Instant Pot lemon garlic chicken is a quick & flavorful dinner meal! In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have zesty chicken thighs on the table!
Growing up, lemon chicken was a popular recipe in my house. We didn’t have a ton of money, so chicken with lemon and garlic was cheap and relatively healthy. I carried my love for lemon chicken with me through college, too. It’s one of those meals that I can still eat and enjoy from my “poor” days.
And, I’ve been totally falling in love with my Instant Pot, and probably use it at least 4 times per week these days. It’s just so easy and convienent!
So, I’ve combined my love of lemon chicken with my new love for the Instant Pot, and here we are. Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken.
Start with a basic lemon chicken, then add some garlic and basil to it, and you’ve got a delicious chicken recipe that keeps the whole family happy.
Here’s a super easy and healthy dinner meal you can throw together in less than 30 minutes. Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken is one you’ll want to put on your dinner plan this week!
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What does it taste like?
It’s moist and juicy, with a nice garlic and lemon layer on the outside. Low sodium chicken broth and a hint of salt and pepper really elevates the flavor, too. It’s also a little herby, because of the chopped basil that you’ll sprinkle on it at the very end.
Ingredients:
Chicken thighs – Higher in fat than chicken breast, but lemon chicken tends to try out pretty quickly if you don’t use thighs. Chicken breast with lemon is not good when it’s dried out, trust me!
Garlic cloves – Minced and full of flavor! Fresh garlic is a must in this recipe.
Garlic powder – Just to add a touch more garlic flavor. Garlic powder adds a nice garlic flavor that coats the outside of the chicken while it cooks in the Instant Pot.
Onion powder – To give the chicken an onion flavor without using actual onions. Just like the garlic powder, the onion powder helps to coat the chicken in flavor.
Black pepper – Because who doesn’t like lemon and pepper together?!
Salt – Salt elevates the flavor of anything you add it to. This recipe doesn’t call for a ton of salt, so it’s fairly low in sodium!
Lemon zest – My favorite ingredient in this recipe, the fresh lemon zest crusts to the outside of the chicken while it cooks, and it gives it that subtle but delicious citrus flavor you’re looking for in lemon garlic chicken.
Avocado oil – A heart healthy oil that can withstand the high heat of the Instant Pot. You can substitute olive oil as well.
Low sodium chicken broth – Just to add a little more flavor, and some moisture to the Instant Pot so the chicken stays moist and juicy while it pressure cooks.
Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed, this ingredient is key to elevating the lemon flavor in your Instant Pot lemon garlic chicken.
Instructions:
- Toss your chicken thighs in minced garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and fresh lemon zest.
- Heat the avocado oil using the saute setting in your Instant Pot.
- Once the oil is heated, sear your chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes on each side, so they’re brown on both sides. You may have to do this in batches if the chicken thighs don’t fit in one single layer in the Instant Pot.
- Remove the seared chicken, then add the chicken broth to the pot, and deglaze the pan. Scrape up all the brown bits, then turn your Insant Pot off (hit cancel).
- Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot, along with the juice from one lemon. Close the lid, then set the steam release knob to “sealing”. Press “manual”, then set the time to 6 minutes, and hit “manual” again.
- Once the Instant Pot is done cooking, set the steam release knob to “venting”, and allow all the steam to vent out and for the metal pin to drop. This indicates that the pressure has been released and it’s safe to open the lid.
- Check the chicken thighs to make sure they’re cooked through, sprinkle with fresh basil or parley, then serve with veggies!
Tips and FAQ
Lemon adds flavor to Instant Pot chicken, but it also helps to tenderize it. That’s because it’s so acidic, and helps to break down the meat and make it tender and juicy!
Yes, you can cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot. It’s completely safe, as long as you add a few minutes to the cook time to ensure that it’s cooked thoroughly before you eat it.
It depends on how large your chicken pieces are. To cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot, start with 10-15 minutes of cook time and go from there.
After the cook time is over, check it and make sure it’s cooked all the way through. If it’s not, pressure cook it for 2 more minutes, then check again. Continue this process until your chicken is completely cooked through.
The most I’ve ever cooked in the Instant Pot was about 8 chicken thighs. Any more than that, and you start stacking them on top of each other, which will take forever to cook.
If you have a lot of chicken to cook at once, make sure that your chicken thighs are all seasoned well before you stack them up in the Instant Pot. Then, add on about 2-3 minutes per extra lb of chicken that you’re adding.
This recipe calls for 2 lbs of chicken thighs and a cook time of 6 minutes. If you want to double the recipe and use 4 lbs of chicken, start with a cook time of 10-12 minutes. Check your chicken and add additional cook time if it’s not done all the way through.
Yes, you can! Chicken is one of the easiest meats to overcook if you set the cook time too long. Plus, lemon can actually have a drying effect if your chicken is overcooked, so those two combined factors make it very possible for you to end up with overcooked, dry chicken if you don’t follow the recipe cook times precisely.
