Cooking It From Frozen
To cook instant pot frozen boneless chicken thighs, run them under water to deglaze and remove ice then season with dry spice rub. Because it’s frozen, you will not be able to brown the skin before cooking you will do it after cooking the chicken.
Add water to the pot of the instant pot and place a trivet in the pot. Arrange the chicken thighs on the trivet then close the IP with its lid.
Set the instant pot to pressure cook for 10 minutes and then do a 5 minutes natural pressure release.
If you’d like to brown it, pour the broth from the chicken into a bowl and wash the inner pot.
Set instant pot to saute then add oil in to the inner pot.
When the oil is heated, add the chicken thighs and brown the sides for 2 minutes each or till browned.
You can broil them in the oven if you prefer.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken
Yes! In fact, the first time I tested this recipe I used a block of frozen chicken thighs. They were shockingly delicious. Simply follow the recipe exactly, skip browning the chicken, and add 4 to 5 minutes more cooking time. If you wish, increase the spice amount by just a touch.
Note: You can find all the detailed instructions for cooking frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot in the recipe notes.
How To Cook Chicken Legs In The Instant Pot
Youll need the trivet that came with the Instant Pot. If you dont have one, you can set the chicken directly in the pot. I like the texture of the chicken more when its on the trivet. Its more tender and less water-logged, for lack of a better descriptor.
Seasoning the chicken legs before cooking adds a ton of flavor. I season almost everything with my homemade dry rub. You can find the recipe at that link. Its fine to season with seasoning salt or just salt and pepper.
Pour a cup of hot chicken broth into the base of the pot. Add the trivet. Then place the legs evenly on the trivet. This recipe is for just 2 servings, but you can make as many chicken legs as you need, just stack them up.
Close the lid and seal the vent. Press the pressure cook button and set the time to 10 minutes. After this, allow natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure.
You can cook frozen chicken legs in the Instant Pot, if youve forgotten or havent had time to thaw in advance. If youre cooking these chicken legs from frozen, youll need to give them 14 minutes of cook time, and I also sometimes extend the pressure release to 8 minutes.
Be sure to visit our Instant Pot Guide for more tips and great recipes!
At this point, you can serve the chicken legs as is. They are nicely seasoned and tasty. Or you can brush them with BBQ sauce , buffalo sauce, or a glaze, like this delicious honey sriracha sauce.
Also Check: How Long Do You Cook Ribs In An Instant Pot
How To Store Instant Pot Chicken
- Leftover cooked, shredded, or diced Instant Pot chicken can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight.
- Shredded Instant Pot Chicken is IDEAL for meal prep. Make a big batch at the beginning of the week, divide into individual containers, then use it all week long.
How To Make Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
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How To Make Perfect Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Though making shredded chicken in the Instant Pot is super simple, if this is your first time , youll want to keep a few things in mind:
- Dont forget to add water its really important to add water to the Instant Pot before securing the lid and setting it to cook. The water is what actually causes the Instant Pot to pressurize, so if you forget to add it, youll likely get a burn notice from your Instant Pot, and will need to open it back up and add water/broth at that point.
- Account for the Instant Pot coming to pressure+ the natural release while this recipe calls for cooking the chicken for 20 minutes at high pressure, dont forget to account for the 10-15 minutes that itll take to get the Instant Pot up to pressure + the 10ish minutes itll take for the Instant Pot to release its pressure naturally. In other words, if you need dinner ready at 6:00, dont put your chicken in at 5:40 and expect it to be totally done in time!
- Use fresh chicken while you can absolutely cook chicken from frozen in the Instant Pot, this recipe is written for fresh chicken. We have all kinds of really great instructions for cooking chicken in the Instant Pot from frozen here if youd rather go that route!
- Keep it simple we recommend keeping your Instant Pot shredded chicken really simple so that you can use it for a variety of meals and flavor profiles. If you season it with something really distinct while cooking, you may feel limited in what you can use it in.
Can I Use Chicken Breast
Yes you can. With a few considerations to keep in mind. Dark chicken meat is forgiving, even when overcooked in the Instant pot by a minute or two. Meltingly-tender, you just can’t mess it up. Chicken breast on the hand, is not that straightforward or easy. It just almost always will taste dry. If you have no choice but to use breasts, reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes, and consider shredding the cooked chicken into the sauce.
Recommended Reading: Defrost Ground Beef In Instant Pot
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since when is 17 grams of sugar 19% of the daily recommended intake?The AHA recommends a maximum of 24 grams of sugar for most women
For a much longer time! I suppose you might need to add a bit of extra liquid at first and perhaps reduce it in a saucepan at the end. Otherwise I would think 3-4 hours on high or 4-6 on low.
There is a slow cooker recipe for this dish. Just do a search. I saw it earlier.
This was awesome!! I will be making this again!! Everyone loved it!! I didnt have fresh parsley so I used Italian seasoning.
Family favorite in my house, even the kids cant get enough.
Thats great! Im very happy everyone loved it! Thank YOU!
I used Cilantro and it was perfect. Have made it several times.
Hi Katerina! Im new to using an Instant Pot, and I dont see a Poultry setting on mine. I didnt find one mentioned in the owners manual either. The closest setting I have is Meat/Stew. Somehow I muddled around and managed to cook your recipe, and it turned out well, but Im guessing theres an easier way. What setting do I use if I dont have a poultry setting?
Thats great! Im very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU!
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Instant Pot Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe
This instant pot boneless skinless chicken thighs recipe is quick and cooks in less than 20 minutes in the pressure cooker.
It’s well seasoned with a few herbs and spices but you can use or add a bit of your favorite homemade or store-bought seasoning.
Cooking it in an instant pot is quicker than making it in the oven or air fryer and it comes out perfectly cooked.
