Instant Pot Garlic Butter Chicken

Garlic Butter Chicken

We designed this easy Garlic Butter Chicken recipe with busy nights and families in mind.

We kept it simple, budget-friendly yet flavorful. An everyday easy meal your family will enjoy.

You can make this with less than 10 pantry ingredients: chicken, garlic, butter, and seasonings.

Add this deliciousness to your weeknight dinner rotation!

Amy + Jacky’s Quick and Easy Chicken Recipes:

• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
• Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
• Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
• Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
• Instant Pot Orange Chicken
• Instant Pot HK Onion Chicken

How to Cook Garlic Butter Chicken

Here are the ingredients for cooking Garlic Butter Chicken in Instant Pot.

Chicken. Best to use chicken thighs or chicken legs for this garlic butter chicken instant pot recipe. You can substitute it with other parts of the chicken. If so, adjust the pressure cooking time accordingly.

Unsalted Chicken Stock & Unsalted Butter. We developed this recipe with unsalted ingredients. This gives us more control and consistency in the flavors. If you substitute with salted ingredients, taste and adjust the saltiness accordingly.

Regular Soy Sauce. Different brands or bottles of soy sauce can vary in their sodium levels, tartness, aroma, texture, and taste. Make sure to taste and adjust the amount accordingly.

• Among different brands, Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce (生抽) is one of our favorite go-to soy sauces.

Tools for Instant Pot Garlic Butter Chicken

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (6qt)
• Wooden Spoon
• Small Mixing Bowl

Sauté Garlic

Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Wait until Instant Pot says “HOT” (roughly 8 minutes).

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons (14g – 28g) unsalted butter, crushed garlic, and a pinch of dried rosemary to the Instant Pot. Then, sauté for 45 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.

Deglaze Instant Pot

Add ¾ cup (188ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Then deglaze by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Pressure Cook Garlic Butter Chicken

Add ⅛ teaspoon (0.88g) fine table salt and 2 tablespoons (30ml) regular soy sauce. Give it a quick stir.

Place 4 to 8 chicken thighs with skin side up in Instant Pot.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Instant Pot Garlic Butter Chicken Cook Time: Pressure cook chicken thighs at High Pressure for 5 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes of Natural Release, carefully turn Venting Knob to the Venting position to release the remaining pressure.

Once the floating valve drops, remove the lid.

Thicken and Season Gravy

Remove and place the cooked chicken thighs on an oven tray.

Press the “Cancel” button, then the “Sauté” button to heat up the yummy garlic butter sauce.

In a small mixing bowl, mix 2½ tablespoons (22.5g) cornstarch with 3 tablespoons (45ml) cold water. Mix it into the garlic butter sauce one third at a time until the desired thickness.

Taste the gravy and season it with more salt and black pepper if necessary.

Drizzle the buttery garlic sauce on the chicken. Then, serve with your favorite side dishes.

Optional Flavor-Boosting Step: Crisp Chicken Skin

Coat chicken thighs generously with the butter garlic sauce.

Option 1 – Oven or Toaster Oven

Place the garlic butter chicken on an oven tray.

Then, put it under the “Broil” function (or the highest temperature setting) for a few minutes until the garlic buttery sauce is caramelized. This will maximize the flavors and crisp up the skin.

Option 2 – Air Fryer or Air Fryer Lid

Place air fryer basket with the tray on the middle rack in Instant Pot.

Layer garlic butter chicken on the air fryer tray.

Place the Air Fryer Lid on Instant Pot.

Press the “Airfry” button, set the Temperature to 400°F and the Cooking Time to 15 minutes.

Then, air fry the second batch of chicken in Instant Pot.

If you like, drizzle more butter garlic sauce on the chicken. Then, serve!

What to Serve with Garlic Butter Chicken

You can serve this flavorful Butter and Garlic Chicken as a quick and easy meal with side dishes, vegetables, and soups.

• Side Dishes: rice, quinoa, mashed potatoes, roasted garlic butter potatoes, mac and cheese, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes
• Vegetables: Instant Pot Broccoli, Instant Pot Cabbage, Instant Pot Green Beans, salads

Enjoy Instant Pot Butter Garlic Chicken~

Other Instant Pot Chicken Thigh Recipes

• • Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
  • Instant Pot Butter Chicken
  • Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
  • Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
  • Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry
  • Instant Pot Chili Verde