Original Blog Post Date: January 27, 2018
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Calories: 226 Fat: 14G Net Carbs: 6G Protein: 17G
Ok, Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken thighs, let’s go! I have been in the kitchen again experimenting with my Instant Pot. I often prepare recipes using chicken breasts with my Instant Pot. I decided to switch it up some and use chicken thighs. Chicken thighs can be a little more juicy, which is a major win!
If you are looking for more Keto Instant Pot recipes, check out my Keto Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Keto Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and Keto Chicken Zoodle Soup.
How Long Do I Pressure Cook Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot?
How long does it take to cook chicken thighs in the Instant Pot? I pressure cook for 14 minutes. This produces tender, juicy chicken thighs.
Can I Put Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot?
Yes. You can use frozen chicken. Follow the same instructions outlined. Your Instant Pot should take longer to come to pressure.
How Long Do You Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot?
For chicken thighs, you will set the Instant Pot for 14 minutes. It will take longer to come to pressure.
How Long Should Chicken Thighs Cook in the CrockPot?
I like to cook them for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
Do You Use Boneless or Bone-In Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot?
I used bone-in thighs. Both will work for this recipe.
This recipe is loaded with flavor. I love to add reduced-fat cream cheese to dishes that have a cream sauce. The cream cheese yields amazing results. The Better Than Bouillon Chicken flavor used in the recipe goes a really long way, as well. Purchase it here from Amazon.
This dish is great for a quick weeknight dinner or for advanced meal prep. My favorite side dish pairings for this recipe are brown rice or quinoa for carbohydrates.
Any steamed veggies will work well. Broccoli and green beans are my favorite If you are really strapped for time, I am in love with the steamable options at Costco.
Like I mentioned above, chicken thighs are JUICY! This cream sauce is so decadent and filled with flavor because it is prepared using the natural juices produced by the chicken….in addition to a few other amazing ingredients.
I am in love with my Instant Pot. I feel like I rarely use my oven anymore!
You may also enjoy my Keto Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole, Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole and Philly Cheesesteak Casserole recipes.
Pair the chicken thighs with Instant Pot Southern Green Beans, Instant Pot Collard Greens, Instant Pot Cabbage, Air Fryer Garlic Green Beans, or Air Fryer Asparagus. Get more Instant Pot Recipes here.
Instant Pot Apple Pie Steel Cut Oats
Instant Pot Brisket
Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Instant Pot Chicken, Seafood, and Sausage Gumbo
Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole
Instant Pot Shrimp Risotto with Vegetables and Parmesan
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Instant Pot Chicken and Spanish Rice (Arroz Con Pollo)
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash
Instant Pot Steak Tacos
Watch the VIDEO!
Instant Pot Low-Carb Creamy Garlic Tuscan Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs fat trimmed if desired
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 1/2 cups fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Seasoning
- 1/4 cup parmesan reggiano cheese grated
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk I used unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp cornstarch or xanthan gum for strict keto If your sauce isn't thick enough add an additional tsp of cornstarch with an additional tsp of water
- 1 tsp water
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley optional for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the olive oil into the Instant Pot.
- Season the chicken with 1 tsp of the Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Place the Instant Pot on the Saute function. Brown both sides of the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Add the chicken broth, milk, Better Than Bouillon and remaining Italian Seasoning to the pot.
- Close the Instant Pot and Seal. Cook on Manual/High-Pressure Cooking for 14 minutes.
- When the pot indicates it has finished, quick release the steam.
- Open the pot and remove the chicken.
- Add the sundried tomatoes, cream cheese, whipping cream, parmesan reggiano, garlic, and spinach to the pot. Place the Instant Pot on the saute function.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until the cheese has melted and the spinach has wilted.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir. Add it to the pot. This will thicken up the cream sauce. If your sauce isn't thick enough add an additional tsp of cornstarch with an additional tsp of water. Allow the sauce to continue to cook until it has reached your desired thickness. Stir repeatedly to ensure the sauce does not burn.
- Either add the chicken back to the pot with the cream sauce or place the chicken in a serving dish and drizzle the sauce throughout.
- Top with parsley.
Rick C.
I love the idea of using thighs, however, I happen to have 6 chicken breast that I need to cook and would like to use them in this recipe. Do I still pressure cook the breasts for 14 minutes or do I need to adjust the time? Thanks.
staysnatched
I do 10 minutes of pressure cooking followed by 10 minutes of natural release for chicken breasts.
Karen
This looks so good. Can i use arrowroot instead of cornstarch?
staysnatched
I’ve heard great things about it, but I haven’t tried it myself. I’m sure you can.
Katie
I loved this recipe! I had to make some tweaks because I didn’t have almond milk and pressure cooking dairy usually ends up with curdling. So if you’re planning on using traditional dairy in the recipe for the milk (instead of the almond milk listed in the ingredients), here is what I did. Also note this will change the macros.
I opted for using heavy cream instead of milk (just my personal preference), added at the end. So the cooking liquid for the chicken that I used was 1.5 cups of chicken broth. After cooking, when I added the cream cheese, tomatoes, and spinach, I added a half cup of heavy cream. It was honestly so dang good and will absolutely be in our rotation.
Just wanted to drop a comment for the users who said their liquid curdled, as it was likely due to using cow’s milk prior to pressure cooking. I’m excited to make the recipe again when I have almond milk. I just misread the ingredients the first go-around. 🙂
staysnatched
Thanks for providing your tips!
Katie
Absolutely! Thank you so much for posting this awesome recipe!
