Effortless Instant Pot Chicken Thighs: Your Ultimate Quick & Healthy Weeknight Dinner Solution
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Safeway. All opinions are 100% mine.
Transform your busy weeknights into culinary triumphs with this incredible Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe. Prepare a complete, mouth-watering dinner in your pressure cooker in mere minutes! This method ensures your chicken remains exceptionally juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor, making it a family favorite.
In today’s fast-paced world, finding time to prepare a nutritious and delicious meal can feel like an Olympic sport. Whether you’re juggling school runs, after-school activities, work deadlines, or simply managing the daily grind, life is undeniably hectic for most of us. This often leaves home cooks feeling stressed and reaching for less-than-healthy takeout options. But what if you could have a wholesome, flavorful meal on the table with minimal effort and cleanup?
That’s where the magic of the Instant Pot comes in! This Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe is a true game-changer. It takes all the guesswork out of dinner, simplifying your cooking process into a single pot. Imagine: a complete meal, from start to finish, with just one pan to wash. Less clean-up is always a massive bonus when it comes to mealtime, freeing up precious evening hours for relaxation or family time.
This time of year, many people are not only trying to get back into a routine but also aiming to refocus on healthier eating habits. This chicken thigh recipe aligns perfectly with those goals. For this dish, I opted for high-quality O Organics® chicken, fresh mushrooms, and vibrant parsley, ensuring a wholesome and delicious meal that I can confidently serve to my family. The rich, savory flavors combined with tender chicken and fluffy rice create a truly satisfying experience.
When it comes to sourcing ingredients for easy and healthy home-cooked meals, O Organics, Open Nature®, and the Signature Family of Brands offer an extensive range of products suitable for any night of the week. These exclusive brands, available at Safeway, are designed to provide quality and convenience without compromise. And to make things even better, throughout the month of January, you can find incredible deals and discounts across the entire store on a vast selection of these exclusive brand products! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to stock your pantry with these affordable, high-quality ingredients. You can even conveniently shop these exceptional products online here!
O Organics stands out by offering a wide variety of 100% USDA-certified organic products available in every aisle of your local Safeway. From fresh produce to pantry staples, O Organics products are consistently non-GMO and held to uncompromising standards of purity and quality. Choosing O Organics means you’re making a conscious decision for your family’s health and well-being, allowing you to feel great about every purchase.
How Long To Cook Chicken Thighs In The Instant Pot For Perfect Tenderness
Achieving perfectly cooked, tender chicken thighs in your Instant Pot depends on a couple of key factors: whether you’re using fresh or frozen chicken, and if the thighs are boneless or bone-in. Pressure cooking excels at locking in moisture and flavor, but slight adjustments to cooking times are essential for optimal results.
For Fresh Chicken Thighs:
- Boneless Chicken Thighs: Cook for 9 minutes under high pressure. This ensures they are cooked through yet remain incredibly juicy.
- Bone-In Chicken Thighs: Require a slightly longer cook time of 11 minutes under high pressure. The bone helps conduct heat, but the extra minute ensures thorough cooking.
For Frozen Chicken Thighs:
One of the greatest advantages of the Instant Pot is its ability to cook frozen meat efficiently, which is a lifesaver on those days when meal planning goes awry. Simply add an extra couple of minutes to your cooking time compared to fresh chicken.
- Boneless Frozen Chicken Thighs: Cook for 11 minutes under high pressure.
- Bone-In Frozen Chicken Thighs: Cook for 13 minutes under high pressure.
The ability to cook chicken thighs directly from frozen in the Instant Pot is truly revolutionary for busy cooks. There’s no need for thawing, which means you can have a healthy, homemade dinner even when you forgot to plan ahead or didn’t take meat out of the freezer. This flexibility makes pressure cooking an invaluable tool in any modern kitchen.
