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Home » Instant Pot » Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe

Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe

58 Comments By Nourish Plate on January 11, 2020 | updated June 2, 2023

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Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe is one of the most delicious meals that you can make in your Instant Pot. It’s creamy, zesty, and absolutely delicious! This recipe is so easy and quick to make as it takes less than 30 minutes to be ready!

Lemon garlic chicken, and lemon slices in the Instant Pot

This lemon garlic chicken is a low carb, keto-friendly recipe that goes well over Instant Pot rice or mashed potatoes. I served it over rice and it was heavenly amazing!

This is the Instant Pot that I have and love! I use it all the time to make my favorite recipes such as: Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken, Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta and Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken to save time and nutrients.

Table of Contents

  • Ingredients Needed
  • How to Cook Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken?
  • Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes
    • Nutrition
      • did you make this recipe?
    • You may also like…

Ingredients Needed

To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Chicken breasts – boneless and skinless.
  • Olive oil and butter.
  • Chicken broth – or stock.
  • Juice and zest of a Lemon – I also added lemon slices.
  • Onion, and garlic.
  • Garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper
  • Parsley – or any other fresh herbs to garnish
Ingredients needed for Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe

How to Cook Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken?

  • Generously season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Give the chicken a good rub with your hands to evenly distribute the seasonings all over the chicken.
  • Add olive oil into the Instant Pot and press sauté so the oil gets hot. Place chicken breasts (or thighs if using) into the Instant Pot and brown for 3 minutes. Work in batches if needed.
  • Flip with tongs and sear the other side until browned – about 3 minutes. When both sides are browned, transfer to a plate and set aside.
  • Add butter and sauté the onions until golden. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until it becomes fragrant.
Steps showing how to make lemon chicken in the Instant Pot
  • Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock or broth, and using a wooden spoon scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  • Return the chicken to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and make sure that the vent is sealed. Press on manual/pressure cook and set the time at 7 minutes.
  • The Instant Pot will come to pressure then cook. When the cooking time is up, allow for natural release of steam for 2-3 minutes, then quickly release the remaining steam.
Chicken breast browned in instant pot
  • Optional: Feel free to thicken the sauce if you like by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. Press on sauté, add the cornstarch slurry, and whisk until the sauce thickens.
  • Add lemon juice, lemon zest and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices. Serve warm over white rice or mashed potatoes.

The result is amazingly delicious and tender chicken full of flavor and aroma, served in its tasty zesty sauce.

Slicing through a cooked chicken breast to highlight the doneness

This also makes a wonderful freezer meal. Cook the chicken as instructed then freeze in freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken served over white rice in white bowls

For more Instant Pot recipes, check out my Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice, Instant Pot Noodles, Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta, and Instant Pot Risotto.

Click on this link to watch the Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken web story

Recipe
Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Recipe
5 from 109 votes
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Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
6 servings
Easy Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken made in under 30 minutes! This quick and easy recipe is family-friendly and a crowd-pleaser.
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Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ medium yellow onion small
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ⅓ cup chicken broth/stock
  • 2 lemons 1 for juice and zest, and 1 to be sliced
  • parsley chopped, fresh

Instructions

  • Generously season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Give the chicken a good rub with your hands to evenly distribute the seasonings all over the chicken.
  • Add olive oil into the Instant Pot and press sauté so the oil gets hot. Place chicken breasts (or thighs if using) into the Instant Pot and brown for 3 minutes. Work in batches if needed.
  • Flip with tongs and sear the other side until browned – about 3 minutes. When both sides are browned, transfer to a plate and set aside. Then, deglaze the pot. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  • Add butter and sauté the onions until golden. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or a minute until it becomes fragrant.
  • Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock or broth, and using a wooden spoon scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  • Return the chicken to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and make sure that the vent is sealed. Press on manual/pressure cook and set the time at 7 minutes.
  • The Instant Pot will come to pressure then cook. When the cooking time is up, allow for natural release of steam for 2-3 minutes, then quickly release the remaining steam.
  • Optional: Feel free to thicken the sauce if you like by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. Press on saute, add the cornstarch slurry, and whisk until the sauce thickens.
  • Add lemon juice, lemon zest and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices. Serve warm over white rice or mashed potatoes.

