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My Instant Pot Creamy Rosemary Chicken has to be one of the easiest recipes in my repertoire. Chicken thighs are cooked in the pressure cooker with garlic, onion, spices and lemon juice and finished off with cream. I like to serve them with mashed potatoes, risotto or orzo. This is comforting and so easy to make!
This Instant Pot Creamy Rosemary Chicken is ready in 35 minutes and turns a handful of pantry staples, chicken thighs, garlic, lemon, and cream, into a sauce rich enough to taste like it simmered all afternoon. Bone-in chicken thighs get seared, then pressure cooked with garlic, onion, rosemary, and lemon juice, and finished with a splash of heavy cream stirred in after cooking so the sauce turns silky instead of curdled. Serve it spooned over mashed potatoes, orzo, or rice, this is the kind of one-pot dinner you can pull together on a weeknight with minimal cleanup. I often have this Instant Pot Creamy Rosemary Chicken Thighs recipe on rotation with this Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken or this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili.
Why This Recipe Works
Searing the chicken skin-side down before pressure cooking renders some of the fat and builds a deeper flavor base for the sauce than starting with raw chicken. Stirring the heavy cream in after the pressure cooking is done, not before, is what keeps the sauce silky instead of curdled, cream doesn’t hold up well to sustained high heat and pressure. The lemon juice and rosemary cook right along with the chicken, so the flavor infuses all the way through the sauce instead of just sitting on top at the end.
Recipe Ingredients
See full list of simple ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- Chicken: I have opted for bone-in, skin on chicken thighs as both the bone and skin really do add extra flavor into the dish and create a more tender piece of chicken. We make so many recipes using chicken thighs in my house whether it is these Moroccan Chicken Thighs, Mediterranean Chicken or these Air Fryer Mediterranean Chicken Thighs. Boneless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken thighs also work great.
- Rosemary: Fresh sprigs of rosemary adds a wonderful fresh herbal flavor to the sauce. If you can’t find rosemary, thyme is a great substitute.
- Spices: Italian seasoning is a blended mix of Italian herbs and really adds flavor to the sauce.
- Lemon: The juice from one lemon is added to the sauce to add a fresh and zesty flavor and a touch of acidity.
- Cream: The heavy cream adds a velvety texture to the sauce but you can substitute with light cream or low fat creme fraiche.
How to Make Creamy Instant Pot Rosemary Chicken
Step 1: Set to Sauté: Heat the olive oil and butter in the Instant Pot and add in the chicken, skin side down, and sauté for 3 minutes.
Step 1: Set to Sauté: Heat the olive oil and butter in the Instant Pot and add in the chicken, skin side down, and sauté for 3 minutes. Now add the onion and garlic, along with the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, chicken stock, rosemary sprigs and lemon juice. Give everything a good stir to combine.
Step 2: Cook Chicken: Close the lid and the valve on the Instant Pot and set it on the high pressure setting and cook for 8 minutes.
Step 3: Finish Sauce: Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes, then open the valve to release any remaining steam and open the lid. Stir in the heavy cream and serve immediately.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Expecting crispy skin. Pressure cooking steams the chicken, so skin-on thighs come out tender but soft-skinned, not crispy. If crispy skin matters to you, broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes after cooking, or remove the skin before serving.
- Adding the cream too early. Stir it in after the pressure cooking is done, not with the other ingredients. Cream added before cooking is far more likely to curdle or separate.
- Skipping the sear. Those first 3 minutes skin-side down build real flavor into the sauce; skip it and the dish tastes flatter.
- Rushing the release. Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes before opening the valve. Forcing an immediate quick release can make the chicken tougher.
- Using chicken breasts without adjusting. Breasts cook faster and dry out more easily under pressure than thighs. If you swap them in, reduce the cook time by a couple of minutes and check for doneness early.
Recipe Tips
- Seasoning: Take time to properly season the chicken thighs before you start, this will make a huge difference in the flavor of the finished dish.
- Rest Chicken: Once cooked, allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes. This allows the juices to be reabsorbed back into the joint resulting in tender, juicy pieces of chicken.
- Feeding a Crowd? No problem, this recipe is easily doubled up.
- Fresh Herbs: Adding fresh herbs to the rosemary chicken when done cooking is a great way to brighten it up and add that wonderful, fresh flavor to the chicken.
Serving Ideas
- Sides: If you like to pair vegetable side dishes with chicken you should try these Lebanese Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries or these Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables.
- Potatoes: Another great addition to this meal is potatoes. I often make Slow Cooker Gouda Smashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Twice Baked Potato, Spicy Lebanese Potatoes or Lemon Cilantro Roasted Potatoes.
- Salad: I always try to have a salad with my chicken dishes. I love this Lemon Arugula Salad, Mediterranean Bean Salad, Easy Lebanese Salad or this Tomato Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad.
Storage Tips
- If you have any leftover chicken thighs, allow them to cool completely and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The chicken can be shredded and is great added to salads, soups and pasta sauces. Leftovers also make a superior chicken sandwich!
- To freeze chicken, make sure it is completely cooled. Place into an airtight container, along with some of the cooking liquids and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, defrost thoroughly in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe FAQ
No, not on its own. Pressure cooking steams the chicken, so the skin stays soft even though it’s seared first. For crispy skin, broil the cooked chicken for 2 to 3 minutes before serving, or remove the skin if that doesn’t bother you.
Yes, though thighs hold up better to pressure cooking and stay juicier. If you use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, reduce the cook time by a couple of minutes and check that they’ve reached 165°F before serving.
This usually happens when cream is added before pressure cooking instead of after. Stir the heavy cream in only once the pressure cooking is finished and the valve has been opened, adding it earlier exposes it to too much sustained heat and it can separate.
More Chicken Recipes
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Instant Pot Creamy Rosemary Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs, with skin {you can sub in boneless chicken thighs}
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2/3 cups chicken stock
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- parsley, for garnish
- rosemary, for garnish
- Lemon slices, for serving
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add the olive oil and butter and melt. Place the chicken, with the skin side down and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, stock, lemon juice, and rosemary sprigs. Stir to incorporate.
- Close the lid and valve and set on manual high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes. Open the valve to release any remaining steam, then open the lid.
- Stir in the heavy cream.
- Serve the chicken with fresh parsley and rosemary and lemon slices. I like to serve this over mashed potatoes, orzo or risotto.
Notes
- Skin will be tender, not crispy, straight from the Instant Pot. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes after cooking if you want crispy skin.
- Stir the cream in only after pressure cooking is done, adding it earlier can cause it to curdle.
- This recipe doubles easily, just don’t exceed your Instant Pot’s max fill line, and add a minute or two to the pressure time if doubling.
- Leftover sauce thickens as it cools. Thin it with a splash of chicken stock when reheating.
- Great served over mashed potatoes, rice, orzo, or pasta to soak up the sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