If your lemon chicken isn’t cooked all the way through, pressure cook it for an additional 2 minutes, then check it again. Continue to do so until your lemon garlic chicken is cooked thoroughly, but not dried out.
Yes, you need to add some liquid in order to pressure cook in the Instant Pot. Pressure cookers trap and pressurize steam, which causes the food to cook quickly and stay moist. Without liquid, the Instant Pot can’t do it’s job.
Plus, liquid and oils help to keep the chicken moist and juicy in the Instant Pot.
Yes, you can! Lemon garlic chicken freezes well, and can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container, or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap.
When ready to eat, simply thaw in the refridgerator overnight. Then, microwave for about 1 minute, until heated through.
How do I make it a freezer meal?
- Place the chicken thighs in a gallon sized, freezer safe ziplock bag. Add in the minced garlic, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon zest.
- Close the bag, then mix the bag contents until the chicken appears well coated with the seasonings.
- Label and date the bag, then place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refridgerator before cooking. Heat the oil in the Instant Pot, then add the freezer pack contents. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Remove the seared chicken, then add the chicken broth to the pot, and deglaze the pan. Scrape up all the brown bits, then turn your Insant Pot off (hit cancel).
- Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot, along with the juice from one lemon. Close the lid, then set the steam release knob to “sealing”. Press “manual”, then set the time to 6 minutes, and hit “manual” again.
- Once the Instant Pot is done cooking, set the steam release knob to “venting”, and allow all the steam to vent out and for the metal pin to drop. This indicates that the pressure has been released and it’s safe to open the lid.
- Check the chicken thighs to make sure they’re cooked through, sprinkle with fresh basil or parley, then serve with veggies!
Side Dishes
There are lots of different sides that go with lemon garlic chicken:
- Easy Roasted Frozen Vegetables
- Crispy Sweet Potato Wedges
- Side salad
- Mashed potatoes
- Rice pilaf
- Pasta
- Baked potato
- Zucchini noodles
- Spaghetti squash
- Broccolini or asparagus
Nutritional Info
Chicken is one of the healthiest meats you can buy, and is also really high in protein. When made with heart healthy oil, fresh lemon, and basil, and paired with a side of vegetables, it’s one of the healthiest recipes here on The Oregon Dietitian.
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 350 calories
- Protein: 32 grams
- Sodium: 426 mg
- Carbohydrates: 2 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
Pricing Info
Instant Pot lemon garlic chicken comes out to be around $5.71 for 4 servings, or about $1.42 per serving.
Combine that with an inexpensive side dish like brown rice or roasted frozen vegetables, and you have one flavorful but budget-friendly meal on the table!
Other Instant Pot Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below! I would really appreciate your feedback!
Recipe
Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless/skinless
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- lemon zest from 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
- juice of 1 lemon
- fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Toss your chicken thighs in minced garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and fresh lemon zest.
- Heat the avocado oil using the saute setting in your Instant Pot.
- Once the oil is heated, sear your chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes on each side, so they're brown on both sides. You may have to do this in batches if the chicken thighs don't fit in one single layer in the Instant Pot.
- Remove the seared chicken, then add the chicken broth to the pot, and deglaze the pan. Scrape up all the brown bits, then turn your Insant Pot off (hit cancel). Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot, along with the lemon juice.
- Close the lid, then set the steam release knob to "sealing". Press "manual", then set the time to 6 minutes, and hit "manual" again.
- Once the Instant Pot is done cooking, set the steam release knob to "venting", and allow all the steam to vent out and for the metal pin to drop. Check the chicken thighs to make sure they're cooked through, sprinkle with fresh basil, then serve!
Freezer Pack Instructions:
- Place the chicken thighs in a gallon sized, freezer safe ziplock bag. Add in the minced garlic, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon zest.
- Close the bag, then mix the bag contents until the chicken appears well coated with the seasonings. Label and date the bag, then place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refridgerator before cooking. Heat the oil in the Instant Pot, then add the freezer pack contents. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Remove the seared chicken, then add the chicken broth to the pot, and deglaze the pan. Scrape up all the brown bits, then turn your Insant Pot off (hit cancel). Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot, along with the lemon juice.
- Close the lid, then set the steam release knob to "sealing". Press "manual", then set the time to 6 minutes, and hit "manual" again.
- Once the Instant Pot is done cooking, set the steam release knob to "venting", and allow all the steam to vent out and for the metal pin to drop. Check the chicken thighs to make sure they're cooked through, sprinkle with fresh basil, then serve!
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Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken is a zesty and flavorful dinner option that will be on the table in less than 30 minutes! It’s sure to be new a weeknight favorite!
xoxo Megan
Tammie Fischer says
Thanks for the recipe!
Libbie Stitzel says
Yum! So excited to try this recipe 🙂 thanks lady!
Megan Byrd, RD says
I think you’ll love it! 🍋