I love our Instant Pot and use it almost every day! My favorite function of the Instant Pot is pressure cooking because I can have dinner from frozen to ready in under 30 minutes. This has become very handy on those days I forget to thaw meat.
Plus when you cook in the Instant Pot the flavors in your food are so much more intense – it makes everything taste so much better. My favorite part is that I can put the ingredients in the Instant Pot and walk away, so I don’t have to worry about my food burning while I do something else.
As you can see, I love our Instant Pot! I always joke with my friends that every new mom should leave the hospital with an Instant Pot so she can always have something to eat with minimal effort!
Today I want to share with you another one of our favorite recipes. I am a fan of butter and ghee. I use one of those pretty much every time time I cook. It gives food a great taste and pair it with lemon, you’re in heaven. Seriously, there’s something about that combination that makes chicken (and salmon) taste delicious.
This recipe is very easy to make and takes about 5 minutes to prep. You can eat it with pasta or rice or with a side of vegetables. We change things up and have eaten it many ways. My kids love to eat it with pasta and I love it with veggies and mashed potatoes. So, make it with any sides your family will prefer.
Instant Pot Buttery Lemon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. chicken breast or thighs
- 2 tbsp. ghee or butter
- 1 onion diced
- ¾ cup natural chicken broth (or this low sodium version)
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- ½ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
- 4 tsp. arrowroot flour
Directions:
Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. When it’s hot melt ghee or butter.
Add onion, garlic, paprika, parsley, and pepper to melted ghee, and sauté until onions soften.
With your Instant Pot still set to sauté, sear the chicken on each side for about 3-5 minutes. The chicken should be a caramelized brown color.
Pour chicken brother, lemon juice, and salt over chicken and stir.
Lock lid into place and close steam valve. Set Instant Pot to poultry setting and cook for 7-8 mins if chicken is thawed and 12-15 minutes if it’s frozen.
If you’re going to be making pasta, rice or veggies to serve with this chicken, start making it now while your chicken cooks.
Other Instant Pot recipes you might like:
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala with Spaghetti Squash
- Instant Pot Peaches and Cream Quinoa
- 3 Minute Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Cottage Cheese Recipe
Once done, let depressurize naturally – it shouldn’t take very long.
Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot, but leave the sauce in the pan.
Gradually stir in arrowroot flour to thicken sauce.
If you’re serving chicken on top pasta, mix cooked pasta in with thickened lemon sauce. Otherwise drizzle sauce over chicken.
This recipe is loved by many and I hope you love it too! Enjoy!
Instant Pot Buttery Lemon Chicken Recipe
A delicious and easy entree that goes great over rice, pasta or a side of vegetables. This recipe has been downloaded over 500K times!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast or thighs
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1 onion, diced
- ¾ cup organic chicken broth
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ cup lemon juice, 2 lemons
- 4 teaspoon arrowroot flour
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. When it’s hot melt ghee or butter.
- Add onion, garlic, paprika, parsley, and pepper to melted ghee, and sauté until onions soften.
- With your Instant Pot still set to sauté, sear the chicken on each side for about 3-5 minutes. The chicken should be a caramelized brown color.
- Pour chicken brother, lemon juice, and salt over chicken and stir.
- Lock lid into place and close steam valve. Set Instant Pot to poultry setting and cook for 7-8 mins if chicken is thawed and 12-15 minutes if it’s frozen.
- If you're going to be making pasta, rice or veggies to serve with this chicken, start making it now while your chicken cooks.
- Once done, let depressurize naturally – it shouldn’t take very long.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot, but leave the sauce in the pan. Gradually stir in arrowroot flour to thicken sauce.
- If you’re serving chicken on top pasta, mix cooked pasta in with thickened lemon sauce. Otherwise drizzle sauce over chicken.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 peopleAmount Per Serving: Calories: 572Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 259mgSodium: 960mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 80g
Please keep in mind that these nutritional values are estimates, based on the ingredients, and it might not be accurate.
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Young Meagher says
This looks so yummy Carol. I must try it tonight.
Carolina says
Hope you love it!
Anonymous says
It was not very good, lacked lemon flavor, I think that it needs more lemon, less onion , and maybe a little more flour
Carolina says
Next time you can make it this way! 🙂
Asante says
I’m trying this tonight but was wondering if I could do it with frozen chicken or it must be thawed?
