Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Thighs
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Amazingly moist, tender, juicy lemon-thyme chicken, perfectly golden brown made in the IP in just 5 min!
Featured Comment
I’ve been on a huge chicken thigh binge lately. From the cilantro lime chicken thighs to the lemon garlic chicken thighs, it’s been all about the dark meat this summer. But when I’m not in the mood to grill or smoke out the house using a grill pan, the IP is here for the juiciest, most tender chicken thigh rescue.
why i love this recipe
- No more boring chicken dinners. The Instant Pot® does all the heavy lifting here, infusing the chicken thighs with all the fresh lemony goodness, yielding juicy, moist chicken every single time.
- No fuss, no muss. You only need a handful of ingredients for a simple lemon-thyme spice rub (no marinade needed here!) with just 5 minutes in the pressure cooker. So so quick.
- Versatile recipe. This recipe is a great base for a salad or served alongside roasted potatoes, or even dressed up and served with a light green salad, crusty bread and a glass of wine – perfect for a quick, easy weeknight dinner or even weekend company.
tips and tricks for success
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Use a metal trivet. This will prevent the chicken from absorbing too much of the liquid (think boiled chicken) and sticking to the bottom, yielding better circulation, even cooking and juicy chicken.
- Swap out the stock. Swap out the chicken stock for pineapple or apple juice for a little added sweetness.
- Avoid the poultry setting. The poultry setting on the Instant Pot is a pre-programmed function. Using the manual setting is ideal and a much better alternative, lending control and flexibility to avoid overcooked, rubbery, dry chicken.
- Save the leftovers. Leftovers make for great quesadillas, enchiladas, creamy chicken noodle soup and BBQ chicken pizza.
what to serve with instant pot lemon chicken thighs
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Thighs: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs (1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves = 1 teaspoon dried thyme).
While freshly squeezed lemon juice is always recommended, bottled lemon juice will work just fine in a pinch with such a small amount in this recipe (2 tablespoons).
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine thyme, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon canola oil; season with thyme mixture.
- Set 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Working in batches, add remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil and chicken, and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side; set aside.
- Place metal trivet into the pot and add chicken stock and lemon juice. Gently place chicken on top of the trivet, slightly overlapping. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Serve immediately.
Video
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Going to try this week because I have made your cilantro lime thighs so many times , we LOVE them. My husband gets excited when I make them!
Chicken thighs are my favorite! Totally trying this soon!
Sounds yummy! If I were to use 2 pounds of chicken, but a mix of thighs and breasts, would the cooking time change?
Cooking time should stay relatively the same but as always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications. Good luck, Holly! 🙂
Thanks!!
Holly , How did the mix turn out? Breasts are so much less Fatty than Dark meat, I am interested to know how this turned out!
This was my first time making this. It had a very little flavor to me and I called myself going over and beyond. I am not sure what i did wrong. However, I am willing to try this again.
Same, very little flavor for me too! I thickened the liquid in the pot and poured it over my chicken thighs – that helped. Would not make this again, sadly.
Hi–if I want to make a larger amount, like 3 pounds and maybe use my 8-quart Instant Pot, would I need to increase the time or the liquid? Thanks.
Yes, Caroline, both cooking time and amount of liquid will have to be adjusted accordingly.
This recipe sounds great! I am new to instant pot cooking, so I just want to make sure I understand the recipe and the parts of the instant pot to use in this recipe. Is the part of the IP to saute the the meat called the liner? Then I put the trivet in the liner? As I’m writing this, I’m thinking you can’t use the IP without the liner in the pot. Is that correct? Please let me know soon. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you
Hi Charli! I am happy to help but was wondering – when referring to the “liner”, are you referring to the stainless steel inner pot?
How would I convert this to a crockpot recipe
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
You would need to brown your chicken using EVOO in a frying pan first. Then I would deglaze the pan using broth or white wine if you choose. Then transfer all to crockpot and place vegetables all around. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Enjoy!