Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken- Want to impress your family/guests? This chicken is SO tender and juicy and bursting with flavor! Lemon, Garlic and Butter. What’s not to love? Ready in under 30 mins. {Keto, Low Carb, Easily Whole 30 or Paleo- instructions in recipe}
This recipe just goes to show that really delicious restaurant quality food doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming and can be made at home in the Instant Pot. What? Really? Yes.. Absolutely! Here’s how to make this easy lemon garlic chicken goodness:
How to Make Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Combine spices in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture on both sides of chicken thighs.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add olive oil. Once oil is hot add chicken thighs (work in batches if not all thighs will fit flat in pot). Cook each side of chicken thigh, until browned (about 2-3 minutes per side). Remove chicken from Instant Pot and set aside.
- Melt butter (or Ghee) in Instant Pot and add shallots and minced garlic. Allow to cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice and deglaze the pan by using a wooden spoon to scrap any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add zest of ½ lemon and chicken broth. Add chicken back to instant pot and turn off the sauté function.
- Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes then do a QUICK RELEASE to remove pressure from the pot. Remove chicken thighs from Instant Pot to serving tray. Retaining any remaining liquid in the Instant Pot.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add cream (coconut milk) to pot and cook for a few minutes to thicken up sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken thighs. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Browning chicken in skillet vs. instant pot
If you prefer you can easily brown the chicken thighs in a large skillet over medium-high heat vs. browning in the Instant Pot. I find it easier to brown the chicken in a skillet plus it allows me to cook a larger number of chicken thighs at the same time.
Can you use frozen chicken thighs for Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken?
Yes you can, but for this recipe you'll need to thaw the chicken first. The combination of coating the chicken with spices plus searing prior to cooking really helps to seal in all those amazing flavors. Using frozen chicken (in its frozen state) would mean missing out on those two critical steps.
Can you use Chicken Breasts instead of Chicken Thighs?
Sure, no problem! Just increase the cooking time to 15 minutes. After the cooking cycle is complete, do a Quick Release to remove pressure from the pot.
Making this recipe Whole 30 or Paleo
With a few easy substitutions this recipe can easily be Whole 30 compliant or Paleo. Swap out the butter for Ghee, use coconut oil (or Ghee) instead of olive oil and swap out the heavy cream for canned coconut milk or coconut cream. Substitutions are listed in the recipe.
What to serve with Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
That’s the beauty of this dish..it’s so versatile! It teams up really nicely with so many different dishes. The bright lemon flavor works really well with roasted or steamed asparagus, broccoli, green beans, or zucchini.
Pair it with rice, cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes or cauliflower mashed potatoes (which can also be made in the Instant Pot) . Try it with a simple green salad and Instant Pot Parmesan + Chive Red Potatoes . I also like to slice up a piece of Lemon Garlic Chicken to add protein to my lunch salads.
Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
This chicken is SO tender and juicy and bursting with flavor! Lemon, Garlic and
Butter What’s not to love? Ready in under 30 mins. {Keto, Low Carb, Easily Whole 30 or Paleo-
instructions in recipe}
Ingredients
- 8 boneless chicken thighs approx. 2.5 lbs with or without skin *
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp butter or Ghee for Whole 30 and Paleo
- 1 shallot chopped ( or ½ small onion)
- 3 cloves garlic minced (approx.3 tsp)
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- ¾ cup chicken broth low sodium
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream or coconut milk (from can for Whole 30 or Paleo)
- Fresh parsley and lemon slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse chicken thighs, pat dry with paper towels, set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, paprika, chili flakes and salt & papper. Sprinkle spices on both sides of chicken thighs.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add olive oil. Once oil is hot add chicken thighs (working
in batches if not all thighs will fit flat in pot). Cook each side of chicken thigh, until
browned ( about 2-3 minutes per side). Remove chicken from Instant Pot and set
aside. - Melt butter (or Ghee) in Instant Pot and add shallots and minced garlic. Allow to cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice and deglaze the pan by using a wooden spoon to scrap any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add zest of ½ lemon and chicken broth. Add chicken back to instant pot and turn off the sauté function.
- Set Instant Pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK on High Pressure for 8 minutes. Once cooking cycle is complete do a QUICK RELEASE to remove pressure from the pot. Remove chicken thighs from Instant Pot to serving tray. Retaining any remaining liquid in the Instant Pot.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add cream (or coconut milk) to pot with remaining liquid and cook for a few minutes to thicken up sauce. (For thicker sauce, whisk together 1 tsp cornstarch and 1Tbsp cold water to form a slurry and stir into sauce, allowing sauce to bubble and thicken). Spoon sauce over chicken thighs. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Do the chicken thighs need to be on trivet when pressure cooking?
Hi Brenna, Nope, it's not necessary to put the chicken on the trivet. You can add the chicken to the inner pot directly (after adding the broth). If necessary you can stack the chicken thighs on top of one another if they wont all fit on the bottom of the pot. Hope that helps! and hope you enjoy!
What would the cooking time be for 4 chicken thighs?
Hi Brenda..the cooking time would remain the same. Think of it kind of like baking a loaf of bread in the oven. Let's say it took 20 mins to cook one loaf of bread. Two loaves would also take 20 mins. Same concept applies to the Instant Pot. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it a couple of times now. I use low fat milk at the end (what I have on hand) and then thicken it a little with the cornstarch and water mixture Thanks!
Is it okay if I use chicken breasts instead?
Sure, no problem! Just increase the cooking time to 15 minutes. After the cooking cycle is complete, do a Quick Release to remove pressure from the pot.
Yum! Very good!