Carolina says
I just saw your comment so I’m sorry I didn’t get in time for you to make dinner. 95% of the time I use frozen meat because I forget to thaw it. It comes out great!
I always double check once it’s done to make sure it’s all cooked, and if not, I cook for an extra 2-5 minutes.
Caroline says
This looks so good! If I start from frozen, do I just omit the searing step?
Carolina says
I skip it when I’m running low on time but if you can do it – it makes it taste better.
LINDEN says
Hi Carolina,
I’ve never used the poultry setting before – do I need to set a time or does it choose automatically?
Carolina says
It chooses the time automatically but if you could also pick the time yourself if you’re used to cooking chicken in the IP.
Linden says
Thanks for the reply! When I press ‘Poultry’ the default is 15 minutes. Is that right?
Carolina says
Yes!
Linden says
Thanks so much! Making this tonight!
Carolina says
Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Stacie says
I’ve never done chicken before in IP. Just got it out of the box. Your recipe looks so good but I have 2 frozen chicken breasts instead. Do I need to adjust my times?
Carolina says
Hi Stacie, if it’s Frozen you should cook it for 15min. If you buy those chicken breast that come 2 in one pouch and they’re both frozen together, then I would cook them for 20mins.
Shannon says
Trying this tonight (just got my IP). In your directions you state to put it on the poultry setting and cook at 7 to 8 minutes. My default goes to 15 minutes and if I try to reduce that it stops at 10 and jumps up to 120 minutes. I tried several times and could not adjust it any lower than 10 minutes. Then I read your comments and somebody asked if you cook it on the poultry setting (15 min) and you said yes. Very confused, as I am new at this, and don’t want to serve undercooked food.
Carolina says
That’s so odd. Maybe it’s a new setting on the IP.
The cooking time depends on a little if your breasts are frozen or not and on their size.
If they’re not frozen, cook them for 10 mins. If they are frozen, cook them for 15.
Hope that helps!
marysueberry says
I am not sure what an instant pot is. Is it a pressure cooker or a slow cooker? Can I make this recipe on the stovetop? This looks great for a family dinner on Sunday!
Carolina says
Hello! This is an instant pot: http://amzn.to/2jrRrgh (affiliate link) and it is both a slow cooker and a pressure cooker amongst other things. For this recipe I am using it as a pressure cooker.
I am sure you can make this recipe on the stove top. If you make it, let me know how it turns out!
Megan says
Making this now! Excited to try it! Although I’m glad I read the comments, because my default poultry setting on my Instant Pot is 30 min. I decreased it to 15!
Carolina says
Hi Megan! I didn’t realize some instant pot had different defaults. Sorry about that!
I updated the recipe, you want to do 7-8mins if the chicken is thawed and 15mins if it’s frozen.
Let me know how it turns out!
Kandy says
Rather than using the poultry setting you can use manual and adjust it accordingly.
Laura says
Making this right now, so not sure I’ll get a response in time, but has anyone tried using tapioca instead of arrowroot?
Carolina says
I have not but you can use cornstarch instead.
Stacey says
Would you use the same amount of cornstarch as flour?
Carolina says
No, if you’re using flour it’s best to double the quantity.
Laurie says
boneless or bone in chicken?
Carolina says
We use boneless chicken.
Erin says
I only have some tenderloins, any thoughts on what the cook time would be for them?
Carolina says
I haven’t cooked tenderloins in my IP but this chart is very useful when I’m trying to figure out how long I should cook a meal: http://instantpot.com/cooking-time/meat-poultry-beef-pork-and-lamb/
KS says
Have you ever used a different thickening agent?
Carolina says
You can also use cornstarch.
artb163 says
You mention going from frozen to dinner in under 30 mins at the beginning of your post…can you elaborate? Do you ever put frozen meats in your instant pot??
Carolina says
Yes! This is why I love the instant pot. Most of the time I cook frozen meats since I always forget to thaw. They go from freezer to instant pot to dinner plate. The cooking time varies so you will have to experiment with that. Usually for 2 chicken breasts, I set the instant pot for 18 mins and they’re cooked by the time it’s done.
