Restaurant quality at home – these Garlic Paprika Instant Pot Chicken Thighs make even a weeknight special! Seasoned boneless chicken thighs are served in a delicious cream sauce – perfect for a date night in!
text
Raise your hand if you’ve fallen in love with the Instant Pot!
I use mine all the time, especially for things like making shredded chicken or “hard boiled” eggs. But I also realized that it’s a shame that I don’t have very many pressure cooker recipes here on Taste and Tell. So I’m beginning to remedy that today – with Garlic Paprika Instant Pot Chicken Thighs.
This recipe is one of those recipes that looks fancy, but is actually really, really easy. Tender, flavorful chicken, served in a creamy sauce. I like to serve it over pasta, which makes it even more restaurant quality, in my opinion. I have been super addicted to smoked paprika lately, and this is a recipe that highlights just how good that spice is.
Ingredients in Garlic Paprika Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
There really aren’t a lot of ingredients in this recipe.
For the chicken, you’ll need:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- smoked paprika
- salt and pepper
- butter
For the sauce, you’ll need:
- butter
- garlic
- chicken broth
- heavy cream
- cornstarch
- parmesan
- baby spinach
I have served this over pasta (which is my favorite way to serve it), but it is also great just on its own!
How long do you cook chicken thighs in the Instant Pot?
You cook the boneless, skinless chicken thighs on high pressure for 7 minutes, then let the Instant Pot naturally release for 3 minutes before manually releasing the pressure. If you want to sub in bone-in chicken thighs, cook the chicken on high pressure for 10 minutes instead of 7. I always suggest having an instant read thermometer on hand, as well, to check the internal temperature to make sure it is cooked through.
Can you use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs?
If you know me, you know that I’ll choose a chicken thigh over a breast 4 out of 5 times. This is simply because I think the thighs have so much more flavor, and are so much harder to dry out than breasts. But if you want to use breasts, you can sub in the same amount of meat, and cook for about 10 minutes on high and let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. The rest of the steps should be the same.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes:
Pressure Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Instant Pot Chipotle Shredded Beef
Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef
Pressure Cooker Cashew Chicken
Pressure Cooker Fudgy Brownies
Tools to make this Garlic Paprika Instant Pot Chicken
- Of course you need a pressure cooker, and I love my Instant Pot! I feel like it is super user friendly and easy to learn how to use.
- I seriously use my tongs more than most things in my kitchen! They are super handy in this recipe to flip the chicken while you are browning it in your Instant Pot.
- A good whisk is also a must for making the sauce. You don’t want any lumps!
LOOKING FOR MORE FREE RECIPES?
Subscribe to my free recipe newsletter to get new family friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more family-friendly inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
Garlic Paprika Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with the smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- Press sauté on the Instant Pot and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Working in batches, place the chicken thighs in the Instant Pot and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes each side. Remove to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30-45 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth.
- Add the chicken back into the Instant Pot. Place the lid on the pot and lock. Select high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, allow a natural release for 3 minutes, then quick release. Remove the chicken thighs from the pot with a slotted spoon.
- Press sauté on the instant pot. Take 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream and whisk it with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk the remaining cream into the Instant Pot, followed by the cornstarch mixture. Cook, whisking often, until it has lightly thickened. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted, then stir in the spinach and allow it to cook until wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the Instant Pot and add the chicken back into the mixture, allowing the sauce to coat the chicken.
- Serve the chicken thighs on top of pasta, if desired. Sprinkle the chicken with parsley before serving.
Leslie C Olmsted says
if you were to make this keto would you add xanthan gum instead of cornstarch
Deborah says
I’m afraid I’m not very familiar with keto so I can’t help you with this.
Tara says
When do you add the chicken broth? I keep refreshing the instructions, but can’t seem to find that.
Deborah says
Hi Tara – it’s in step 3 on the recipe card. 🙂
Shandel Moss says
This is a superb recipe! A definite go to!
Jen says
Delicious!!
Amy says
Going to make this tonight! How long would i cook if my thighs are half frozen
Paul Diaz says
This was excellent. I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Delicious. Served with rice. The whole family asked to put this dish on rotation.
Karen Neubauer says
I used kale instead of spinach and added some red pepper flakes… so delicious!