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Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken is simple and easy to make in the pressure cooker and perfect for busy weeknights. The chicken cooks up tender and juicy in a buttery lemon garlic sauce.
This chicken is enhanced with a hint of lemon, flavorful herbs and cooked to perfection in your instant pot. Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli, Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos or Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta are some of our family favorites too!
Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
This is an easy Instant Pot dinner recipe.
With two little ones that keep me busy all day, I don’t always have time to prep ahead when it comes to dinner.
That’s why I am such a big fan of the Instant Pot and use it regularly at our house.
If you love using your instant pot try this Instant Pot Ribs or Instant Pot Pasta with Meatballs.
Instant pot is just what you need for those busy weeknights!
This Lemon Garlic Chicken is tender, juicy and full of flavor.
And the best part is that dinner can be on the table in just 30 minutes with the help of a trusty pressure cooker.
It is the one stop meal that is perfect for busy nights and a growing family that loves a flavorful meal!
What you need to make Lemon Garlic Chicken:
- Chicken: boneless chicken thighs skinless or with skin.
- Garlic powder: great for taste and flavor.
- Olive oil: helps cook the chicken without sticking to the instant pot.
- Butter: adds flavor as well as helps cook the chicken and gives it a golden color on the outside.
- Onion: a sweet flavoring for the chicken.
- Garlic cloves: sliced or minced.
- Italian seasoning: full of flavor on the chicken.
- Lemon: sweetness from the zest of it.
- Chicken broth: adds flavoring and juiciness to the chicken.
- Parsley: optional
How do you make Lemon Garlic Chicken?
Start off by seasoning the chicken thighs with some salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
Next, you’re going to brown the chicken in the Instant Pot (I use an Instant Pot DUO 6 Quart) using the sauté function.
Searing the chicken helps to seal in those amazing flavors and gives the chicken that crispy coating.
Once the chicken is golden brown, transfer to a plate then add butter, onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, lemon juice and chicken broth.
Place the chicken back in the Instant Pot, seal the lid and pressure cook for 5 minutes.
- Prepare chicken: Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Prepare Instant Pot: Press the Sauté function (Normal setting the Instant Pot (I used a 6 Quart DUO) and add the olive oil to the pot.
- Brown chicken: Place chicken in the Instant Pot and allow to sear on each side for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. This helps to seal in the juices and keep it tender. (You may have to work in batches depending on the size and amount of chicken you are using). Once browned, remove from Instant Pot and set aside.
- Add seasonings: Melt butter in Instant Pot and stir in the onions and garlic. Add lemon juice to deglaze pan. Cook for 1 minute then add Italian seasoning, lemon zest, and chicken broth.
- Cook the chicken: Place the chicken back into the Instant Pot, lock the lid, and turn the valve to SEAL.
- Adjust the Instant Pot: Select the Manual (older modeler Pressure Cook (newer model button and adjust the timer to 7 minutes. It will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure and start counting down.
- Natural release: When done, allow to naturally release for 2-3 minutes then using a long spoon push the valve to RELEASE, then remove your Instant Pot lid.
- Serve: Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot with your favorite sides. Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
Tips for making Instant Pot Lemon Chicken:
- Thicken you sauce: If you want to thicken the sauce – make a cornstarch slurry using 1 teaspoon of cornstarch whisked with 2 teaspoons cold water and stir in the Instant Pot. Press SAUTE and allow to bubble and thicken up.
- Frozen chicken: Using frozen chicken will work. It is best to thaw your chicken ahead of time but if that is not an option simply cook the frozen chicken in the Instant Pot.
- Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Recipe: Follow all the same instructions for preparing the chicken. When it is time to add the chicken and other ingredients to the instant pot, add it to the slow cooker. Cook on low for about 3 to 4 hours until your chicken is cooked through. Get ready to have all the smells in your home!
What sides can I serve with this Garlic Chicken?
This chicken would go well with so many sides.
I chose to serve it with some roasted asparagus since it’s one of my favorite spring vegetables but broccoli, zucchini or cauliflower would be delicious as well.
This Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken is a quick and easy dish bursting with bright and fresh flavors.
It’s perfect for spring and and any busy weeknight!
Storing Instant Pot Chicken:
- How to store Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken: Once your lemon garlic chicken is cooled down from being cooked, place in an airtight container or ziplock bag. This will store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days longs. This makes for a great prep meal too! Just add a vegetable and/or rice to a container and enjoy each day.
- Can you freeze Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken? Yes, this is a great dinner to freeze. Once it is cooked, let cool then place in a ziplock bag. Release the air and lay flat in the freezer. This will stay in the freezer for one month. When ready to warm up, simply thaw in the refrigerator over night.
- Warming up Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken: When ready to warm up, simply heat the oven to 350* Fahrenheit and warm up in a oven safe pan for about 15 to 20 minutes. You can also use a microwave to warm up slowly and flipping your chicken each time.
Looking for More Lemon Chicken Recipes? Here you go!
- Easy Greek Lemon Chicken
- Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Picatta
- Lemon Garlic Butter Herb Chicken with Asparagus
- Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken
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Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 6-8 boneless chicken thighs skinless or with skin* *sea salt and pepper, to taste divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon butter divided
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 1/3 cup homemade or low sodium chicken broth
- **SEE NOTE Chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Press the Sauté function (Normal settinon the Instant Pot (I used a 6 Quart DUO) and add the olive oil to the pot.
- Place chicken in the Instant Pot and allow to sear on each side for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. This helps to seal in the juices and keep it tender. (You may have to work in batches depending on the size and amount of chicken you are using). Once browned, remove from Instant Pot and set aside.