Dawn Hinz
I have made this at least a dozen times! People- this is company worthy. I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs from Costco. I used two pouches (the chicken from Costco come in separate pouches) There is just the right amount of sauce If you want to put it over zucchini or pasta for the kids. Everyone loves this recipe and asks for the recipe! It’s a winner for sure.
staysnatched
I love your Costco tips! So glad you guys enjoy it!
Shirley
Using tenderloins?
Arna
I have made this several times. Absolutely delicious!
Deb
Made this tonight! Used 6 thighs with bone. The sauce is to die for! I am thinking of cooking a little pasta, but we are trying to do low carb. Making green beans to go with it. Yummy!
staysnatched
Green beans will pair wonderfully!
Tricia
For boneless thighs is the cook time still 14
Minutes, that seems like a lot?
staysnatched
The cook time is accurate. If you scroll through the remaining comments you will see others have made the recipe with success.
Rhonda
I want to make this tonight but don’t have the better than bouillon chicken. Can I use something in it’s place?
staysnatched
A bouillon cube or you can omit it, it will likely have less flavor.
Jessica
Holy Yum!
I had to tweak it a bit based on what I had on hand (boneless skinless chicken tenderloins rather than thighs, grassmilk half and half rather than almond milk and heavy cream, and Trader Joes condensed chicken broth packet rather than bullion, and I added a scoop of ancient naturals bone broth protein savory herb flavor powder because I am always trying to get more bone broth into my diet ) It was still delicious!
This recipe is easy (if I can make it, its easy) and delicious. Its also one of few that you can tweak as needed and it still ends up good! I hate to admit it but it is rarely the case that I make a recipe I find online, have to tweak it, and it still ends up as good as I had hoped.
staysnatched
Thanks for sharing all of this. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Victoria Gutzman
My daughter shared this recipe with me, raving about how good it turn out. So I made it too and let me tell you, it’s fantastic! Thank you for the best recipe I’ve tried in a long time. Btw, I used frozen boneless chicken thighs, 14 minutes. Perfect!
staysnatched
Wonderful news! So glad you enjoyed it.
Jessica
I made this dish last night and it’s by far one of the BEST recipes I have ever made. I used 8 boneless skinless thighs and I followed the recipe exactly except for using 3 chicken bouillon in place of the better than chicken bouillon. There was plenty of sauce as well. I will be making this again very soon.
staysnatched
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The cream sauce is so good!
Hoping for an InstantPot
Have you made this in a regular slow-cooker? If so, what are the tweaks?
staysnatched
Cook the chicken thighs for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low. Still, add the cream sauce at the end.
Laura
Hi! Can I use 1% milk? No dietary restrictions here, just what I have in the fridge!
staysnatched
I’ve never tried that but I assume it would work fine.
Vanessa
Made this tonight for dinner. It was awesome. Hubby has no salt diet so I tweaked it to fit his diet. It is a great recipe. If you haven’t made this, do so. It totally is worth it,
staysnatched
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and were able to tweak it to fit your needs.
Neal G
First go at this one and it turned out fantastic! Didn’t have the spinach or sun dried, so it just turned into a nice thick garlic parm sauce. I subbed half water/half heavy cream for the milk, and it didn’t curdle despite pressure. Also I made the chicken stock with better than bullion (so used that twice). and 2 tsp xanthum gum and 2 tsp water at the end. lots of heat via saute mode and steady whisking after chicken is out and final stuff is in, and voila! thick heavenly sauce. oh, i also went close to double the parmesan! 👏👍🧡
staysnatched
I love your subsitutions!
Tammy howard
Does the parmesan need to be fresh or can it be the dry shaker kind?
staysnatched
I don’t buy the dry shaker kind. It’s processed. It’s up to you if you would like to use that.
william
Hello. Looks delicious! Is there a difference in cooking time for frozen boneless thighs (Costco). It’s so convenient to not have to thaw things out, especially since we don’t need to, with the Instant Pot.
staysnatched
I don’t cook frozen meat. I’ve read that some people use the same cook time and it takes longer to come to pressure.
Keri
Made these tonight! SO GOOD! I used skinless and boneless and the cook time was perfect (from frozen) I have tons of sauce left which I love because it’s delicious and it’ll be going on whatever vegetable we make tomorrow for dinner. Thank you!
staysnatched
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Ken
A fellow Kansas Citian here…GO CHIEFS!!!!! Anyway, I do the cooking in my house since my wife is disabled. Made this tonight, and this was awesome! I followed one of the other suggestions in here, and used 1/2 cup of cream, added at the end, instead of milk. Also, I forgot to get chicken broth while I was shopping, so I improvised and used 1 1/2 cups water and doubled the Better than Buillon. This worked out pretty well, although it turned out just a little saltier than I would have liked. I’ll make sure to get the low sodium broth next time. Also, I opted for whole boneless chicken breast (fresh) instead of thighs, and cooked it at high pressure for 10 minutes followed by 10 minutes of natural release before doing quick release. Anyway, aside from those few changes (and adding a little extra spinach, because we love spinach), I followed everything else in the recipe. The chicken was nice and juicy, and the sauce was just awesome. This is definitely going into regular rotation for my family!!! Thank you!!
staysnatched
Thanks for sharing your changes. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Beth
This is one of the best recipes I have even gotten off the internet. I make exactly as instructed, but add 8 oz of sliced mushrooms when cooking the chicken. Sort of defeats the keto but so good with gnocchi.
staysnatched
Yum! So glad you enjoyed it.
Sheila
This was absolutely delicious! I will be making this on a regular basis.
staysnatched
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed it!