Juicy Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs + Video

Juicy Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs cooked in an aromatic spice blend then quickly broiled leaving you with tender, flavorful thighs which have a crispy outside. This no-thaw recipe which results in finger-licking delicious chicken thighs is also keto-friendly, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly! Serve it with some Instant Pot mashed cauliflower, Instant Pot Basmati Rice, or some German green bean salad for a complete meal!

You will find a video of this recipe on the recipe card, at the bottom of the page.

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why you will love this recipe

• Versatile - you can add vegetables to transform it into a healthy, veggie-packed meal!
• Clean eating friendly - This is a wonderful recipe for those who have food sensitivities as well as those on a special diet. It is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, low carb, whole 30, THM-S and keto-friendly too.
• Budget-friendly - frozen chicken thighs are quite affordable and readily available in most stores and supermarkets.
• Perfect for meal-prep - these instant pot frozen chicken thighs are great for meal prep. The recipe is also very easy to prepare plus, you will be using the skin on and bone-in chicken thighs which means less prep-work. Hooray!

ingredients

We will be using a special spice blend to bring out the flavor of the chicken thighs. To start with, you will require the following ingredients to make the spice blend:

• frozen chicken thighs - skin on (trim off excess fat).
• spices - cumin, sweet paprika, cinnamon, coriander powder, ground ginger, turmeric powder.
• seasoning and condiments- salt and olive oil.
• vegetables - chopped medium-sized onion, garlic cloves, lemon juice.
• other- chicken stock or water.

how to make frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot

Here is how to cook frozen bone-in skin-on chicken thighs using your pressure cooker or Instant Pot.

• First, prepare the spice blend - mix cumin, paprika, cinnamon, ground ginger, coriander powder, salt, and turmeric powder. Save about a tablespoon of this spice blend.
• Season the frozen chicken thighs with half of the spice blend above. Reserve the other half (use this to sprinkle on top later, before broiling and for other recipes).
• Next, set up the Instant Pot and cook. Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot and fry the garlic until fragrant. Once the garlic is cooked, add the chicken stock or water, followed by the seasoned chicken thighs. Top with the sliced onion and the lemon juice then cover. When covering the Instant Pot, make sure to set the valve on the lid to SEAL. Set the Instant Pot to the HIGH-PRESSURE setting and cook for 15 minutes.
• Pressure release - allow for a natural pressure release (NPR) of 10 minutes then followed by a quick pressure release (QPR), until all the pressure and sizzling is gone.
• Finally, broil the chicken thighs. To broil, transfer the chicken thighs from the Instant Pot to a suitable tray. Season again with some of the reserved spice blend above. Lay the chicken thighs on a suitable rack or tray then set them about 5-10 inches under the heat source of the broil. Broil and allow the skin to crisp and brown for about 5-10 minutes (you can also use your oven, a non-stick pan or a well-seasoned cast-iron pan to broil).
• Serve - hot alongside your favourite side dish. You can also garnish the chicken thighs with some fresh herbs such as chives or thyme, before serving.

frequently asked questions

useful recipe tips

• You can also add vegetables to this Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs recipe. To do this, simply fry the onion and garlic then add 2 cups of your preferred vegetables such as Brussel sprouts, celery or chopped carrots and baby potatoes (for paleo and whole 30). Proceed to then add the rest of the ingredients, as per the recipe instructions below.
• Add 1-2 extra cups of chicken stock or water, if making this recipe with vegetables.
• Stock is too watery? Simply thicken your stock using coconut flour, almond flour or arrowroot powder. Use normal flour if you have no dietary restrictions.
• Do not add any sauce thickeners before cooking as this affects how heat is transmitted. This may also make the inner pot of the Instant Pot overheat.

serving suggestions

Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this chicken thighs dish. However, feel free to serve it with your favorite side dish or dishes!

This dish goes particularly well with this Spicy Southern-style cabbage or my Jamaican steamed cabbage (both are Keto-friendly, for those of you on a low-carb diet)! For a paleo or whole 30 option, I highly recommend this Roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe.

meal prep and making the chicken thighs ahead

This Instant Pot frozen chicken thighs recipe can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer as follows:-

• in the fridge - refrigerate the cooked chicken thighs within 2 hours after cooking. Simply keep in suitable airtight containers or Ziploc bags. They will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• in the freezer - to store the cooked chicken thighs in the freezer, allow them to completely cool then transfer to freezer-friendly containers. Label the containers properly (with best-by date and month) then keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, remove the frozen chicken thighs from the freezer. Make sure to keep the chicken thighs in a bowl to prevent bacteria in the liquid from spreading to other items in the fridge. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge then warm in the microwave or oven.

more Instant Pot recipes for you to try!