Step-by-Step: How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Rice
Creating this delicious one-pot meal is surprisingly simple. Follow these steps for a perfectly cooked dinner:
- Sear the Chicken: Begin by seasoning your chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Use the ‘Saute’ function on your Instant Pot to heat a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, brown the chicken thighs on both sides for 2-3 minutes until they develop a beautiful golden crust. This crucial step adds depth of flavor. Remove the browned chicken and set it aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add butter to the pot and let it melt. Toss in the finely chopped onions and sliced mushrooms. Sauté them for about 5 minutes until the onions become soft and translucent, and the mushrooms start to release their moisture. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Build the Base: Pour in the chicken broth, uncooked long-grain white rice, dried thyme, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, and poultry seasoning. Add another pinch of salt and pepper. Stir everything thoroughly to combine, ensuring the rice is evenly distributed at the bottom of the pot.
- Pressure Cook to Perfection: Gently place the previously browned chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture, ensuring they are not submerged but resting on the surface. Secure the Instant Pot lid, making sure it’s locked. Set the Instant Pot to cook on ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ (High Pressure) for 9 minutes (refer to the cooking notes below for precise times based on fresh/frozen and boneless/bone-in). Once cooking is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes before carefully performing a quick release of any remaining pressure.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once the pressure is fully released, open the lid. Carefully remove the cooked chicken thighs and set them aside. Use a fork to gently fluff the flavorful mushroom rice. Transfer a portion of the rice to plates, top with the tender chicken thighs, and sprinkle a generous amount of fresh parsley for a burst of color and herbaceous freshness. Serve immediately and savor your effortless creation!
This Instant Pot chicken and rice recipe is a fast-paced, pressure cooker adaptation of my beloved Creamy Chicken and Rice, a comforting dish that brings back cherished memories of my mom’s cooking. I absolutely love how I can now prepare this family favorite faster, easier, and even healthier, thanks to the convenience of my pressure cooker and the quality ingredients from O Organics.
If you enjoy exploring different cooking methods for chicken, and happen to own a sous vide machine, these Sous Vide Chicken Thighs are an absolute must-try. The sous vide method creates incredibly consistent and tender results that are hard to beat!
More Delicious and Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
If you’re constantly on the lookout for new and exciting ways to prepare chicken, you’ve come to the right place! Chicken is incredibly versatile, making it a perfect protein for a variety of meals. Here are some more fantastic chicken dinner recipes that are sure to please your palate and simplify your meal planning:
- One Pot Chicken Spinach Alfredo: Creamy, rich, and ridiculously easy, all in one pan.
- Fiesta Lime Chicken: A zesty and vibrant dish perfect for a flavorful weeknight.
- Margarita Grilled Chicken: Infused with citrus and a hint of tequila for a unique twist.
- Smoked Chicken Breast: For those who love deep, smoky flavors and tender meat.
- Easy Cashew Chicken: A quick and tasty homemade version of a takeout classic.
- Grilled Chicken Thighs with Chile Herb Sauce: Perfect for grilling season with a fresh, zesty sauce.
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot using the Saute function.
- Drizzle oil into the base of the pot. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to hot oil and brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add butter and stir until it is melted. Add onions and mushrooms to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes until they are starting to soften. Mix in garlic and cook for another minute.
- Pour in chicken broth, rice, thyme, oregano, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Gently arrange chicken on top of the rice mixture.
- Close and lock the lid. Switch Instant Pot to manual high pressure and cook for 9 minutes. Let it naturally release for 5 minutes, quick releasing to finish.
- Remove the chicken and fluff the rice with a fork. Top with a generous amount of parsley to serve.
Notes
- Boneless: 9 minutes on high pressure.
- Bone-In: 11 minutes on high pressure.
- Boneless: 11 minutes on high pressure.
- Bone-In: 13 minutes on high pressure.
Always ensure chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). If using larger or smaller thighs, adjust cooking time slightly.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation. Individual results may vary based on exact ingredients and preparation methods.
Additional Recipe Information
I’ve started a fantastic community group on Facebook, and I’d be absolutely delighted if you joined us! It’s a vibrant space where you can share your favorite recipes, ask cooking questions, and stay up-to-date with all the latest happenings and new recipes from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts. Don’t miss out on the fun!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag #dinnersdishes so I can see all the wonderful DINNERS, DISHES, AND DESSERTS recipes YOU create! Your culinary creations inspire me and the entire community.
For more delicious recipes and kitchen tips, be sure to follow me on my social media channels so you never miss a post!
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
.