It’s not every time one wants to deal with bone-in chicken and this recipe is just perfect.
It’s easy to cook and no babysitting it while it cooks as the instant pot alerts you when it’s ready.
It’s a one pot recipe so less stress cleaning up after cooking.
I have used fresh ones but you can also use frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs. I have included instructions for that too.
Also Check: How Long To Cook Pre Cooked Ribs In Instant Pot
Make This Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe In 8 Easy Steps
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
Make this simple Chicken Thighs Instant Pot recipe in only 8 steps. See the variations section below for modification options.
How Long To Cook Boneless Chicken Thighs In Instant Pot
This depends on the size and thickness, and whether you’re cooking it from fresh or frozen.
If cooking it from fresh, for average size using this recipe, it takes 14 minutes. 4 minutes to brown the sides, 5 minutes to pressure cook and 5 minutes natural release.
Cooking it from frozen will take 20 minutes.
Note that i did not include the time it takes the pressure cooker to come to pressure.
Read Also: How To Cook Frozen Meatballs In Instant Pot
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
October 17, 2020 by Lisa Wells /
Need a last-minute dinner? Just dump frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot and dinner’s done! No thawing or planning ahead needed.
Instant Pot frozen chicken thighs are perfect for burrito bowls, chicken tacos, meal prep, and more. Make the best and easiest shredded chicken with just 2 ingredients straight from your freezer and pantry.
Storing Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Refrigerating: Store Instant Pot chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should stay fresh for 3-5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze Instant Pot chicken thighs by placing them in a freezer-safe plastic storage bag. You can keep them on hand for up to 3 months. If you have a vacuum sealer, they will last for up to a year.
Reheating Tip: Reheat frozen Instant Pot chicken thighs by popping them back in the Instant Pot. If you are reheating refrigerated thighs, microwave them or reheat them in an air fryer f you want them extra crispy.
Recommended Reading: Insta Pot Says Food Burn
How Long Does It Take To Bake Frozen Chicken Thighs
If youre using an oven youre looking at almost an hour! NO bueno in this house. Just to give you an idea, this is what youd need to do:
Bake in an oven at 375 for 50 to 60 minutes.
Two: Saute Chicken Thighs
- Turn your pressure cooker to the Saute Function and let heat until Instant Pot reads Hot.
- Add in 1 tablespoon oil.
- Once the oil has heated, place your chicken thighs, skin side down, in the instant pot to sear
- Sear the chicken until the skin is nice and browned and the chicken easily pulls away from the bottom of the inner pot–this is a sign the meat is ready to flip. If it resists being flipped, give the chicken thighs another minute or two to caramelize.
- Flip the chicken thighs and sear for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place it on a plate.
- Turn the Instant Pot OFF.
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What Type Of Chicken Is Best For Shredding
I strongly prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. Why? Because they are by FAR the easiest and most forgiving cut of meat to cook in the Instant Pot.
Chicken breasts are okay, but they are more likely to dry out if you do not get the cooking time *just* right.
If you have been looking at other Instant Pot shredded chicken recipes, you may notice that the cook times vary a WHOLE lot. Has anybody else noticed that?
Instant Pot official guidelines put chicken breasts somewhere in the range of 8 to 10 minutes, and chicken thighs from 10 to 15 minutes.
But! Some people let their chicken cook thirty minutes or more! That will make them fork tender however they will technically be overcooked and will seem a little string-y in texture.
Those chicken thighs, though.
They come out tender and juicy every time I make them. And there is no need to overcook them to get them tender. What can I say? I love when results are reliably good!
Now another note about cook times in general. Since pressure cooking accelerates the cooking time, that sweet spot is a little bit harder to achieve. When the cooking time is accelerated, that window narrows.
Since chicken thighs are naturally juicy, they are pretty forgiving if you overcook a minute or two.
Chicken breasts? Not so much.
If I still have not convinced you, or perhaps you only have chicken breasts on hand, see the notes in the recipe card below for instructions on how to make Instant Pot shredded chicken with breasts.
Instant Pot Chicken & Rice
If thereâs one thing we find magical about Instant Pots, itâs how quickly and perfectly they cook chicken and rice. The rice is the perfect texture and the chicken is insanely tender. This is the meal we cook in the Instant Pot the most often.
IMPORTANT! If using newer versions of Instant Pot, especially 8-quart capacity models, we recommend removing the inner pot after sautéing and letting it cool off for 5 to 10 minutes before moving on to the pressure cooking stage. This will help prevent a potential burn warning.
Looking to try out even more recipes in yourInstant Pot? Look no further!
Have you made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
This introduction was updated recently to include more information about the dish.
boneless skinless chicken breasts
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
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How Long To Bake Frozen Chicken Thighs
At 400°f , small chicken thighs bake in 35 minutes, medium ones in 40 minutes, and large ones in 45 minutes.Bake frozen drumsticks 80 to 85 minutes or until internal temperature on instant read thermometer reaches 180°f.Bake frozen thighs 50 to 60 minutes or until internal temperature on instant read thermometer reaches 170°f.Check the internal temperature of the meat by inserting a meat thermometer into.
Coat chicken with butter, rosemary, and lemon juice.Coat chicken with butter, rosemary, and lemon juice.Coat chicken with butter, rosemary, and lemon juice.Coat chicken with butter, rosemary, and lemon juice.
Coat chicken with butter, rosemary, and lemon juice.Coat chicken with butter, rosemary, and lemon juice.Cooking frozen chicken thighs at the same temperature may require as long as 75 minutes until theyre fully cooked.Directions preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Directions preheat oven to 375 degrees.Directions preheat oven to 375 degrees.Directions preheat oven to 375.Divide the chicken into two different bowls.
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