• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
DadCooksDinner
  • Home
  • Rotisserie
  • Recipes
  • Tools
  • Books
  • Merch
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Tools
  • Merch
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Books
    • Tools
    • Merch
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Pressure cooker

    Instant Pot Quick Chicken Thighs

    Published: Jul 30, 2019 · Modified: May 28, 2022 by Mike Vrobel · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    A chicken thigh, sprinkled with herbs, on a teal plate, in front of bowls of herbs and more chicken.

    I sense a disturbance in the Dark Meat. Chicken thighs are having an online moment, with a bunch of posts singing their praises. Finally! To lure you to the dark side1, here is my simplest dark meat recipe - Instant Pot Quick Chicken Thighs.

    A chicken thigh, sprinkled with herbs, on a teal plate, in front of bowls of herbs and more chicken.
    Instant Pot Quick Chicken Thighs

    I use this recipe when the planets align against me2, the boss is breathing down my neck3, and the kids are just not listening to me4. When force-choking another incompetent co-worker just feels like too much effort…this is what I make for dinner.

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    A chicken thigh, sprinkled with herbs, on a teal plate, in front of bowls of herbs and more chicken.

    Instant Pot Quick Chicken Thighs


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Mike Vrobel
    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: 8 thighs 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Instant Pot Quick Chicken Thighs. Join the Dark Side (of the chicken) with this easy pressure cooker recipe


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
    • 8 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on (about 3 pounds)
    • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (optional)
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
    • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    • 1 cup water

    Instructions

    1. Season and brown the chicken thighs: Heat the teaspoon of oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat (sauté mode adjusted to high in an Instant Pot) until the oil is shimmering. Sprinkle the chicken thighs evenly with the salt, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, and fresh ground black pepper. Brown the thighs in two batches: Put four of the chicken thighs in the pot, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Move the browned thighs to a bowl, then brown the remaining 4 thighs, skin side down, about 5 more minutes. Move the second batch of thighs to the bowl.
    2. Pressure cook the chicken thighs: Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker pot. Add the cooking rack to the pot and pile the chicken thighs on in 2 layers, then pour in any chicken juices in the bowl. Lock the lid and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes in an electric pressure cooker, or for 16 minutes in a stovetop PC. (Use “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot.) After pressure cooking, quick release the pressure from the pot. (Be careful - that steam is scalding hot.)
    3. Serve: Lift the chicken thighs out of the pot and on to a platter. (Be gentle - they will be fall-apart tender). Spoon a little of the pot liquid over the thighs, serve, and enjoy.

    Equipment

    Pressure Cooker Bakeware Sling

    Buy Now →

    6-Quart Pressure Cooker

    Buy Now →

    Notes

    • Want to crisp the chicken skin a bit more? After cooking and releasing the pressure, set the chicken thighs on a rimmed baking sheet, skin-side up, and run them under a broiler until the skin starts to brown and bubble, about 5 minutes. (The time depends on your broiler - there’s a huge range in heat output. Keep an eye on the thighs, and pull them out when they look browned.)

    Tools

    • 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker)
    • Cooking rack (this silicone bakeware sling with handlesis my favorite)
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Category: Weeknight Dinner
    • Method: Pressure Cooker
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: Instant Pot Quick Chicken Thighs, Pressure Cooker Quick Chicken Thighs

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @DadCooksDinner on Instagram and hashtag it #DadCooksDinner

    What do you think?

    Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

    Related Posts

    Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
    Pressure Cooker Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
    Pressure Cooker Chicken Legs with Herb Rub
    Pollo a la Brasa (rotisserie Peruvian chicken)
    My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes

    Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner via email and share this post with your friends. Want to contribute directly? Donate to my Tip Jar, or buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site. Thank you.

    1. Join us! We have flavor! Together we will rule the galaxy! ↩
    2. Curse those rebel scum! ↩
    3. The emperor wants to know when his space station will be fully operational. ↩
    4. My son just blew up the emperor’s last space station by “letting go and trusting his feelings.” ↩

    More Pressure cooker

    • Shredded pork on a bed of rice, with an Instant Pot, jar of Recaito, and Sazon packets
      Instant Pot Puerto Rican Pulled Pork (Pernil al Caldero)
    • Mexican Brown Rice in a bowl
      Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
    • A plate of brisket slices with a pickle, onion, and bbq sauce
      Instant Pot Beef Brisket
    • Two jars of chicken broth on a wood table in front of an Instant Pot
      Instant Pot Chicken Broth

    Sharing is caring!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mike Vrobel says

      August 15, 2019 at 10:08 am

      Thanks, Dave! Fixed.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Dave says

      August 15, 2019 at 8:59 am

      No need to publish this comment but wanted to let you know I think you have a typo or at least there is confusion in your post. The entire thing talks about chicken thighs except in instruction #2 where it says to cook the chicken legs. Thought you'd want to know.... Thanks for your awesome blog! You inspired me to take the instant pot leap and now it's the primary cooking device in our house!

      Reply

    Questions? Made the Recipe? Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Dad Cooks Dinner! I'm Mike Vrobel, a dad who cooks dinner every night. I'm an enthusiastic home cook, and I write about pressure cooking, rotisserie grilling, and other food topics that grab my attention.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Three bowls of cooked Pinto Beans on a wood table
      Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soaking)
    • Pressure Cooker Beef Shank (Osso Bucco)
    • Pressure Cooker 7 Hour Leg of Lamb (in 90 minutes)
      Pressure Cooker 7 Hour Leg of Lamb (in 90 minutes)
    • Pressure Cooker Brown Jasmine Rice

    Recent

    • Slices of flat iron steak cooked medium
      Sous Vide Flat Iron Steak (24 Hours to Tenderness)
    • A bowl of Instant Pot Pastalaya with hot sauces and spices
      Instant Pot Pastalaya (One-Pot Cajun Pasta Jambalaya)
    • A bowl of beef and barley soup
      Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup (Pressure Cooker)
    • A piece of carrot cake on a purple plate
      Instant Pot Carrot Cake (with Cream Cheese Frosting)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Dad Cooks Dinner

    118 shares