The Instant Pot makes some of the best and tenderest chicken you’ll eat in minutes. Plus, that BBQ sauce—10 out of 10!
TKW Family Love
I had a leftover jar of smoky bbq sauce so I used it on these thighs. I followed the directions to add the additional honey, water, spices etc to the bbq sauce. It was marvelous. And the leftovers the next day were just as tender and probably even better than the first night.
Since I made only a small batch of thighs, after I thickened the sauce, I poured it out of of the instant pot into a serving bowl and rinsed the pot out. Then I put the chicken back in on the airfryer rack and broiled them right in the instant pot’s air fryer since they all fit in one batch.
My husband kept telling me how good they were. This is definitely a keeper.
If you’re like me you grew up where the pressure cooker that our Moms and Grandmothers used was deadly. They’d hiss, they spit, heck they’d even blow their lids off if you let the pressure build up too much or not have enough liquid in it. That was the only kitchen appliance that I was forbidden to touch. I wasn’t even allowed in the kitchen when my Mom used it.
Nowadays, they are the ‘norm,’ yet when these new electric ones came out, it was scary because they were ‘new’. I went to Google just to read more about them and understand the mechanics of pressure cooking.
What is Pressure Cooking
Pressure cooking is a cooking method that uses a pot and tops it with a special airtight lid and seal. Sealing a liquid in a pressure cooker traps the vapor that rises from the liquid. This, in turn, raises the pressure inside the pressure cooker and the maximum temperature that the liquid can reach.
In layman’s terms, the increased temperature and pressure significantly speed up the cooking process. The pressure infuses the hot steam into the food. By utilizing this method, pressure cooking can cook foods in about one-third of the ordinary time on average and often over ten times faster.
What is Normal and Quick Release on Instant Pots?
With this pressure cooker, there are two types of release methods
- Quick Release: Fast pressure release means that the cook should use the valve or pressure-releasing mechanism particular to their cooker (such as a button to push, a lever to twist, or a slide to pull) to release pressure once the timer goes off. For thick recipes (such as a chili or a risotto), right after this release, the still unopened pressure cooker should be given a few small jolts to release any super-heated seam pockets in the food.
- Normal Release: Slow pressure releases pressure using the pressure-releasing mechanism. By letting the machine release it for you, the pressure drops slowly from your electric pressure cooker. During this slow release, the cooking continues, so it is recommended for certain cuts of meat and some desserts. When pressure is fully released, the float (pressure indicator) will drop, and the lid will unlock to open.
Let’s talk about these luscious, boneless thighs. I was at the butcher shop, and he had an in-store special: 99 cents a pound with no limit! Now, I normally don’t buy thighs as I’m not a huge fan of dark meat. Don’t get me wrong; it tastes great, but it’s not the healthiest part due to its higher fat content.
TKW Family Love
This recipe was so easy and super delicious! I was thrilled when I realized I had all the ingredients! This will be made on the regular! Oh, and hubby approved!!! 😋💖
Instant Pot Honey BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe
Thanks to the Instant Pot, some of the best and tenderest chicken you’ll eat is made in minutes. Plus that BBQ sauce – 10 out of 10!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: ~5-6 thighs
- Category: thighs, meal prep, easy dinners, bbq chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: thighs, meal prep, easy dinners, bbq chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs (about five thighs)
- 2 cups honey BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1–2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pat dry the thighs dry. Add the thighs into the Instant Pot 8 qrt pressure cooker.
- In a bowl whisk together the sauce, water, paprika, cayenne, brown sugar, honey, salt, and pepper. Pour over thighs. Lock the lid down and set it to High pressure, for 10 minutes.
- When the 10 minutes is up do a quick release. While the quick release is relieving pressure, place the oven to broil with a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed pan with foil and place a cooling rack on top. Lightly spray the rack.
- Gently remove the thighs from the pressure cooker with tongs and place on the rack, set aside. Set the pressure cooker to browning and stir the sauce until thickened ~10-15 minutes. Slather on some sauce on top of the thighs. Put the pan in the oven, under the broiler for 2-5 minutes (just enough to lightly char the sauce).
- Flip the thighs over, cover with more sauce and broil for 2-5 more minutes or until they are nicely charred. Place the sauce in a container for serving. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Looking for more Pressure Cooker recipes?
Pressure Cooker Wings with Bourbon Honey BBQ Sauce
Pressure Cooker St. Louis Ribs with Whiskey BBQ Sauce
Pressure Cooker Perfectly Poached Chicken Breasts
Fantabulous Pressure Cooker Pork Ragu
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