Notes

  • I used 4 chicken breasts and 2 chicken thighs in this recipe.
  • When browning the chicken, make sure that you keep moving the chicken every 30 seconds using kitchen tongs so it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
  • If desired, add baby potatoes to the pot with the chicken and it will cook together.
  • Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. 
  • This also makes a wonderful freezer meal. Cook the chicken as instructed then freeze in freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 918mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 325IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

did you make this recipe?

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Kelly braj says

    June 4, 2023

    Do you put it on low or high pressure?

    Reply
    • Nourish Plate says

      June 5, 2023

      High pressure!

      Reply
  2. Jill says

    May 25, 2023

    I don’t know what I did wrong. I followed the instructions to the tee and it came out so dry it’s totally unpalatable.

    Reply
    • Nourish Plate says

      May 27, 2023

      Hi Jill, sorry to hear that the recipe did not work for you! Are you sure that your instant pot was properly sealed? Sometimes when the valve is not sealed, the pressure cooker takes ages to come to pressure and that may have dried out your chicken.

      Reply
  3. Patricia Keane says

    May 4, 2023

    5 stars
    very good. my son says I need to make this all the time!

    Reply
    • Nourish Plate says

      May 6, 2023

      Glad to hear you liked it!!

      Reply
  4. Shawndel Graves says

    April 16, 2023

    What sauce? Where’s the sauce? I don’t understand. I feel like it’s missing a step. and what I make it thicker after while the chicken still in there? how would I stir it? six pieces of chicken fill up the whole pot.
    I read it like five times. I’m in the middle of making it and don’t know what you’re talking about with the sauce is that just the chicken broth?

    Reply
    • Shawndel Graves says

      April 16, 2023

      I’m just worried because when I have had not enough liquid in the pot it’s burnt things before. well I’m going to give it a go..

      Reply
  5. Jenine Snarr says

    March 8, 2023

    5 stars
    My family loved it! Made with thighs and put extra lemon juice because used big lemons. Turned out great!

    Reply
  6. Mm says

    February 8, 2023

    what if I only have a 3qt instant pot?

    Reply
    • Diana says

      February 10, 2023

      It’s fine as long as you can fit everything in it without crossing the “max” line.

      Reply
  7. Manda says

    October 5, 2022

    Do you use boneless chicken or do you just cut the skin off of bone-in chicken. Thank you!

    Reply
    • NourishPlate says

      October 6, 2022

      I used bone-in skinless chicken breasts. For boneless, I would adjust the timing to 5 minutes. Enjoy the recipe Manda!

      Reply
  8. Joanne says

    September 13, 2022

    5 stars
    Very good. Easy to make, pretty to look at, delicious to eat. I did thicken the sauce which was optional. I am serving with mashed potatoes and wanted a thicker gravy-like sauce. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  9. Keila says

    September 9, 2022

    5 stars
    Made this last night and it was a WINNER! So easy, so good. My kids enjoyed it! Currently heating up the leftovers.

    Reply
  10. K_Marshall says

    September 4, 2022

    This has become my husbands favorite meal and he asks for it at least twice a week. I serve over buttered noodles and with whatever vegetables I have (fresh green beans tonight). Quick, easy, and delicious….my kind of meal!

    Reply
  11. M says

    July 25, 2022

    If I wanted to cook rice at the same time is that possible? Can you explain how I would do that?

    Reply
    • Diana says

      July 27, 2022

      You can try the “pot in pot” method, but I’m worried that you’ll overcook the chicken as the rice needs to be cooked for 4 minutes with 10 minutes of natural release.

