Instant Pot Smothered Chicken–chicken thighs in a savory gravy that you’ll want to lick off the plate!
Instant Pot Smothered Chicken
Mmmm-mmm! This gravy and chicken is so good that’s what you’ll be saying from the first bite. Try serving this Instant Pot smothered chicken with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, a side of corn on the cob and a green salad. If you’re a fan of mushrooms add them into the pot with the chicken. Yum yum!
Why use chicken thighs? Chicken thighs work great in the Instant Pot. They stay moist and tender and are way more predictable than chicken breasts in how they turn out. I like to buy chicken thighs at Winco (fresh) or at Costco (big bag of frozen). If you want to know if you can use chicken breasts the answer is yes. They won’t turn out as moist and tender. I would use the pressure cooking time according to the formula you can find here.
Why the bacon? Bacon just brings the gravy to a whole new level! For sake of ease I like using the big bag of bacon crumbles from Sam’s or Costco. If you’d like you can fry up some bacon and use that instead.
What if I don’t have better than bouillon? Use ¾ cup beef broth and ¾ cup chicken broth instead of the water and the bouillons.
What is half and half? It is half whole milk and half heavy cream. You can find it in a carton in the dairy aisle. You can also use evaporated milk.
More Saucy Instant Pot Chicken Recipes…
Instant Pot Garlic Butter Chicken
Instant Pot Southern Sunday Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken and Biscuits
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Instant Pot Smothered Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Chicken thighs in a savory gravy that you’ll want to lick off the plate!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp rosemary
- 1/4 tsp sage
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- 4 Tbsp melted butter
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup half and half or evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup bacon crumbles
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim excess fat off of chicken thighs.
- Rub the chicken on both sides with the onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary and sage.
- Pour water, beef and chicken bouillon and soy sauce into the Instant Pot. Add chicken into pot evenly.
- Cover and secure the lid into place. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 12 minutes for fresh chicken or 15 minutes for frozen. When time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. Place chicken on a plate.
- In a glass measuring cup whisk the melted butter with a tablespoon of flour at a time until smooth and creamy. Add in the half and half slowly and whisk well.
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture and stir until gravy has thickened. Stir in the bacon and then add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve gravy over the chicken and enjoy!
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Very yummy
★★★★★
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the 5 stars!
2/26/23 – Made this for Barb, Olivia, Dylan, & I. Quite Good! I followed the recipe with no additions (I used cream & Costco Kirkland bacon crumbles) and served it over separately cooked linguine. Quick easy recipe. This would be good served over rice as well. Makes just enough for 4 serving.
Maybe try adding in sliced mushrooms after pressure cooking as you are making the gravy. If you enjoy mushrooms. Another Keeper recipe from Karen!
★★★★★
I do love mushrooms! I’ll have to try that next time 🙂
Made this for the first time in a long time last night, and it is just as good as we remember! Doubled the sauce ingredients because the sauce is THAT GOOD!
★★★★★
Thanks Logan for the 5 star review!
I’m curious about cooking this in a crockpot, too. It sounds delicious but I don’t have an Instapot. Thank you!
This is how I would do it:
1. Trim excess fat off of chicken thighs.
2. Rub the chicken on both sides with the onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary and sage.
Pour water, beef and chicken bouillon and soy sauce into the slow cooker. Add chicken into slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
4. Remove the lid. Place chicken on a plate.
5. In a glass measuring cup whisk the melted butter with a tablespoon of flour at a time until smooth and creamy. Add in the half and half slowly and whisk well.
6. Turn slow cooker to high. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture and stir. Let sauce thicken for about 10-20 minutes. Stir in the bacon and then add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve gravy over the chicken and enjoy!
I’ve made this about 8-10 times. It is my go to. Thank you!
★★★★★
Wow! That is a sign of a great recipe! Thanks for the 5 stars 🙂
This was so easy and SO SO GOOD! I used chicken breast tenderloins instead of the thighs (just because of family preference), and I added a packet of chicken gravy mix in for a little added flavor, and it was out of this world! And that sauce? OMG…As my dad used to say, “It was so good, I could comb it through my hair!” This will definitely be going into our family rotation!
★★★★★
I could comb it through my hair haha I have never heard that one before!
Perfect!
★★★★★
Thanks for the 5 stars!
I have made this 4 times in the last few months. I keep forgetting the bacon bits but it is okay. Great with or without it. My new favorite
★★★★★
So happy to hear you are enjoying this recipe. And even without the bacon!!
