Instant Pot Sticky Chicken Thighs

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You are just moments away from an outstanding chicken dish that’s easy and soooo flavorful: Instant Pot Sticky Chicken Thighs.   

Make these tender chicken thighs in just minutes in your Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Sticky Chicken Thighs Recipe

If you’ve been around my blog much, you may already know how much I adore electric pressure cooking.

I’m always in a hurry, so this small appliance REALLY helps me get dinner on the table quickly when I’m running behind. And, cooking food under pressure not only makes it very tender, it also turns out super flavorful. Win-win!

WHAT TO LOVE ABOUT THIS EASY INSTANT POT RECIPE 

1. No bones or skin to deal with, just moist and tender dark meat.
2. Chicken thighs are a great value.
3. The sauce is just fantastic – sweet and slightly tangy.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE STICKY CHICKEN THIGHS

• boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• common spices: paprika, granulated garlic, cumin, ginger (optional), cinnamon, coriander (optional), and kosher salt
• chicken broth
• honey
• bbq sauce
• molasses
• scallions, for garnish, optional

How to make INSTANT POT STICKY CHICKEN THIGHS

Rinse the thighs and pat dry, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, create the rub by mixing all the spices, then dredge the chicken thighs on both sides in the rub.

 

Using the saute setting on the Instant Pot, add the oil.

When the oil is hot, add the seasoned thighs, 2-3 only at a time, browning them off on each side.

Whenever we are browning meat in hot oil, we want to make sure we don’t crowd the pan too much. 

Overcrowding doesn’t allow for the heat to circulate well and then the meat “steams” (resulting in a funky gray color) instead of getting nicely browned and caramelized.

Transfer the thighs to a plate as your work, continuing with the remaining thighs.

Remove any excess fats from the Instant Pot, leaving behind the browned bits from cooking the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Add the broth to the pot, stirring to loosen any of the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. 

Place all the chicken thighs into the pot.

Lock the Instant Pot lid into place, choosing the high pressure setting for 10 minutes.

When the timer sounds, let the chicken rest (still under pressure) for 5 minutes, then perform a quick release to remove all the remaining pressure from the Instant Pot.

With your kitchen tongs, carefully remove the cooked chicken thighs from the Instant Pot.

Make sure to leave the juices rendered from the cooking process in the pot.

Now whisk in the honey, bbq sauce and molasses.

Using the saute setting again, bring the mixture in the pot to a full boil.

Reduce to a simmer, cooking until the liquids are reduced to a nicely thickened sauce, approx. 6-8 minutes, whisking often.

To serve, drizzle the chicken thighs with the prepared sauce, then garnish with chopped scallions or Italian parsley, as desired.

SUBSTITUTE BONE-IN CHICKEN THIGHS

Yes. If you can’t find boneless, skinless chicken thighs, go ahead and use regular bone-in chicken thighs. 

I like to go ahead and remove the skin before cooking under pressure, then just add 2 minutes to the cooking time.

Sticky BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS

Yep – I’ve done it before in a pinch. 

So that the breasts can cook as quickly as the thighs would, I put the chicken breasts into a gallon freezer bag.

Use the smooth side of my meat mallet to pound them out until they are about the same thickness as a chicken thigh.

If you don’t want to mess with pounding out the chicken breasts, just add 3-4 minutes to the cooking time instead. I’ve done it this way before, as well.

WHICH TOOLS ARE HELPFUL FOR MAKING CHICKEN THIGHS IN THE ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER?

Yep, you’ll need an Instant Pot!  I prefer the 6-Quart Instant Pot, but an 8-Quart Instant Pot is an option, as well, especially if you’re consistently cooking for bigger groups of people.

Long-handled tongs work great when browning the chicken thighs and transferring them in and out of the Instant Pot as you work.

I love my flat silicone whisk when making a sauce (like in this recipe) or a gravy.  The silicone coating ensures you don’t ruin the finish on non-stick enamel cookware.

MORE FAVORITE RECIPES

I recently made 30-Minute Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings for a friend when she was sick. She couldn’t believe how quickly they could be ready and at her door.

Mississippi Crockpot Chicken can be cooked with chicken thighs or chicken breast and has just five simple ingredients to make a flavorful, tender chicken you can eat as a main dish or save for meal prep.

• INSTANT POT FRIED CHICKEN GIZZARDS 
• LOADED AIR FRYER CHICKEN SAUSAGE MELT {AL FRESCO STYLE}