Caprese Instant Pot chicken thighs are perfect for summer! Chicken thighs are cooked to juicy perfection in a sweet, tangy balsamic sauce, then topped with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil.
At our house, caprese salad is on repeat all summer long, and now we are adding these caprese chicken thighs to the mix!
There is just no better flavor combination in this world than balsamic + summer tomatoes + basil + mozzarella, right?
I am a huge fan of cooking boneless skinless chicken breasts in the Instant Pot (you can find 7 Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes over here!), but turns out, it's a pretty great way to cook chicken thighs as well.
These caprese Instant Pot chicken thighs
- can be assembled ahead and frozen for easy Instant Pot freezer packs
- can be cooked and on your table in under 30 minutes
- are paleo, gluten-free and full of clean ingredients
How to make caprese chicken in the Instant Pot
This recipe is really simple and you are rewarded with incredible flavor for very little effort.
- Cook your boneless skinless chicken thighs in the balsamic sauce (chicken stock + maple syrup + balsamic vinegar) for 10 minutes in the Instant Pot.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the Instant Pot and reduce the sauce using the sautee function of the IP. Stir in cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
- Place a slice of mozzarella on each chicken thigh and stick it under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
- Serve the caprese chicken thighs straight from the oven with a big drizzle of sauce.
Can I make this recipe with chicken breasts?
Yes! Adjust cook time to 8 minutes for 7 oz boneless chicken breasts.
Bone in/skin on chicken thighs?
I don't recommend it since they can really let off a lot of fat that is unappetizing in the sauce. If you were to use bone in/skin on, I'd cook them on a trivet using just 1 cup of water, then prepare the reduction on the stove top separately.
Can I make this recipe low carb?
This recipe is on the lower end of the carb spectrum with 15 g carbs per serving but you could can make this recipe keto compliant and shave off 9 g carbs per serving by omitting the maple syrup. You could try swapping it for monk fruit sweetener, though I am unsure of the quantities you'd need as I have not tried this myself.
What goes well with caprese chicken thighs?
- grilled or roasted potatoes
- one of these 7 Easy Rice Recipes
- grilled or roasted veggies
- a simple salad like this Staple Kale Salad or this Spiralized Cucumber Salad
Recipe tips
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot; this recipe has not been tested in an 8 quart or mini
- I recommend removing any large pieces of fat from the thighs to keep it from getting into the sauce
- make sure you use heavy duty freezer bags
if you are going to make freezer packs - looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Try these Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Breasts, this Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower, or this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Soy Ginger Sauce
if you are going to make freezer packsDid you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Caprese Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chicken stock (or water)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup (or honey)
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (roughly 8 thighs; trim excess fat)
- 8 slices mozzarella
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup basil leaves torn
Instructions
- In the base of a 6 quart Instant Pot, mix together the stock, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup until combined.
- Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, with a quick pressure release (immediately release the pressure when the timer beeps).
- Carefully transfer the chicken thighs to a baking sheet. Place a slice of cheese on each chicken thigh.
- Select 'sautee' (you may need to cancel the keep warm setting first), then simmer the sauce for 4-5 minutes, until it starts to thicken. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer another 1-2 minutes until they are softened slightly. Stir in the basil.
- Place chicken under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Serve the chicken with a big scoop of the tomato/basil/balsamic sauce. Enjoy!
To prepare ahead and freeze
- In a gallon sized freezer bag (or eco-friendly silicone freezer bag), combine the chicken thighs, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup.
- Squeeze out extra air and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before cooking as directed above.
Tips:
Nutrition Information
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Allison says
I usually don't like balsamic vinegar, but the maple syrup compliments it beautifully! Awesome way to use up my garden tomatoes and basil, it was easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Suprena Flamand says
I have made this three or four times and every time he sauce breaks and will not reduce. I make sure I have as much fat off the thighs as I can. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Suprena, I'm so sorry to hear you had troubles with the recipe. I'm not sure what happened! We will have to retest and update this post - thank you for coming back to leave a rating and review to let us know!
Allison says
I let the sauce simmer longer than instructed and it thickened up nicely.
Jess Nunez says
Love this recipe! I have made it once a week for the last month. However, I am curious how much more cook time is needed if I am using bone-in skinless thighs? That's all they had at the store due to the holiday. Can you advise?
Thanks again for such a lovely recipe!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Jess, so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! As per Denise's Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs can be cooked for 12 minutes high pressure + quick pressure release. I think this should work for your bone-in skinless chicken thighs - but if you give it a go could you please come back and leave a comment to let us know how they turn out? We'd love to hear your feedback! Thanks and I hope this helps.
Jess Nunez says
Thank you for the info, Jasmine! They turned out beautifully! I cooked the thighs for 13 minutes just to be safe as they were pretty large, and they could've likely gone another minute or two and still been perfectly juicy. Our household absolutely loves this recipe, so thank you for bringing this to our table!
Candi says
Doesn't the 6 QT Instant pot need a minimum of 1 cup of liquid? And this recipe has 3/4 a cup? I ALWAYS get a burn warning on my instant pot......
Denise Bustard says
Hi Candi, yes, this is what the manual says, however I've had some success cooking with less liquid than it calls for with no issues, including this one. Though I have not tested this one in an 8 quart Instant Pot.
Carmen says
I have an 8 quart and I always add an extra 1/2 cup of liquid. I've never gotten the burn warning. If there's too much liquid at the end I put it on saute for a few minutes and let it cook down. I'm going to try this recipe tomorrow night.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Carmen, thanks for weighing in! Please be sure to report back and let us know how this recipe turns out for you when you make it tomorrow! Enjoy!
Carmen says
I made this tonight in an 8 quart IP. I made 1/2 a recipe because there's only 2 of us. I did however double the chicken broth to 1/2 cup because I was cooking in an 8 quart. I did have to cook the liquid down on saute after I took the chicken out. It came out just like the picture and it was delicious. Definitely a make again.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Carmen, so glad to hear! Thanks for leaving a rating and review, and we're so glad you found a new recipe to add to your weekly rotation!
STEVEN MOSHLAK says
I decided to make it in an 8qt Ninja Foodie pot. Followed the directions, but increased the chicken, fluids, and other ingredients, proportionally.
About 90% Of the thighs did not break apart. The trick was using a soup scoop, and instead of an oven, I used the Ninja Foodie Grill, to melt the cheese and brown one side of the chicken. Everything tasted great.
Got the balance of the sauce and chicken, in the fridge. Next stop, freeze it. 😁
Denise Bustard says
Hi Steven, I'm so happy to hear you had recipe success! Thanks for sharing your tips <3
kohl says
This was really good! I was on the fence about not browning the chicken but I made it as written and it was great. It also didn't make the house smell like vinegar, which my husband appreciated. Only made one small change - I subbed 2 tablespoons of Monkfruit Golden Sweetener for the maple syrup to lower the carb count. Worked great!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Kohl, thanks so much for coming back and leaving a review! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for leaving your swaps as that helps a lot for other readers!
Tori Hill says
This sounded so good but the sauce separated after cooking with the thighs in the IP. Now it won’t reduce and thicken. What went wrong?
Denise says
Hi Tori, I'm so sorry to hear you had troubles with the recipe. I'm not sure what happened. I will have to retest.
julie says
Tried this recipe in my 8 quart and it worked really well!
Denise says
Hi Julie! I'm so happy to hear it worked in your 8 quart! Thank you for taking time out of your day to leave a review 🙂
Mary Oberembt says
Recipe itself omits adding the cheese. Easy fix.
Denise says
Thank you, will fix ASAP!
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
Love everything about this recipe! Plus I can use cherry tomatoes and basil from my garden...can't wait to make this! 🙂
Denise says
Thanks so much! Oh how I wish I had fresh garden tomatoes!