You will love these juicy Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs cooked in an aromatic spice blend! Making flavorful chicken which is juicy inside with crispy skin has never been easier! This no-thaw recipe is also keto-friendly, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly!
We love simple pressure cooker recipes from our Instant pot chicken wings three ways, Instant pot frozen chicken wings, to our ninja foodi chicken vegetable soup. If you are a chicken lover, this instant pot frozen chicken thighs recipe is a must-try!
You will find a video of this recipe on the recipe card, at the bottom of the page.
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instant pot frozen chicken thighs
There are so many reasons to love this recipe! Here are just a few:-
- Versatile - you can add vegetables to transform it into a healthy, veggie-packed meal!
- Clean eating friendly - 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
This is a summary of the ingredients you will need to make instant pot frozen chicken thighs, along with possible substitutions. Detailed measurements are in the recipe card provided below.
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
This is a summary of how to cook frozen bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs using your pressure cooker or Instant Pot. You will find the detailed instructions and relevant video in the recipe card provided below.
- Prepare spice blend: first, create a spice blend with cumin, paprika, cinnamon, ground ginger, coriander powder, salt, and turmeric.
- Season the chicken: use half of the spice blend to season the frozen bone-in chicken thighs, saving the rest of the spice blend for broiling.
- Pressure cook: Add olive oil to the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Next, add garlic and fry until fragrant. Once the garlic is cooked, add chicken stock or water, seasoned chicken thighs, sliced onion, and lemon juice. Cover the Instant Pot, ensuring the valve on the lid is set to SEAL. Set the Instant Pot to the HIGH-PRESSURE setting and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
- Pressure release: allow for 10 minutes of natural pressure release (NPR) followed by a quick pressure release (QPR).
- Broil for crispy skin: Transfer chicken to a rack, pat dry, and season with reserved spice blend. Broil 5-10 minutes for crispy skin.
- Serve: Garnish the chicken with fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or chives if desired. Serve hot with your favorite side dishes.
useful recipe tips
- For added flavor, include 2 cups of your preferred vegetables (like Brussel sprouts, celery, or carrots and baby potatoes. Saute the onion and garlic, then add the veggies along with 1-2 cups of water before proceeding on with the rest of the recipe steps-
- Ensure the chicken is cooked by using an internal read thermometer to make sure it has reached at least 165°F before broiling.
- 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.
- We also like to serve ours with some Instant Pot mashed cauliflower, Instant Pot Basmati Rice, or some German green bean salad for a complete meal!
refregeration and freezing
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.
frequently asked questions
Yes, you most certainly can cook frozen chicken thighs in your Instant Pot (we actually just did)!! It may however be difficult to brown the chicken before as you normally would when using unfrozen chicken meat. You can counter this by broiling the chicken using a broiler or your oven, once it has pressure cooked. You can also use your pan.
As a general rule, chicken thighs will have the following cooking times, which you can then use as a guide:-
Frozen chicken thighs - 14 to 15 minutes
Boneless skinless - 10 minutes
Bone-in skinless - 12 minutes
more Instant Pot recipes for you to try!
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📖 Recipe
Juicy Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 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
- 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
- Prepare the spice blend by mixing cumin, paprika, cinnamon, ground ginger, coriander powder, salt, and turmeric powder.
- Season the frozen bone-in chicken thighs with half of the spice blend above. Reserve the other half for use later, when broiling the chicken (see notes)
- 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 some of the stock that is inside the pot, sliced onion, and 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 pressure cook for 15 minutes.
- Once the pressure cooking time is over, 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.
- For crispy skin, you want to broil before serving. Transfer the chicken thighs from the Instant Pot to a suitable baking sheet or rack, then pat them dry.
- Season the chicken again with some of the previously reserved spice blend above (about a tablespoon - see notes). Lay the chicken thighs on a suitable rack or tray, and set them about 5-12 inches under the heat source of the broil. Broil until the skin is crispy and browned, for about 5-10 minutes. Ensure safety while broiling.
- Serve while hot with your favorite side dish. Garnish with fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, or chives if preferred, before serving.
Notes
- For added flavor, include 2 cups of your preferred vegetables (like Brussels sprouts, celery, or carrots and baby potatoes for specific diets). Saute the onion and garlic, then add the veggies along with 1-2 cups of water, as well as the rest of the ingredients, as per the recipe instructions.
- Stock is too watery? Adjust stock thickness with coconut flour, almond flour, arrowroot powder, or regular flour (for no dietary restrictions). Avoid adding thickeners before cooking to prevent overheating and burning.
- Spice blend efficiency: when seasoning the chicken before broiling, remember that you only need a tablespoon of the spice blend. Any surplus spice can be reserved for use in other recipes.
- Ensure the chicken is cooked by using an internal read thermometer to make sure it has reached at least 165°F before broiling.
- Crispy skin: the broiling step is crucial for achieving crispy chicken skin. Attempting to brown the chicken in the Instant Pot inner pot may not yield the desired results, due to excess liquid in the frozen chicken thighs which may prevent proper browning.
- Frozen chicken thighs - 14 to 15 minutes
- Boneless skinless - 10 minutes
- Bone-in skinless - 12 minutes
- Bone-in skin-on - 12 minutes
Jawyllie
I’ve died and gone to heaven with this recipe, made it twice and will make it again and again. Fail proof, quick and delicious. The flavors are amazing and it solves two of my biggest issues, limited time to cook and the frozen chicken debacle. Fear no more, takeout does not hold a candle to this fabulous recipe!
Kate Hahnel
Thank you and I am so glad you enjoyed it! I am happy to say this still remains one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes (well, not because I wrote it, lol), but just because cooking frozen poultry or meat is sometimes such a hassle. This is just one of those recips that simplifies this. Thanks again!!
Tara
Extremely delicious! I'm looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Kate Hahnel
Thank you very much! I am so glad you loved it!!
Jazz
This chicken is so perfectly crispy and flavorful. I served it with green beans and mushrooms and everybody loved it!
Britney
The seasonings that you used in this recipe was so aromatic and delicious!! I loved the cinnamon and coriander with cumin and ginger - amazing!!
Tamara
Absolutely delicious! Everything about these chicken thighs were amazing! The kiddos devoured them.
Capri Lilly
I love the step by step instructions you provided! My chicken turned out delicious!!
Kate Hahnel
I am glad you liked it!
Chenée Lewis
These were amazing and the blend of spices was so flavorful! I will definitely be making this for meal prep all the time now!
Barry J.
This looks like the perfect recipe for a super busy week night. Definitely going to be making this recipe this week.
Kate Hahnel
Thank you Barry. I hope you will like it.
Mila
I LOVED being able to make these from frozen. Saved SO much time!
Marta
I have to admit I was so skeptical that I could make chicken thighs from frozen. They were perfectly spiced and juicy.
Jessica
I always forget to take my chicken out of the freezer in time to get dinner ready! Love that this recipe calls for frozen chicken thighs. So easy to just throw in the instant pot and have this deliciousness ready in no time. THANK YOU!
Natasha
I love a good instant pot recipe and this looks delcious. You had me at frozen chicken thighs. Because sometimes you just forget thaw out the chicken lol The spice blend sounds aromatic and I love the combination of spices. I'll put this on my list to try soon. Thanks for sharing.
Megan
I can't wait to try this! I love easy and healthy Instant Post recipes.