So creamy and flavorful, you will never believe these boneless chicken thighs have no dairy!
With virtually no effort, dinner will be in the pot, and with only 8 minutes cook time, food will be served quickly!
Perfect for any meal, these creamy Instant Pot boneless chicken thighs are a keto and Whole30 friendly meal that will be a family hit!
Boneless skinless chicken thighs and the Instant Pot are a true match made in heaven. Because of their small size and dark meat status…they cook up into tender shredded chicken in a snap, or maybe an instant?!
Once I realized this (not so new) revelation…I have been constantly experimenting with all sorts of flavor profiles. With a special emphasis on quick and easy. Easy and quick. Snappy. Minimal effort. Time saving…ya, you get the drift!
My Chicken Adobo and Chicken Tinga are two great examples of this tinkering. While my Bacon Chicken and Italian Chicken are two of my newer attempts!
I started back to work as a substitute teacher, so these kinds of meals are like a BFF in my back pocket. Because I still want to eat well and be healthy!
What is umami and why should I use it?
Knowing umami (flavor enhancers) makes the the world goes round, I wanted a simple dish with loads of umami flavors…enter nutritional yeast and/or mustard! Both have great flavor and make our taste buds happy! In this dish, you get to choose between the two flavor boosts….or maybe even a little of each if you’re feeling wild and sassy! Totally up to you. And you can also add more if want more of their pungent flavors…also…totally up to you!
So loads of flavor, no dairy, good for you….CHECK!!!
Bone broth makes this simple dish even MORE nutritious and healthy, so try to use some! I like to use Perfect Supplements Bone Broth Powder (man is it GOOOOOOD) in pinch when I have none on hand, or Trader Joe’s is now offering some too in the soup aisle!
Can I use chicken breasts instead?
Chicken breasts are great, but it takes much longer to to break down those tough and lean fibers!
So if you are in a time crunch…chicken thighs in the Instant Pot will be your best friend, and are still my recommendation.
If you decide to use chicken breasts, do everything the same, but definitely do a natural release of 10+ minutes. This extra rest time is required to tenderize the leaner breast meat!
Serving suggestions for the creamy Instant Pot chicken thighs:
This meal is easily adaptable to all types of eating!! While I maybe forgoing rice for the time being, my family is not! Here are some ideas on how to make it your own:
- atop some cauli rice or mash
- steamed broccoli, or my favorite sauteed broccoli method (creates crisp tender broccoli in under 5 minutes!)
- served with any favorite roasted veggies ( I love brussel sprouts, broccoli, and my roasted cauliflower!)
- in the fall, I love touse my roasted butternut squash!
- atop any noodles (not Whole30 or keto).
- with any favorite rice or cooked grain!
- a fresh green salad with this Whole30 ranch, or my favprte homemade honey mustard dressing!!
Want more Whole30 recipes?
- My Kalua Pork is a couple of ingredients and an absolute family and friend favorite!
- Taco night just got easier! Instant Pot Carnitas are easy to make and SO flavorful!
- This Paleo Instant Pot Butter Chicken is like Indian take out at home!
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms look like a satisfying, dairy free dish!
- Made in single skillet, this healthy Tuscan chicken is dairy free and loaded with Italian goodness!
Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe:
Have you made this? I want to hear about it! Please leave a comment below!
Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs - Whole30
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs if you use chicken breast, do a 10 minute natural release to tenderize it.
- salt & pepper
Sauce Mix:
- 1 cup bone broth
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast OR favorite mustard OR both!!
- 1 tablespoon cassava flour OR tapioca starch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Mix In At End:
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise I use my homemade, infinitely tastier!
Instructions
- Press saute on your Instant Pot, add the avocado oil, and generously salt and pepper your chicken thighs.
- Brown the chicken thighs, not turning until well browned.
- While browning, whisk the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- When chicken is browned, pour the sauce mix over the top. Lock on the lid, and set 'manual time' for 8 minutes.
- When it beeps, natural or quick release (doesn't matter), and stir in the mayo. Serve!
Nutrition
Yummy yummy! I had three pounds of boneless skinless thighs and doubled the sauce. It was perfect. We ate it over cauliflower rice, sides were brussel sprouts and a corn salad.
Thanks so
Much for Coming back and letting me Know Shelly!
Do you have any recommendations on what I can sub for the cassava flour? Thanks so much!
