Instant Pot Chicken Thigh Recipes Frozen

Craving tender, juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin… but only have frozen chicken thighs on hand? This Instant Pot recipe produces unbelievably moist and tender chicken with (really!) crispy, delicious skin – with zero need to thaw the frozen chicken thighs!

Chicken Thighs – I know a lot of people shy away from dark meat chicken, but honestly I love chicken thighs. They have so much flavor and they’re so juicy, especially if you’re using bone-in thighs (which we are!) and they’re a little higher in nutrients than chicken breasts. They’re a little fattier than chicken breasts, too, so they’re great for anyone following a keto way of eating!

Chicken Broth – This method steams the chicken thighs, so you need a liquid in there to get the job done! I like to use chicken broth for added flavor, but you can use water instead if you want. Just make sure to use at least 1 cup of whichever liquid you choose if you’re using a 6-quart Instant Pot. An 8-quart Instant Pot will need 1.5 cups of liquid.

Cooking Chicken Thighs From Frozen

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For food safety reasons, cooked chicken should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit. If you skip the broiling step in this recipe, your chicken may be undercooked. Cook times can vary slightly based on the size of chicken thighs used.

Serving: 1 thigh , Calories: 281 kcal , Protein: 19 g , Fat: 22 g , Saturated Fat: 5 g , Cholesterol: 111 mg , Sodium: 302 mg , Potassium: 279 mg , Total Carbs: 1 g , Net Carbs: 1 g , Vitamin A: 88 IU , Vitamin C: 4 mg , Calcium: 13 mg , Iron: 1 mg

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs are easy to make and turn out so juicy and flavorful. The juices make a wonderful gravy to serve with the chicken, too – great with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice!

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs, chicken broth, oil, cornstarch, brown sugar, ground paprika, garlic powder, onion power, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

3. Place chicken on trivet and season. Place the trivet in the instant pot, then arrange the thighs on top. Evenly sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken.

Instant Pot Bbq Chicken Thighs From Fresh Or Frozen

4. Pressure cook. Pressure cook the chicken thighs for 10 minutes. Do a 5 minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure manually.

5. Finish gravy. Remove the chicken and trivet from the pot, then stir the cornstarch slurry into the juices. Set instant pot to “sauté” and simmer, stirring, for a few minutes until gravy has thickened. Serve over chicken.

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest,  Facebook or Instagram.

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs And Rice

These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs are easy to make and turn out so juicy and flavorful. The juices make a wonderful gravy to serve with the chicken, too!

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Serving: 1 serving Calories: 236 kcal Carbohydrates: 2 g Protein: 16 g Fat: 18 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 94 mg Sodium: 473 mg Potassium: 236 mg Fiber: 1 g Sugar: 1 g Vitamin A: 201 IU Vitamin C: 2 mg Calcium: 14 mg Iron: 1 mg

Instant Pot Chicken Legs

When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs make a succulent, easy, and very flavourful dinner that will make everyone at the table happy. Leftovers, if you have any, are great in tacos or enchiladas.

Lately, if I need to come up with a quick, easy dinner, there’s about a 90% chance I’m going to cook these Instant Pot chicken thighs. These days I have been very into hands-off cooking and this chicken is my new Instant Pot obsession; few ingredients, tender juicy meat, flavourful sauce, versatile, and incredibly tasty. So simple, it is ideal for the busy weeknight and none of us seem to tire of it. Incredibly, this dish is just as good made with frozen chicken so you need to have made zero planning ahead.

If you’re new to the Instant Pot, this one is nearly impossible to get wrong. The core recipe is beyond simple: lightly browned chicken thighs cook atop a bed of onions and peppers then pressured cooked until tender and juicy. Combined with the chicken juices, the onion and pepper mixture creates an unexpectedly flavourful and bold sauce that will both surprise and thrill you. And as good as it is the night you make it, the leftovers are even better the next day. I’m telling you, these chicken thighs are amazing and have your weeknight dinner covered.

How To Cook Frozen Chicken In Instant Pot

In general, boneless, skinless Chicken thighs are my go-to for quick weeknight dinners. Throw them in an Instant Pot, and they will be more tender, juicier, and flavourful than you thought possible. Here’s why you will love this recipe:

I need to be really clear on the minimal amount of liquid needed for this recipe because people get very heated about this. Yes the Instant Pot generally requires liquid to get to pressure, and to avoid the dreaded burn warning. But, for this recipe, and for many others, you do not need a lot of liquid. The chicken and vegetables release plenty of liquid to make everything work just fine.

The amount of sauce you see in the photos of the finished dish was achieved with only 4 tablespoons of water added. In fact, I usually use way less, or none. Don’t feel tempted to use more or you will have a very thin, watery sauce.

Instant Pot Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (from Fresh Or Frozen)

The only reason I add those 4 tablespoons of water, is to scrape up the browned bits left behind from browning the chicken. Doing this will 100% prevent the burn warning. Trust.

Many readers continue to express concerns about the small amount of liquid this recipe calls for. Here is an explanation you might find helpful by Urvashi Pitre — a bestselling Instant Pot cookbook author:

“Many recipes call for too much water, which makes users wonder why their food is so bland or overcooked. Yes, it is true that you need a certain amount of water for the pot to come to pressure—but that water does not all need to come from the tap. Most vegetables, fruits, and meats release water while cooking. A LOT of water, in fact. In contrast, rice, most grains, potatoes, and pasta all absorb water.

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs (or Fresh)

Once you understand how this works, you will realize why many of my recipes don’t call for added water. Not only does it make food bland, but to thicken the sauce, you often end up having to use the Sauté function after the food is already well cooked—resulting in overcooked food.” ~URVASHI PITRE via Food52.

NOTE: If you are still nervous about using only 1/4 cup of water for this recipe, please go ahead and add 1/2 cup, or 1 cup. It will still be great but the sauce will be a little less tasty, even if you sauté it for a while.

I shouldn’t admit that I often skip this step if cooking skinless chicken thighs in the Instant Pot, but I do.The sauté function in the Instant Pot is incrediblyconvenient for browning vegetables and meat. The small surface, however, makes it very tedious to brown even a small amount of meat. Unfortunately, we all know that browning does add depth and flavour to the finished dish, and here it also adds complexity and colour to the sauce.

Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe (juicy And Tender!)

So I compromise. I brown the meat