at 3:30 pmCan do boneless skinless chicken breast the same way?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
December 10, 2018 at 12:51 pmYes! Let me know if you make it, Brittany!
Gayle says
August 15, 2018 at 4:35 pmI need to make at least 10 to 12. Is it okay to make more than 4 at a time?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
August 15, 2018 at 11:26 pmHi Gayle! I wouldn’t go past 6. I think 10 or 12 is definitely too much. I recommend cooking in two batches. Let me know how it goes!
Carolyn says
December 9, 2018 at 3:37 pmIs that for a 6 qt or 8 qt?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
December 10, 2018 at 12:48 pmHi Carolyn! I have the 6qt but it will work just fine in the 8qt IP. Hope this helps!
chrisby says
August 7, 2018 at 11:39 amquestion the recipe calls for garlic (minced) when is it added?
Gayle Stine says
August 4, 2018 at 8:11 amI have boneless Chicken Thighs. What would the difference in time be?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
August 6, 2018 at 12:25 pmHi Gayle! If you brown them first the same way first, the cooking time will be 7 minutes. I hope this helps!
Robyn says
November 11, 2018 at 1:37 pmIs this for chicken thighs thawed? How long if frozen?
Lisa says
July 16, 2018 at 7:25 pmMade this tonight, so easy, so tender, so delish!!! I will definitely be making these again!!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
July 16, 2018 at 11:20 pmYay! Thank you so much, Lisa!
Amy says
July 16, 2018 at 12:13 pmThese look so juicy! They are cooked perfectly!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
July 16, 2018 at 11:21 pmThanks, Amy!
Maggie says
July 16, 2018 at 11:30 amWow, they look amazing! I can’t believe you can make that in an instant pot!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
July 16, 2018 at 11:21 pmRight? They look roasted in the oven but are cooked in the IP. Gotta love that pressure cooker!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
July 15, 2018 at 1:02 amThese are mouth watering!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
July 16, 2018 at 11:22 pmThanks, Erin!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
July 14, 2018 at 10:42 amThe color on your these chicken thighs is spectacular!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
July 16, 2018 at 11:24 pmThank you, Renee!
Jamielyn says
July 13, 2018 at 9:08 pmThese look so crispy and juicy!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
July 16, 2018 at 11:24 pmThey really are! Thanks, Jamielyn!
Delaney | Melanie Makes says
July 13, 2018 at 7:52 pmThis is such a great dinner!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
July 16, 2018 at 11:23 pmThank you!
Brandy @ Nutmeg Nanny says
July 13, 2018 at 7:50 pmIsn’t the Instant Pot the best?! This chicken looks like it’s cooked perfectly!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
July 16, 2018 at 11:23 pmI am obsessed with it! 😀 Thanks, Brandy!