Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

[musesfool]

Today I made Instant Pot Lemon Chicken for dinner and lunch for the week.

Ingredients

8 (6-oz.) bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic cloves (about 2 large garlic cloves)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon)
1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 thinly sliced lemon, for garnish

Directions

Step 1
Pat chicken dry, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Select SAUTÉ setting on a programmable pressure multicooker (such as Instant Pot). (Times, instructions, and settings may vary according to cooker brand or model.) Select HIGH temperature setting, and allow to preheat 2 to 4 minutes. Add oil to cooker. Add half of chicken, meat side down, and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and repeat with remaining chicken. Set chicken aside.

Step 2
Add garlic, rosemary, and thyme sprigs to cooker; cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and softened, about 1 minute. Add lemon zest and juice, and stir to loosen any browned bits from bottom of cooker. Stir in broth and mustard. Return chicken to cooker, cover cooker with lid, and lock in place. Press CANCEL. Turn steam release handle to SEALING position. Select MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK setting. Select HIGH pressure for 9 minutes. (It will take about 10 minutes for cooker to come to pressure before cooking begins.)

Step 3
When cooking has finished, carefully turn steam release handle to VENTING position, and let steam fully escape (float valve will drop). (This will take 2 to 3 minutes.) Remove lid from cooker. Transfer chicken to a platter.

Step 4
Select SAUTÉ setting. Select HIGH temperature setting, and allow sauce to reduce by half, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Press CANCEL. Gradually stir butter into sauce in cooker until melted and combined. Pour over chicken. Garnish with lemon slices and thyme sprigs.

I only used 6 thighs instead of 8, I used diced garlic from a jar rather than fresh garlic, and dried rosemary and thyme instead of fresh. I also put slices of lemon in the pot while the chicken cooked and in hope of a more intensely lemon flavor.

The other change I made was when I was reducing the sauce at the end - it looked like the sauce was going to boil away entirely before it thickened, so I added a teaspoon of cornstarch and that thickened it right up.

It was good - I made rice to go with it - but I would definitely double the sauce if I make it again.

Comments

[colls]

My mother used to make lemon chicken in the crock pot when I was a kid - this reminds me of that, but updated and made easier for an Instant Pot. Bookmarking - thank you!

[musesfool]

👍