If you’re on Facebook, join this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/instantpotbusyparents/
I’m there with other instant pot fans and we can help you troubleshoot and figure out cooking times depending on the meat you plan to cook.
Linda says
I’m going to make this next week, but over the weekend I want to make you Instant Pot whole chicken recipe. I have three questions though.
First, what size chicken? I have two 4-5 pounders.
The second question is, I’ve never used the slow cooker button on the IP so do I need to put any water in it?
And the last the chicken sits on top of the trivet and the veggies sit on the chicken, right?
Thank you 🙂
Carolina says
Hello Linda, this recipe is for 2 lbs of chicken but you can just adjust the ingredients for you 4 pounder.
This is not a slow cooker recipe, you have to use the “poultry” button.
I don’t add water to it, just the ingredients listed on the recipe and I let the chicken sit in the pot and put the rest of the ingredients on the top. Hope that helps!
Linda says
Thank you!
Kimberly says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! My picky 2 1/2 year old daughter even enjoyed it.
Carolina says
That’s so awesome! I can’t believe even your 2.5 year old liked it – that’s a major win!
Anonymous says
Chicken was way too lemony. I’ve half it to make it again.
Carolina says
I guess it all depends on how much you like lemon. I usually double the lemon amount but that’s because I love anything lemon. 🙂 Now you know for next time you prefer to half the lemon quantity.
Nhi says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I just got an Instant Pot and was searching for something “special” to make as my first timer user and stumbled on this. My husband and I loved it! He practically licked the bowl clean! LOL. I used a little bit for broth so I could make more sauce to top over the Penne pasta. Delicious!!! Thanks again 🙂
Carolina says
I’m so happy it turned out great and that this was the first recipe you made on your instant pot! We use ours daily – you’re going to love it!
Nhi says
I love my Instant Pot…..used it every day since I got it. I think my other pots and pans are jealous of the Instant Pot. LOL. Last night, I made a Whole Cilantro Lime Chicken. Great for tacos. YUM! Thanks again for the start of a beautiful relationship with my Instant Pot. 🙂
Carolina says
That Cilantro Lime Chicken sounds amazing! Want to share the recipe? 🙂
Anonymous says
The Cilantro Lime Chicken was good. We made tacos out of it. I got the recipe from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVlv81OXKUA. Hope you like it as much as I did. 🙂 Thanks again.
Carolina says
Thanks! I love lime and cilantro. I’ll try it. ??
Marcy says
I’ve made this twice now. I love it!
Carolina says
That’s so awesome!! 🙂 I’m so happy you like it.
Caroline says
Is there a way to print this recipe on a single sheet? I have a hard time scrolling with messy hands while I cook 🙂
Carolina says
Hi Caroline! Not at the moment but I’m working on it. 🙂 In the meantime you can paste it on word and print it.
Diane says
If I’m halving the recipe (1 chicken breast), does the amount of time change as well?
Carolina says
I’ve never done just one breast but you do need to cut down the time, especially if it’s not a big breast. If it’s thawed I would cook for 5 minutes.
Julie Smith says
I made this tonight and it was so yummy! The whole family loved it! This recipe will definitely be a regular at our house now. And I love that the ingredients are things I usually have on hand anyway. Thanks so much!
Carolina says
This makes me sooooo happy! I’m glad everyone loved it. ❤️
Instant Pot Eats says
This looks absolutely dreamy! I love the use of ghee too – I think it really brings home that buttery flavour and complements the lemon well. Yum xx
Carolina says
Yes! Ghee is so good for cooking. ?
Betsy says
Can I cook the pasta at the same time in the instant pot? The reason I got the instant pot was for one stop cooking.
Carolina says
I haven’t tried it for this recipe but I know there are many recipes where you can cook it all in the pot at the same time. Try asking here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/instantpotbusyparents/ for some recipe ideas. 🙂
Sandra Morgan says
Is there a printer friendly link to this recipe?
Carolina says
Not at this moment but I’m working on it. 🙂
Jess says
Fabulous! I made with 2 packs of bone in thighs and since they were frozen into each other I upped to 17 min. Hubs and 2 yr old went nuts over this! Served it over gluten free pasta with a shape that really grabbed the sauce. Also used the sauce on our steamed green beans. Definitely making again!
