Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Garlic

Name: Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Garlic
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 chicken thighs (bone-in); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 3 tablespoons butter; 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1/2 medium onion (diced); 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1/4 cup chicken broth; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/4 cup heavy cream; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional for garnish)

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This Instant Pot lemon chicken is tender, juicy, lemony, creamy and just absolutely incredible. The skin is nice and crisp, and the chicken is ultra tender with a silky mouthfeel that is just so addictive.

cream sauce and lemons over chicken thighs.

Plus this instant pot lemon garlic chicken cooks up in about 30 minutes and makes a perfect easy weeknight meal, like one of our favorites, this Instant Pot coq au vin.

I love how deliciously silky and rich this chicken is, with the fresh lemon slices giving it a bright, tangy flavor, lightening up the richness of the sauce, like in this buttery, lemony sous vide whole chicken.

And how can you say no to a recipe that's ready in 30 minutes? The Instant Pot makes this meal SO EASY to make and just perfect for busy weeknights.

And the chicken is fancy enough you can serve it at a dinner party and no one will ever know it was a 30 minute Instant Pot meal!

With it's crispy skin, bright flavor and silky lemon sauce, this Instant Pot recipe is one of those meals that will quickly become your favorite (the boyfriend has been obsessing about it since I made it!).

Jump to:

Why this instant pot lemon chicken recipe works
Ingredients for lemon garlic chicken thighs
Step By Step Instructions
Serving options
Expert Tips to make instant pot lemon chicken thighs
Frequently asked questions
More instant pot chicken recipes
Recipe
💬 Comments

Why this instant pot lemon chicken recipe works

This quick and easy dish comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
Much of the cook time is actually hands off so you can take care of other tasks.
The bright lemon complements the richness of the chicken perfectly making for an amazingly delicious meal.
There are so many different serving options - serve it with instant pot wild rice, pasta, or even these sour cream mashed potatoes!

a serving platter of chicken thighs in a creamy white lemon sauce.

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Ingredients for lemon garlic chicken thighs

Bone-in, skin on chicken thighs are used in this recipe. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or boneless chicken breasts) if you want to make the recipe quicker, but I prefer the crispy skin on the chicken.

Fresh lemon juice and lemon slices are absolutely necessary to get the best flavor.

We use fresh garlic to make the lemon garlic sauce, but you can substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder is needed.

I highly recommend using fresh lemon zest (don't use that dried lemon peel). If you don't have a zester, I am in love with this zester!

Cayenne pepper is used to add a touch of heat (barely) to the dish, but you can add more or less if you'd like.

The full list of ingredients is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step By Step Instructions

raw chicken cooking in a skillet. — **Step 1**: Season the chicken thighs with the salt and pepper and place chicken, skin side down, in a cold cast iron skillet. Turn the skillet on medium low heat and cook the chicken about 10-12 minutes, until the skin is crisp. Remove from heat and set aside.

onions and butter cooking in a pot. — **Step 2**: Heat the butter in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Add the onions and garlic and cook until they are softened, about 3-5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck on bits.

onions with liquid in a pot. — **Step 3**: Add the chicken stock (or chicken broth), lemon juice, lemon zest and cayenne pepper. Mix together.

chicken thighs in a pot on top of onions and liquid. — **Step 4**: Add chicken thighs on top and close the lid. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the thighs from the Instant Pot and set them aside.

Step 6: Add the cream and bring to a simmer on the sauté setting. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until slightly reduced. Add any additional salt to taste at this time.

Step 7: Add the chicken back in and spoon the sauce over chicken. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

chicken thighs on a plate with creamy sauce and lemon slices.

Serving options

This instant pot creamy lemon chicken would be just awesome served with this Instant Pot broccoli (it's got a lemon butter sauce that pairs wonderfully with the chicken), these crispy roasted potatoes, air fryer biscuits, or Instant Pot couscous.

Any fresh vegetable like honey balsamic brussels sprouts, grilled summer squash, or these sous vide green beans would go just great with this recipe.

Expert Tips to make instant pot lemon chicken thighs

I recommend browning the thighs in a cast iron skillet instead of the Instant Pot because the Instant Pot tends to stick and it's more difficult to control the temperature.
You can also use boneless skinless thighs and brown the outside of the thighs for 2-3 minutes per side before adding to the Instant Pot (or brown right in the Instant Pot). You can use the same technique for chicken breast.
For an extra lemony flavor, add ½ -1 teaspoon more of lemon zest.
To thicken the sauce, slowly stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water) while stirring until the desired thickness is reached.
To cook chicken straight from frozen, increase the pressure cook time to 15-17 minutes, depending on size of your chicken thighs.
You can easily double the recipe.

chicken thigh over a creamy white sauce garnished with lemon slices.

Frequently asked questions

How to store Instant Pot lemon chicken.

Store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or a skillet on medium heat until warmed through.

Can you freeze instant pot lemon chicken?

Store the chicken in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months for the best results. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or in a skillet.

More instant pot chicken recipes

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