I would give this 10 stars if I could! It was the best thing I’ve made in months (and that doesn’t mean
everything else has been bad)! I followed the recipe without any changes except for using heavy cream
because I had it and my package of thighs was only a pound. I wish i had the 1/12 pounds the recipe called
for because then I’d have more leftovers. The chicken was falling apart when I took it out to make the sauce.
You’re right–the sauce is good enough to make you lick the spoon! (I love j Jo’s “complaint” about the
licking the recipe.) It wasn’t real thick but it sure tasted good over the chicken and the rice I made to go with
it! Two hints for others who make it: 1. allow about an hour for actual cook time with getting to pressure and
release time and 2. The recipe times says cook for 5 minutes but the actual recipe says 12 minutes for fresh.
Prep is easy, not even the 15 minutes as the recipe states. You outdid yourself this time. Karen! Next time, I’ll make sure I have more chicken and I might add extra bacon.
★★★★★
Ahhh thanks so much Jeanie! Thanks for the hints!
My boyfriend does not care to eat chicken so I very seldom cook chicken but this recipe sounded so good that I gave it a try and he said it was delicious and wouldn’t mind having it again. Made me so happy to hear him say that so I now have a question. I have family coming and want to make this but I would need to triple or quadruple the recipe. I have an 8 quart instant pot so do you think that is possible and if so would the cooking time remain the same. Thanks
★★★★★
Glad he liked it! I think you could definitely double the recipe by tripling it might be pretty full.
I quadrupled it for a family dinner but I used the crockpot. cuz it’s too much for the IP. Such a hit that they gobbled it up! The only leftovers were sides. Again Karen, you nailed it & you’re definitely the best.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Judy! I’m glad it worked when you quadrupled it!
I was so surprised to see the title of this recipe! More than 37 years ago I made a fried chicken dinner for my boyfriend for the first time. My mom was from the south so of course along with fried chicken, I also made browned milk gravy and biscuits from scratch. After eating, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. From that day forward, we’ve always called the fried chicken prepared by generations of women in my family, Marry Me Chicken. In September we will celebrate our 37th anniversary. I’ve never heard anyone else call a recipe by this name. ; )
ahhh, how cute
This recipe was delicious. We had it for dinner just now. I didn’t have half & half or evaporated milk, so I just used 1/2 cup whole milk, 6 T butter and 6 T flour. My husband said I can make it again. That is high praise from my guy!
★★★★★
Nice! And I like your substitution idea!
I made this for dinner last night paired with mashed potatoes and green beans and we loved it. Definitely another 365 recipe for the dinner rotation. I’ve always done boneless chicken breasts, but tried the boneless thighs for the first time with this recipe. They were very flavorful and moist. We will definitely be eating more of them in the future. Thanks Karen!!!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you tried the thighs! We love them at our house!
Can you substitute chicken breast for the chicken thighs?
If you want to know if you can use chicken breasts the answer is yes. They won’t turn out as moist and tender. I would use the pressure cooking time according to the formula you can find here. https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-cook-chicken-breasts-in-the-instant-pot-frozen-or-fresh/
I tried the recipe right today when you posted it. So VERY good, I’m telling you. I served it with rice and it’s unsurpassable. Because I prefer making gravy in my skillet, I did the last steps that way, using 1 1/4 C. of broth from the Instant Pot and the rest as you told us. AND although I measured out the bacon bits, I forgot to put them into the food–and I didn’t miss them at all till I just now was writing this comment. This will definitely be a recipe we will make often. Thanks!
★★★★★
Yay! You answered the question I was going to ask Karen: can I leave out the bacon? Thanks.
I’m so glad to hear it Gaye! Thanks for the 5 stars!
CORRECTION: I meant to say 1 3/4 C. broth for the gravy!
Karen, I love so many of your recipes and look forward to trying this one. I am very recently an empty nester and though I love and eat leftovers, I don’t need 3 or 4 servings left. Can I in general, cut your recipes (this one included) in half? How can I adjust recipes down to 3-4 servings versus 6?
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
Yes you can do that. Here is a guide: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-halve-instant-pot-recipes/
I use an app called cheftap. Ask recipes can be scaled up or down.
What do we do to replace the Better. Than Bouillion?
She answered this above, but I’ve copied and pasted here –
What if I don’t have better than bouillon? Use ¾ cup beef broth and ¾ cup chicken broth instead of the water and the bouillons.
Use ¾ cup beef broth and ¾ cup chicken broth instead of the water and the bouillons.
COMPLAINT HERE, KAREN!
I tried licking the photo and got…nuthin’ Mannnn….what a disappointment. Guess I’ll have to do it your way. SOON. : )
😂
LOL!!!
Can you use a crock pot Instead of instant pot ?
I have one, dusty. However, I’m curious why you ask? : )