This post contains affiliate links.
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs cook perfectly tender and juicy in just 10-15 minutes, whether you're using fresh or frozen, bone-in or boneless chicken thighs.
The Easiest way to Cook Chicken is in the Instant Pot
The Easiest way to Cook Chicken is in the Instant PotI'm always amazed at how the Instant Pot transforms chicken thighs to fall-off-the-bone tender in just minutes! Cooking chicken this way if often a weeknight rescue when I forget to thaw chicken, because the instant pot can cook chicken from frozen. I also fall to this method for quick meal prep or to use cooked chicken in recipes like Chicken Taquitos, Chicken Alfredo Pizza, Chicken Casserole, or Chicken and Rice Enchiladas! Plus, the broth accumulated at the bottom of the pot makes the most incredible gravy with just a quick whisk of flour.
Check out all of my Instant Pot recipes, like Instant Pot Yogurt, Instant Pot Spaghetti, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup, Instant Pot Short Ribs!
How to cook Chicken Thighs in Instant Pot (Fresh or Frozen):
Sear (skip if chicken is frozen): Add oil to the bottom of the instant pot and heat on “sauté” setting. Once hot, cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until skin is crispy and golden. Take out of the instant pot.
Cook: Pour 1 cup of liquid in the bottom of the instant pot, scraping any browned bits left from searing. Place trivet inside and arrange chicken thighs on top. Put lid on and switch the vent to sealed. Push the manual pressure setting and cook:
- Boneless Thighs: Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes for fresh or 12 minutes for frozen thighs.
- Bone-in Thighs: Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes for fresh, or 15 minutes for frozen thighs.
Let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, then quick release by switching the venting valve. You can use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is at 165 degrees. If it's just shy, place the lid back on and let it rest for 5 more minutes. If it's not cooked to 160 yet, put the lid back on and cook for 1-3 minutes longer on high pressure.
Serve: Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving then enjoy with mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, roasted vegetables, or a baguette. Keep the liquid at the bottom of the instant pot and make some homemade gravy (instructions below)!
Make Chicken Gravy:
Save the extra liquid at the bottom of your instant pot after cooking for a simple and flavorful homemade chicken broth. You could even add piece of carrot, onion and celery to the liquid at the bottom of the pot to further flavor the broth while the chicken cooks. To make the simple gravy, just whisk together 3 Tablespoons water with 3 Tablespoons flour, until smooth. Stir the flour slurry into the hot broth at the bottom of the instant pot and turn the instant pot on to sauté setting. Cook, stirring until your gravy is thickened. Taste and season with chicken bouillon and additional salt and pepper, as needed. Serve with the chicken over mashed potatoes!
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Sear: (Skip this step if using frozen thighs). Set instant pot to saute setting. Add oil. Season chicken with desired seasonings. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until skin is crispy brown. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.2-3 lbs chicken thighs*, 2 Tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Add 1 cup of liquid (water, chicken broth, pineapple or apple juice) to the bottom of the instant pot, scraping up any browned bites that have stuck from searing the skin.1 cup liquid
- Pressure Cook: Place trivet inside and add chicken thighs on top. Secure lid on the instant pot and make sure the vent is set to “sealed”. For Boneless Thighs: Pressure cook on manual High for 8 minutes for fresh or 12 minutes for frozen thighs. For Bone-in Thighs: Pressure cook on manual High for 10 minutes for fresh, or 15 minutes for frozen thighs.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then turn the valve to “venting” to release any remaining steam. If desired, test chicken with a thermometer; it should reach 165 degrees. (If it’s just shy, place the lid back on and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. If the chicken is still not cooked secure the instant pot lid and cook for 1-3 minutes longer, on high pressure.)
- Rest chicken to rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Store leftover cooked chicken in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Do I need to sauté the chicken thighs? It's not required, but definitely recommended for best flavor, especially if serving them as a main dish. If using frozen thighs with the skin on, the skin will be limp after cooking so you can remove it, or broil the chicken for a few minutes to make the skin crispy before serving.
