Picture this... juicy tender chicken thighs smothered in a creamy garlicky sun-dried tomato sauce with the fresh taste of basil and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. So good! Especially when you spoon that sauce over your favorite pasta. This recipe for Instant Pot Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Thighs takes just 30 minutes from start to finish, without any of the splatter or watching-over-the-pot that you get from stovetop cooking.
This chicken dinner is naturally gluten-free. It's kid-friendly and perfect for the whole family! Give it a try! And of course, I have stove-top instructions too, if you don't want to take out the Instant Pot.
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Creamy sun-dried tomato sauce
The creamy sun-dried tomato sauce for these chicken thighs is my absolute favorite! It's just perfectly garlicky, salty, creamy, cheesy, tangy, with the bright flavor of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. It goes SO WELL with thicken thighs (or chicken breasts), and is so delicious spooned over pasta or rice, or sopped up with some delicious crusty bread. Mmmm...
And the best part is that it is ridiculously easy to make! It is my go-to sauce when I need an easy pasta sauce, and I am obsessed with cooking chicken in this sauce as well.
I hope you give these creamy chicken thighs a chance and love them as much as I do!
Instant Pot chicken thighs
This recipe is cooked in the Instant Pot from scratch in under 30 minutes. If you want to make the stove-top version in a pan, follow this recipe: Creamy Chicken Thighs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Same result, different cooking method!
More chicken thigh recipes: Slow Cooker Honey Chicken
Ingredients
- 4-6 skinless chicken thighs (as many as will fit in your Instant Pot in one layer, bone-in or boneless, your preference)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½-1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil and drained, or dry)
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock (I usually use Better than Bouillon + 1 cup water)
- ½ cup heavy cream (aka whipping cream)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Optional: 2 cups baby spinach (or up to 4 cups if you want to add more veggies
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- Optional: red pepper flakes
More chicken thigh recipes: Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken Kebabs
Equipment
Aside from the usual stuff (cutting board, knives, measuring cups and spoons, etc.), you'll need:
- Instant Pot
- Grater/zester to grate Parmesan cheese
Related recipe: Creamy Mushroom Sauce & Spinach Pork Chops
Instructions
Step 1: Trim off any excess fat from the chicken thighs. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
Step 2: Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode. Once preheated, add the olive oil and the chicken thighs. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Carefully remove the browned chicken thighs from the Instant Pot and set aside (they won't be fully cooked yet - that's OK!).
Step 3: Add the minced garlic and dried oregano to the Instant Pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Make sure to use a wooden spatula to scrape off any burnt-on chicken bits—this will help make sure you don't get a burn notice!!
Step 4: Add the sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, and cream. Add the chicken thighs back to the Instant Pot. Close the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Cook at high pressure on the manual setting for 5 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, make a cornstarch slurry by whisking together the cornstarch and 2-3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl until no clumps remain.
Step 5: Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then manually release and carefully open the lid.
Step 6: Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode. Move the chicken thighs to one side of the pot, add the cornstarch slurry, and stir. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese (and baby spinach, if using) and continue to sauté for 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring frequently.
Step 7: Turn off the Instant Pot. Carefully taste the sauce and adjust with salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in the fresh basil and garnish with red pepper flakes (or skip these for no spice). Serve warm over pasta or rice!
Related recipe: Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Chicken thigh tips
For this recipe, I highly recommend using skinless chicken thighs. If you can't find skinless chicken thighs, the easiest way to remove the skin is to grab it with a paper towel and pull it off each chicken thigh. The paper towel sticks to the skin and allows you to remove it without the chicken slipping out of your hand. You will need a new piece of paper towel for every few chicken thighs. If you are stuck with skin-on chicken thighs and really don't want to do all this, then I will kindly direct you to this honey mustard chicken thighs recipe, which is roasted in the oven so the skin gets nice and crispy.
I also recommend boneless chicken thighs—to me it just makes for a much easier eating experience because I don't have to worry about cutting around the bone. Simple as that. Plus if I am buying chicken thighs by the pound, then I am not paying for bones.
More recipes using sun-dried tomatoes: Mediterranean Tuna & Couscous Bowls
Ingredient tips
→ Use freshly grated/shredded Parmesan cheese, if you can. The stuff from the green container will make the sauce a little gritty. Still tasty, but not as good. A good zester takes only 30 seconds to grate a whole lot of Parmesan!
→ Sun-dried tomatoes: You can use oil-packed or dry-packed tomatoes. If using oil-packed (I used these), make sure to drain them well so there's no extra oil. Either way, slice the tomatoes if they are whole or halved—I prefer them that way so you don't have huge chunks of sun-dried tomatoes in the sauce.
→ Chicken broth and salt: If your broth is nicely salted, you will not need to add any salt to the sauce (especially with Parmesan cheese added). If it is not salted or it is low-sodium, you might need to add some salt. I love using the Better than Bouillon Chicken Base to make 1 cup of broth in just a few seconds whenever I need it. It's really nicely seasoned and I typically don't need to add any salt!
More recipes using sun-dried tomatoes: Feta & Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
Avoiding the burn notice
Some Instant Pots are more finicky than others with the burn notice. I have never had a problem with this recipe, just make sure to scrape the bottom of the inner pot really well before pressure cooking, so that any stuck-on bits get loosened and help enhance the flavor of the sauce.
Also, I know the Instant Pot manual says "no dairy" but I have never had a problem with putting thicker, fattier dairy products into the Instant Pot (such as for this creamy Buffalo chicken, or this white chicken chili).
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Thighs with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4-6 skinless chicken thighs - bone-in or boneless, your choice
- salt and pepper - to taste
- ½-1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes - dry or drained if packed in olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan - not the stuff in the green container
- 2 cups baby spinach - (optional) or up to 4 cups if you want to add more nutrients
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- red pepper flakes - (optional, to taste, omit for no spice)
Special equipment
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat off the chicken thighs. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode. Once preheated, add the olive oil and chicken thighs. Cook the chicken thighs for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Carefully remove the browned chicken thighs from the Instant Pot and set aside (they won't be fully cooked yet - that's OK!)
- Add the minced garlic and dried oregano to the Instant Pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Make sure to use a wooden spatula to scrape off any burnt-on chicken bits - this will help make sure you don't get a burn notice!!
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, and cream. Add the chicken thighs back to the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Cook at high pressure on the manual setting for 5 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then manually release. While the chicken is cooking, make a cornstarch slurry by whisking together the cornstarch and 2-3 tablespoons water in a small bowl.
- Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode. Move the chicken thighs to one side of the pot and add the cornstarch slurry. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese (and baby spinach, if using) and continue to sauté for 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Turn off the Instant Pot. Stir in the fresh basil and red pepper flakes, if using (omit pepper flakes for no spice). Serve warm over pasta or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.