I would use either rice flours or xanthan/guar gum for low carb version. Thanks Debbie!
Thank you – I used guar gum – just sprinkled a bit over the top at the end – oh my goodness!! This was AMAZING! I doubled the sauce – and forgot the mayo – oops – but it was still so incredibly delicious – a new favorite of ours. I love that it fits whole30 and keto – thanks for sharing it. We enjoyed it with roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts. 🙂
So glad you liked it Debbie, one of my favs too! With roasted squash….yum!!!
OOHHH MY GOSH. This is seriously SOOOOO good! Made with roasted broccoli and cauliflower rice. I’m obsessed and will be making this again very soon. Ended up adding nutritional yeast AND spicy mustard. Only had 1.5 lbs of chicken thighs, so there was extra sauce to cover the rice. DELICIOUS!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it so much Britney!! Thanks!
Should this be cooked on low or high? Also – any trick for the oil splattering out while trying to turn the chicken and releasing it from the pot?
high. Oil splatter happens if the there is water on the thighs. So if you want to minimize splatter, make sure the thighs are dry before placing them in the insert. Thighs should release easily when they are thoroughly crisped/browned!
This recipe is so delish. We all enjoyed it very much, so simple and quick to make. I ended up using arrowroot since that’s the starch I had on hand
Super glad all enjoyed it! Thanks for your feedback!
Love the ingredients you used to make it creamy and thick. The mayo might sound weird but it actually works really well and adds a nice flavour (for those wondering).
Wow. This was delicious. The whole family loved it. Thank you.
Glad it was enjoyed, thanks for letting me
Know!!!
By “Manual” do you mean “Pressure Cook” for 8 minutes.??? The new IPs don’t have a “manual”.
Wish me luck!
Yes ma’am! I’ve had my IP for so long…I forget it not exactly the same now, will add that detail! Thanks!
Mayo is such a brilliant way to make sauces creamy! I love the addition of bone broth, too. Yum ?
I love that this is so easy to make and looks delicious!
Wanted to leave a little comment to say that I just love your chicken IP recipes!
I agree that chicken thighs are a super quick way to go when clock ticking!
Thanks. This one is on top of list to make asap!
So easy to make and it looks so flavorful! Gonna have to try this, looks delicious!
What a great healthy weeknight meal! I can’t believe it is cooked in only 8 minutes – win win!
Love chicken thighs and that sauce mix looks so interesting! I’m pinning this so I remember to try it soon!
I cannot wait to try this recipe!
I do make a similar one.. and looking to change it up so I am making this one asap!
Don’t you just love the IP? Thanks!
This recipe was yummy! Even my chicken hating 13 year old ate a bowl of it! Keeper!!
Yes, it definitely is a kid pleaser! It’s made
The rounds in several families and its universal!
This looks super simple and super delicious!
I love how simple this chicken recipe is!!! I will definitely be trying it with dijon mustard!
This looks delicious! I love when I find a recipe that’s Whole 30, yet it’s something I would make regardless- and this is totally one of those!
This looks extra delicious and creamy! Love that it is an IP recipe!
Aw, love chicken thighs! And the IP! This is such a nourishing simple recipe, which I love! Yes, being able to grab real food when eating out is key for me too. Yay about the subbing! 🙂 🙂 I bet you’re great!!
oooh, I need some new instant pot recipes, thanks for sharing!
I have a new instant pot and am looking for recipes to try out in it. This one is definitely a must try!
I love chicken thighs and instant pot makes it really easy. Just fabulous!
I’m so ready to fire up the IP for this recipe. Looks amazing!
I can’t wait to try this. I love that the ingredient list is so simple. Perfect for a busy night!
I’ve been eating roasted brussels sprouts on repeat lately, and I can just imagine how awesome they’d be with this creamy chicken!
Oh wow, this sounds delicious! I love easy IP recipes like this!
Oh YUM, this sounds wonderful! I love how tender those thighs look, and it just looks like the perfect creamy and comforting meal on a cold evening.
These look so juicy and perfect! The Instant Pot is amazing, isn’t it??
Ooo yes! I could eat this all day long! Especially with those roasted brussel sprouts – this looks SO good!
Looks like a tasty one!
Oh yum, this is so great! I love that creamy flavor (and the nutritional yeast for the cheesy flavor) and how well this cooks in the IP!
Love easy Instant Pot recipes. Plus chicken thighs are my favorite. Thanks!