With just a few ingredients and five minutes of prep, you can have moist, juicy chicken thighs finished with a sticky honey-garlic glaze. These pressure cooker chicken thighs come out fall-apart tender, with a flavorful honey-soy sauce ready in about 30 minutes—perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Easy Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
This is the kind of recipe that sold me on the electric pressure cooker: minimal fuss, consistently tender results, and a sweet-savory Asian-inspired glaze. It’s one of my go-to gluten-free weeknight chicken dinners when I want to feed the family with almost no effort.
Instant Pot chicken thighs are ideal for busy evenings. Use bone-in or boneless thighs, mix the sauce ingredients, add everything to the pot, and cook for 10 minutes under high pressure. The result is juicy chicken with a rich honey-soy sauce that’s great spooned over rice.
If I have leftover rice, I often make a quick fried rice to go alongside steamed broccoli. For a restaurant-style finish, sprinkle sesame seeds and sliced green onions over the chicken and offer crushed red pepper or Sriracha at the table so everyone can adjust the spice.
Leftovers are excellent shredded and served on buns. Pull the cooled chicken apart with two forks, toss it back in the sauce, and pile it on rolls—an easy option for game day or a casual gathering.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – Thighs stay moist and forgiving in a pressure cooker, making them my preferred choice. Use skinless boneless or bone-in thighs; if using bone-in, buy about ½ lb extra to account for bones.
- Soy Sauce – For gluten-free diets, read labels carefully. Tamari or liquid aminos are good alternatives if you need a gluten-free option.
- Ginger – Freshly minced ginger is best, but ginger paste sold in tubes is a convenient shortcut and saves prep time.
- Garlic – The star of the honey-garlic glaze; adjust the amount to taste.
- Rice Vinegar – Use rice vinegar for a clean, slightly sweet acidity; apple cider vinegar can be substituted in a pinch.
Let’s Make This Together
Below are the main steps and photos. For full ingredient amounts and the complete recipe, see the recipe card further down.
Make the honey garlic sauce
Whisk together ketchup, honey, soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, minced ginger, and garlic. To cut down on dishes, you can mix these directly in the Instant Pot.
Add chicken and cook under pressure
Add the chicken to the pot and toss to coat. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. For shreddable chicken, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes before quick-releasing the remaining pressure; quick-release immediately for intact thighs.
Thicken the sauce
Remove the chicken to a plate. Whisk cornstarch with water, then stir into the sauce. Use the sauté function and cook, stirring, for about a minute until the sauce thickens. Return the chicken to the pot to briefly rewarm, then serve over jasmine rice.
Can I Make This in a Slow Cooker?
Yes. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker for a true dump-and-start meal. For deeper flavor and better texture, season the chicken with salt and pepper and quickly brown it in hot oil on the stovetop before transferring to the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 4–5 hours. To thicken the sauce, stir together cornstarch and water, add to the slow cooker, and cook uncovered for 30–60 minutes until the sauce thickens.
More Helpful Tips
- Serve crushed red pepper on the side to let everyone control the heat.
- If your Instant Pot shows a burn warning, cancel cooking, release pressure, stir and scrape the bottom to release any stuck bits, then reseal and finish cooking.
- Start the rice first since the chicken cooks quickly. A rice cooker makes this effortless: add rice and water and press start.
- For meal prep or freezer meals, store chicken and sauce separately in airtight containers; combine and reheat when ready to eat.
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card—your feedback helps others and I always reply. -Melissa
Pressure Cooker Chicken Thighs (Honey Garlic Glaze)
Melissa ErdelacPin
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup honey
- ⅓ cup soy sauce (check label for gluten-free)
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced (heaping)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water (for slurry)
- For serving (optional): cooked rice, crushed red pepper, sliced green onions, sesame seeds
Instructions
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In the pot whisk together ketchup, honey, soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, minced ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper (if using). Add the chicken and stir to coat.
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Secure the lid and set the valve to SEAL. Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. For whole thighs, quick release pressure when cooking finishes. For shredded chicken, allow a 5-minute natural release, then quick release remaining pressure.
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Remove the chicken to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Shred with two forks if desired.
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Turn the cooker to SAUTÉ. Whisk together cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water, then slowly whisk into the sauce. Simmer, stirring, about 1 minute until thickened. Pour the glaze over chicken and serve with optional rice and garnishes.