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.
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.
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!!
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!
OTHER AMAZING INSTANT POT RECIPES TO TRY
- Corned Beef With Cabbage
- Chicken Provencal
- Cinnamon Raisin Otameal
- Braciole
- Irish Guinness Beef Stew
- Mashed Butternut Squash with Pancetta and Sage
- Butter Chicken
- Smoked Sausage Stew
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!
Instant Pot Honey Balsamic Chicken with Carrots
Video
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon 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.
Nutrition
Janet says
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.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Janet! So sorry for the delayed response! Stone ground would be super delicious! Let us know if you make it and how it turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley
Deanne Jacques says
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!
Ericka says
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.
Kris Longwell says
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
Ericka says
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!
Kris Longwell says
That all sounds fantastic!!! So glad you had such great success, and thank you so much for letting us know!! xo Kris & Wesley
Carol says
Would you change the cooking time under pressure if using boneless skinless thighs?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Carol! Sorry for the delayed response here! You’d really only need to cook them for 8 to 10 minutes. Hope this helps! Best, Kris & Wesley
Rebecca says
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.
Amy Fox says
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!
Kris Longwell says
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
Rebecca says
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!
Kris Longwell says
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
Kellie says
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.
Kris Longwell says
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
Alex S says
Great recipe! Thanks for the post! We added potatoes also and it worked like a dream!
Alana says
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.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Alana!
You can definitely sear the chicken on the stove with little olive oil.
Alana says
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!
Care says
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?
Kris Longwell says
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!!
Alana says
Oops! I didn’t mean to reply to someone else’s comment and now I can’t delete – sorry, Alex!
Peggy says
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.
Kris Longwell says
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
Peggy says
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.
Kris Longwell says
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
Michelle Hammett says
We loved this chicken. Great favors and so tender. Will make this again for sure.
Kris Longwell says
Thanks, Michelle!!! So glad you liked it and had success!! And thanks for letting us know, that means the world to us!
Tiffany Fahy says
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!
krislongwell says
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
Lisa says
Hello, this sounds delicious!
If I were to substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts should I adjust the cook time on my IP?
Thank you!
krislongwell says
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
The Fine Cuisine says
This just looks amazing! Definitly doing this one. Thanks for the post
krislongwell says
Thank you!!!! Let us know when you try it out! It’s soooooo good!! Best, Kris & Wesley
SHERRY LYNN HILL says
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!
krislongwell says
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