(One suggestion would be to move the order of ingredients to the order they are added. I added the salt with the onions and almost threw in the stock too soon. Of course, I clearly failed at instruction reading because you did explain it clearly in the steps!)
Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Carolina says
Hi Jess! I am so happy your family loved it! Thanks so much for the suggestion. I will be editing that part in the post. 🙂
Gwen Phillips says
First of all, this was DELICIOUS! Thank you! My first IP dish where I brown ingredients first, then finish with pressure cooking. I put the chicken (I used 2# of thighs) and sauce over some baby arugula to wilt it slightly, then sopped up the extra sauce with ciabatta. Literally licked the plate. YUM. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers all week.
A few notes:
1) I bought a bag of 6 HUGE organic lemons because that’s all the store had, but I was glad because it definitely took me 3.5 giant lemons to make 1/2 c of juice. Maybe put a range of how many lemons are needed? Otherwise I would have bought 2 and been really sad when I had half the juice the recipe called for!
2) I’ll admit I’m not the fastest onion chopper/garlic mincer/lemon juicer, but this was NOT a fast recipe for me from start to finish. When you factor in prep, heating time for sauteeing, time for the pot to reach pressure and then depressurize (I did QR after 10mins NPR cuz I just couldn’t wait any longer!), and THEN thicken the sauce (I turned it back to saute to reduce and used a cornstarch slurry), it took me well over an hour…
…AND IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT! I mainly say that to let people know that they’re not doing anything to mess up the end product if it’s not really a “quick” meal. (Sorry for the really long comment!)
Carolina says
Thanks for your comments. I’ll edit the post to reflect your recommendations.
I’m so glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Anonymous says
Yummy! My 14 year old twin boys both devoured this, and requested I make it it again.
Carolina says
That’s so awesome! I’m glad they liked it.
Debi says
How many does this serve? I need to make for 8-10 people
Carolina says
This make enough for 4 adults (we usually have left overs since we have small kids). I would double the recipe, triple it if you have big eaters. You will probably have left overs if you triple it.
Katie says
Silly question – but is there a link somewhere to print this? It looks delish! Thanks!
Carolina says
I’m working on it. Should be ready in about 2 weeks.
Betsy says
Just fixed this and it was DELICIOUS! I used chicken breast tenders, and plain flour for the sauce. Thanks!
Carolina says
I’m so happy you liked it!! 🙂
Katie Jones says
Great looking recipe! I’m brand new to the Instant Pot. If I half the recipe, do I need to adjust the time? Thanks!
Carolina says
Yes, you have to adjust the time. I would cook it for about 5 mins and check to make sure it’s well cooked once it’s done.
Monica says
I’m very new at this instapot craze– stumbled on this one looking for things to try. I’m so glad I did. I used boneless chicken breasts, which is what I had on hand. Served with veggies and cous cous. I was a little worried about using arrowroot to thicken a sauce, but it worked like a charm! Thank you!
Carolina says
I’m so happy you liked it! And arrowroot is awesome to thicken sauces. 🙂
Connie says
I made this tonight and it just was not good. I put it over penne pasta. 1/2 cup of lemon juice took EIGHT lemons, not two. Perhaps the recipe is for 2T? That would be more believable. I wanted to love it, as I’ve made a similar pan-style version of this in the past, but it just wasn’t good. 🙁 I appreciate the work it takes to put one of these blogs together, so I hate writing a negative review, but I also don’t like wasting time or organic chicken. 🙂
Carolina says
I’m so sorry you didn’t like it. You’re the first person to say that but not every recipe is for everyone. 8 lemons does seem like too much – maybe they were dry?
Anyways, hope you find another recipe you love. Cooking in the IP is great!
Jeanette Kettlewell says
Do you remove the onion mixture from the pot before sauteing the chicken?
Carolina says
No, don’t remove it.
dulcefius says
This looks delicious! Did you get the nice brown on the chicken by searing? That looks like the crowning touch!
Carolina says
Yes, that’s how I got it. ?
Irene says
I’m trying this recipe tonight (my second ever in the instant pot!) and I’d like to know if you can tell me how to make this at the same time as cooking rice in the instant pot. Would I follow all your steps up to the sealing, then add the rice and water/broth? How would I adjust the setting/cooking time? Thanks!! I’m so excited to try this since I LOVE lemon chicken!!
