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
HOWDY! CHEF ALLI HERE. LET’S GET YOU COOKIN’…. SHALL WE?? 
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!
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.
If you’re a big breakfast fan like my fam is, check out my recipe for Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats. I like to make an extra-big batch and keep the leftovers in my fridge to reheat when I need something fast and warm in my belly. (They reheat in the microwave like a dream.)
WHAT TO LOVE ABOUT THIS EASY INSTANT POT RECIPE
- No bones or skin to deal with, just moist and tender dark meat.
- Chicken thighs are a great value.
- 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
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING INSTANT POT STICKY CHICKEN THIGHS
**Print the full recipe from the RECIPE CARD at the bottom of this post
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 together, 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. 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. Now 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, leaving 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.
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.
CAN I SUBSTITUTE BONE-IN CHICKEN THIGHS IN THIS RECIPE?
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.
CAN I SUBSTITUTE BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS FOR THIGHS IN THIS RECIPE?
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 and 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.
WHY DOES THIS RECIPE INSTRUCT TO COOK THE CHICKEN THIGHS WORKING IN BATCHES, A FEW AT A TIME?
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.
MORE FAVORITES RECIPES YOUR FAMILY WILL ENJOY –
- AIR FRYER BANG BANG SALMON
- RUSTIC BEEF STEW OVER CREAMY GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
- INSTANT POT FRIED CHICKEN GIZZARDS
- CHERRY PECAN PORK TENDERLOIN MEDALLIONS
Printable Instant Pot Sticky Chicken Thighs Recipe
Instant Pot Sticky Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 2.5 lbs.
- 1 Tbs. smoked paprika, regular paprika is fine, too
- 1 Tbs. granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 Tbs. ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, optional
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander, optional
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup bbq sauce
- 1 Tbs. molasses
- chopped scallions or Italian parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Rinse thighs and pat dry; season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. In a large mixing bowl, create the spice rub by combining the paprika, granulated garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, and salt; dredge each chicken thigh on all sides in the prepared rub.
- Using the saute setting on the Instant Pot, add the oil; when the oil is hot, add the seasoned thighs, working a 2-3 at a time, browning them off on each side. Transfer the thighs to a plate as you work, then repeat 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. Now place all the chicken thighs into the pot.
- Lock the Instant Pot lid into place, choosing the high pressure setting for 8 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.
- Using tongs, carefully remove the cooked chicken thighs from the Instant Pot, leaving the juices rendered from the cooking process in the pot; whisk in the honey, bbq sauce, and molasses.
- Using the saute setting again, bring the mixture in the pot to a full boil then 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, as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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LET’S GET YOU COOKIN’,
CHEF ALLI
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