Instant Pot chili lime chicken thighs have a nice sweet heat, and are moist and super fast to cook when prepared in a pressure cooker. It makes for an easy, healthy mid-week meal.

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Christmas came a little early for me this year. I'm sorry, but those Amazon Black Monday deals were irressistable.

My big score was on the once a year, half off, Instant Pot pressure cooker. I debated if I really needed it, but I don't have a slow cooker or crock pot, so I figured it was at least time to learn what all the fuss was about.

My test began with pressure cooker chili lime chicken thighs.

My friend Beth turned me on to chicken thighs a while back, and I don't know what took me so long. Chicken breasts completely bore me now. Where's the character? Where's the flavor?

The thigh has some good fat. Do I need to remind you to not fear fat?!

Your body needs fat for energy and nutrient absorption, not to mention hormone production. Of course, all fats are not created equal. Stay away from the Oreos, but chicken thighs are all good.

Back to the Instant Pot pressure cooker. So it's kind of like a magic cooker. You start off like you would if you were using a normal pan.

You hit the sauté setting on the pressure cooker, and when it's warm, throw in a little oil and some aromatics like garlic and onions.

When those start smelling nice, add some marinated chicken thighs until they turn golden and add some depth of flavor to the pot.

Cover the Instant Pot and hit poultry. 15 minutes later, you got pressure cooker chicken thighs.

OK, I didn't have just any chili lime chicken thighs. They were so moist and delicious. They were perfectly cooked and I didn't need to pay them any attention.

I also made a sauce after I took the chicken out with the remaining drippings and leftover marinade. I hit sauté again, added a few things, and ended up with a delicious gravy to pour on my thighs.

I understand some of you slow cooker people have been doing this for years, but the pressure cooker does it in half the time.

Cutting down on cooking time is also better for your health as it retains the nutrients in your food better.

No, I'm not being paid by Instant Pot (not yet at least, hehe :-).

I just found this pressure cooker super easy to use, fast, efficient and worthy of some nice Tasting Page meals.

You'll see more from me on the pressure cooker soon!

Instant Pot Chili Lime Chicken Thighs {Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free}

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
Juice and zest of 1 lime
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 chicken thighs, about 1-1/2 pounds (I used bone in, skin on)
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, tapioca starch or non-GMO corn starch
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place 1 tablespoon olive oil, lime juice and zest, garlic, cumin, chili powder, cilantro and salt and pepper in a plastic ziploc or large glass dish and mix. Pat the chicken dry and add to the marinade. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
Set your pressure cooker to sauté and once hot, add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the pot. Let it sear a few minutes on each side until it's golden. Then add the chicken stock, close the pot with the lid, and push the poultry button, and cook for 12 minutes..
Add the arrowroot powder to 2 tablespoons of cold water. Once the chicken is done, manually release the valve, remove it from the pot, and hit sauté again. Add the arrowroot mixture. Whisk the ingredients in the pan, making sure to pick up any fond from the chicken. Season as necessary. Once the sauce is thick and combined, turn the pot off.
Serve the chili lime chicken with sauce immediately. Throw over quinoa, cauliflower rice, or wilted greens.

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