Carolina says
I have never made it with rice so I’m not entirely sure but I think it would be fine if you sub with rice.
Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Renee says
I made brown rice first, using the saute with onion and garlic and also organic chicken broth. Then about 20 minutes after i went right into this chicken recipe. My first time using the instapot. OMG my husband couldn’t wait to eat…the kitchen smells so good. Again OMG! great recipe Delicious!!!
Carolina says
This makes me SO happy! Thanks!
mandi says
When do you put the arrowroot on?
Carolina says
Towards the end – follow the directions on the post. ?
Elizabeth says
Hello. I have 2 questions:
1. If I am using cornstarch instead of arrowroot do I use the same amount?
2. If I am using frozen chicken breasts do I have to skip the searing step or is there a way to do that?
I ask because searing the chicken actually seems tastier.
Thanks!
Carolina says
You can use the same amount. I’ve done it from frozen and don’t that skip that step. ?
Vivian says
This looks so delicious, Carolina. I must make it for my kids . I believe they will love this dish.
Jenn Doucette says
Hey there, what’s the serving size for this recipe? I’m looking for something to serve 9 . . . should I/can I double this one?
Carolina says
I make this for 4 people. I would double it.
Hannah says
My chicken breast came out really dry. I cooked it from frozen. Breast was huge and half we uncovered from sauce. Cooked for 15 min. Maybe I should have cut half, so sauce could cover?
Carolina says
If the breast was huge then that’s why it probably came out dry. 🙁 I would try smaller pieces next time.
Angie says
When do I add the flour? I see it as an ingredient but not as a step in the recipe.
Carolina says
It’s on of the steps right above a photo: “Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot, but leave the sauce in the pan. Gradually stir in arrowroot flour to thicken sauce.” ?
Patty says
This looks amazing. Any tips on how to double the recipe? Do you just double all the ingredients? Does the cooking time change? Thanks
Carolina says
I just double the ingredients and add 1-3 mins extra of cooking (depending on how thick is the chicken).
Kara says
Ok, this is GOOD! We just got done eating dinner and I’m seriously considering eating the rest of the sauce like a bowl of soup! ?❤️
Carolina says
Haha! I’m so happy you loved it. I feel like eating the sauce too!
Liza Dore says
I made this recipe last night! We loved it. thank you.
Carolina says
Thank you so much for letting me know! This makes me so happy!
Margie says
This was disappointing, especially after reading all the positive comments . Too much lemon. Sorry.
Carolina says
That’s why it’s called lemon chicken 🙂 but if you don’t like the strong lemon taste you can always add less lemon juice.
Lindsay says
I have the Cuisinart Pressure cooker, so I do not have a poultry setting. Do I cook my chicken on high or low pressure and for how much time?
Carolina says
I’m not sure since I’ve only ever used the instant pot but it should work with the same amount of time under high pressure.
Tracy G says
I made this last night and it was DELISH!!! I followed the recipe exactly, well kinda…. My 2 lemons only made 1/4 cup so I just added water to make 1/2 cup. It turned out to be the perfect amount of lemon for us. Thanks for this recipe. I will make this over and over and over again!
Carolina says
I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂
Jasmine says
Made this for dinner tonight – I did add extra lemon juice and it’s amazing! I also used chicken halves with ribs (on sale) at 8 mins and everything was wonderfully moist and tender. I was barely able to fit in 4 chicken breasts in my 8 qt pot – they were that huge. Will definitely cook this one and will share with my FB group.
Carolina says
Oh I am so happy you liked it!! 🙂 Those sound like huge chicken breasts!
Olivia says
This sounds tasty! Could you also add uncooked pasta in the pot and cook it all at the same time?
Carolina says
You probably could but I haven’t tried it. If you make it this way let us know! ?
Tammy says
I accidentally grabbed preseasoned frozen lemon pepper chicken breasts, will they work??
Carolina says
I like lots of lemon in my food so I’m sure they would work. If you don’t like a strong lemon flavor I would probably just cut the lemon juice quantity in half.
Kristi says
Made this tonight and it was SO good. My picky eaters all ate it. I bet it’s great left over, too. We served it over rice with a side of mixed vegetables. Thanks for a great recipe!
