Instant Pot Honey Chicken Thighs

Name: Instant Pot Honey Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1½ pounds (650g) chicken thighs (bone-in skin-on ); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter (divided); 1 teaspoon paprika; ¾ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 cloves garlic (minced); ½ cup water; ¼ cup honey; 1 pound (450g) baby potatoes (halved, if the potatoes are small then leave whole); 1 pound (450g) green beans (trimmed and cut in half); 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 2 tablespoons water

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By: Diana Posted: 11/14/21

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Tender and juicy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs cooked in a delicious honey garlic sauce with green beans and baby potatoes for a complete meal. This one-pot chicken recipe is family-friendly and perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!

Glazed honey garlic chicken thighs served on a white platter with baby potatoes and green beans, overhead shot.

Easy Instant Pot chicken dinners are the best! They’re lifesavers on busy days, and the Instant Pot can definitely cook really good and healthy home-cooked meals that your whole family will love.

I buy trays of chicken thighs quite often, and turn them into delicious dinners thanks to the Instant Pot. My favorites include this delicious honey mustard chicken, garlic brown sugar chicken thighs, and chicken thighs with gravy served over rice.

I recently started making this honey chicken thigh recipe, and I love the fact that I can just throw in some baby potatoes and green beans, and call it a complete meal. Because it really is a complete and filling meal, and the kids love it too!

For more delicious Instant Pot dinners, find my Instant Pot recipe collection here.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

One Pot – You get the chicken, sauce, carb, and veg all cooked in the Instant Pot. Easy to clean up, not many dishes to wash, and it’s a filling meal.
Family Friendly – This chicken turns out very flavorful, it’s sweet and savory at the same time and it’s quite mild. There is no spice or heat in this recipe, there are tender potatoes, so it’s 100% kid approved.
Versatile Recipe – You can use your favorite chicken parts or different vegetables here, I will tell you more about this below.

Ingredients Needed

Here’s what you need to make this:

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Chicken Thighs: I used bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (6 in total weighing around 1.5 pounds/650g), you can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
Olive oil and butter: Used for browning the chicken for that deep golden brown color, and to flavor the chicken.
Garlic, Paprika, Salt and Pepper: These are the seasonings we’re using. You can also add fresh or dried herbs if you like.
Honey: The honey is the main ingredient in our sauce, it gives sweetness to the sauce, and turns it into a delicious glaze when thickened with cornstarch slurry.
Green Beans and Potatoes: I like to use green beans and baby potatoes, but you can also use carrots, red potatoes, broccoli, or broccolini.
Water: An important ingredient to allow the Instant Pot to build pressure and pressure cook the food.
Cornstarch Slurry: Combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water, add that to the sauce and thicken it to the perfect consistency.

How To Cook Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot

Collage of four images showing how to brown chicken thighs, then pressure cook with potatoes

Heat. On the Instant Pot press the SAUTE button, add olive oil and half of the butter and let the butter melt.
Brown the Chicken. Add the chicken skin side down, and brown it for 2-3 minutes (season with salt, pepper, and paprika), flip and cook for 1 more minute. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside. Switch OFF the Instant Pot.
Deglaze. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds then add water. Deglaze, and scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot using a wooden spoon.
Add Remaining Ingredients. Add honey, the remaining butter, and return the chicken to the sauce. Add the potatoes to the pot, then secure the lid and make sure that the vent is in SEALING position.
Pressure Cook. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 8 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 6-7 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam.

Collage of four images showing how to add green beans to the chicken, then thicken the sauce with cornstarch slurry.

Cook Green Beans. Remove the lid, add the green beans, and secure the lid again. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 0 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will come to pressure again, and end the cooking cycle. Quickly release the steam and remove the lid.
Thicken the Sauce. Move the vegetables to one side to expose the sauce. Press the SAUTE setting, and mix in the cornstarch slurry. The sauce will take a minute to thicken. Once thickened, switch OFF the saute setting and mix all of the ingredients so the sauce coats everything. Serve hot and enjoy!

Tip!

When reading an Instant Pot recipe, you will probably always see “pressure cook” or “manual.” This is because there are many models of Instant Pots on the market, some that have a manual button and some that have a pressure cook button. Just know, whatever yours says, it means the exact same thing!

Honey garlic chicken thighs in the instant pot with green beans and baby potatoes

Top Tips

Brown the Chicken in Batches. If necessary, I recommend that you brown the chicken thighs in batches without overcrowding the Instant Pot. I had smaller chicken thighs and was able to brown them in one batch.
Substitue. You can substitute the chicken thighs with chicken breasts, but keep in mind that white meat is drier than dark meat.
Thickening the sauce is optional but HIGHLY recommended to get that awesome glaze and thick sauce. If you don’t thicken it, you’ll end up with a watery liquid that won’t hold onto the chicken or veggies.

FAQs

Can you overcook chicken thighs in Instant Pot?

Yes! And we want to avoid overcooking our chicken. If the chicken thighs are seared, then pressure cooked without a rack. I found that 8 minutes on high pressure is perfect. For extra large chicken thighs, pressure cook for 10 minutes with quick release.
If using boneless and skinless chicken thighs, pressure cook for 6 minutes with quick release.

Should you sear chicken before Instant Pot?

This is up to you. I personally prefer the texture of the chicken when it’s seared prior to pressure cooking, but if you’re in a hurry you can certainly just dump and start without searing.

Storing Tips

Fridge: Store the chicken in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave, or in the oven until it’s heated through.

Freezer: These chicken thighs can last up to three months in the freezer, so be sure to write the date on the bag with a freezer-proof marker.

More Instant Pot Chicken Thigh Recipes

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