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.
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- 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.
Suzy says
I made this last night, huge hit with my husband and teen boys! Delicious! I omitted the corn starch and water and used the spices as noted, made it in the oven, 400 for 40 mins instead of the instant pot because I tripled the recipe. Will absolutely be making this often!
Thank you for all of your amazing and simple recipes!
Barbara Cool says
I want to make this recipe but when I buy my meats, I freeze in my dinner size portions. So, will the times change for only 2 thighs???
Anna says
Hi Barbara! The cooking time stays the same for 2 chicken thighs. Enjoy the dish!
J says
June 2023. Made this IP Chicken Thigh Recipe tonight and had to let you know it was fantastic! I used skinless, boneless chicken thighs, and it worked beautifully! Hubs prefers mashed potatoes, so he had those, I had rice, and made some honey/cinnamon carrot coins to round out the meal. Thank you!
Sonya says
Ingredients on hand and an easy to follow recipe. The gravy was great, we served it over rice w a nice side salad. Def will be making again. Thank you!
Deborah says
I have made this so many times my husband is Very picky and he loves this recipe I just want to say thanks for sharing.
Deb says
Haven’t made yet but will be making tonight. Can you tell me how long the natural release takes cos never used IP before. Just so I can time my potatoes and veg to serve with them
Also, if add mushrooms will they be better sautéed first and added back in with water or sauté separately and add to juices just before thickening.
Mark Ruiz says
How can I cook this without a pressure cooker
ZQ says
This was easy, quick, and delicious. Even my 12 year old loved it and she is not a big fan of chicken. Thanks for sharing!
Sue says
This was pretty good. I also threw in some gnocchi, on sauté, when I took the chicken out to rest (and before adding cornstarch for gravy). Gnocchi are so quick and I like putting the IP to full use in cooking the whole meal. Another quick cooking veg could’ve been added at that stage too.
Anna says
Hi Sue! Thank you for making my recipe! I love that you added gnocchi! You can really play with this recipe and add more ingredients.
Maria Mariaa says
Chicken was really good! I added garlic and onion powder and a little Lemon pepper zest. Instead of water I used chicken broth. I also let it natural release all the way. Actual awesome. Well done!
Chris says
The recipe looked great and I tried to follow the instructions, but either operator error and machine error, the results were great but way under cooked after 4 times the recommended time.
5 stars for the quick and simple recipe as the IP never going from ON to Counting down the time is not related to the good information here.
Valerie says
Hi Chris, you may not have put the IP valve on “sealing” (turn toward the back; clockwise til it stops). Without that step, the pressure never builds up. Hope this helps
Lauren Camp says
Absolutely delicious! Such a simple and quick recipe to follow, the whole family loved it! Thank you!
Emily says
This recipe was super easy and the chicken came out perfectly! I didn’t use the spices because I was using a marinade for a different recipe but it still worked really well. I’m an instant pot novice but the instructions were super clear and easy to understand.
Anna says
Thank you so much, Emily! I am so glad you enjoyed the chicken!
jerrilyn says
Wow, a lot of great reviews I can't wait to try it! 🙂 Question: do i need the trivet or can I cook it directly in the pot? I hope I can I'd like to try it tonight. Trivet is in other home. 🙁
Anna says
I highly suggest using a trivet.
Chris Bear says
If you dont have the trivot, just add more fluid, half a cup to a cup. Beer and butter is fabulous... Then slow it down to the 'normal' setting - and add 4 to 5 minutes.... Wonderful outcome...
Bonnie Frank says
If you don't have a trivet, take foil and bunch up in balls 3 or 4 and place chicken on top of it.
Susan Daluga says
I'm excited to try this tonight. You don't need to set a temperature right? Just pressure cook and the time? I'm new to the IP. I have only done the Air Fryer lid.
Anna says
Hi Susan! My Instant Pot does not set the temperature, just make sure it is set to cook at high pressure. I hope this helps!
kristie says
Incredible for chicken salad - tender like pulled pork when shredding!
NNiemi says
Beyond amazing! My family loved this so much. Thank you for such a great recipe. I used chicken broth for the water and it made the gravy delicious. My chicken was frozen so I used someone else's suggestion and cooked it for 30 min, got impatient and released after 12 min. I broiled the chicken to crisp up the skin as I made the gravy. Wow, just wow!