Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

Instant pot chicken thighs and potatoes is the easiest one pot recipe. Perfect for dinner on busy nights, the chicken thighs and potatoes cook together in one pot in 30 minutes with minimal ingredients.

Chicken thighs and potatoes in a large white serving dish.
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Why you will love this recipe

  • Easy to make: All you need is an instant pot to make this recipe, no special equipment needed!
  • No special ingredients: All you need is chicken thighs, potatoes, spices and olive oil to make this recipe. This healthy instant pot chicken thighs and potatoes is also gluten free, dairy free, paleo, and Whole30 friendly.
  • Ready in 30 minutes: Everything for this recipe cooks in the instant pot in about 30 minutes (depending on how fast your pressure cooker comes up to pressure). The potatoes steam in the instant pot while the chicken is cooking. No need to brown the chicken ahead of time either with makes the prep time just 3 minutes!
  • Budget friendly: Chicken thighs (even organic) are almost always less expensive than chicken breast and they cook up juicy and tender in the instant pot. No dried out chicken with this recipe!
  • Easy to adapt: Make this recipe your own by changing out the spices you use to season the chicken and the potatoes. You can really use any spice blend that you love!
Ingredients to make chicken thighs and potatoes.

Ingredients

  • Spices: Dried chives, dried parsley, salt, dried dill, dried sage, smoked paprika – these spices help to season the chicken (and most of them are used on the potatoes as well) to create a smoky ranch flavor for the chicken.
  • Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – chicken thighs are much more forgiving than chicken breast and are also budget friendly. You can use chicken breast if you prefer but you will find they are not as juicy as thighs.
  • Baby potatoes – yellow, red or purple baby potatoes work best in this recipe, as they are small enough that they don’t need to be cut or chopped before adding them to the instant pot. These baby potatoes also have very thin skin so you don’t have to peel them ahead of time.
  • Olive oil – olive oil is used on the cooked potatoes to add moisture and elevate the flavor when the spices are added. You could also use melted butter or ghee.

How to make instant pot chicken thighs and potatoes

Check out the step by step story on how to make chicken and potatoes in the instant pot.

Start by combining the dried chives, dried parsley, dried dill, dried sage and 1 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl.

Seasoning in a bowl before blending.

Add the chicken thighs to the bottom of the instant pot. Sprinkle half of the spice blend over the chicken, as well as the smoked paprika. Add 1 cup of water to the chicken in the instant pot insert.

Chicken thighs with seasoning in instant pot.

Place the metal trivet that came with your instant pot over the chicken thighs.

Chicken thighs with seasoning and a trivet over top.

Add the potatoes directly over the chicken on the trivet.

Baby potatoes before cooking in instant pot.

Put the lid on the instant pot and set the valve to seal. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Allow to natural release at least 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can manually release the pressure or allow the instant pot to continue to naturally release the pressure.

Instant pot with 12 minute cook time.

Carefully remove the lid once all pressure has been released. Check the thickest potato with a knife, it should easily go through the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl.

Cooked baby potatoes in instant pot.

Cut the potatoes in half or in quarters with a knife in the bowl. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and the rest of the spice blend you made in the beginning. Stir well, and slightly smash the potatoes as you stir.

Steps to make smashed potatoes.

Take the chicken out of the instant pot. You can leave it whole or you can shred the chicken depending on your preference.

Serve the chicken thighs and potatoes hot with your favorite side dish.

Baby potatoes, chicken thighs and green beans on a white plate.

Top tips

  • Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs – they are easy to find, budget friendly, cook up quickly and you don’t have to mess with crisping the skin after cooking. Once cooked, you can leave the chicken thigh whole or easily shred it with 2 forks.
  • Chicken breast would require longer cooking time unless you cut them in half first (they are much thicker than chicken thighs and require longer cooking time). Increase cooking time from 12 minutes high pressure to 15-18 depending on how thick your chicken breast are.
  • No need to sauté or brown the chicken first, simply season and add water.
  • You do not need to peel the potatoes before cooking. Baby potatoes have very thin skin. Be sure to rinse your potatoes first since you will be eating the skin.
  • Smashing or cutting up the potatoes before adding the olive oil and seasoning helps to ensure the potatoes are equally flavorful in every bite. Serving the potatoes whole could cause the center of the potatoes to have less flavor/seasoning.

