These Chicken Thighs made in the Instant Pot with a delicious sweet and tangy sauce is a perfect weeknight meal. Almost a completely "hands off" recipe, these chicken thighs get a sear in the Instant Pot and then are doused in a tangy, tomato, and honey-forward sauce that's crowd pleasingly delicious. Gluten-free, family friendly eating has never been so easy!
These Instant Pot Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs are going to be your next favourite weeknight meal.
Promise🙋♀️
This is one of those recipes I ate growing up - my mom would make it in the oven though.
It's a take on a recipe from my Mum's friend, Lindsay. She had shared it years ago with her and we've been making it ever since.
I've adjusted it for the Instant Pot because who can't use easy, weeknight meal that's also a crowd-pleaser.
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📝 Ingredients for this chicken thigh recipe
- Chicken thighs - boneless, skinless
- Olive oil
- Chicken broth, gluten-free
- Ketchup
- Salsa
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
- Cumin
- Chili powder
Nothing fancy here😎
See recipe card below for quantities.
🔪Instructions
Here's how you'll make this recipe:
See below for more tips and full instructions.
Oh and just WAIT till you taste the broth that's leftover once you spoon the chicken out of the Instant Pot.
It's that delicious broth that always has me serving this recipe in a deeeeep bowl with basmati rice so it can soak up alllll the goodness.
Let me repeat: the delicious broth that's left in the Instant Pot once you portion out the chicken thighs is not something to be missed out on.
Spoon that on up and pour it over your bowl of chicken and rice😋
🔄Substitutions
- Chicken thighs - boneless, skinless - if you don't have the boneless chicken thighs, you could sub-in cubed chicken breasts or drumsticks. Still give whatever cut of chicken you're using a good sear in the Instant Pot as per the recipe instructions below
- Salsa - this salsa brings all that great tomato flavour and heat to the recipe. Using a fresh salsa vs. a jarred variety will result in more liquid at the end. If you like things hot🔥, use the spiciest salsa you can get your hands on
- Honey - I've only used the liquid honey with this recipe so that's what I recommend. If you use the creamed version, you'd probably be fine but get a slightly thicker sauce in the end
🍽️What to serve with this chicken thigh recipe
A recipe like this one for chicken thighs goes so well with a side of veggies.
Here's a few ideas:
- Roasted potatoes and broccoli - get "2 for 1 side dishes" with this recipe for Simple Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes (one pan) or this one for Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
- Get those greens in - a simple green salad is perfect with these chicken thighs. Try my Simple Romaine Salad with Radish and Parmesan for a match made in heaven or this recipe for Easy Butter Lettuce Salad with Pomegranates and Pistachios
- Quinoa salad - this Easy Quinoa Salad with Feta is an easy and delicious side to have with these chicken thighs
🥡Leftovers and Storage
These chicken thighs will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days after cooking. You can store them with the rice too. That way, you've got a healthy lunch that's ready to go in the morning with you. Simply re-heat through when it's time to eat😋
Hope you love this recipe for chicken thighs in the Instant Pot like we do!
If you try it out, please rate and leave a comment - I would be so grateful❣️
~April
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This recipe was originally posted on February 12th, 2021. It was updated with more helpful copy and reposted on March 7th, 2023.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Sweet and Spicy Sauce
Equipment
- 6 - Quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 0.8-1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs About 6-8 medium thighs
- 1 cup no salt chicken broth
Sticky Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup salsa
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Select "Saute" on your Instant Pot. Add the olive oil. While the oil is warming up, mix-up the ingredients of the sticky sauce in a bowl.
- Once the Instant Pot reads "Hot", sear the chicken thighs. Add them to the pot one at a time and sear on all sides, turning a few times for 5 minutes. Remove from the pot.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot and scrape any chicken bits from the bottom of the pot up with a wooden spoon.
- Add the chicken back into the pot, right into the broth. Coat the chicken with the sticky sauce.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure the steam valve is closed. Press "Cancel" on the Instant Pot. Set to "Pressure Cook" for 7 minutes.
- Once the 7 minutes is up, give the chicken a 5 min NPR then release the remaining steam. Be careful not to burn yourself!
- Portion the chicken thighs over basmati rice and using a large serving spoon. Add more of the sauce over top the chicken and rice. Serve hot.
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