Instant Pot Honey Balsamic Chicken with Carrots

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Instant Pot Honey Balsamic Chicken with Carrots is a wonderful recipe that has that “special dinner” taste and presentation all over it.

But with the Instant Pot, it’s an easy weeknight meal that comes together in about 45 minutes. Folks, you won’t believe the flavor from this recipe.  The chicken is so juicy and tender and the carrots are cooked to perfection.

A plate of honey balsamic chicken with potatoes and carrots

HONEY BALSAMIC CHICKEN IS EASY TO PREPARE

The flavor profile of this dish is so incredible. The chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and incredibly flavorful.

Watch us show you how easy it is prepare this awesome dish!

 

Balsamic and honey are the perfect match for the succulent dark meat chicken thighs.

The addition of Dijon mustard and thyme is just perfect.

And of course, carrots and chicken match together perfectly.

Instant pot Balsamic Chicken and Carrots recipe

Searing the chicken thighs in the Instant Pot first locks in the flavor.

Then when all the ingredients are brought together in the Instant Pot, the flavors meld and become something truly magnificent!

And the smell is absolutely heavenly.  Just so good!!

Instant pot Balsamic Chicken and Carrots recipe

THE CHICKEN IS TENDER AND THE SAUCE IS INCREDIBLE

And of course, this “special” dinner that tastes like you spent hours on it, but it only takes about 45 minutes total with your awesome Instant Pot.

Give the chicken one more ‘crisping’ under the broiler for only about 2 minutes.  But keep an eye on them!  Broilers vary, so don’t let them burn!

Now that’s what we’re talking about!

Instant pot Balsamic Chicken and Carrots recipe

OTHER AMAZING INSTANT POT RECIPES TO TRY

In the meantime, go and make this amazing Instant Pot Honey Balsamic Chicken with Carrots recipe!  

This recipe comes from an amazing book called Instant Pot Obsession by Janet Zimmerman.  We love this IP cookbook!

A white plate of Instant Pot honey balsamic chicken with carrots

Instant Pot Honey Balsamic Chicken with Carrots

This Instant Pot Honey Balsamic Chicken with Carrots recipe has everything you want in one of those "special" meals, but the Instant Pot makes it so easy, you can't believe it all comes together in about 40 minutes. Instant Pot perfection!
4.73 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken dinner, Instant Pot
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 325kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 large carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper
  • Select the SAUTE setting and adjust to More for high heat.
  • Heat oil in the pot until it shimmers and then add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and let them cook, undisturbed, until the skin is dark golden brown and most of the fat under the skin has rendered out, about 5 minutes. Don't overcrowd the chicken, you may need to work in batches.
  • Turn the thighs and cook until light golden brown on the other side, about 3 minutes.
  • Transfer the thighs to a plate and set aside.
  • Carefully pour off almost all the fat, leaving just enough to cover the bottom of the pressure cooker with a thick coat (about 1 tablespoon).
  • Add the carrots and let them cook, undisturbed, until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits.
  • Add the vinegar, honey, mustard, and thyme and stir to combine.
  • Return the chicken thighs, skin-side up to the pot.
  • Lock the lid into place and select MANUAL, or MEAT/STEW and adjust the pressure to High and the time to 10 minutes.
  • After cooking, naturally release the pressure for 5 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure
  • Remove the chicken thighs from the pot and place them, skin-side up, on a rack set over a baking sheet.
  • Meanwhile, preheat your oven broiler to high.
  • Place the baking sheet and rack with the chicken thighs in the oven on the top or second rack (depending on the strength of your broiler).
  • Broil until browned, 3 to 5 minutes (keep an eye on them, don't let them burn!).
  • Meanwhile, select the SAUTE setting on high and let the sauce simmer for several minutes until it's somewhat thickened, about 3 minutes. .
  • To serve, ladle a spoonful of sauce onto each plate and top with a spoonful of carrots and a chicken thigh.  Serve at once. 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

 

39 Comments

  • This recipe looks so delicious!
    Is there an alternative to using an instant pot? My preference is to use boneless skinless thighs and roast in the oven.
    Suggestions?
    Do you think I could just put the chicken and carrots in the roasting pan, pour the sauce over, cover and bake?

    • Hi Linda! You should be able to prepare it exactly the way you described in your oven and have great results. Let us know if you make it and how it turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley

  • Can you sub something for Dijon mustard? I like it I just don’t have any. I have stone ground and mustard powder and want to make this for dinner.

  • 5 stars
    This was so delicious! I added sautéd onions and garlic and served over rice made 1/2 orange juice, 1/2 water.
    I’d make this again for sure!

  • My power finally turned on after the Texas winter storm and I Desperately want “normal food” again. This will be on the menu for dinner tomorrow super excited! I am going to experiment with adding red potatoes to the carrots. Fingers crossed. I also love y’all’s video, so full of character! This was a first for me so I look forward to more.

    • HI Ericka!! So glad you have power!! We understand completely! And we think you picked a GREAT recipe to cook for yummy “normal food!!” Let us know how it turned out and what you think!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley

      • It turned out GREAT! I cooked the carrots and red potatoes at the beginning for 8-10 minutes instead of 3 minutes. Also reduced the balsamic vinegar and increased the chicken broth similar to other people but otherwise kept the recipe the same. When I continued to sauté while the chicken was broiling the sauce turned into almost a stew like consistency. That was my intention but it does look different than yours. Still delicious!

