Description
Delicious Instant Pot Lemon Butter Chicken Thighs featuring tender bone-in, skin-on chicken cooked in a flavorful lemon-garlic butter sauce with Italian seasoning. This recipe uses the Instant Pot for quick pressure cooking, resulting in juicy, golden chicken thighs with a rich, tangy sauce perfect for serving over rice, noodles, or alongside roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cooking Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- â…“ cup low-sodium chicken broth
Sauce Thickening
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Garnish and Serving
- Fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices, for garnish
- Cooked rice or noodles and roasted vegetables, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Combine paprika, chili flakes, salt, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Rub this seasoning mixture evenly onto the chicken thighs to infuse flavor.
- Brown Chicken: Set the Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ mode and heat the olive oil. Add the seasoned chicken thighs and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Sauté and Deglaze: Add butter, chopped onion, and minced garlic to the Instant Pot. Sauté until fragrant and onions are translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes. Pour in the lemon juice and use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in Italian seasoning, lemon zest, and chicken broth to combine well.
- Pressure Cook: Return the browned chicken thighs to the pot, nestling them into the sauce. Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to ‘Sealing.’ Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Once complete, allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure manually.
- Thicken Sauce: Remove the chicken thighs and place them aside on a serving dish. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Turn the Instant Pot back to ‘Sauté’ mode and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Whisk continuously until the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve: Return the chicken thighs to the pot and gently coat them with the thickened lemon butter sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices. Serve hot with cooked rice, noodles, or roasted vegetables as desired.
Notes
- Using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs keeps the meat juicy and flavorful during cooking.
- Be sure to brown the chicken well for extra depth of flavor before pressure cooking.
- The cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce without altering its bright lemon flavor.
- Feel free to adjust chili flakes according to your desired spice level.
- Serve immediately for best texture and flavor, but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