Other spices

The smoky ranch combination goes great on the chicken, giving it lots of flavor with minimal ingredients. For all of these recipes, you will still likely need to add ½ teaspoon salt to the potatoes to ensure they are well seasoned.

Divide these spices between the chicken and potatoes instead of the spices listed above:

  • Taco seasoning – divide 1-2 tablespoons of taco seasoning between the chicken and potatoes for a fun Mexican twist.
  • Greek seasoning – combine 1 teaspoon oregano + 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning + 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon of salt for Greek seasoning.
  • Italian Seasoning – combine 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning + 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon salt.
  • Zaatar – Combine 1 tablespoon zaatar seasoning with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt.
  • Rosemary garlic – season the chicken with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning + ½ teaspoon salt before cooking. Chop the fresh rosemary and garlic to coat the potatoes in.
Potatoes and chicken thighs on white plate, instant pot and green beans in background.

What to serve along side

This flavorful instant pot chicken thighs and rice would go well with a salad or a veggie as a side dish. Some great options include:

Common questions

Can you use frozen chicken thighs

Yes! One of the benefits of using the instant pot is how easily you can cook frozen chicken without worrying about defrosting first! Simply add the frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs to the instant pot and follow the directions as written for adding the spices, water and potatoes. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and allow the instant pot to naturally release pressure at least 10 minutes.

Can you use chicken breast

Yes! Chicken breast tend to be much thicker than chicken thighs so will require longer cooking time. Typical boneless, skinless chicken breast will cook in about 15 minutes high pressure. Extra large (very thick) boneless, skinless chicken breast may take closer to 17-18 minutes.

Can you use larger potatoes

This recipe recommends baby potatoes because they are small enough that they will cook whole in the time it takes the chicken to cook through.

You can use larger potatoes, but you will want to cut them down into smaller pieces so they cook at the same rate as the chicken. You want your potatoes to be no thicker than 1 inch (thickness, not size indicates how food cooks in the instant pot). Cut the potatoes down accordingly if needed.

Chicken thighs, potatoes and green beans on plate, instant pot in background.

Can you use sweet potatoes

Yes! You can easily sub sweet potatoes for regular potatoes in this recipe. You will likely need to cut the sweet potatoes into smaller pieces so they can cook at the same rate as the chicken.

You will want to ensure the sweet potato pieces are 1 inch thick so they cook through in time.

Can you make mashed potatoes with these potatoes

Yes! You may decide to peel your potatoes first if you want to make a creamy mashed potato from the potatoes in this recipe. After cooking in the instant pot, add your typical ingredients for mashed potatoes and mash the potatoes using a masher or your standing mixer.

Storing leftovers

Fridge: Store leftover chicken and potatoes in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

  • You can shred leftover chicken and use it for soups, salads, tacos, burritos, chicken salad or on flatbread with your favorite sauce.
  • You can use leftover potatoes in salads, soups, in tacos, as hash for breakfast.

Freezer: Potatoes tend to change color and texture when frozen, so I would not recommend freezing the potatoes. You can freeze the chicken for up to 3 months in a well sealed container. Be sure to label the chicken with the name, the date and the use by date.

Substitutions

  • Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breast (increase cooking time to 15-18 minutes depending on how thick the chicken breast is).
  • Spices: Use whatever spices you have on hand. If you have a favorite ranch seasoning, you will need 1-2 tablespoons depending on how intense of a ranch flavor you want. You can also use any of the spice blends listed above.
  • Baby potatoes: You could use larger potatoes or even sweet potatoes cut to 1 inch thickness.
  • Olive oil: you can also use avocado oil or melted butter or ghee.
Smashed potatoes next to chicken thighs in a large serving dish.

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Chicken thighs, smashed potatoes and green beans on a white plate.