- Should I use the poultry setting? Be wary of the poultry setting on the instant pot. This setting is based on an average chicken thigh, and doesn’t take into account whether the thighs are boneless or bone-in. It is best to set the manual pressure on the instant pot yourself.
- Do I need to use a trivet? If you have the trivet that the instant pot comes with, it is best to cook the thighs in a layer on top of it. This will ensure the chicken is steamed and kept juicy instead of boiling in the liquid. If you are without a trivet, putting the chicken breasts directly into the liquid will work fine. You could also roll up a piece of aluminum foil and snake it around the bottom of the pot to create your own “rack” for the chicken to rest on.
- What should I season the chicken with? Chicken thighs are very flavorful and can benefit from a variety of different seasonings. Basic salt and pepper work great if you are doing meal prep to add chicken to salads or other meals. Add a sprinkle of paprika, garlic, and thyme if you are planning to serve your chicken thighs as a main dish.
- What size of Instant Pot should I use? You can cook chicken breasts in whatever size instant pot you have. Just make sure you add at least 1 cup of liquid, and ideally try to cook the chicken in a single layer, for even cooking. If you have a smaller instant pot you may want to cook the chicken in batches.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Text me new recipe ideas!
Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.
Follow Me
This recipe was originally published June 2020. Updated January 2026.
Photography by Nikole from The Travel Palate.
This is very simple, yet it yields more tender and flavorful chicken than many cookbook versions. When I followed them, I cooked the chicken for 12 minutes and letting the pressure release for 10. Those extra minutes yielded tough, dry dark meat.
This is the Juiciest chicken I have ever eaten or made!!!!! I have a trivit but have only used it for califlower. I pondered for hours because I have never used it for meat. It was SO worth the gamble I thought it was. I marinated fresh chicken thighs for several hours in (Watkins spiced maple marinade) also a gamble. So unbelievably delicious.
Now I’m pondering lotto tickets. This is now my forever go to recipe!!! Thank you So much for putting this recipe “out there”!!!
Hi Lauren, I have an 8 quart instant pot and I’m just wondering if you’ve had success doing multiple thighs at a time. I have 12 bone-in, skin on thighs and I’m wondering if it works if you use the trivet and then have to stack them to get them all in there? I really just want the meat to stay nice and juicy for a casserole I’m making. I don’t care about the skin.
I hope you see this message! thank you
Hi Holly, usually there’s no problem at all doing extra chicken in an Instant Pot. Just make sure to stagger them the best you can so one isn’t completely on top of another.
Skin-on, bone-in fresh thighs were perfectly done in 10 min with a 5 min NR, as written in the recipe above. Incredibly moist and delicious. I did sear them for 1-2 min to get color on the skin. I made a teriyaki sauce and added it to the chicken.
Thank you for sharing! Added tricolor version onion, peppers to skinless thighs and made a slurry for a slightly thickened gravy. Also a little honey.
Blessings
Can I add peas and potatoes to the chicken thighs and when could they be added.
Just a thought, If I’m using frozen skin on I’ll broil it after it’s done cooking to crisp the skin. Works amazing.
Yes! I broil mine afterwards with either BBQ or buffalo sauce. Perfect and gone so fast here!
Delicious and oh so easy! I’m new to the instant pot and this definitely has me hooked. Thank you for the recipe.
This was wonderful! I defrosted chicken thighs for 5 minutes in the microwave to get them apart, sprinkled them with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg and cooked them with 1 cup water and a teaspoon of chicken flavored “Better than Bouillon”. They came out perfectly and the gravy was delicious! No added seasonings needed. First time to use my instant pot with frozen meat and loved it!! 15 minutes was perfect! Thank you!
Omg this was so good and so simple. Thank you so m7ch, I am so glad I found this cuz I was going going to cook my thighs for 20 min in the InstaNtpot. They would have been too done. They ended up tasting delicious, cooked just right, was so easy to do. I can’t wait to try it again, with my boyfriend’s mom’s teriyaki sauce . Mmmm.