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Home Method Instant Pot Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
4.85
/5
30 minutes minutes

Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs

Gluten Free Gluten Free Low Carb Low Carb Nut Free Nut Free Freezer Friendly Freezer Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Annie18 Comments
Posted: 8/21/20 Updated: 11/17/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These Instant Pot lemon garlic chicken thighs are tender and infused with lemon garlic flavor. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, rice and vegetables! Low carb and freezer friendly.

Chicken thighs are one of my favorite things to cook in the Instant Pot as they come out tender, juicy, and so flavorful! While we love honey garlic chicken thighs as well as caprese chicken thighs, these lemon garlic chicken thighs are our new favorite!

spooning sauce over lemon chicken thighs

This recipe is all about the lemon garlic sauce: made with chicken stock, butter, white wine, garlic and plenty of lemon, it is flavorful and bright, but not sour the way lemon can sometimes be.

It's savory and the sauce is perfect for spooning over the chicken as well as a batch of perfect, fluffy rice, or Instant Pot broccoli.

Reasons you’ll ♡ Instant Pot lemon garlic chicken thighs

  • no sautéing means you can get the ingredients into the Instant Pot quickly
  • the chicken is tender, juicy, and infused with lemon garlic flavor
  • the sauce is perfect for spooning over rice and veggies

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see how simple it is to throw this recipe together. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

ingredients required to make instant pot lemon garlic chicken thighs

Ingredient notes

  • chicken thighs- feel free to swap for boneless skinless chicken breasts, and reduce the cook time to 8 minutes high pressure with a quick pressure release
  • white wine- is optional; feel free to omit it from the recipe
  • bouillon- this adds an extra boost of flavor. I recommend using Better than Bouillon, which is a chicken stock concentrate and adds just the right amount of chicken flavor without being too salty. I have not tried with powdered bouillon, and would advise to leave out the salt until you taste after cooking through, then add more as needed.

 

collage image showing how to make instant pot lemon garlic chicken thighs

Making this recipe

  1. In the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, stir together the garlic, salt, basil, lemon zest, chicken stock, bouillon, and white wine. Add chicken thighs and stir to coat. Scatter butter cubes over top.
  2. Pressure cook for 10 minutes, then do a quick pressure release: : carefully turn the steam release handle from the 'sealing' position into the 'venting' position.
  3. Add in the juice of ½ a lemon.
  4. Enjoy!

Quick pressure release

For this recipe, we are using a quick pressure release. This means that as soon as the cooking cycle is complete, we will immediately release the pressure from the Instant Pot. This ensures that your chicken will be tender and juicy rather than tough and overcooked.

If you'd like to learn more about quick versus natural pressure release, check out Instant Pot 101.

Broiling (optional)

As you can see from the photos, these lemon chicken thighs do not have a lot of color on them (don't worry, they still have a ton of flavor!). If you'd like to add some color to your chicken, you can transfer them to a baking sheet and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until golden.

After broiling, toss them back up in the sauce, then serve.

collage image showing before and after broiling chicken thighs

Meal prep

This recipe works amazingly well for meal prep and you can do it in one of two ways:

1. Cook ahead and reheat

Cook chicken according to the directions on the recipe card, and portion out into meal prep containers (we like serving with steamed broccoli and rice). Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Microwave until steaming hot, and do not reheat more than once.

Find my favorite meal prep containers here!

2. Freezer packs

You can prepare freezer to Instant Pot packs by combining all ingredients except for the lemon juice in a gallon-sized freezer bag, meal prep container, or reusable silicone bag. Squeeze out the air, then freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw completely and cook as directed in the recipe card.

Find my favorite freezer containers here!

lemon garlic chicken on plate with mashed potatoes and broccoli
Can I make the sauce creamy?

As written, this sauce is not creamy. Check out Instant Pot creamy lemon chicken breasts, and increase the cook time to 10 minutes at high pressure if you are using boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Can I freeze Instant Pot lemon chicken?

Yes, you can freeze before cooking (as freezer packs) or after cooking. I advise eating within 3 months.

Can I add potatoes or other vegetables?

I have not tested this recipe with potatoes, but think it could work cooked in the pot with the chicken (halved baby potatoes or red potatoes cut into 1.5 inch cubes). If you plan to cook other vegetables in the sauce, I'd advise removing the chicken after cooking through, set the pot to 'saute' and simmer the vegetables until softened to your liking.

Can I cook this in the slow cooker?

Yes, check out these slow cooker lemon garlic chicken thighs!

What goes well with Instant Pot lemon chicken?

  • Fluffy Mashed Cauliflower
  • Parmesan Cauliflower Rice
  • Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
  • Our Staple Kale Salad
  • Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower

lemon garlic chicken in the Instant Pot after cooking

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

  • 7 Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes
  • Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
  • Instant Pot Chicken Breast with Sun Dried Tomato Sauce
  • Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
  • Instant Pot Soy Ginger Chicken Breast

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

lemon garlic chicken in the Instant Pot after cooking

Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs

4.85 from 13 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Time to come to pressure: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Print Rate
These Instant Pot lemon garlic chicken thighs are tender and infused with lemon garlic flavor. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, rice and vegetables! Low carb and freezer friendly.
8

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ lemon zested; roughly 2 teaspoons
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillion see note 1
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes

