Easy Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken made in under 30 minutes! This quick and easy recipe is family-friendly and a crowd-pleaser.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Prep Time 5minutes
Cook Time 15minutes
Total Time 20minutes
Servings 6
Calories 369kcal
Equipment
Instant Pot
Ingredients
6chicken breastsskinless
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoonpaprika
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonground black pepperfreshly ground
2tablespoonsolive oil
3tablespoonsunsalted butter
½onionsmall
4garlic clovesminced
⅓cupchicken broth/stock
2lemons1 for juice and zest, and 1 to be sliced
parsleychopped, 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.