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Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Potatoes are cooked together in your Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. I show you how to cook pressure cooker chicken thighs and potatoes together at the same time!
Originally published on 9/4/17
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Potatoes
I get asked a lot about cooking a meal in the Instant Pot. Many people want to cook multiple types of food at once, in the same pot. This can be a time saver, and it is really nice to have one dirty pot! I rarely have only one dirty pot. 😀
Pressure cooking chicken thighs on top with the Potatoes underneath is an easy way to cook the two foods at once. Because they both have similar cook times, it works out very well!
It’s even easier if you use food that doesn’t have to be browned first, but these chicken thighs taste much better if you do brown them.
I like doing it this way. When I make them with BBQ sauce, I don’t brown them first, I broil them after pressure cooking, to caramelize the BBQ sauce. Yum! You could definitely do the potatoes with BBQ chicken if you want.
This is a great meal to cook in the pressure cooker because it is pretty hard to mess up a chicken thigh! The extra fat in them allow for a little “accidental” overcooking, and they will still be nice and tender.
Chicken breasts in the Instant Pot require a different timing and prep. See my Instant Pot Chicken Breasts recipe here.
Is the skin crispy?
If you browned the thighs before pressure cooking, there will be a little crispness left. To get the skin even crispier, you could broil them after you pressure cook them.
I don’t do that as I like them as is, and just want to eat them when they are done cooking. I know they won’t be as crispy, and that’s fine.
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Where can I find a tall-legged trivet?
I have been getting questions about the tall-legged trivet that I use. I bought one on Amazon a few years ago, and still use it. Here is the one I use: Steaming Rack Stainless Steel Tall Legged Trivet
Instant Pot Chicken Breast
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Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
Ingredients
Spice Rub Mixture
- ¼ tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Poultry Seasoning
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
For Cooking the Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 6 Chicken Thighs (I use skin on, bone in)
- 1 ½ cups Chicken Broth low sodium
- 3 Large Red Potatoes, cut in fourths
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Small Sprig Rosemary
- ½ Lemon
Instructions
- Put the spices in a small dish and mix together well. Sprinkle on both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot. When the display reads Hot, add the olive oil.
- Add 3 or 4 chicken thighs, skin side down, and brown them on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining thighs. Set aside on a plate.
- When all of the thighs are browned, carefully remove any remaining oil from the pot. If the bits on the bottom of the pot are too blackened, add a little water and use a wooden spoon to scrape them off and discard. Otherwise, keep the browned bits in there for flavor (Sometimes spices get a little burned).
- Add the broth to the pot (still on Sauté mode). Stir and scrape any remaining brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Add the potatoes, butter, and the rosemary.
- Put a tall trivet over the potatoes.
- Set a steamer basket on top of the trivet and add the chicken thighs to it (make sure they don’t set up above the rim of the pot. You need to be able to comfortably get the lid on).
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken.
- Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Cancel the sauté mode.
- Press the Poultry, or the Manual button, and use the + or - button to choose 13 minutes.
- When cooking cycle ends, let it naturally release pressure for 5 to 10 minutes. Don’t let it go longer than that.
- Turn off the pot.
- Manually release the remaining pressure, and when the pin in the lid drops, carefully open the lid, facing it away from you.
- Carefully remove the steamer basket with the chicken to a plate.
- Carefully remove the trivet.
- At this point you can either use a potato masher to mash the potatoes right in the pot, or remove them with a slotted spoon and make gravy from the drippings. If you choose to remove them, set them aside and turn on the pot to the sauté mode to make gravy.
- Add a cornstarch slurry to the liquid in the pot (mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch and just enough water to make it loose, and whisk it into the hot liquid in the pot). Keep stirring until it thickens.
- Turn off the pot and serve the gravy over the potatoes, and the chicken thighs if you’d like.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Resources to Make pressure cooker Chicken Thighs with Potatoes Recipe and More
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Hi Sandy
This was amazing!! My family loved it…even the one year old “new to table food” grandson. I just got an Instapot Gem multi cooker for Xmas. Any thoughts on it? I’m having a hard time finding recipes for it.
Thanks!!
That’s so great, Vickie! Anytime you can get your home cooked meal approved by the little ones, it’s a good thing! I haven’t used the Gem yet. It is on my list though. There was a recall on some of the units, so be sure to check to make sure yours isn’t one of them! I will be developing Gem recipes in the near future. Thank you for the nice review!
Hi Sandy,
Looking forward to trying this soon, but I’m going to be using the 3 qt and one frozen chicken thigh (as a college student, I only need one serving haha!). Any insight on how that might change cooking time?
Thanks!
Hi Tess! I love that you have an IP at school! I wish I had, lol! The cook time is the same. The thing that changes cook time is if the meat was thicker/larger than average, or smaller/thinner. Pressure cook times go by thickness/density. That’s why a roast cooks faster if you cut it in half or thirds, etc. I hope you like the recipe!
Fabulous recipe! And the instructions were spot on. My family loved it and I have some picky eaters! I put the chicken under the broiler for about 5 min and it crisped the skin up perfectly! And I made gravy out of the stock and it was a big hit! This will be a staple in our house… Thank you!
Hi Bill! That’s awesome! You must have a meat and potatoes kind of gang like I do! Thank you for taking the time to review the recipe!
Excellent flavour and very easy to make!! A new family favourite.
if i wanted to make this without the potatoes, is it the same time and liquid amount? dont want the chicken to burn on the bottom. thank you!
Hi Suzy, yes, it is the same cook time. Maybe use the trivet if you are concerned with the burning?
Can the chicken be stacked or does it have to be a single layer? I have about 4.4 lbs of chicken thights to use – family of 6…..
Hi Paula, I try not to stack it, but I sometimes do. As long as you have browned it first, the parts touching should be cooked.
Or would you recommend a tall rack? And, yes, I will definitely brown it first. TIA!!!
If I use the trivet, it is because I don’t want the skin to get too wet, or a spice rub washed off, usually. But I think it would be good to also use one in your case.
I made this tonight and it was delicious 🙂 my potatoes were a little under (a few clumps) but I think I can cut them smaller next time and they would be fine. Definitely one of my quick and easy suppers for busy days.
Hi France! I’m glad you liked the recipe! The size of the cut potatoes is important, and the type of potato as well. Red potatoes tend to take a little longer, so if you ever use them with this recipe, just cut them a little smaller. Thank you for your review!
Making this tonight! Sounds yummy! I don’t have a steam basket…any advice? Thanks!
Hi Elissa! If you don’t mind them getting wet, you can just toss them on top of the potatoes. Or, put the trivet/rack on top of the potatoes and the chicken on top of it.
Thanks so much! I was wondering if I should put foil on the trivet to keep the chicken from touching the liquid. I’m so new to the instant pot haha can’t wait to try this tonight!
You can, but I would poke a few holes in it so the juices can drip onto the potatoes and flavor them! Yum!
This was delicious! Definitely a new ‘go to’ meal for my family! I did it with the foil on the trivet and poked holes. Thanks!
Tried this tonight and it turned out perfect. So delicious!!! Thank you!
Hi Barbara! I’m happy you liked this recipe! So nice to hear from you. Thanks!
love it