Instant Pot Chicken Thighs With Risotto
These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Risotto are my new favorite Instant Pot recipe! The risotto is creamy and flavorful without any effort. The chicken is tender and tasty—truly comfort food at its best.
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Happy New Year, my friend! How were your holidays?
By chance, did you get an Instant Pot for Christmas or Hanukah or just because they were on sale?
I sure hope so because I’m sharing a new and extremely delicious Instant Pot recipe with you today!
It’s Instant Pot Chicken Thighs With Risotto! The king of all chicken and spinach recipes, it’s a ridiculously delicious one-pot meal ready in 30 minutes!
Plus, there’s no stirring involved in the mushroom risotto. Ahhh-mazing!
Instant Pot Risotto = a major time saver!
If you know how to cook risotto “the traditional way,” then you know what I’m talking about: It’s 30-45 minutes of adding hot liquid and stirring constantly.
Don’t get me wrong - it’s sooo good and all that laboring over a hot stove is totally worth it.
But now you don’t have to. Just dump, push start, and abracadabra! Enjoy the most comforting, cheesy, and delicious instant pot risotto and chicken ever!
All the amazing deliciousness without any of the work.
Let’s just all take a moment of silence and gratitude for this amazing miracle pot… and your new favorite risotto recipe.
…
Thanks for indulging me.
Now let’s talk about this tasty chicken thigh and risotto combination.
Chicken Thigh Recipes
This is literally the best chicken thigh recipe I have ever made.
When it comes to chicken, I don’t like to discriminate. I like it all. Chicken breast, chicken thighs, chicken legs, oh, and especially chicken wings.
Honestly, 90 percent of the time we eat boneless skinless chicken breasts because it’s healthier, but now and then a whole roasted lemon thyme chicken or some grilled rosemary lemon chicken thighs are in order.
I am using skinless bone-in chicken thighs today. Here’s why… one thing the Instant Pot doesn’t do during the pressure cycle is create a crispy skin on chicken. So I figure, why have skin if it isn’t going to be crispy and amazing? Thus, I went with a skinless chicken thigh recipe.
I do, on the other hand, appreciate meat on the bone. I enjoy the extra flavor it gives off while it’s cooking.
So I used bone-in chicken thighs. You could make this work as a boneless chicken thigh recipe if that was your preference. You could also use thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Chicken thighs or chicken breasts, it doesn’t really matter. With the white wine risotto and sautéed mushrooms, it’s one amazing combination.
Let’s talk about how this yummy dish comes together.
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Thighs:
Now for the new all-time favorite chicken and spinach recipe in my home:
First, turn your IP to sauté mode. (I used the Instant Pot Duo 6 Quart for this recipe.) Add a little olive oil and allow it to get nice and hot. Add your sliced mushrooms and saute them for 3-4 minutes, stirring once to brown on both sides. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out and set aside.
Note: Some people have strong opinions about which types of mushrooms are best for risotto. I’m using button mushrooms in this recipe.
Season your chicken with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil. Sear on both sides for about 3 minutes per side. Then remove them from the pot and set aside.
Add a little more olive oil if needed, then sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic for 3-4 minutes.
Add butter and scrape loose any browned bits on the bottom and sides of the inner pot. Then stir in rice and cook for 2 minutes.
Add in the dry white wine and bring it to a simmer for 3 minutes.
Add chicken stock and sautéed mushrooms. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Add the seared chicken thighs. Lock the lid and pressure cook for 7 minutes.
Allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then do a manual release of any remaining pressure. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove the chicken. Stir the Parmesan cheese, parsley, and baby spinach into the risotto. Serve warm with the chicken.
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs With Risotto - A comforting and delicious meal ready in no time!
POPULAR INSTANT POT RECIPES!
- Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Baby Back Ribs in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Jalapeño Popper Chicken
- The BEST Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Risotto
An easy chicken and spinach recipe… and a ridiculously delicious gluten-free one-pot meal that’s ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 6 bone-in skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup arborio rice (Italian style rice)
- 1 cup dry white wine (or vermouth)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, plus more for seasoning the chicken
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ⅓ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 3 ounces baby spinach
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. (I used the Instant Pot Duo 6 Quart for this recipe.) Add 1 tablespoon of oil and brown mushrooms for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the mushrooms. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, add another tablespoon of olive oil to the inner pot, and sear chicken about 3 minutes a side then remove and set aside.
- Add onions and garlic, and cook about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the butter and work the brown bits off the bottom of the pot so they do not burn. Then stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in dry white wine and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add in the sautéed mushrooms, chicken stock, and a ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, then stir. Place chicken on the top.
- Close the lid and set to manual high pressure for 7 minutes. It will take about 7 minutes for the IP to come to pressure.
- Once the cook time has completed, allow pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes then manually release by carefully moving the pressure valve to the “Venting” setting. The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 165 degrees.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and stir the cheese and parsley into the rice.
