Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and potatoes has incredible flavor, contains juiciest chicken, buttery tender potatoes cooked in a herby buttery garlicky thin sauce. Everything is cooked together at the same time in the instant pot under 30 mins just like this instant pot chicken drumsticks and potatoes recipe!

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Chicken Thighs and Potatoes Instant Pot

Once you try this instant pot chicken thigh recipe you'll never miss the baked version ever again! It's easy, quick, delicious & budget friendly. The leftovers taste incredible too.

To keep things simple I seasoned the chicken heavily with pantry staple herbs, seared it well to maximize the flavors & to make the skin crispy.

While the chicken thighs pressure cooked, they bathed the potatoes below in their fat and juices, which blended with the seasonings, onion, garlic & the liquid to make an irresistible sauce!

Your whole family will love this one pot chicken and potatoes recipe! Check out these 30 min easy one pot chicken recipes: Instant pot creamy chicken marsala, instant pot chicken piccata, Instant pot chicken thighs and white rice, Instant pot chicken drumsticks and rice.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.

• Chicken Thighs: I used bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or extra flavor. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs as well.
• Potatoes: I used halved baby gold potatoes. You can sub the baby potatoes with unpeeled Yukon gold or yellow potatoes or red potatoes diced into large chunks.
• Seasonings for chicken: Sweet paprika, thyme, poultry seasoning (optional), ground black pepper, red pepper flakes for subtle heat (skip if you are making the dish for kids or for someone who is heat intolerant).
• Seasonings for potatoes: Sweet paprika, thyme, oregano.
• Lemon juice: Provides a subtle tang. Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can sub it with lime juice as well.
• Onion: Use either yellow onion or red onion. Both works very well in this recipe. Red onion will make the dish slightly more intense hence, reduce the amount a tad bit.
• Garlic: You can definitely go heavy on the garlic if you prefer garlicky flavor.
• Cooking fat: Butter & extra light or light olive oil. You can sub the olive oil with any neutral oil like avocado oil, canola, sunflower or vegetable oil.
• Salt: Use according to your own personal taste preference. You can even keep the recipe salt free if you are on a no sodium diet or replace it with more lemon juice.
• Liquid: I used normal water. You can use about 1 tsp better than bouillon chicken base stirred into the water to form an instant & flavorful homemade chicken stock.

Best Tips

• Maximum flavor: Sear the heavily seasoned chicken thighs until the skin turns nicely golden brown and crispy. This will add so much more flavor to the dish and give it's baked counterpart a tough competition! It will also lock the juices and keep the meat succulent. Do not hesitate to season the chicken well. Seasonings create a huge depth of flavor and prevents recipes from becoming bland!
• Prevent Burn: Searing the chicken will result in lots of stuck food particles at the bottom of the pot. Pour the liquid and deglaze the pot very well with help of a spatula until you scrap out and loosen each and every stuck bits and crumbs from the bottom of the instant pot. This will prevent the BURN error and those crumbs will help elevate the flavor of the dish!
• Non spicy recipe: Skip the red pepper flakes if you do not prefer heat or you can even add about ¼ tsp for a very mild flavor boost.
• Flavorful sauce: Serve the one pot chicken and potatoes on a plate and drizzle the thin sauce on top. The sauce is irresistible as it contains all the drippings and fat from the chicken. You can dunk a crusty bread and enjoy every last drop of the sauce.

How to make instant pot chicken thighs and potatoes?

Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.

Step #1 Season & sear chicken

• Prep chicken thighs: Rinse the bone-in skin-on chicken thighs under running tap water and pat them dry with the help of kitchen towel. Generously sprinkle the seasoning mix on both sides of the thighs and gently massage to coat the chicken well.
• Sear chicken: Add butter, oil in instant pot and sear the chicken thighs until golden brown on both sides. Use the sauté function set at Normal heat.

Step #2 Prep potatoes & Deglaze pot

• Prep potatoes: Halve the baby gold potatoes & rinse them under running tap water. Drain the potatoes. Add the garlic & seasonings and toss the potatoes to coat them well.

• Deglaze pot: Pour water, set the SAUTE function to low heat (the heat will help loosen the stuck bits & crumbs) and deglaze the pot very well by scrapping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This will help loosen any stuck food particles from the bottom of the pot and shall prevent the burn error. Do not rush this step!

• Layer potatoes: Cancel the sauté function and dump the onion and the potatoes in the pot. Do not stir or mix.

