Instant Pot Chicken Thighs With Risotto
These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Risotto are my new favorite Instant Pot recipe! The risotto is really creamy and flavorful without any of the effort. And the chicken is so 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 coming at you with a new and extremely delicious instant pot recipe 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… 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.
The B man would always gravitate toward “dark meat,” so this instant pot chicken recipe is one of his favorites.
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 have an appreciation for meat on the bone and the extra flavor it gives off while it’s cooking. So I did use bone-in chicken thighs. You could make this work as a boneless chicken thigh recipe if that was your preference, or even 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.
(Side 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 a bit more olive oil, and 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.
Then add chicken stock, sautéed mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, 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, then stir the Parmesan cheese, parsley and baby spinach into the risotto, and serve warm with the chicken.
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs With Risotto - A comforting and delicious meal ready in no time at all!
An easy chicken and spinach recipe… and a ridiculously delicious gluten-free one-pot meal that’s ready in 30 minutes! If not everyone wants spinach, just keep the spinach out and add it to individual portions when you are plating the meal.Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Risotto
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition Information
Yield
6
Serving Size
1 thigh with 4-6 oz risotto
Amount Per Serving
Calories 432Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 5gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 115mgSodium 584mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 28g
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RicT
What an excellent meal to make. We used vermouth instead of white wine which did not alter the flavour in the least. It was done to perfection, the risotto was tender, the chicken mouth watering and the mushrooms really added to the meal. We used dehydrated mushrooms from France and after preparing them they really added to the meal as a whole. Regarding the skins being soggy on the thighs you can crisp them up by putting them under the broiler if your are desperate to have the skin on.
A real keeper for future meals and a great recipe. Thanks!
holly
You're welcome! Thanks so much for the kind and detailed review. This is one of my families favorite IP recipes and I'm excited that you enjoyed it as much as we do!
Mary Lou
I love this recipe! Have had my pot for years and have had many failures. This is the best meal I have made! Keep those recipes coming.
Bryan
Thanks Mary Lou! So glad to hear that this was a winner for you!!! 🙂
Kristin
Made this tonight, as written, for dinner. Excellent. We will definitely be having this again.
Bryan
Thank you Krisin!!! We love hearing that! 🙂 - H&B
Jennifer Johnson
This is my all time favorite Instant Pot recipe, and the one that I use for company. I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms, but I just slice them really thin and saute them longer, I think that they add so much flavor so I don't want to leave them out. I have made this with bone in skinless chicken thighs, boneless & skinless thighs, and with chicken breasts cut to similar sizes. I have also made the risotto only as a companion for baked fish for my pescatarain friends. (I use veggie stock for them). I keep all of the ingredients in my freezer so I can throw this together at a moment's notice. So delicious!
Bryan
Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for your comment, that is so nice to hear! We are glad you've found this recipe not only tasty but also versatile. Thanks for sharing! 🙂 - H&B
steph
Hi! Have made this before exactly as written and was so so so delicious!! Wondering if this could be done with bone in - skin in chicken thighs? Same time?
Also - we are going alcohol free (feeding a toddler now), so I’m assuming just another cup of broth in place of the wine?
Thanks!!
Bryan
Hi Steph, yes you can substitute more chicken stock for the wine (this will change the flavor slightly). As far as using skin-on chicken thighs, you may need to sear them a bit longer in step #2, but the IP cook time in step #7 should still be fine. Enjoy! 🙂 - H&B
Mariam
Hello. We’ve just made this and it has come out watery. We are currently sautéing the rice to reduce the liquid, but how can we avoid this in future?
Thank you’
Bryan
Hi Mariam, sorry that happened to you! That's the first time we've heard that, usually this recipe comes out perfectly. In the future you could try reducing the chicken stock by 1 cup. Please let us know how that goes! 🙂 - H&B
Lea B
I want to make this tonight. Can I add more chicken pieces? Maybe 8-10 total. I’m using boneless and skinless thighs. Does that change amount of liquid or time?
Bryan
Hi Lea I'm hesitant to tell you "yes" since we haven't tested it this way and there are several variables that change cook time in the instant pot. In general boneless meat cooks faster, but since you are using more pieces of chicken, you may want to leave the cook time the same. However you need to use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches a safe cook temp of 165F... if it hasn't, you can actually re-seal the IP and cook for a few more minutes (it won't take quite as long to come back to pressure). Also I would not recommend adding more liquid. The other option here is to only put the recommended quantity of chicken in the instant pot, and then cook your "extra" chicken in a saute pan (with olive oil + salt + pepper) over medium to medium-high heat until it reaches 165F. Hope you enjoy!! 🙂 - B & H
Amy
Want to make this. Can I use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead? Cook the same? Thanks
Bryan
Hi Amy we haven't tested this recipe with boneless chicken breasts, but typically when there's no bone, the meat cooks faster. I would reduce the IP cook time from 7 to 5 minutes (which has worked well for us on other IP chicken breast recipes), but you will want to check the internal temp of the chicken with a digital thermometer to ensure it has reached 165F. If it hasn't you can actually just re-seal the IP and cook for a couple more minutes. Enjoy! 🙂 - H&B
Kathy
It is just my husband and I. Would it be ok to cut the recipe in half, or should I cook as is and use for leftovers or freeze/reheat. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
Bryan
Hi Kathy because IP cook times are affected by both the volume of all the ingredients as well as the liquid inside the pot, we aren't sure how that would work out if you simply halved everything. Instead we'd suggest you make the full recipe and freeze some leftovers or enjoy them for lunch! 🙂 -H&B
MG
I only have 1/2 cup of rice. Do I half amount of liquid too?
Bryan
Hi MG to make sure the chicken cooks properly under pressure, I would not reduce the liquid. After pressure cooking, if you find that the risotto is a bit too soupy then turn the IP back to saute and allow the liquid to reduce. Be aware that this extra cooking may soften the risotto a bit... so all in all we'd recommend picking up some more arborio rice before making this! 🙂
Ashley
Loved this tonight will be third time trying! What can I use in place of wine? I’m out! Suggestions?
Bryan
Hi Ashley! Thanks for the 5-stars! You can just substitute another cup of chicken stock if you don't have white wine or prefer not to use wine! So glad you have been enjoying this recipe! 🙂 - H&B
Christine Bedard
This was one of the first meals I made in my new Instant Pot! It was so full of flavor, the instructions were easy to follow and the final result was amazing! My only critique is that it says it serves 6 - we barely had enough for my 2 girls and I to have our fill! Will be a regular in our house!
sherry L ottoson
My new go to IP dish! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and added peas instead of spinach......Absolutely delicious! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
David Wichmann
Swapped the parmesan for blue cheese, worked really well. Great recipe