Tender, juicy, and delicious is what you end up with when you make these garlic and paprika Instant Pot Chicken Thighs. Cooking chicken thighs in the Instant Pot has never been easier and this seasoned chicken thighs recipe comes out amazing every time.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Tender and Juicy: Enjoy perfectly cooked, succulent chicken thighs every time with this recipe.
- Instant Pot Magic: Cook chicken thighs in the Instant Pot to simplify the cooking process.
- Versatile Meal: These chicken recipe can be paired with almost any side dish from mashed potatoes to fluffy white rice.
📋 Ingredients
For this recipe, you will need simple ingredients that you probably already have. Here's what you need:
- Olive Oil: Used for searing the chicken, it adds a hint of richness and helps lock in the juices.
- Veggies (Onion, Bell Peppers, Garlic): Provide a flavorful base for the chicken, adding depth and layers of flavor to the dish.
- Seasonings (Paprika, Salt, Pepper): Enhance the natural flavor of the chicken, with smoked paprika giving a smoky note.
- Tomato Paste: Thickens the sauce and gives it a concentrated tomato flavor.
- Greek Yogurt: Adds a creamy, tangy element to the sauce, balancing the richness of the tomato paste.
- Chicken Broth: Forms the liquid base for the sauce, infusing the chicken with even more flavor as it cooks.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- Flavor: For a slightly different flavor consider adding a little onion powder to the juicy chicken thighs.
- Add Cream: Add a little cream to make the cooked chicken thighs to make this paprika and garlic chicken more creamy.
- Chicken Stock: You can use chicken broth or chicken stock in this recipe interchangeably.
- Bone In Chicken Thighs: You can cook thighs with bone if you prefer this to boneless skinless thighs however you will need to add an extra 4 minutes cooking time.
🔪How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
When it comes to using your Instant Pot, you can whip up a delicious meal in half the time. Follow the simple steps below for a delicious meal the whole family will love!
Step One: Push the sauté button on your Instant Pot. Add in the oil. Then, sauté your chopped onion for 2 minutes and your garlic for 1 minute.
Step Two: Push cancel on your Instant Pot to shut off the sauté feature. Then, add boneless chicken thighs to the inner pot.
Step Three: After the chicken has been placed in the inner pot, add the peppers and seasonings.
Step Four: In a small bowl, combine your tomato paste, greek yogurt and broth. Mix well. Then, pour it over your chicken.
Step Five: Close the Instant Pot lid and seal the pot. Pressure cook for 10 minutes.
Step Six: Naturally release for 15 minutes and then serve with your favorite sides. We love to serve our chicken thighs with mash potatoes.
Hint: Natural Release for Juicy Chicken Thighs: After pressure cooking, let the Instant Pot naturally release the pressure for 10-15 minutes before doing a quick release. This helps the chicken retain moisture and stay tender and juicy.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Select Bone-In, Skin-On Thighs: For the juiciest results, choose bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The bone helps to keep the meat moist, and the skin provides flavor and protects the meat from drying out during cooking.
- Sear Before Pressure Cooking: Use the sauté function to sear the chicken thighs skin-side down first until the skin is crispy. This not only improves texture but also adds a rich flavor to the chicken. Flip and sear on the other side briefly before proceeding with pressure cooking.
- Use a Trivet: To prevent the chicken from becoming too soggy, place a trivet in the Instant Pot and arrange the seared chicken thighs on top. This keeps them elevated above the liquid, allowing them to steam rather than boil.
- Add Flavorful Liquid: Pour a flavorful liquid into the pot, such as chicken broth, along with herbs like thyme or rosemary and garlic. This creates a steamy environment that infuses the chicken with delicious flavors and helps keep it moist.
- Pressure Cook Correctly: Cook the chicken thighs on high pressure for about 10 minutes. This is typically enough time for bone-in thighs to become fully cooked, tender, and juicy.
- Natural Pressure Release: Allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 5 minutes before doing a quick release. This gradual process helps retain the juices inside the chicken, making it more tender.
- Broil After Cooking: If you desire extra crispy skin, place the cooked chicken thighs under a broiler for a few minutes after pressure cooking. Keep an eye on them to ensure they don't burn.
💭 FAQs
For this recipe, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I prefer dark meat to white meat as I feel its more flavorful and juicy. However, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer! Or, any other type of boneless, skinless chicken.
Absolutely! However, when cooking frozen chicken thighs in your Instant Pot, you will need to increase the pressure cooking time. Instead of setting the pressure cook setting for 10 minutes, you will need to set it for 15 minutes to cook frozen chicken thighs right through.
To store chicken thighs, allow them to cool to room temperature after cooking. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. If you want to store them for longer, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chicken Thighs:
What sides can I serve with this chicken thighs recipe.
🍜 Related Recipes
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Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or oil of choice
- 1 Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic chopped
- 3 Chicken Thighs deboned
- 2 Bell Peppers chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Paprika
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups Water or Stock
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt
- Parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Place the oil in the IP and select the saute setting.
- Add the chopped onion and saute for 2 minutes, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
- Turn off the saute setting and add the thighs, peppers and seasoning.
I like to stir the tomato paste and greek yogurt into the broth before adding them all to the IP. - Secure the lid and select the "soup/stew" setting for 10 minutes.
- Natural release.
Notes
Nutrition
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
Like I said, chicken is one of the most versatile foods you can make. You can transform it into Chinese food, Mexican food, or anything you desire. Here are a few of my other favorite chicken recipes in the Instant Pot:
That sounds so good! I love all the flavors here. I can't wait to make this.
Yum, what a tasty flavor. I tend to love all things with garlic. I can't wait to try this.
These are two of my favorite spices and flavors for chicken. Sounds perfect on chicken thighs!
I’m always looking for new recipes to make for my family, I can’t wait to give this a try.
Chicken thighs are my spouse's favorite. He'll love this recipe!
I love chicken thighs! They have so much flavor. Can't wait to try this. That tomato cream sauce with greek yogurt sounds so good.
I love the combination of garlic and paprika. That must smell heavenly. My wife loves chicken thighs so I'm trying this for her.
Surely it's a great flavor, and thighs is my favorite part.
This looks so tender, juicy and yummy. I can't wait to try cooking it in my IP.
Nice recipe, can almost smell the fragrance of garlick and paprika floating in the air.
That looks amazing! I would love to get a taste of that wonderful dish!
This sounds like something my entire family could enjoy. I may have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
This looks amazing! My family will love these chicken thighs for dinner tonight!
What a great way to cook chicken. So convenient and easy to make!
This sounds delicious. I have been looking for recipes with chicken to feed the family.
My son in law has taken to their kitchen quite a bit lately. I am thinking of getting him an instapot as a gift. There are so many great recipe ideas for them!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Looks really delicious!
I added a couple of Tbs cornstarch with a couple of Tbs water and used it to thicken the liquid on sauté after removing the thighs. Stir until thickened. Ladle it on the chicken on individual serving plates.
I'm glad it turned out great for you!