Step #3 Pressure cook

• Pressure cook: Layer the seared chicken thighs on top of the potatoes. Do not stir. Secure the lid and pressure cook on HIGH for 8 mins followed by a quick pressure release. Open the lid carefully and serve the chicken thighs and potatoes. Pour the gravy on top of the chicken and potatoes for best flavor!

Slow cooker method

If you do not have instant pot no worries this slow cooker chicken thighs and potatoes is just as easy and tasty! Here's how to make it:

1. Sear chicken: Season the chicken thighs according to this recipe direction and sear them both sides on a skillet over medium high heat until the chicken turns nicely golden brown in color and the skin becomes crispy. Set them aside.
2. Slow Cook: Toss the halved baby potatoes with the seasoning and oil. Pour the liquid (1 cup) in the slow cooker. Dump the diced onion, garlic and the baby potatoes in the slow cooker. Spread them out with the help of your spatula to form a single layer. Place the seared chicken thighs on top of the potato bed. Close the lid and slow cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours. Serve the crockpot chicken thighs and potatoes with the thin sauce poured on top. Enjoy!

Storing Suggestion

Fridge: Store the one pan chicken thighs and potatoes along with the sauce in air tight container for 5 days in the fridge. Follow the reheating directions below.

Freezer: You can freeze the dish in heavy duty freezer safe containers for upto 2 months. I always love to freeze individual servings that way I do not have to thaw a whole batch and than refreeze the rest! Follow the reheating directions shared below.

Reheating Direction

Fridge: Reheat in the microwave oven until warm or hot. You can also dump it in the instant pot and reheat it in the SAUTE mode set at NORMAL heat. Do not leave it unattended, stir from time to time.

Freezer: Thaw the instant pot chicken thighs and potatoes over night in the fridge and follow the reheating directions shared above.

Serving Ideas

One pot chicken and potatoes is a wholesome meal all by itself, it's filling and very comforting. However, I love to serve it with soups on the side like this Instant pot Panera broccoli cheddar soup, Instant pot cheesy potato soup.

To make it a more complete and nutritionally rich meal you can serve it with a side of steamed or lightly seasoned vegetable like this Instant pot steamed broccoli, instant pot green beans, instant pot steamed carrots, instant pot beets.

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Recommended

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 448kcal

Author: Meghna

Watch Recipe Video

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and potatoes has incredible flavor, contains juiciest chicken, buttery tender potatoes cooked in a herby buttery garlicky thin sauce. Everything is cooked together at the same time in the instant pot under 30 mins.

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 chicken thighs (**bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.)
• ▢ 1 pound baby potatoes (**baby gold potatoes halved.)
• ▢ 1 cup onion (**yellow onion diced into large chunks about ¼ inch.)
• ▢ ½ tbsp garlic (**minced.)
• ▢ 1 tbsp Lemon Juice (**freshly squeezed.)
• ▢ 2 tbsp Olive Oil (**use light or extra light olive oil. Divided into 2 parts, each part 1 tbsp.)
• ▢ 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• ▢ ½ cup Water (**or use chicken stock. You can also add about ½ tsp better than bouillon chicken bease stirred in the water.)

Seasonings for chicken thighs

• ▢ ¼ tsp poultry seasoning (**OPTIONAL.)
• ▢ 1.5 tsp Paprika (**sweet paprika. DO NOT use smoked paprika.)
• ▢ 1 tsp thyme
• ▢ 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp red pepper flakes (**skip if heat intolerant.)
• ▢ Salt (to taste) (**use according to your own personal taste preference.)

Seasonings for baby potatoes

• ▢ ½ tsp Paprika (**sweet paprika. DO NOT use smoked paprika.)
• ▢ 1 tsp thyme
• ▢ 1 tsp oregano

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Equipment Used

Instant Pot DUO 6 quart

Instructions

Prep chicken thighs

• Lightly rinse the bone-in skin-on chicken thighs under running tap water. Pat them dry completely with the help of kitchen towels.
  
• Now, add all the dry ingredients mentioned in the "Seasonings for chicken thighs" section in the ingredients list above into a small bowl. Whisk them to make a simple dry rub mix for the chicken.
• Drizzle the lemon juice on top of the chicken thighs. Give them a gently rub. Than sprinkle the dry rub on both sides of the chicken thighs and gently rub to uniformly coat the chicken. Set them aside.
  

Prep the baby gold potatoes

• Rinse the whole potatoes very well under running tap water. Drain well. Halve the potatoes. Add 1 tbsp olive oil + all the dry ingredients mentioned above in the "Seasonings for baby potatoes" section in the ingredients list above + the ½ tablespoon minced garlic. Toss the potatoes to coat them well with the seasonings and oil. Set them aside.
  