30 Minutes Before Serving

  • ½ lemon juiced
  • parsley garnish
  • lemon slices garnish

Instructions 

  • In the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, mix together the garlic, salt, basil, lemon zest, chicken stock, chicken bouillon and white wine.
  • Add the chicken thighs and turn to coat in the sauce.
  • Scatter the butter cubes over top, then place the lid on the Instant Pot.
  • Set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position, and select 'pressure cook' ('manual' on older models) for 10 minutes at high pressure.
  • Once the cook cycle has completed, release the pressure immediately (quick pressure release) by carefully setting the steam release handle into the 'venting' position.
  • Stir in lemon juice and enjoy. See note 2

Tips:

1- I recommend Better than Bouillon; if you swap for powdered bouillon omit the salt and add it to taste after cooking the chicken through.
2- At this point, you may transfer the chicken thighs to a baking sheet and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown all over. This is completely optional but gives the chicken a nice golden color.
Storage
Once cooked, chicken may be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You may also portion out with rice and steamed vegetables in meal prep containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Freezer packs
To make Instant Pot 'dump' meals, assemble all ingredients except for the lemon juice in a gallon sized freezer bag, meal prep container or reusable silicone bag.
Squeeze out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw completely before cooking as directed above.
 

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/8 of recipe, Calories: 171kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 116mg, Sodium: 198mg, Potassium: 300mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 115IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
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Reader Interactions

4.85 from 13 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Kelly says

    Posted on 6/8/22 at Posted on 6/8/22

    5 stars
    This is such a great recipe! So much flavour and easy to make! If I wanted to double the recipe to make a bigger batch for when extended family is coming over, do know if layering the chicken thighs might impact cook time? Or should I avoid putting too much all at once? Any tips? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 6/15/22 at Posted on 6/15/22

      Hi Kelly! Great question that I don't totally know the answer to. My guess would be that it would be totally fine to layer them, but I have never tested a double batch of this one. Worst case scenario- the chicken is undercooked and you put the lid back on and add a few more minutes- the Instant Pot will come back to pressure quickly!

      Reply
  2. Sydney says

    Posted on 1/6/22 at Posted on 1/6/22

    5 stars
    I made this with lemon juice and half-defrosted chicken tenders, so I bumped the cooking time down to 8 minutes in the IP and they were fantastic! My kids and husband both loved this, and it paired well with biscuits, veggies and oranges for a meal I felt proud to serve my family without much hands on time. I will be coming back to this recipe for sure.

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 1/6/22 at Posted on 1/6/22

      Hi Sydney, that sounds delicious! We are so glad that the whole family enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!

      Reply
  3. Linda says

    Posted on 12/30/21 at Posted on 12/30/21

    5 stars
    Found this recipe while looking for Keto ideas that can be done in a short period of time. Made it last night and loved it!

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 1/3/22 at Posted on 1/3/22

      Hi Linda, that's amazing! So glad to hear that this recipe fit your requirements and turned out to be delicious. Thanks for leaving a rating and review!

      Reply
  4. Donna says

    Posted on 12/7/21 at Posted on 12/7/21

    Could I just add potatoes to cook along with thighs ?

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 12/8/21 at Posted on 12/8/21

      Hi Donna, we have not tested adding in potatoes along with these lemon garlic chicken thighs. It may change the cooking time, but if you sliced them up they might cook ok. Please report back to let us know how it turns out if you do try it! This post on perfect Instant Pot baked potatoes may be useful for you!

      Reply
  5. Andrea says

    Posted on 8/11/21 at Posted on 8/11/21

    5 stars
    This was easy to put together and super tasty! Everyone enjoyed it!

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 8/12/21 at Posted on 8/12/21

      Hi Andrea, we're so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!

      Reply
  6. Vanessa says

    Posted on 5/26/21 at Posted on 5/26/21

    3 stars
    So I made this as listed in the recipe. The final sauce is great, but man, the chicken thighs were far from done. Be sure to check your chicken before you eat it.

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 5/31/21 at Posted on 5/31/21

      Hi Vanessa, I'm sorry to hear that your chicken thighs weren't cooked through. Were you using boneless skinless chicken thighs?

      Reply
  7. Lisa says

    Posted on 1/9/21 at Posted on 1/9/21

    5 stars
    Started making this recipe at 5:30pm and we were eating at 6:05! My son and husband loved it! Served chicken over rice noodles with broccoli. Spooned sauce over everything and dusted it with parmigiana. Family kept saying they couldn’t believe how fast we made it. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 1/11/21 at Posted on 1/11/21

      Hi Lisa! Woo hoo, that's so awesome you had dinner on the table quickly, and that you all enjoyed it. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to come back and leave a review, I really appreciate it 🙂

      Reply
  8. Barbara Krall says

    Posted on 8/23/20 at Posted on 8/23/20

    Great, super quick recipe, thanks! While I adore mashed potatoes, all I had on hand were small purple potatoes. I thought about cooking them pot-in-pot on top, but opted to microwave them so they didn't turn into mush in the IP. The purple added nice contrasting color.

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 8/24/20 at Posted on 8/24/20

      Hi Barbara! Wow, you work fast! So happy to hear this recipe was a success for you. I wonder about pot in pot for the potatoes, too. I think it could work for mashed potatoes, but haven't tried?

      Reply
  9. Patsy Owens says

    Posted on 8/21/20 at Posted on 8/21/20

    Thanks! Also happy with a recipe of yours. Stay well!

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 8/24/20 at Posted on 8/24/20

      Thanks, Patsy! I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Annie

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

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