      Reply
  12. Matt says

    July 19, 2022

    5 stars
    Very good! When the chicken was done cooking, I took the chicken out and poured the liquid, with a tablespoon of cornstarch and the lemon juice and lemon zest into my magic bullet and blended it just a little bit. Then I made some hulled barley and cut the chicken into roughly 5 oz servings. Got enough to last the entire week, and the sauce is so good! Thank you for this recipe! Posted it on the gram.

    Reply
  13. D says

    May 30, 2022

    Do I have to sauté the chicken?
    The point of purchasing an instant pot for me was to handle the chicken less >.< haha

    Reply
  14. DebT says

    April 22, 2022

    4 stars
    Made this with boneless skinless thighs and added a bag of fresh green beans on top. Cooked for 4 mins and 4 min NR. Did not thicken sauce. Served with quinoa. My husband and I both loved it.

    Reply
  15. Cindy says

    April 15, 2022

    5 stars
    This receipe was easy to make and SUPER delicious!! I will definitely be making it again. Directions were easy to follow and it requires ingredients you probably have e at home already which I love.

    Reply
  16. Alexandria says

    January 30, 2022

    If I were to freeze this, what steps would I take? I saw your note to cook the chicken. So follow the recipe and let cool and freeze? what do you recommend for thaw/reheating?

    Reply
  17. Kim Dubil says

    January 22, 2022

    Perfect and easy! So tasty!

    Reply
  18. PATRICIA Quenville Young says

    January 11, 2022

    i added extra chicken broth as i was worried id get the burn problem…is it really only 1/3 cup?

    Reply
    • NourishPlate says

      January 24, 2022

      Yes, that was enough for the instant pot to come to pressure as there will be juices coming of the chicken.

      Reply
  19. Kendra Grammer says

    November 17, 2021

    Can I use boneless chicken breast? and should I pound the chicken breast to thin it out? And Should I adjust the time at all? Sorry for so many questions.

    Reply
    • Diana says

      November 18, 2021

      Hi Kendra, I’d adjust the cooking time to 5 minutes for boneless chicken breasts. No need to pound them. Enjoy!

      Reply
  20. Lindsey says

    July 22, 2021

    Could I do this with frozen chicken breast and if so how much longer should I cook it for?

    Reply
  21. Mary says

    June 16, 2021

    I would like to double the recipes with chicken thighs would I double all ingredients and what would the cooking time be.

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Diana says

      June 19, 2021

      Hi Mary, yes just double the ingredients but keep the cooking time the same. Enjoy!

      Reply
  22. Donna says

    May 30, 2021

    Quick question-you don’t add the lemon juice and zest until the end? If not has anyone tried adding it before you pressure cook?

    Reply
  23. Sam says

    May 29, 2021

    How do you reheat after freezing for the freezer meal?

    Reply
  24. Ay says

    April 22, 2021

    5 stars
    Sure will try

    Reply
  25. Essie says

    April 10, 2021

    This recipe looks delicious! Since chicken breasts can greatly vary in size, what is the approximate total weight? Thank you!

    Reply
  26. Amy says

    March 28, 2021

    Did I miss it in the directions? When do you add the lemon? Is it just after you release the pressure and right before serving?

    Reply
  27. Laura says

    March 7, 2021

    5 stars
    My son and I love this recipe!

    Reply
  28. Suzanne says

    March 4, 2021

    5 stars
    Turned out wonderful. Very flavorful it’s a keeper!!!

    Reply
  29. Susan says

    February 21, 2021

    I live alone and really don’t need to make 6 chicken breasts. My freezer gets so full! How do I adjust the recipe if I want to cook just 3 breasts? I don’t mind having extra sauce if I need to. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Diana says

      February 22, 2021

      Hi Susan, I would just use 3 chicken breasts but keep the seasoning amounts (and everything else) the same as that flavors the sauce. I would also use a little bit more chicken broth/stock, about half a cup, since you won’t be using 6 chicken breasts to produce enough liquid for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Keep the cooking time the same as well. I hope this helps.

