Delicious Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why does my Instant Pot chicken come out rubbery? ›

Some things to keep in mind when cooking chicken:

If your boneless chicken breast winds up with a weird, rubbery texture, it probably means that you need to cook it longer. In general, the Instant Pot does better with longer cook times for meat.

This dinner staple cooks up perfectly every time in the Instant Pot. You can aim for firm but juicy chicken for cubing, or let it cook a little bit longer for tender shredded chicken.

Spices like smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and thyme will make the most flavorful spice rub for your chicken, so make sure to always have your pantry stocked with some spices. Preheat a cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. That's because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.

Any chef I know prefers the thighs because they have a higher fat content which helps prevent them from drying out and becoming sandpaper in your mouth. Thighs are much more versatile.

While there isn't a known risk to human health from eating chicken meat with woody breast or while striping, these muscle diseases do lower the quality of the meat. Affected meat has been described in online discussions as tough, rubbery, dense, and stringy.

Chicken can get a rubbery texture in the instant pot when over cooked. To avoid this, try not to over cook your chicken.

I cover meat in my Instant Pot when making soup, stew, or stock. Otherwise I use a minimum amount of liquid, from 1 to 2 cups. A pressure cooker produces steam until a preset pressure is reached and then replaces heat lost from the pot, by boiling more water, producing more steam.

You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.

Marinate the chicken thighs for at least 30 minutes overnight in a mixture of your choice, such as a combination of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and spices. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and pat them dry with a paper towel.

What tenderizes chicken thighs? ›

Restaurants use marinades made from a combination of acidic ingredients (such as vinegar, citrus juice, or yogurt) and flavorful herbs and spices. The acid in the marinade helps to break down the proteins in the chicken, making it more tender. Put it in a double boiler and steam it.

Cook at Higher Temperatures

The ideal temperature to cook your chicken should be around 275 °F – 320 °F (135 °C – 160 °C). As you start to decrease temperature beyond this threshold, the skin will become rubbery. The chicken fat needs to be cooked into the meat, and that cannot happen when your temperature is very low.

Spread out in a single layer in the roasting tray, and bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven until golden. Lovely served with a rocket salad dressed with some lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, and a nice glass of white wine.

Tips and Tricks for Oven Baked Chicken Thigh Success

We love searing the thighs before pouring the sauce over them and baking. This will render some of the fat as well as help the skin get nice and crispy.

“Starting the chicken skin side down in a cold skillet lets the fat render slowly and results in the crispiest skin imaginable,” explained senior food editor Chris Morocco.