Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken- Chicken cooked perfectly in the instant pot with a gorgeous Lemon and Garlic Butter Sauce.It's Low Carb, Gluten Free and can be made Paleo & Whole 30 complaint.
The Only chicken dish you need to master in your instant pot! It's SO SO good!
The chicken is super juicy & bursting with flavour.Oh and the sauce! I could eat it just like that.Yes Guilty!lol.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients for Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Chicken Breasts
- 1 Lemon Zested and Juiced
- 5-6 Cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 1 tbsp Butter
- ¼ tsp Pepper or more as per tolerance
- Salt
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth or Water
- Fresh Herbs(Optional)
- 2 tbsp Cream(Optional)
Alternatives
You can use Chicken Thighs instead of chicken breast.If doing so, increase the time of Pressure Cooking to 7 minutes instead.
Dairy Cream- You can omit this altogether but if you like creamier sauce, this would add a great body to the sauce.Also, you can substitute with cashew cream or coconut cream.Coconut cream though, will change the flavour profile considerably.
How to make Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Step 1: Prep - Pat your Chicken breast with a tissue paper to get rid of excess moisture.This will help with the browning.Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Browning - Add Olive oil to the inner pot.Wait for it to get HOT.(check the display)Add the chicken breasts.Flip at the end of 2-3 minutes and brown the next side for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Deglaze - Remove the chicken from the pot.Add butter, let it melt.Add garlic and let it sizzle for 30 seconds.Add the chicken stock,lemon Zest and lemon juice and deglaze the pan well.Use the back of your spoon to scrape the bottom.
Step 5:Pressure Cook- Place the Trivet inside and add the chicken on top of it.Pressure Cook for 4 minutes.Once the 4 minutes are over, let the pressure release for 5 minutes, after which Quick Release the pressure.
Step 5:Sauce- Remove the chicken and the trivet.Switch to SAUTE mode.Mix flour or corn starch with 2 tablespoon of water.Remember to remove any lumps.Add to the inner pot and let the sauce thicken and come to boil.
Add Cream if desired at this point.Place the chicken back and spoon the sauce over it.
Tips and Tricks to make Lemon Garlic Chicken
Using Frozen Chicken Breast to make Lemon Garlic chicken
This recipe can be made with frozen chicken too.Though, you cannot brown the frozen chicken.
- Brown the onions in butter
- Add chicken stock and the trivet with chicken on top.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper
- Pressure Cook
- Make Sauce as given in the recipe
Pressure Cooking time for Frozen Breast- 10 minutes
Pressure Cooking time for Frozen Thigh-15 minutes
Dietary Details of Lemon Garlic Chicken
To make this Dairy Free
Swap out butter with Olive Oil and the cream with cashew cream.You can also leave out the cashew cream altogether.
To make this Paleo/Whole 30 compliant
Swap out butter with Clarified butter.Flour with almond flour and the dairy cream with cashew cream or coconut cream.
To make this Gluten Free
You can replace normal flour with Corn Starch to make Lemon Garlic Chicken Gluten Free.
How to Serve Lemon Garlic Chicken
I would serve the chicken on top of some brown rice or with sauted green beans or asparagus.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken
Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 Chicken Breasts* Check Notes for Thighs
- 1 Lemon Zested and Juiced
- 5-6 Cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Cornflour or flour
- 1 tbsp Butter
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper or more as per tolerance
- Salt
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth or Water
- 2 tablespoon Cream substitute with cashew cream or omit altogether
Instructions
- Sprinkle salt, pepper and half the Italian seasoning on both sides of the chicken breast.
- Heat the instant pot in SAUTE mode.Once it's HOT, add olive oil.
- Place the chicken breast.Let it brown from one side for 2-3 minutes, Flip and cook the other side for another 3 minutes.(Do not move for even browning)
- Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Add butter to the inner pot and deglaze.To this, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add rest of the italian seasoning and mix.
- Add 1 Cup of chicken broth or water,Lemon Juice and the lemon zest.Deglaze the pot completely.
- Place a trivet in the pot(the one you got with your instant pot).Place the chicken on top of it.Cancel Saute and Close the lid.
- Select PRESSURE COOK for 4 minutes on HIGH with the pressure valve SEALED.
- Once the cooking time is over, let the steam escape naturally for 5 minutes then quick Release( also denoted as 5NPR)
- Open the pot.Remove the Chicken and the Trivet.
- Select SAUTE mode- Mix the corn starch with 2 tablespoon of water and add to the inner pot.Simmer for 4-5 minutes till the sauce thickens.Add Cream and mix it all up.
- Drizzle the chicken with the sauce and serve over a bed of Brown rice or Cauliflower rice.
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