Carolina says
That’s amazing! I a so glad your kids liked it. ?
RyAnn Harris says
If I double receipe do I double cooking times? I am brand new to this!!
Carolina says
Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner! No, you just add a few more minutes but it really depends on the size of your chicken breasts. Add 3 mins and if it’s not cooked through, close the lid and add a couple more minutes.
Pamela says
Hello! Looking forward to trying your recipe tonight. I just bought my Instant Pot, and not knowing that there were different kinds, I bought the Lux, not the Duo. Mine doesn’t have a poultry setting. I thought of using the Meat/Stew. There’s also a Manual setting. Have you any words of wisdom on how to carry on?
Pamela says
OK. I decided to use the Meat/Stew setting on the Lux, with high temperature. I browned the chicken as you suggested and since it was still frozen, I cooked the meal for 12 minutes. It was perfect! Tender and fall apart good. This is a good one and I learned something about using my new Lux Instant Pot.
Carolina says
I’m so happy it came out perfect! ?
Pamela says
I am too!
Carolina says
Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. You can always use manual but I saw you left in a comment you used the meat button and it came out good.
hadashi says
this is a huge family favourite and i’ve made it several times now… thank you! i’m wondering how well this sauce stands up to freezing? need to do some meal planning where i won’t have my Instant Pot available.
Carolina says
That’s a great question! I think it should hold up fine but I have never frozen it so I’m not 100% sure on that.
If you do freeze, let us know the result. 🙂
April MacLean says
One point of confusion: when I set it to “poultry” and select 7 minutes, about 5 minutes goes past and then the ‘7’ pops up. I’m never sure how to navigate this: do I set a separate timer and go with that so it doesn’t overcook?
Carolina says
That’s normal… It takes a few minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize. Once it’s reached pressure, the cooking time starts. This is why the Instant Pot will be on for a little bit before showing the cooking time.
Hope that makes sense!
Kristen Allred says
Loved this! Chicken was cooked perfect and the sauce was delicious. I didn’t even have any onion. Served over rice.
Carolina says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Anonymous says
Made this last night! Thanks!
Kellie says
I am making this tonight and am so excited. Would it work to put proven vegetables in the pot with it?
Kellie says
Frozen vegetables….sorry! And rice?!
Carolina says
I haven’t tried making it rice but have done similar dishes with rice so it’s worth a shot. If you do it, let me know how it turns out.
Carolina says
Yes it will! (Sorry for the late reply).
Connie says
I liked the lemon, but not the paprika w/it. It seemed like a strange combo to me. If I make it again, I will omit paprika, and add a different spice, perhaps some oregano.
Candy Marsh says
Have had my Instant Pot for a week now & love it! Made split pea with ham soup first, then Buffalo Chicken with potatoes..last nite made the ButteryLemon Chicken & have to say, we were disappointed..followed every step of the recipe but we felt the sauce lacked flavor. After reading all the favourable comments, am puzzled. Used fresh lemons for the juice but couldn’t taste “lemon” in the sauce. Would appreciate any feedback. Thx!
Carolina says
I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t turn out to your liking. I am not sure what could have gone wrong but maybe the lemons weren’t fresh enough so they lacked flavor? You can also add more lemon juice if like a strong lemon flavor.
Lisa Blount says
I just made this chicken for my husband’s lunch. He bought me an instant pot, but I was skeptical about its ability to make quick chicken. I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t blow up the kitchen. Well I didn’t and the chicken cooked up quickly as promised and was tasty. I think he will like it. The only thing I would change is a little less lemon juice and bump up the aromatics,just my personal taste. Definitely will make again.
Carolina says
I’m glad you like it! It’s always hard to figure out how lemony people like it but I’m glad you figured out how you like it!
Lisa Blount says
I used frozen chicken breast as that is what I usually have. I set the cook time for 13 minutes and the breasts cooked up perfectly, not rubbery or tough or stringy. I hate having to defrost or mind the chicken as it cooks, this was great.
Carolina says
This is great to know. I haven’t made it with frozen chicken breasts yet but I’ll have to do it! 🙂
Karen says
I want to make this today but don’t have lemons (and don’t feel like going to supermarket) however I have the little lemon juice containers, it’s not fresh lemons but it could be used instead of fresh? Would you use the same amount? Thanks!