📖 Recipe

Juicy Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs

Kate Hahnel

Delicious skin-on and bone-in frozen chicken thighs cooked using the Instant Pot. This keto-friendly recipe is easy to make, delicious, and can be served alongside so many side dishes!

5 from 18 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Pressure release + broiling time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 198 kcal

Equipment

6 Quarts (5.7 litres) OR 8 Quarts (7.6 litres) OR 10 Quarts (9.5 litres) Instant Pot. You could also use the smallest Instant Pot but you will need to adjust the recipe to make sure it all fits.

Cutting board - useful during the preparation phase.

Knife - to slice the onion

Measuring cups - to measure the water or stock.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

SPICE BLEND

• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoon paprika powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoon salt

MAIN INGREDIENTS

• ▢ 6 frozen chicken thighs skin left on and excess fat trimmed-off
• ▢ 1 chopped medium-sized onion or about 1 cup
• ▢ 1½ cup chicken stock or water
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic use more if you prefer
• ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

 

SPICE BLEND

• Mix cumin, paprika, cinnamon, ground ginger, coriander powder, salt and turmeric powder. Save about a tablespoons of this spice blend.
• Season the frozen chicken thighs with half of the spice blend above. Reserve the other half (use this to sprinkle on top later, before broiling).
• Add the olive oil to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Next add the garlic and fry until fragrant. Once the garlic is cooked, add the chicken stock or water, followed by the seasoned chicken thighs. Top with the sliced onion and the lemon juice then cover. When covering the Instant Pot, make sure to set the valve on the lid to SEAL. Set the Instant Pot to the HIGH-PRESSURE setting and cook for 15 minutes.
• Allow for a natural pressure release (NPR) of 10 minutes then followed by a quick pressure release (QPR), until all the pressure and sizzling is gone.

  You can also use the quick pressure release (QPR) option. However, allowing the Instant Pot some time before releasing the pressure will give you the best results.
• Slightly broil before serving. To broil, simply transfer the chicken thighs from the Instant Pot to a suitable tray.

  Season again with some of the previously reserved spice blend above (about a tablespoon). You do not have to use up the spice and can reserve the rest for use in other recipes. Lay the chicken thighs on a suitable rack or tray, and set them about 5-10 inches under the heat source of the broil. Broil and allow the skin to crisp and brown for about 5-10 minutes.

  You can also use your oven, a non-stick pan or a well-seasoned cast-iron pan to broil.
• Serve while hot with your favourite side dish. You can also garnish with fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary or chives, before serving.

Video

Notes

• You can also add vegetables to this Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs recipe. To do this, simply fry the onion and garlic then add 2 cups of your preferred vegetables such as Brussel sprouts, celery, or chopped carrots and baby potatoes (for paleo and whole 30). You can then an extra 1-2 cups of water, as well as the rest of the ingredients, as per the recipe instructions below.
• Stock is too watery? Simply thicken your stock using coconut flour, almond flour, or arrowroot powder. Use normal flour if you have no dietary restrictions.
• Do not add any sauce thickeners before cooking as this affects how heat is transmitted. This may also make the inner pot of the Instant Pot overheat.
• You can skip the broiling part of the recipe and brown the chicken thighs using the inner pot of the Instant Pot. This is however not the best option. Since the chicken thighs are frozen, extra liquid in them may prevent them from browning properly and attaining that lovely brown color on top.

Instant Pot Chicken Thigh Cooking Time - use this as a guide to set your cooking time. Kindly note that the Instant Pot cooking times also greatly depend on your altitude and could, therefore, vary.

• Frozen chicken thighs - 14 to 15 minutes
• Boneless skinless - 10 minutes
• Bone-in skinless - 12 minutes
• Bone-in skin-on - 12 minutes

Use this nutritional information as a guide as it will vary depending on the products used. Calculations have been made with half of the amount of spice, as I did not use up all the spice while developing this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcalCarbohydrates: 4.2gFat: 2.4gSaturated Fat: 7.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 29.4mgSodium: 843.6mgPotassium: 12.2mgFiber: 1.1gSugar: 1.3gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 2.52mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 0.234mg

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