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 with Potatoes are cooked at the same time in your electric pressure cooker. An easy recipe for beginners to learn to cook two things at the same time.
- ¼ tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Poultry Seasoning
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- 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
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Put the spices in a small dish and mix together well. Sprinkle on both sides of the chicken thighs.
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Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot. When the display reads Hot, add the olive oil.
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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.
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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).
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Add the broth to the pot (still on Sauté mode). Stir and scrape any remaining brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
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Add the potatoes, butter, and the rosemary.
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Put a tall trivet over the potatoes.
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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).
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Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken.
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Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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Cancel the sauté mode.
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Press the Poultry, or the Manual button, and use the + or - button to choose 13 minutes.
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When cooking cycle ends, let it naturally release pressure for 5 to 10 minutes. Don’t let it go longer than that.
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Turn off the pot.
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Manually release the remaining pressure, and when the pin in the lid drops, carefully open the lid, facing it away from you.
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Carefully remove the steamer basket with the chicken to a plate.
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Carefully remove the trivet.
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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.
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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.
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Turn off the pot and serve the gravy over the potatoes, and the chicken thighs if you’d like.
Add ⅛ tsp Cayenne Powder to the spice mixture for a little kick.
Resources to Make pressure cooker Chicken Thighs with Potatoes Recipe and More
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PattiAnn
It has been so hot here that grilling chicken was not an option. IP & air conditioning is the way to go.
And your concept to raise the chicken above the vegetables was a revelation! No more soggy chicken, just flavorful moist & well cooked chicken.
Changed up the recipe to what I had on hand and had to improvise on the higher trivet (used the trivet that came with my pushpan, with rack on top...worked fine).
Thank you for sharing this brilliant idea.
Sandy
Hi PattiAnn, I'm so happy that this recipe and method worked for you! It is so nice to have well cooked chicken thighs, and like you said, not soggy! Thank you for your review!
Hillary
Hi Sandy,
I can't find the trivet that came with my Instant Pot. I've spent the last hour emptying every drawer and cupboard to no avail. Can I make this recipe by placing the chicken directly on top of the potatoes? If not, do you have any other suggestions?
Sandy
Hi Hillary, yes, you can set the chicken on top of the potatoes. It may end up a little moist, but will still taste good!
Heather
Hi, Sandy! We're really excited to try out your recipe. Thanks for posting it...and the video was especially helpful!! I have a large family and want to make extras. We have an 8qt IP and would like to make 12 bone-in thighs with the skin. We'd have to stack them. The chicken is thawed/fresh. If we have to stack the thighs in the steamer basket, do we need to adjust the time? If so, how long would you cook it on the Poulty setting? Thank you!!
Sandy
Hi Heather, I would maybe add a couple minutes to the natural pressure release (NPR). Since you are browning them first, you don't have to worry about raw patches from where the thighs are touching. Just the internal temp. They should come out fine with just a little extra NPR.
Bob
Made this last night. Super easy...not a lot of slicing and chopping other things to put in it. I used more red potatoes that came out great and the chicken was tender. My gravy came out good and poured it over the chicken and potatoes. I'll be making more!
Sandy
That's great, Bob! Thank you for your review!
Kathy Ledford
I’m fairly new to cooking in the instant pot. I loved your very detailed instructions. Made this tonight and it was delicious. I’m anxious to check out your other recipes.
Sandy
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Merrill Hughs
I' m going to try this and I was wondering if you could use sweet potatoes instead and if that would change the cook time??
Thanks
Sandy
Hi Merrill, yes, you sure can! I would cut them in half. Cook time will depend on the size. I cook a large-ish sweet potato with the skin on for 15-20 minutes or so, so cut in half should do it. If they are small, leave them whole.
Margy Buyer
Made this tonight, added some cut up carrots with the potatoes. Everything turned out delicious and my family loved it. Made the gravy too which is a fave among the kids.
Sandy
That's awesome, Margy! I'm happy that the whole gang liked it! Thank you for your review!