- Stir the spinach in, and serve warm with chicken.
Notes
If not everyone wants spinach, just keep the spinach out and add it to individual portions when you are plating the meal.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1 thigh with 4-6 oz risottoAmount Per Serving Calories 432Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 5gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 115mgSodium 584mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 28g
PS: If you're still debating about the Instant Pot, check out my latest Instant Pot Review!
Audrey
Used dry vermouth and added a zucchini before pressure cooking in place of spinach, and oh my absolutely heavenly. Thanks for the weeknight fancy!
holly
Hi Audrey, I love the swap of dry vermouth - it has even more flavor. I'll try that next time I make this. Thanks for your feedback!
Jill
Wow! That was delish! We loved it! I added some chopped asparagus to it but kept everything else the same and it was fabulous! Thanks for a great recipe!
holly
Hi Jill, you're welcome and thanks so much! This our families favorite Instant Pot meal so I'm thrilled to hear you appreciate it like we do. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I'm grateful!
Alice
This was great! I even messed up and it was still great. I didn't have mushrooms, so I added canned ones. I didn't have an onion (thought I did) and meant to put dry minced in, but forgot until I had the chicken back in, so I just shook some over the top. I only had 4 thighs, so I reduced the risotto to 2/3 cup and the stock (I used Better then Bullion in water) to 1 1/3 cups. I browned the thighs and they stuck SO bad. I kept the 2T of butter hoping it would help...it didn't. I didn't measure the chardonnay...I just dumped in a splash and deglazed, then did it again and again and again...lol. I have no idea how much I used. I wonder if folks thinking it's soupy aren't letting most of the wine disappear before adding the broth? I also didn't have spinach! I just made roasted broccoli to serve with it.
Anyway, after all that, it was awesome! I even used cruddy Kraft grated "parm". I meant to have left overs, but I didn't. Next time, I'll do 8 thighs! We didn't need the carbs, so more meat would be great.
holly
Hi Alice! I enjoyed reading all of the details about how you made the recipe. 😀 And of course that it turned out "awesome"! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and share your experience!
Betty McCall
This recipe sounds great. I have boneless chicken thighs will they work? Thanks!
holly
Hi Betty! Yes - boneless chicken thighs should work fine. Enjoy!
Leslie
Rice mixture was great! Wish I had had some fresh spinach....next time. I found this recipe because I needed to use some chicken breasts I defrosted and needed a quick meal so I cut them in half about thigh sized pieces but they definitely overcooked. Maybe I should have left them whole. Either way I will try this again. Enjoyed the rice a lot. I served with roasted asparagus but I wish I would have thrown one spear in with rice to test it out.....next time. Thanks for the recipe
holly
Hi Leslie, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! This is a favorite in my house as well. I haven't tried it with chicken breasts but that seems like an easy swap.
Don Chantler
Have made this a few times and always comes out perfect with no changes. Tonight thought I would try for a little different flavor profile by using (Better Than Bullion) Italian Herb base in place of chicken stock. Came out FANTASTIC.
holly
Hi Don! That sounds like a big win all the way around. I love that you branched out and tried something different AND that it "came out FANTASTIC"!!! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience!
Sandy
It was delicious. I did sear the chicken first then the mushrooms.
holly
Hello Sandy, I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! How did it come out with chicken and mushrooms?
MG
Mushrooms cause rice to have grey color. What can I do to make rice to be yellow like in the picture? Will some saffron work?
holly
Hi MG! Adding saffron will add color to the dish but it will also change the flavor! If you want to add a little color to the meal I would recommend adding some chopped parsley on top just so the taste doesn't change to much!
MG
AWESOME TASTE, BUT NEED TO ADJUST RICE TO LIQUID RATIO
I made this several times and every time it tasted great. However when I followed the recipe as written it came out soupy. I tried to sauté it some more to reduce the amount of liquid and it did work, however I also overcooked rice in the process. Next few times I experimented with reducing the amount of broth. The problem with using less liquid is that it takes InstantPot longer to come to the pressure which once again results in overcooked rice. A couple of times when I used just one cup of broth it actually never came to pressure. Yesterday I decided to keep the same amount of liquid as in the recipe, but increase the amount of rice to 1.5 cups. It worked perfectly! It took exactly 7 min to come to pressure, rice was cooked al dente, and risotto had proper consistency. With this change this is now my default risotto recipe!
holly
Hey MG, I'm so happy you found your go to risotto recipe! It's great that you put in so much time and effort to alter this recipe so it's perfect for you!!
Melissa
Hi, wouldn’t cooking more chicken thighs mean more time? I am cooking this tomorrow for 6 people and want to have enough chicken for seconds if anyone wants.
Thank you!!!
Melissa
Would*. Not wouldn’t. (Sorry)
holly
Hello Melissa, This recipe can feed up to 6 servings! If you add more chicken it will take more time, let me know how it turns out!