      Reply
      • Jill says

        May 25, 2023

        I did 3 chicken breasts and used a cup of broth. I cooked for the 7 min it says in the recipe and it came out so dry. It looks great, but disappointedly so dry.

        Reply
  30. Carol says

    January 30, 2021

    5 stars
    I used thinly cut chicken breasts, so I reduced the cooking time to 4 minutes with 5 minutes NPR. I doubled the chicken broth. If you add potatoes. I recommend sautéing them with the onion which I cut into strips. Don’t cut them too small because they start to break up. Also it’s better to arrange thr potatoes on top of the chicken to preserve their integrity. This dish has become one of my favorites!

    Reply
  31. Sarah Hunter says

    September 28, 2020

    If I’d want to sub out chicken tenderloins or thin cut breasts, Would you reduce your time
    On pressure?

    Reply
    • Diana says

      September 29, 2020

      Yes, I would pressure cook them for just 4 minutes on high. Enjoy!

      Reply
  32. S says

    August 20, 2020

    5 stars
    Thank you for the great recipe! I served it with rice, and my picky son liked it.

    Reply
  33. pm says

    July 29, 2020

    Are these boneless chicken breast, or bone in? If the recipe does use the bone-in, how would I adjust timing for boneless breasts?

    Reply
    • Diana says

      July 29, 2020

      Bone-in. For boneless, I would adjust the timing to 5 minutes. Enjoy!

      Reply
  34. mecala says

    July 26, 2020

    Truly DELICIOUS! Made it last night instead of ordering out 🙂 This is a keeper and I will probably use your recommendation to prepare it for a freezer meal also. Very easy to make. I just tweaked it a bit for my family’s tastes. Threw in a couple extra garlic cloves, used one whole medium/lg onion, and added a generous splash of wine. Also gave it 12 min. cook time (they were very large breasts) There were NO leftovers!

    Reply
    • Diana says

      July 26, 2020

      So glad that you enjoyed it, Mecala! Thank you for taking the time to leave this awesome review!

      Reply
  35. Doris says

    May 28, 2020

    5 stars
    It was too hot to bake my chicken breast for dinner and had saved your recipe in Pinterest, so I tried it and must say it was an easy recipe to follow , did not take much time to cook and it was delicious. Using the rest of the chicken for tonight’s dinner.

    Reply
    • Diana says

      May 29, 2020

      So glad that you enjoyed it, Doris! Thank you for taking the time to leave this awesome review!

      Reply
  36. Beverly Eide says

    May 17, 2020

    Two issues.

    1) The instructions for my pot say a minimum of one full cup of liquid is necessary to come to pressure but this recipe calls for only one third of a cup.

    2) Is there any reason that I should not use real butter?

    Reply
    • Diana says

      May 17, 2020

      The recommended minimum amount of liquid by the Instant Pot for 6-quart IP is 1 cup, we tested many recipes with less liquid and it 100% works. If you’re worried, you can use more liquid but it isn’t necessary especially that the chicken will produce juices as it’s being cooked so you’ll end up with a lot of sauce. And use any butter that you like. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

      Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 19, 2020

      5 stars
      Tried this recipe tonight was really easy and super tasty. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
  37. Michele Wilcut says

    March 12, 2020

    5 stars
    This is easily one of the most delicious recipes I have ever tried! The instructions were very easy and my whole family loved it.

    Reply
  38. Shelley Bowman says

    March 8, 2020

    5 stars
    The recipe was easy to follow and tasted great. I made quinoa and asparagus with it and it made for a perfect dinner!

    Reply
    • Diana says

      March 11, 2020

      I’m so glad that you loved the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply
      • Robin Boukaia says

        May 17, 2021

        Hello,
        I have frozen chicken thighs bone in, can I use these and how much time do I cook them for?

        Reply

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