Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs
Soft garlic and a creamy sauce make these chicken thighs especially inviting. Spoon a little extra sauce over each piece so you get the garlic in every bite. It is a warm, savory dinner for an evening when a satisfying plate of chicken sounds just right.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cooking method
- Pressure cooker · Pan-frying
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Trim before seasoning
Use kitchen scissors to trim excess fat from the thighs, then season both sides before starting the browning stage.
2. Heat the pot fully
Wait until sauté mode has heated the pot before adding oil and chicken. The directions use that full heat to prevent sticking.
3. Reduce at the end
After stirring in the cream and cheese, return to sauté mode for a few minutes so the sauce becomes thicker.
Get to know the ingredients
Whole peeled garlic
The peeled garlic cloves go in before pressure cooking. They become soft in the pot and flavor the creamy sauce.
Heavy whipping cream
Keep the cream for after pressure cooking and the quick release. Stir it into the opened pot with salt and Parmesan.
Smoked paprika
Sprinkle the smoked paprika over the chicken after adding garlic, rosemary and broth, before covering and pressure cooking.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Taste the reduced sauce
Once the sauce has thickened, taste and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately with the creamy sauce around the chicken.
A little more help as you go
Release before opening
Use Quick Release when pressure cooking ends. Wait for the valve to drop before carefully removing the lid and adding dairy.
A stovetop option
Without an Instant Pot, you can use a skillet. Pan-fry the chicken, then simmer low until cooked through and the sauce reduces.
A few questions you might have
Can I use chicken breasts?
You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs. Keep the same sauce ingredients and finishing order.
What changes if the chicken is frozen?
Add two minutes to the pressure-cooking time when using frozen chicken for this dish.
What pressure setting is used?
Select Manual and High Pressure for five minutes after adding the broth, garlic and rosemary and sprinkling on the paprika.
Can I brown the chicken in a skillet?
Yes. The directions allow pan-frying it in a regular or nonstick skillet before the garlic, rosemary and broth stage.
What size Instant Pot is mentioned?
This recipe uses a six-quart Instant Pot. Brown the chicken on sauté before its short high-pressure cooking stage.
Any more cooking tips?
I used a 6-quart Instant Pot. After pressure cooking, the garlic will become soft and mushy, infusing the creamy sauce with amazing garlicky flavor. You may use chicken breasts. If you use frozen chicken, increase the pressure cooking time by 2 minutes. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs on a stove top. Just pan-fry the chicken on a skillet and follow the same method above. Simmer on low heat until the chicken thighs are cooked through and the sauce is reduced.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: rasamalaysia.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.