This Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe is the best and easy way to cook bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs in your pressure cooker. Bonus: you can also make delicious gravy!
I like to serve this chicken with mashed potatoes or rice. If you like a lemon and garlic combo, my Instant Pot Lemon Chicken is made with boneless skinless thighs.
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Why This Recipe Works
I am so excited to share my recipe and tips on how to cook chicken thighs in the Instant Pot! It's my favorite way to cook this cut of chicken in my pressure cooker. They are juicy and flavorful with golden brown buttery skin. Perfect served for a main dish or meal prep chicken cooked ahead of time for other dishes.
These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs are so easy to make and budget-friendly. I use the thighs as a main dish or remove the meat off the bones and use it in other recipes, as it is very flavorful because it's dark meat. I save the liquid from cooking for soups or making gravy to serve over the chicken. Gravy is always a good idea, just like in my Instant Pot Turkey Breast recipe!
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. Just sprinkle it over the chicken and cook. That's it!
Ingredients:
- chicken thighs: I used skin-on and bone-in thighs; I recommend counting one thigh per person;
- olive oil and butter: my favorite combo for browning chicken;
- garlic: I prefer fresh but garlic powder can be used as well;
- seasoning: paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper;
- cornstarch: mixed with water, it will make a thickener to make the gravy with the liquid left after cooking the chicken.
How to cook chicken thighs in the Instant Pot?
- 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 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 to the other side and let it cook for just a minute.
- Press the "cancel/off" button. Remove the chicken onto a plate and add water to the Instant Pot. 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 Fahrenheit. I checked my chicken thighs and they all were around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Helpful Tips!
- 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 a combination of olive oil and butter for beautifully golden brown skin. That also means lots of flavors!
- 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 the 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.
How to make the gravy?
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.
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 this dish?
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!
For more recipes using the digital pressure cooker, feel free to browse our Instant Pot Category. Also, check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance! Seeing BURN message on your IP? Read my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn why and how to save your dish.
More Instant Pot recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Trim excess skin and fat from chicken thighs.4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Season with salt, pepper, paprika and oregano on the skin side.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 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.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter
- When the butter is melted and sizzling, add garlic and stir in. Add chicken thighs to IP skin side down.1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 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.1 cup water
- 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 ¼ 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.1 tablespoon cornstarch
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- Let the chicken thighs rest for 10 minutes before serving. It will prevent the juices from escaping the meat.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Dar says
I am a newbie to Instant Pot cooking. I want to try this recipe, but I have chicken leg quarters. Can I substitute these for just thighs? Do I have to separate the leg from the thigh and just use the thigh? I'd like to use the whole leg quarter if possible. What adjustments might this require ? Thanks.
Kitty says
Hey, Dar! On May 15th, 2019, Whalefreak said they used chicken legs quarters. I hope this helps!
Kimball says
Just made this I added Sliced button mushrooms in the gravy because we like them.
The recipe is a keeper
Anna says
Thank you, Kimball!
Rhia says
Just curious if you cooked the mushrooms in with the liquid during pressure cooking? Or did you sauté them in at the end? Thanks 🙂
Shanda says
OMG. Just made this. I used chicken broth instead of water and threw a bay leaf into the gravy. Delicious!!
Cindy J says
This 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
Hubby 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
Hi 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!
Leigh Lopez says
Was AMAZING. The gravy is amazing! I'll be making this again and again. Thank you!
Lucy says
I 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!!!
Wendy says
Hi
Did you let do NR after 13 minutes or QR? Need to do about 10 thighs as well.
Iza says
Hi Wendy,
Curious which option you chose re: NR and QR?
I’m leaning towards a 15-20
Min NR. Or longer I’m case hubby is not home in 20
Ruth says
I 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
Hi Ruth! Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I love that you grilled them first! Thank you for sharing!
Whalefreak says
Hi 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
That'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
What if I don’t have a trivet for my pressure cooker?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi 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
Can i put the chicken into the water? I dont have a trivet and dont want to use foil
Anna says
Hi 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!
Dennis Lowery says
If you don't have a trivet you can cut a potato into four quarters and set the chicken on top of the potato wedges, problem solved.
Darla says
Cooked 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
Hi Darla! Check the thighs with a meat thermometer and cook for a few more minutes at high pressure or in the oven.
Mack says
This 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
Hi 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
When is the garlic added?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Clay! It's in step 5.
Mandy says
I 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
I haven't tried making chicken thighs in my Instant Pot, yet. These look amazing -- definitely making them!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thanks, Tara!
Billy says
I've got to get with the instant pot program, these chicken thighs look super good.
Mallory Lanz says
My husband loves the basic flavors on this chicken. It makes a great addition to our weeknight meal rotation.