    • 5 stars
      Hi Carol,

      We love this recipe and I use boneless, skinless thighs. I made it last night and forgot to reduce the cooking time from 10 minutes to 6 minutes like I did last time. It still turned out very good but the thighs were overcooked and the sauce had dried up.

      I added green beans before closing the Instant Pot to the cooking process. Both carrots and green beans were perfect.

  • 5 stars
    I love this recipe. It is our go to instant pot recipe( we haven’t used it much except for this recipe 6-8 times )Super tangy and flavorful and tastes so healthy! We use boneless skinless and make a lot more, for our family of 7 but it always turns out!

    • Hi Amy!! Woo hoo!! That is amazing! So glad you and your wonderful family enjoy the balsamic chicken with carrots. We love that yummy tang, too!! And thanks for letting us know and for the wonderful review. That means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    Hi Kris ad Wesley
    Tried this tonight and it was delicious! I had boneless, skinless thighs on hand (4 + a few small pieces) and they worked just fine. I used a tad less balsamic and a tad more chicken stock and three large carrots. I was a bit worried about the vinegary taste but the honey perfectly blended with the vinegar.

    How would the timing or ingredients would change if I added four potatoes cut in quarters?

    This is a very easy recipe to make. Will definitely be making this recipe again. THANK YOU!

    • Hi Rebecca! Woo hoo!! We are so happy you had such great success with the recipe!! You shouldn’t have to change anything if you added the four potatoes. Maybe increase the stock by about 1/4 cup. Sounds delish!!! Thanks again for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us! Best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    This was really good! I halved the amount of vinegar, seeing the comments that 1/2 cup was too sour for some, and made up the difference with more chicken broth. I thought the amount was just right, but my husband thought it could maybe use a bit more, so next time I’ll try 1/3 cup and see how that is.

    • Hi Kellie! Awesome! Yeah, we like the vinegar in the recipe, but some aren’t as big of fans of it. Let us know how it is with 1/3 cup. And thanks so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means so much to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

    • Oh no! I just bought all the ingredients and noticed my oven is required! It’s not working, so I only have my instant pot, microwave and stovetop. Is there any alternative to broiling? Thanks in advance.

      • I hope *this* reply shows up where it’s intended to! Thank you for the speedy advice – I will try double searing! I’m a novice-out-of-necessity (COVID-19) cook (and apparently commenter) so thanks for the lack of judgment too!

  • What are your thoughts on if I increased the amount of carrots? It doesn’t quite seem enough for my family. Would I need more sauce?

    • Hi Carrie! Sorry for the delayed response here. Yes! We often do increase the amount of carrots. You could actually double them with no problem. Your other quantities should still be fine as written in the recipe. Tell us how it turns out!!

    • Oops! I didn’t mean to reply to someone else’s comment and now I can’t delete – sorry, Alex!

  • 2 stars
    Wasn’t a fan of this. For our taste preferences it was way WAY too much of a vinegary taste. I understand that some people enjoy it, so please try it for yourself but understand that it is strong (I can’t imagine how strong if you reduce the liquid). The honey and mustard weren’t really a factor due to the strong vinegar taste. This is just an opinion based on our taste preferences.

    • Hi Peggy, so sorry you didn’t enjoy the dish. We love the balsamic taste, and judging from other comments, lots of folks do, too. But, as you say, it’s a matter of taste. Hope you stick around and try other recipes and maybe give us more than a 2-star rating. Best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    Made this for company and everyone loved it. So tangy and flavorful. I used large thighs and they were very tender. I didn’t broil at the end ( too lazy and didn’t want to dirty another pan) and they turned out great! Thanks for the recipe.

    • Hi Peggy! Woo hoo! We are so super happy to hear you had success with the IP Honey Balsamic Chicken! Thighs are awesome! (my favorite, btw)! Thank you SO MUCH for letting us know! We truly appreciate that! Stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    I just made this tonight (I’m eating it while I’m typing this!) and it is one of the best recipes I’ve found since getting my InstaPot earlier this year. The sauce is perfect, the chicken and carrots are tender and juicy…I will definitely make this one again!

    • Hi Tiffany!! That is so fantastic to hear!! We absolutely love this IP chicken dish, too!! We make it all the time and we are so very happy you love it, too. And thank you SO MUCH for letting us know. That means the world to us!! Stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley

  • Hello, this sounds delicious!
    If I were to substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts should I adjust the cook time on my IP?
    Thank you!

    • Hi Lisa! Keep the cook time the same. The chicken will be extremely tender, and even pull apart a bit (fork tender), but will still be super delicious. Let us know how it turns out and what you think!! Best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    I have got to try this!! I have a regular pressure cooker, not an Instant Pot, but I’m thinking I can make it work. Thanks so much. Wesley did an incredible job with this one. Also, I’m trying to stay low carb and this one fits the bill. Love ya’ll!

    • Hi there!!! You can definitely do it in your pressure cooker! Just sauté separately in a skillet, and then add to your pressure cooker. And thanks so much, Wesley is loving the Instant Pot and is doing great, but it is so nice to hear it from you, too!! Thank you!!! Stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

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