Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken

5 from 46 votes

Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken

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 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings

Calories 369kcal

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

6 chicken breasts 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 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.

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