Instant Pot Chicken Thighs With Gravy

Share to save this recipe for later!

Recipe Snapshot

PREP + COOK TIME: 45 minutes
METHOD: Instant Pot
TOTAL INGREDIENTS: 6.

This isn’t your average chicken recipe! Chicken thighs are so easy to make and adding gravy is one of the most flavorful ways to serve chicken. Try one of my favorite Instant Pot chicken thigh recipes and serve with your choice of sides for a delicious home-cooked meal!

What’s To Love About This Recipe

• Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Gravy is the perfect base recipe to make for an easy dinner. You can serve it with a variety of sides and have a tasty, homemade meal in minimal time!
• If you haven’t planned your meal earlier in the day, you can make this recipe fairly quickly and prep some sides while you wait for the chicken to cook.
• The gravy is an extra-special addition that turns seasoned chicken thighs into a complete entrée.
• The Instant Pot is a great choice for chicken thighs since it keeps them tender. It’s also a good method because it’s difficult to mess up! Pressure cooking seals in the juices and you just whisk a few ingredients in at the end to make the gravy.

Ingredients Needed  

• Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken thighs will yield the best results for this recipe. Bone-in and frozen chicken thighs are also options with modified cooking steps. For thawed, boneless chicken thighs, you will lightly brown them to add extra flavor and make them more visually appealing.
• Herb and garlic seasoning – I love a good all-purpose herb and garlic seasoning, but you can also choose any other seasoning blend that works well with chicken. 
• Olive oil and butter – These will help create a nice browned edge on each side of the chicken thighs and will seal in extra flavor.
• Chicken broth – Use your choice of chicken broth. Usually, you can taste the difference in richness with an organic chicken broth or bone broth which adds extra nutrients.
• Cornstarch – Use a bit of cornstarch to mix with water to create a slurry. This will thicken the gravy when mixed with the pan juices leftover from the chicken thighs.

How To Make Chicken Thighs With Gravy In The Instant Pot

1. Season both sides of the chicken with the preferred seasoning blend.

2. Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat the butter and oil in the pot.
3. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until lightly browned.

2. Turn off the Instant Pot and add the chicken broth.
3. Cover, seal, and set to high pressure for 8 minutes.

2. Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release then turn to a quick release for the remaining pressure.
3. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside.
4. Mix the cornstarch with an equal amount of water until smooth.
5. Switch the pot to sauté mode and whisk the cornstarch slurry into the pan juices.
6. Continue whisking for 2-3 minutes until the gravy has thickened.

2. Serve the chicken topped with gravy.

Note: If you make this recipe with frozen chicken thighs, eliminate the step to brown the chicken. Instead, add all ingredients and set the pot to high pressure for 12 minutes.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

The Instant Pot can be pretty forgiving when it comes to cooking many different kinds of meat! However, if you choose to swap boneless chicken thighs for bone-in or chicken breasts, be sure to note the difference in cooking time:

• With bone-in chicken thighs, the cooking time will need to be increased by about 5 minutes.
• If you use chicken breasts, the cooking time will vary based on thickness. (Thighs are recommended to achieve the best results with this recipe.)

Adding vegetables is another way to customize this recipe! Root veggies make the best additions since they will hold up well in the Instant Pot. Try veggies like large pieces of carrots and baby potatoes.

Best Ways To Serve Chicken Thighs With Gravy 

Add some veggies, rice, or a potato dish alongside Instant Pot chicken thighs, and you’ll have such a tasty, balanced meal! Choose sides that will be delicious with the extra gravy – you’ll want to savor every bite!

Try serving chicken thighs and gravy with mashed potatoes, white or brown rice, or Instant Pot Risotto. Sauteed Carrots and Air Fryer Green Beans are both simple options that can be made in the time it takes the chicken to cook. For added flavor, sauté some mushrooms in butter and add them on top of each serving of chicken and gravy.

A fresh dinner roll and a side salad are other great additions to complete your meal!

Storing and Reheating

Instant Pot Chicken recipes are popular choices for meal prep or to freeze for later! This would be a great comfort food to make for others or store for times you know you’ll need something delicious and homemade.

Store leftover chicken thighs and gravy in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To reheat, defrost first if needed, then add to the microwave or a skillet on the stove.

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Gravy

Print Recipe

This isn’t your average chicken recipe! Chicken thighs are so easy to make and adding gravy is one of the most flavorful ways to serve chicken. Try one of my favorite Instant Pot chicken thigh recipes and serve with your choice of sides for a delicious home-cooked meal!

Jennifer Draper

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Pressure 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Serving Size 6

Equipment

• Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoons herb and garlic seasoning or any seasoning blend for chicken
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

• Season both sides of chicken with preferred seasoning blend
• Set Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat butter and oil in pot
• Add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until lightly browned
• Turn off Instant Pot and add chicken broth
• Cover, seal, and set to high pressure for 8 minutes
• Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release then turn to a quick release for remaining pressure
• Remove chicken from Instant Pot and set aside
• Mix cornstarch with an equal amount of water until smooth
• Switch pot to sauté mode and whisk cornstarch slurry into pan juices
• Continue whisking for 2-3 minutes until gravy has thickened
• Serve chicken topped with gravy

Notes

• Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost, and reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
• If gravy is too thin, continue to add a small amount of cornstarch mixed with water until you reach the desired thickness. If the gravy is too thick, add a bit more chicken broth.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Be sure to share with me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Youtube!

Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe

Instant Pot Chicken Thigh FAQs

• Do you need to brown the chicken before cooking in the Instant Pot? Since it is so easy to brown meat in the Instant Pot, I do recommend browning the chicken thighs first. Sautéing takes only a few minutes and it really makes a difference in the flavor of the chicken. When you serve chicken as the main dish (without shredding it), it tends to look more appetizing if you brown it first!
• Do you need to use the trivet when making chicken in the Instant Pot? You do not need to use the trivet. A trivet is usually used to keep the chicken elevated above the liquid to keep the seasonings on the chicken intact. But, you will get the best, juiciest chicken if you cook it in the liquid.
• Can you cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot? You technically can cook the chicken from frozen if you skip the browning step and add about 4 minutes to the cooking time. However, I don’t particularly love cooking this recipe from frozen chicken since you’ll want to brown the chicken thighs first to seal in and add extra flavor. 

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Easy Instant Pot Lasagna
• Instant Pot Turkey Chili
• Instant Pot Pot Roast
• Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Share to save this recipe for later!