Gluten Free, Instant Pot Thai Chicken Thighs

Preparing chicken thighs for dinner is a great way to add a little variety to meals in a chicken-breast-dominated-recipe-book world. Energize your chicken dinners even further with these Gluten-Free, Instant Pot Thai Chicken Thighs. 

Fresh lime juice, peanut butter, ginger, and sriracha combine to create a creamy, yet spicy sauce for these chicken thighs. 

While the groundwork for this recipe does include prepping the thighs on the sauté setting, this dish could not be easier. I love recipes that combine more complex flavors but come together with little effort. 

Brown the chicken thighs in sesame oil while the Instant Pot is set to sauté setting on high. This takes about 3-4 minutes per side. 

Once the chicken thighs are browned, set these aside. For the sauce base, add the chicken broth to the pot and scrape down the browned bits from the side. Add the peanut butter and stir until completely melted. 

Next, add the soy sauce or coconut aminos, lime juice, honey, sriracha sauce, ginger, and garlic powder. Add salt and black pepper to taste here. 

After making sure the mixture is well blended, add the metal rack to the Instant Pot and place the browned chicken thighs on top.

Put the lid on the Instant Pot and lock it into place. Switch vent to “Sealing” position, and set the “Manual” setting on high before adjusting the cooking time to 10 minutes. After a brief pause, the Instant Pot will automatically start building pressure.

When finished, do a quick release (QR) to allow the pressure to escape. Unlock, and carefully remove the lid when finished, and transfer the chicken to a platter.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts, and green onions, if desired. This creamy, spicy chicken dish is sure to make a return appearance in your house!

Coconut Aminos in Instant Pot Thai Chicken Thighs

What exactly are coconut aminos? Coconut aminos is a sauce made from fermented coconut palm sap. 

This sauce is a great alternative to soy sauce since it is soy, wheat, and gluten-free. This is the perfect replacement for soy sauce in recipes that call for the gluten-full ingredient. 

Another plus side to this versatile sauce is that most coconut aminos tend to be lower in sodium than traditional soy sauce. Avoiding too much extra sodium in recipes is always a delicate balance when using ingredients like soy sauce.

Print

5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free, Instant Pot Thai Chicken Thighs

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup peanut butter natural, sugar-free
• ¼ cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice fresh
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1½ Tablespoons Sriracha sauce
• 2 teaspoons ginger fresh
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• sea salt
• black pepper to taste

Garnish:

• Fresh cilantro chopped
• ½ cup peanuts roasted, chopped
• 3-4 green onions cut into thin slices

Instructions

• Add sesame oil to Instant Pot and set the “Sauté” setting to high. Working in batches, if necessary, brown the chicken thighs, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat this process with remaining thighs. Remove and set aside on a platter.
• Pour chicken broth into hot container and gently scrape up brown bits from bottom. Add peanut butter to the hot liquid and stir until completed melted. Add coconut aminos, lime juice, honey, Sriracha sauce, ginger, and garlic powder. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
• Add metal rack to the Instant Pot and place the browned chicken thighs on top.
• Add lid and lock into place. Switch vent to “Sealing” position and set the “Manual” setting on high before adjusting the cook time to 10 minutes. After a brief pause, the Instant Pot will automatically start building pressure.
• When finished, do a quick release (QR) to allow the pressure to escape. Unlock and carefully remove lid when finished and transfer the chicken to a platter.
• Optional: To thicken sauce, select the “Sauté” setting and heat, stirring continually, until the excess liquid is reduced and the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
• Turn Instant Pot off and return the chicken thighs and the juices that accumulated on the platter to the sauce and turn to coat.
• Remove chicken and transfer to a serving tray. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts, and green onions, if desired. Serve immediately with extra peanut sauce and your favorite sides. Enjoy!
• Optional: To get the nice browning effect shown in these images, transfer the chicken thighs to a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil after cooking. Brush each side generously with the peanut sauce and place under a broiler set to high for 2-3 minutes or until nicely browned.

Notes

Be sure to add enough liquid to the peanut sauce prior to cooking. If the sauce is too thick, the Instant Pot may not be able to reach adequate pressure. So, if you decide to add more peanut butter, be sure to adjust the amount of liquid, as well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g

courses: Dinner, Main Course

cuisine: thai

keyword: Instant Pot

More Healthy Dinner Ideas!

Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out these delicious and nutritous recipes:

• Easy, Healthy Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
• Chicken and Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili Recipe
• Hearty, Gluten-Free Ground Beef Casserole