Carolina says
I have never used that type of lemon but I think it should work.
Kymbry E. Munck says
I’m a brand new IP user! I’m making this recipe as I type but my IP LUX80 doesn’t have a poultry setting…what’s the appropriate setting to use in this case?
Carolina says
You can use the manual setting instead.
Anonymous says
How long do i let it natural pressure
Carolina says
I let it sit about 10-15 minutes. I’ve released the knob as early as 5-8 minutes when I was in a rush.
Lauren says
This was delicious!! My family loved it.
Thanks for sharing!
Carolina says
I’m so happy they loved it. 🙂
Christine O'Grady says
This was delicious-my husband said it was one of his favs. I slightly modified by adding 1/4 cup of heavy cream and some capers at the end after taking it out of the instant po but that was because I was serving over spaghetti noodles-was delcious. My lemons were extremely fresh so 2 fresh squeezed lemons totally did the trick for us and was very lemon-y.
Carolina says
That sounds so good! I love capers! I’ll add capers next time I make it. 🙂
Nei Ge says
What is poultry setting?
Carolina says
It’s the setting to cook chicken on your instant pot. If you don’t have a poultry setting just use the manual setting.
Dia says
Do you cook the pasta in the Instant Pot with the lemon juice? If so how?
Carolina says
I haven’t made this recipe with pasta in it. I’ve made the pasta separately.
Susan says
Hi, I am hoping to make this tonight, so not sure I will receive a response soon enough. I have thin sliced chicken breast, will it work for this recipe? I am new to IP cooking. Thank you.
Carolina says
Yes it will! If they’re really thin cut the cooking time by 2 minutes.
Constance says
I Love you lemon chicken recipe.
Carolina says
Thank you so much! Means a lot!
Danielle says
Delish! One of the first meals I’ve tried in my IP. I didn’t have onions or all the right spices on hand, so I improvised a little, and it was still fantastic. The chicken was frozen, rock solid, but it came out perfectly cooked. The sauce was really good over rice. Thanks for the great recipe.
Carolina says
I’m so happy you love it and that it came out great with your tweaks!
Jennifer says
This was fabulous. My entire family loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
Carolina says
I’m so happy everyone loved it! 🙂
Rose says
Okay, first, this recipe is insanely lemony. The first time I made this it was completely inedible because it was so sour from the amount of lemon. Lemon juice needs to be reduced to a third cup instead of a half cup, and just add more chicken broth. Also with the current directions if you are using chicken breast you will get over cooked chicken. After you sear it on either side, and add the liquid, close the top and pressure cook for 3 minutes. Once the timer beeps depressurize manually. Use a meat thermometer to check the chicken, it should be 165.
Anonymous says
Made the dish tonight. It turned out awesome. Love the lemon flavor. I’m keto so I served it on cauliflower . I did add a little flour to the liquid but not a lot. Yum
Kristi
Carolina says
I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks for letting me know and for the flour tip.
Anonymous says
I’m making this tonight. Has anyone tried it over orzo?
Sarah T says
This was delicious! Probably my favorite Instant Pot meal so far! I will probably buy an extra lemon next time to squeeze over the cooked dish. Thank you for sharing!
Carolina says
I’m so happy you liked it! I’m the same way – I put extra lemon on everything.
Ann says
This was amazing! Everyone in my family loves this, including my very picky 9 year old. We like to match it with egg noodles – it’s sensational! Thanks for the great recipe.
Carolina says
This makes me so happy! Thank you so much for letting me know your family loved it!
Anne says
This is an excellent recipe. Husband declared it the most tender chicken he
Ever had and ended up licking the plate. Sauce is very good, thickened with
cornstarch. Used 1/4 cup of lemon juice, following fhe feedback of some of
the comments here. Served lemon slices on the side to adjust for personal
taste. Thanks cor a wonderful recipe, the house still smells wonderful!
Carolina says
I am so happy you liked it!! 🙂 And thanks for the feedback…it will be useful for others. 🙂
Judith A Mittica says
I’m confused about when you add the arrowroot flour.
Carolina says
If you printed the recipe, it’s on step #7.
Anonymous says
This was delicious!
