An easy weeknight meal that you are sure to keep coming back to!
Our instant pot honey-garlic chicken thighs are an undeniably simple chicken dinner. This meal is so tasty that you will be able to make it again and again without any worry of complaints! Without a doubt, this entree is the most kid-friendly dish– sure to please everyone in your family. Week after week, the sweet and sour medley of tamari with honey and ketchup win, win, and win again.
Chicken Thighs Win Dinner’s Flavor War
Indubitably, the argument against chicken thighs is fierce. In fact, when was the last time chicken thighs were offered in a restaurant near you? In spite of the world’s disdain for the most flavorful part of the chicken, I still tried to offer it in my own restaurant years ago. Even though my cooks overruled my choice, I argued many times in its favor. That’s how passionate I am about chicken thighs. Subsequently, instant pot honey-garlic chicken thighs reigns as one that could quite honestly be a restaurant favorite.
In the health debate on chicken breasts VS. thighs: which is healthier, here’s the breakdown of a 3 ounce serving.
| Nutritional Breakdown | Chicken Breasts | Thighs |
| Calories | 140 | 170 |
| Fat | 3 | 9 |
| Saturated Fat | 1 | 3 |
Since most diets assign at least 20% of food intake to fat, choosing chicken thighs shouldn’t upset the margin. Unless, of course, the goal at present is indeed weight loss and not weight maintenance, breast is the best bet. Notes at the end of the recipe also include detailed instructions for chicken breasts.
Tamari, Honey, and Ketchup Are Sweet And Sour’s Best Friend
Instant pot honey-garlic chicken thighs rank as a favorite because of ingredients most people already have in their pantry. Regular soy sauce can easily sub in for tamari, a wheat-free soy sauce. Honey seems to have a place in nearly every kitchen, and ketchup is kept on hand for french fries, right? Incidentally, we’ve begun touting date syrup as another unrefined sugar source. Feel free to try it in this chicken dinner dish. Also, in keeping with SkinnyMs. guidelines, go for sugar-free ketchup.
How To Make Instant Pot Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs
This one’s so easy, however it does require more than three ingredients which can boggle the tired-as-heck weekday mind. Don’t let it, though! Just grab a liquid measuring cup with a spout and add in the ingredients for the sauce. Top the measuring cup off with honey last so you get all the gold. Then, throw the frozen thighs in the instant pot and pour the sauce over them. Set the timer, and voila! After 25 full minutes of coming to pressure combined with cooking time and decompression, it’s ready. Once you plate the thighs, you can sprinkle on the sesame seeds and green onions.
With all that good sauce, you’re gonna want need a starch. You can go the healthy route with cruciferous riced cauliflower, which will soak up that juice like a champ. Or, you can add carbs in the form of any rice or noodle of your choosing. With so many alternatives available in the pasta section recently, it appears you may also have your pasta and eat it too, if you please!
This chicken dinner keeps extraordinarily well. If you love all the extra sauce produced, you can keep it for another go in the IP. Maybe just add a bit more of your favorite flavor component to keep up with the quality. Served with wilted greens, this dinner makes everybody happy.
Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/2 cup tamari
- 1/2 cup no sugar added ketchup
- 1/3 cup honey
- 5 garlic cloves mashed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning oregano, basil, or marjoram work fine
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley 2 teaspoons dried works
Chicken and garnish
- 6 chicken thighs skinless, boneless
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons green onions sliced
Instructions
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a marked glass liquid measuring cup (if you have one). Make sure to start with tamari, followed by ketchup, then honey etc. That way you get all the honey without having to scrape it out.
- Arrange chicken thighs in Instant Pot, pour the sauce over the chicken and close the lid. Cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes if using frozen thighs, 8 minutes if using fresh. Allow to depressurize naturally for 5-10 minutes before releasing the valve.
- Serve chicken by plating one thigh per person over starch of choice and topping with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
- 6-ounce chicken breasts 6 minutes on high pressure for fresh/ 10 minutes on high pressure for frozen
- 8-ounce chicken breasts 7 minutes on high pressure for fresh/11 minutes on high pressure for frozen
- 10-ounce chicken breasts 8 minutes on high pressure for fresh/12 minutes on high pressure for frozen
Nutrition Information
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The Secret to Making Light and Fluffy Quinoa pairs perfectly with this dish. Throw 3-Ingredient Spicy Roasted Broccoli in there to make a completely balanced meal.
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