- Melt butter in Instant Pot and stir in the onions and garlic. Add lemon juice to deglaze pan. Cook for 1 minute then add Italian seasoning, lemon zest, and chicken broth.
- Place the chicken back into the Instant Pot, lock the lid, and turn the valve to SEAL.
- Select the Manual (older modelor Pressure Cook (newer modelbutton and adjust the timer to 7 minutes.
- It will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure and start counting down.
- When done, allow to naturally release for 2-3 minutes then using a long spoon push the valve to RELEASE, then remove your Instant Pot lid.
- (**If you want to thicken the sauce - make a cornstarch slurry using 1 teaspoon of cornstarch whisked with 2 teaspoons cold water and stir in the Instant Pot. Press SAUTE and allow to bubble and thicken up. )
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot with your favorite sides. Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was a very tasty recipe. Wondering why it calls for the butter to be divided?
Anyway – I doubled the amount of lemon zest, because I can never get enough. I also made a mistake and forgot to debone one thigh – it came out just fine. And I added a layer of sliced mushrooms.
When I make it next time, I will brown the thighs in a fry pan and not include the grease in the recipe. The Instant Pot is wonderful at many things, but saute-ing chicken, not so much.
Thank you for the recipe.
Delicious and so easy! We LOVE this dish!! We make it about once a week. It would be more often if it were up to my husband. Thank you!
YAY!! That is great to hear! I am so glad that he likes it so much and you all make it weekly! Thank you for sharing! XOXO
I made this and my family said the chicken didn’t have enough flavor..It was only the second meal i made in the instapot so I’m still learning how to use this kitchen gadget, but i really want to learn how to make my food have more flavor… help???
My family won’t eat dark meat chicken. How would I adjust this recipe to use chicken breasts?
You are welcome to adjust it to your liking for your preferences but the recipe for the chicken breasts should work the same as the recipe states. Hope that helps and you enjoy your instant pot chicken. Thanks for choosing one of my recipes! XOXO
Very nice recipe. I used bone-in thighs because they are less expensive. I got 4 for $1.81 on sale. Added a squirt of Pinot grigio to help deglaze the pot. Cooked 1/3 cup of basmati rice w 1/3 cup of water w 1/4 tsp salt pot in pot. Added 1 T butter to rice, rubbed it on bottom and side of pot before adding rice and water. PC for 15 min. Natural release. Perfect. Served 2 thighs with pickled beets and a glass of unsweetened almond milk. Two left for tomorrow.
This looks great! Could you put the steamer rack on top with some potatoes and then mash them in a bowl when done? Looking to do both at the same time in one pot 😉
That sounds like a great idea! Thanks for sharing! I hope you enjoy it and it is simple for you to make all at once! XOXO
This is by far the best Instant Pot dish I have made and I think the most flavorful dish I have ever cooked. My husband can’t stop talking about it. Ive shared this recipe with everyone I know.
I read everywhere that you need a minimum of 1.5-2 cups of liquid in the instant pot- what else do you put in this??
For this recipe you only need what is listed in the ingredients. It will turn out perfectly! Enjoy! XOXO
Did you cook your lemons in the IP along with th chicken as the picture shows? Curious because I think it’d be good, but if it gets all gross in there instead of how pretty it does in pic, then no.
I added the lemons after it was all done and cooked. It would be a great idea but I am not sure if they would get mushy.
You could do both. I put lemon slices in the instant pot when I cook fish and the whole slice becomes soft and edible. It’s quite delicious. For presentation you could add fresh lemon slices at the end. The flavor bonus is worth doing both!
My family likes white meat. How long would I need to cook chicken breasts in the IP? I could probably cut them into two or three pieces.
Whenever possible, I use the butterfly method to make chicken breast more tender, flavorful and juicy. Cut the breast horizontally from the thicker side and open it like a book. Place a piece of plastic wrap over top and hammer the chicken with a rolling pin or something similar until it’s the same thickness all over. You can then cut it into smaller pieces, depending on the recipe. This would be an option for those who don’t want to use chicken thighs in this recipe. The butterfly method works great for any quick-cook recipe like chicken fingers too.
Hi! How would the recipe change if I used Chicken breasts vs thights?
The chicken was soooo tender! Great flavor! Make some steamed vegetables and it was a perfect meal! I bought my pressure cooker about 3 weeks ago and it is the only thing I have cooked with since then! Thanks for another great recipe that is super easy to add to my list!
Hi Alysssa, Just found your site also I just bought my first “Instant Pot” yesterday and I’m excited to use it. I’ve had a pressure cooker for years, but decided to “get with it” and up-grade. I’m also on “Keto” so now I’m on the look-out for whatever recipes you can give us that’s on the “Keto” and “Instant Pot” plan. I’ve just put some chicken thighs in to defrost and ready to make this lovely “Lemon Garlic Chicken” for dinner tonight since I have all the ingredients on hand. Not that I’ve made this as yet, but I’m sure it deserves some stars already, hopefully I can do it justice for you.
Do you have a brand that you recommend for an instant pot?
I like the brand Instant Pot but I am sure any Instant Pot will likely be great! You will love it and wish you had it sooner;)!! XOXO
hey girl- this looks so good!
If I do NOT have a Insta Pot ……..what do I use?
If you don’t have an instant pot you are welcome to sauté the chicken and then bake the chicken in the oven. It will take a bit longer but it will turn out great for you! XOXO