Anonymous says
Agree
Melissa says
I made this tonight and I love it. I used olive oil instead of butter and I added some Italian seasoning. I forgot to buy an onion, but I will definitely get one for the next time. I put it on a bed of quinoa that I made in my second instant pot. Thank you for coming up with a great combination of flavors. I love the lemon sauce.
Carolina says
That sounds amazing! I’ll have to try it this way. Thank you!
Anonymous says
Would cornstarch be better than white flour for this recipe? I don’t have arrowroot flour. How much should I use?
Carolina says
Yes, you can use sub the arrowroot with cornstarch and use the same amount.
Cheryl Mallette says
Laughing at all of the “too much lemon”, “not enough lemon” comments! Made this tonight for the first time, and The Man who is a bit like a five-year-old (PICKY eater) thought it was delish! (He thought it needed more lemon! LOL). Still on a learning curve, so for others still reading comments– I cut my chicken up into bite-sized pieces and cooked for 7 minutes. I felt like the chicken was slightly dry-ish, so since I had smaller pieces of chicken, I probably should have cooked for 5-6 minutes, especially after the saute part. And since I like to play, I am wondering about the comment about where cream was added. Wonder what 4 oz. of cream cheese would bring to the party?! Thanks for helping me make a delicious meal tonight!
Carolina says
I am so happy your picky husband liked it! And yes, the amount of lemon is such a personal preference. I usually add more when I’m making this for me because I love lemon!
Let me know how it comes out with cream cheese. 🙂
EL Mehdi says
I gave this a try after lot of hesitation xD but it turn out great, so tasty! I’m planning to make this out tonight again for my family reunion
Timothy J. Miller says
Amazing! My wife called this dish “noodle heaven…” and we go to James Beard award-winning restaurants often. I made a few modifications, but also kept it pretty close to your recipe.
With that said, I followed your directions exactly other than using half of the lemon juice and replaced that with zest from half of a lemon. I find that zest adds more lemony flavor.
Oh a few other things… I added the minced garlic to the chicken with the lemon zest and spices. Seared the chicken, deglazed the pan and then cooked the onion.
Once the onion was translucent, I reintroduced the chicken added stock and lemon juice and pressure cooked.
Removed the chicken once pressure cooked. Changed seting to saute. Added frozen peas and about a pint of heavy cream. Normally… I add lemon juice to heavy cream to thicken it… But when my wife tried the chicken she found it tangy. So instead, I made a corn syrup slurry and added it.
Served it over al dente spaghetti. Thank you so much. Chicken was not just fall of the bone… It disintegrated once I took a knife to it. It was also super juicy. Reintroduced the chicken to the sauce in the IP and served it.
An instant HIT. Thank you so much!!!
Jane says
My husband and i LOVED it! “Make this again”!”
Dawn Yoder (Oh Sweet Mercy) says
We had this for supper tonight and it was delicious! I only had turkey broth on hand so I used that. Since I follow the THM plan (Trim Healthy Mama) and arrowroot is not on plan, I used a scant teaspoon of gluccomannan to thicken the sauce. I also used buttery coconut oil, making it dairy free. The whole family enjoyed it, thank you for an easy and tasty recipe!
Im also sharing on my blog’s FB page, I know my readers will enjoy it too.
Ellen says
I made this tonight and it was delicious!
I used butter instead of ghee, cut up the chicken into 1 inch squares and cooked it for 8 minutes.
I added halved baby bella mushrooms to the Instapot in the last minute of sauteing the chicken.
Instead of arrowroot flour, I whisked 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest into 1/2 cup of cream which I stirred into the dish (without removing the chicken) after it had naturally released the pressure. After about 3 minutes, I then stirred in some fun cooked campanelle pasta. As a final step, I grated some Parmigiano-reggiano cheese over the dish once it was plated. (If my herb garden was not snowed under, I would have added some fresh basil as well).
Definitely will make again.
Anonymous says
I just made this recipe for my wife and myself and we loved it. I didn’t sear the chicken long enough (my bad) to get the nice caramelized color but the meal was delicious. Thanks for taking the time to post!!!!
Amy C. says
I have made this several times and it gets a five star review from me! The flavors go together perfectly and it’s delicious over pasta or rice or even on its own. Thank you for this yummy recipe!