Sear chicken

• Set the instant pot on SAUTE mode on NORMAL HEAT settings. Add butter + 1 tbsp olive oil. When the butter begins to melt add the well seasoned chicken thighs skin side down. Sear them well both sides until they are nicely golden brown in color and the skin becomes crispy. If you feel the heat is high lower it to LOW setting (you can do that by pressing the SAUTE button more than once). You'll have lots of bits & crumbs stuck at the bottom of the pot. Worry not because we'll be deglazing the pot very well before pressure cooking and the bits & crumbs will add a huge depth of flavor to the dish. Immediately CANCEL the SAUTE mode once you are done searing the chicken. Set the seared chicken aside.
  

Deglaze pot

• Pour the liquid (water or chicken stock) and deglaze the pot very well by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot until you scrape out all stuck bits and crumbs. This will take some time and require patience. This will help prevent the BURN error. So, do not rush this step!
  

Pressure cook

• Throw in the diced onion in the instant pot. Add the seasoned halved baby potatoes and spread them out with the help of your spatula to form a single layer. DO NOT stir or mix anything in the pot.
  
• Layer the seared chicken thighs on top of the bed of potatoes, do not forget to add the drippings from the plate. DO NOT stir or mix. Secure the lid, seal the valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 8 mins. Once the pressure cooking cycle is over the instant pot will begin to beep. Immediately perform a quick pressure release manually by moving the valve from the sealing to the venting position. Open the lid carefully when the floating metal pin on top of the lid drops.
  

Serve

• Fish out the cooked chicken thighs and keep it on a serving plate. Give the cooked potatoes in the instant pot a quick stir and serve them beside the chicken thighs. Pour the thin sauce all over the chicken and potatoes. Garnish with chopped parsley if you prefer and enjoy! This instant pot chicken thighs and potatoes is irresistible!

Notes

• Can I use 5-6 chicken thighs: Yes, you can use upto 6 chicken thighs. You can stack them. The cook time would remain the same. However, you have to increase the seasoning amount (dry rub for the chicken thighs).
• Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs: No, you cannot use boneless skinless chicken thighs as they'll over cook in 8 mins pressure cook time. And if you reduce the cook time the potatoes will remain undone!
• Do I have to sear the chicken: Yes, you must sear the chicken to build the maximum flavor, it'll also help lock the juices and keep the meat nice & tender. If you prefer not to sear the chicken the 8 mins cook time won't work for this recipe.
• Is this spicy: It's mildly spicy. Skip the red pepper flakes if you are making it for kids or to minus the heat from the recipe.
• Can I use regular potatoes: Yes, you can use regular unpeeled gold, yellow or red potatoes diced into large chunks about 2 inches. The cook time would remain the same.
• Is ½ cup liquid sufficient to avoid burn: Yes, ½ cup liquid is sufficient to build pressure in a 6 quart instant pot and it won't trigger the BURN error if you have deglazed the pot well and scraped out even the tiniest bit of stuck bits & crumbs from the bottom of the pot. You have to increase the liquid amount if you are planning to make it in a 8 quart pot. I would add about ¾ cups water.
• Olive oil: You can sub it with any neutral oil like canola, avocado oil, sunflower or vegetable oil.
• I am on a restrictive diet can I skip the salt: Yes, you can make this recipe salt free in that case use 1 tbsp more freshly squeezed lemon juice to compensate the salt flavor.
• Poultry seasoning: It's totally optional. If you do not have it handy you do not have to buy it only for this recipe. Just add a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of sage into the dry rub mix for the chicken. However, it's not mandatory!
• Ingredients substitutions: Please not that ingredients substitutions and a set of best tips to make this recipe successfully are provide in this blog post on top of this recipe card. You need to scroll up to grab them.

 

Calorific details are provided by a third party application and are to be used as indicative figures only if you are on a restrictive diet please do use your own nutritional calculator.

 

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 448 Calories from Fat 261

% Daily Value*

Fat 29g45%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Monounsaturated Fat 14g

Cholesterol 118mg39%

Sodium 107mg5%

Potassium 829mg24%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 882IU18%

Vitamin C 29mg35%

Calcium 55mg6%

Iron 3mg17%

* Read our privacy policy - Calorie information is provided as a courtesy only and should be leveraged as an estimate rather than a guarantee.Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 829mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 882IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg

Course :Main Course

Cuisine :American

Keyword :chicken thighs and potatoes, chicken thighs and potatoes instant pot, easy instant pot chicken dinner, instant pot chicken thighs and potatoes, one pan chicken thighs and potatoes

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