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

$10.50 Recipe/$2.63 Serving
instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes is a quick and simple recipe that is ready in just 30 minutes. Made with simple ingredients, this healthy recipe is gluten free, dairy free, paleo and Whole30 friendly.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: instant pot chicken and potatoes, instant pot chicken thighs and potatoes
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Pressure Cooker (up to pressure, natural release): 16 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine the dried chives, dried parsley, dried dill, sage and 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • Add the chicken thighs to the instant pot. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1/2 of the dried spice mixture. Sprinkle the chicken with smoked paprika as well.
  • Pour 1 cup of water over the chicken. Add the metal trivet on top of the chicken thighs.
  • Add the baby potatoes on top of the metal trivet.
  • Place the lid on the instant pot and set the valve to seal. Cook high pressure for 12 minutes.
  • After 12 minutes cooking, allow the instant pot to naturally release pressure at least 10 minutes.
  • After pressure has been released, open the instant pot and check to ensure the potatoes are fully cooked by piercing with a knife. The potatoes should be soft and easy to insert the knife.
  • Add the potatoes to a bowl and cut in half or quarters. Add the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the rest of the dried spices. Stir the potatoes well and ensure everything is well incorporated.
  • Serve hot with you favorite side dish.

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Notes

Other spices
Divide these spices between the chicken and potatoes instead of the spices listed above:
  • Taco seasoning – divide 1-2 tablespoons of taco seasoning between the chicken and potatoes for a fun Mexican twist.
  • Greek seasoning – combine 1 teaspoon oregano + 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning + 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon of salt for Greek seasoning.
  • Italian Seasoning – combine 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning + 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon salt.
  • Zaatar – Combine 1 tablespoon zaatar seasoning with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt.
  • Fresh Rosemary garlic – season the chicken with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning + ½ teaspoon salt before cooking. Chop the fresh rosemary and garlic to coat the potatoes in. 
Common questions
Can you use frozen chicken thighs
Yes! One of the benefits of using the instant pot is how easily you can cook frozen chicken without worrying about defrosting first! Simply add the frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs to the instant pot and follow the directions as written for adding the spices, water and potatoes. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and allow the instant pot to naturally release pressure at least 10 minutes.
Can you use chicken breast
Yes! Chicken breast tend to be much thicker than chicken thighs so will require longer cooking time. Typical boneless, skinless chicken breast will cook in about 15 minutes high pressure. Extra large (very thick) boneless, skinless chicken breast may take closer to 17-18 minutes.
Can you use larger potatoes
This recipe recommends baby potatoes because they are small enough that they will cook whole in the time it takes the chicken to cook through.
You can use larger potatoes, but you will want to cut them down into smaller pieces so they cook at the same rate as the chicken. You want your potatoes to be no thicker than 1 inch (thickness, not size indicates how food cooks in the instant pot). Cut the potatoes down accordingly if needed.
Can you use sweet potatoes
Yes! You can easily sub sweet potatoes for regular potatoes in this recipe. You will likely need to cut the sweet potatoes into smaller pieces so they can cook at the same rate as the chicken.
You will want to ensure the sweet potato pieces are 1 inch thick so they cook through in time.
Can you make mashed potatoes with these potatoes
Yes! You may decide to peel your potatoes first if you want to make a creamy mashed potato from the potatoes in this recipe. After cooking in the instant pot, add your typical ingredients for mashed potatoes and mash the potatoes using a masher or your standing mixer.
Storing leftovers
Fridge: Store leftover chicken and potatoes in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: Potatoes tend to change color and texture when frozen, so I would not recommend freezing the potatoes. You can freeze the chicken for up to 3 months in a well sealed container. Be sure to label the chicken with the name, the date and the use by date.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
425
Fat
 
13
g
Carbohydrates
 
44
g
Fiber
 
7
g
Sugar
 
2
g
Protein
 
33
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is great! I added a tsp. of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth mix to the water. When I was mashing the potatoes with a fork, I put in some broth with the seasonings. Yum!

  2. 5 stars
    Loved it!
    I used a different spice blend since I already had some made (but similar to yours) and I only had russet potatoes, so I cut them into larger chunks. Otherwise, this was perfect! Going to pin now.

    Also, this looks like it’ll make an excellent Whole30 dish, so I’ll be making this again soon :)

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