Instant Pot Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

Chicken thighs are browned, then pressure cooked in a sweet-savory garlic brown sugar sauce in the Instant Pot for a quick, flavorful weeknight meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

?1 tablespoonvegetable oil
?2 tablespoonsbutterdivided
?4-6 chicken thighsbone-in skin-on
?3/4 teaspoonsalt
?1/4 teaspoonground black pepper
?3 clovesgarliccrushed
?1 cupchicken stock
?1/4 cupbrown sugar
?1 tablespoonhoney
?1/4 teaspoondried oregano
?1/4 teaspoondried basil
?1/4 teaspoondried thyme
?1/2 teaspoonchopped fresh parsleyfor serving

Instructions

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE (Normal). Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the oil is hot and the butter is melted, add the chicken thighs skin-side down in a single layer (brown in batches if they won't fit without crowding).
Brown the chicken skin-side down for about 3–5 minutes, until the skin is golden. Flip and brown the other side for 2–3 minutes. Remove the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the Instant Pot. When melted, add the crushed garlic and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant (do not let it burn).
Pour in 1 cup chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to deglaze and lift any browned bits.
Stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme. Taste the sauce and add a small pinch of salt only if needed.
Return the chicken thighs to the pot, placing them skin-side up if possible. Secure the lid, set the vent to SEALING, and select PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL on High pressure for 8 minutes. (The Instant Pot will take about 6–7 minutes to come to pressure.)
When the cooking time ends, carefully perform a quick release by turning the vent to VENTING. When the float valve drops, open the lid and transfer the chicken to a serving plate.
To thicken the sauce without adding ingredients, set the Instant Pot to SAUTE and simmer the sauce until it reduces to your desired thickness, about 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Equipment

Instant Pot

Notes

You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs, but you won’t get that caramelized flavor and the chicken breast meat is drier.
When browning the chicken thighs, if the pot is crowded thenwork in batches.
You need to make sure that youbrown the chicken really well, starting skin side down. But also keep an eye on it so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot, I like to use kitchen tongs to move the chicken around a little as they’re being seared.
Thickening the sauce is optional but HIGHLY recommendedto get that awesome glaze and thick sauce.
Serve this Instant Pot brown sugar chicken with any starchthat you like! I usually serve this overbasmati riceorbrown rice, butmashed potatoesand pasta are also great options.
And you might also want to serve some veg on the side. I recommend a portion ofInstant Pot broccoli, orInstant Pot green beans.
Storing – Fridge: Store the chicken in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave, or in the oven until it’s heated through.Freezer: These chicken thighs can last up to three months in the freezer, so be sure to write the date on the bag with a freezer-proof marker.