Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
Say goodbye to boring weeknight dinners with this foolproof Instant Pot Lemon Chicken that tastes like it took hours but cooks in minutes. Tender, juicy chicken thighs are smothered in a bright, buttery lemon-garlic sauce that the whole family will actually eat - and the best part is it all happens in one pot for minimal cleanup!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 501kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 pounds chicken thighs I use bone-in, skin-on
- 1 small onion chopped (about ½ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice squeezed from about 1 lemon; or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold cream OR milk OR water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- lemon slices to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Brown meat:Set instant pot to sauté. Add oil to pot and add thighs skin-side down. Cook, in batches if needed, until golden and crisp. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. Remove chicken from pot.1 tablespoon oil, 2 pounds chicken thighs
- Start sauce:Add onion and garlic to pot and cook until starting to soften, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, herbs and seasoning. Stir, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pot.1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, salt and black pepper
- Pressure cook:Place chicken thighs back in the instant pot. Secure lid and set the pressure valve to "sealing". Choose "pressure cook" (or "manual") and "high" for 12 minutes (for large thighs, about 2 thighs per pound; cook for 8 minutes if chicken thighs are small, about 4 thighs per pound).Naturally release pressure after cooking time is up (just switch off the instant pot and leave it alone until pressure is gone).
- Finish sauce:Carefully remove thighs. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Pour cornstarch slurry (make sure to mix the dry cornstarch fully into 1 tablespoon cold liquid before adding it to the pot!) into pot, stir well and simmer until sauce has thickened. Stir in butter until melted, then serve sauce over chicken with lemon slices, if desired.2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon butter, lemon slices
Video
Notes
Ingredient Notes & Swaps
- Chicken: Best with bone-in, skin-on thighs. Boneless thighs or breasts work too (reduce to 1.5 lbs unless feeding big eaters). Cook time for fresh breasts is 6–8 minutes; frozen breasts take 12 minutes.
- Broth: Swap with water if needed (add extra seasoning). Avoid beef broth.
- Onion & Garlic: For picky eaters, swap fresh for 1 tsp onion powder and ½ tsp garlic powder.
- Dried Herbs: Reduce amount for a milder flavor.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh or bottled works. Recipe is mildly tart; double it for strong flavor, or add more at the table for kids.
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- Using Frozen Chicken: Skip the browning step. Sauté the aromatics, then pressure cook the frozen chicken for 15–18 minutes. Ensure pieces are not stuck together.
- Doubling the Recipe: Double all sauce ingredients. You can stack thawed thighs without changing the cook time. Do not stack frozen thighs.
- Thickening the Sauce: If too thin, press "Sauté" and let it bubble to activate the cornstarch. If needed, mix and add an extra cornstarch slurry.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg