If you're finding fall days to be overcast and dreary, bring in some sunshine with this Low FODMAP Instant Pot Lemon Chicken! Boasting tender chicken thighs drizzled in a decadent, creamy, lemon sauce, this low FODMAP lemon chicken recipe is delicious and comforting yet light due to the abundance of citrusy flavor. Quick and easy to prepare and perfect for a weeknight dinner at any time of year, this recipe is also Paleo, Whole30, lactose-free, and gluten-free.
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Low FODMAP Instant Pot Lemon Chicken: Light, Economical Comfort Food
I developed this Low FODMAP Instant Pot Lemon Chicken recipe awhile ago but have been making it for dinner almost weekly since my dad passed away. Due to its richness, it's comfort food but doesn't leave you feeling heavy due to the citrus. It also makes me feel lighter just to make it, having to work with lemons. The aroma of citrus lightens my mood, which makes preparing this recipe so enjoyable. It's also pretty easy to prepare, so it's ideal for a quick weeknight dinner.
Due to its rich, creamy sauce, this recipe is somewhat similar to my Low FODMAP Instant Pot Chicken Fricassee recipe, which has a sauce that I also make creamy using coconut cream and balanced using lemon juice, albeit a much smaller amount. If you loved that recipe, you should love this one, too.
It's also a rather economical recipe, chicken being the cheapest type of meat we can get here at the moment. Meat is expensive in BC at the best of times but particularly now during the pandemic. I've actually written certain recipes originally for beef (like my recent Low FODMAP Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad, which I originally wrote for steak) and switched to chicken due to how expensive certain cuts of beef are right now. It's not that we can't afford to eat beef, I just don't feel it makes sense to spend tons of money on it when chicken is so much cheaper.
This isn't to say that we never eat anything but chicken, but since chicken is so economical and versatile, it has definitely been my focus in terms of recipe development during the last 6 months. Needless to say, you can expect a lot more chicken recipes coming to the blog in the near future.
Low FODMAP, Paleo & Whole30
This Low FODMAP Instant Pot Lemon Chicken recipe is also Paleo and Whole30 compliant, lactose-free, and gluten-free (but not entirely dairy-free due to the use of ghee or clarified butter). I love cooking with citrus as you don't need much to create tons of flavor, and most citrus fruits are low in FODMAPs.
Necessary Equipment
The equipment I use to make this Low FODMAP Instant Pot Lemon Chicken recipe includes:
- 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker
- Measuring spoons and cups
- 2 small bowls
- Small whisk or fork
- Paper towel
- Tongs
- Large plate
- Plastic spoon for scraping
- Citrus juicer
- Citrus zester
- Spatula
- Instant read thermometer
- Standard-sized whisk
- Serving platter
- Gravy boat or measuring cup for sauce
Low FODMAP Instant Pot Lemon Chicken: Ingredients and Tips for Success
Chicken
For this low FODMAP lemon chicken recipe, I typically use eight bone-in, skin on chicken thighs. You may notice, however, that I only have seven thighs on the platter in these photos (I screwed up when taking them out of the freezer--oops). If you think 8 thighs will be too many for you, you can use as few as 6.
Herbs & Spices
First, I make a spice rub for the chicken by adding 1 teaspoon of the salt, dry or fresh rosemary, thyme, and ground black pepper to a small bowl and whisking to combine. I originally wrote this recipe using dried herbs as it's the most convenient, but if you have fresh handy, feel free to use them.
I coat the skin side of the chicken with half of the spice rub, reserving the other half to sprinkle on the reverse side while the skin side is searing. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, just sprinkle both sides before you start searing. I do it this way to try to keep as much spice on the chicken as possible, but it isn't 100% necessary.
Ghee & Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
Then, I press "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and add ghee and garlic-infused olive oil. Once the display on the Instant Pot reads "Hot," I ensure the bottom of the pot is evenly coated with ghee and oil. Then, I sear the chicken in two batches, starting with the skin side first for 5 minutes. While the skin side is searing, I carefully season the reverse side of the chicken with half of the remaining spice rub.
Once the skin side has seared for 5 minutes and the skin releases easily from the bottom of the pot, I slowly flip the chicken and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Flipping the chicken slowly prevents the skin from tearing. If the skin does not readily release from the pot, wait another 30-60 seconds and try again. You do not want to hastily rip the skin off the pot or it will look awful and may rip off the thigh completely.
Once the chicken is done searing, remove it to a plate and repeat the same steps for the remaining thighs.
Lemon Juice & Chicken Bone Broth
After removing the seared chicken to a plate, I hit "Cancel" on the Instant Pot and pour in lemon juice and chicken bone broth. Pro tip: If you pour in the lemon juice first, it is likely to clean the bottom of the Instant Pot for you without having to do any scraping! Check to make sure the bottom of the pot is clean before pressure cooking, however, as it is not a fool proof method. I have not found this to be the case deglazing the Instant Pot using other citrus juices, such as lime, pineapple, or orange; only the lemon juice has had this cool, cleaning effect for me so far.
For the chicken broth, I use Imagine Chicken Bone Broth, which is low FODMAP as well as Paleo and Whole30 compliant. If you can't find that one near you, this post on Fun Without FODMAPs offers a homemade recipe plus a number of other store-bought options.
Lemon Zest & Salt
Once I've added the liquid and scraped the pot clean, I add the lemon zest and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt to the liquid in the pot and stir. Then, I add all the chicken thighs back to the pot in 1 layer, skin side up. If you use 8 thighs, this will be a tight fit, especially if they're big, but you can do it!
Pressure Cook
Before closing the lid, I scrape the plate the chicken thighs were resting on with a spatula to get all the juices and spices into the pot. As I always say, leave no flavor behind!
Then, I close the lid and set the pressure release valve to "Sealing." I press "Pressure Cook" on the Instant Pot (which is the "Manual" button on certain models), and set the timer to 10 minutes. As there is not a ton of food in the pot, it doesn't take long for the pot to get up to pressure - only about 10 minutes.
Thicken the Sauce
Once the cooking cycle has completed, I quick release the pressure and open the lid. Using a fresh set of tongs, I remove the chicken to a platter. Then I add the coconut cream to the liquid in the pot and stir. To thicken the sauce, I whisk together 2 teaspoons of tapioca flour in 2 teaspoons of cold water to make a slurry. Then, I hit "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and wait for the liquid to start boiling (this should only take a few seconds, so don't run away!). I start to gently stir the liquid with a whisk, and while doing so, slowly add the slurry to the boiling liquid. I continue to gently stir until the liquid thickens, about 1 minute.
Once the sauce is thickened to your liking, hit the "Cancel" button on the Instant Pot and remove the inner pot to a hot pad. Pour the sauce into a gravy boat or measuring cup to drizzle on top of the chicken.
Serving Options
You will ideally want to serve this Low FODMAP Instant Pot Lemon Chicken on top of a starch component, such as mashed potatoes (like the low FODMAP option of my Instant Pot "Garlic" Mashed Potatoes), white rice (which is low FODMAP but not Paleo/Whole30), or cauliflower rice (which is Paleo/Whole30 but not low FODMAP). I find that white rice is my preferred starch for this recipe as the flavor combination with the creamy lemon sauce is just divine.
Place the chicken on top of your selected starch and pour the sauce on top. Garnish with lemon slices and thyme sprigs if desired and enjoy!
Low FODMAP Instant Pot Lemon Chicken (Paleo, Whole30, Low FODMAP)
Ingredients
- 6-8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice, freshly-squeezed (from about 1 large lemon)
- ½ cup chicken bone broth
- ½ cup coconut cream, or heavy cream (lactose-free if needed) if not needing Paleo/Whole30/Dairy-Free
- 2 teaspoons tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons cold water
GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
- 4-6 lemon slices, halved
- 6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the salt, rosemary, thyme, and pepper and whisk to combine. Dry chicken thighs well with paper towels and sprinkle the skin side with half of the spice mixture.
- Press the "Sauté" button on your 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable pressure cooker. Add the ghee and garlic-infused olive oil to the pot. Once the display reads "Hot," ensure the oil and ghee have completely coated the bottom of the pot. Using tongs, add half of the thighs, skin side down, and sear for 5 minutes or until the chicken skin releases easily from the pot (do not rip). While the chicken is searing, carefully sprinkle the side of the chicken that is not searing with half of the remaining spice mixture. Flip and sear on the other side for 2 minutes. Remove seared chicken to a plate and follow the same steps for the remaining thighs. If you're in a hurry, you can sear all 8 thighs at the same time in a large skillet on medium high heat on the stove.
- After all the chicken thighs are seared on both sides, press “Cancel” on the Instant Pot. Pour in lemon juice and chicken bone broth and scrape the bottom of the pot clean with a plastic spoon.
- Add the lemon zest and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to the liquid in the pot and stir. Lay the chicken in one layer (it will be tight, but you can do it!), skin side up, in the liquid. Using a spatula, scrape any juices left from the chicken on the plate into the pot (leave no flavor behind!). Close the lid, set the pressure release valve to "Sealing," hit the "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" button, and set the timer for 10 minutes.
- Once the cooking cycle has completed, quick release the pressure. Using a fresh set of tongs, remove the chicken to a platter. Check the temperature of the thickest piece of chicken (without touching the bone) with an instant read thermometer. Chicken must be at least 165° F (75° C) to be safely consumed.
- Add coconut cream to the broth in the Instant Pot and stir. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings as desired. If the sauce tastes too coconutty, add more salt and pepper until the coconut flavor dissipates to your liking.
- To thicken the sauce, whisk 2 teaspoons tapioca flour with 2 teaspoons of cold water in a small bowl or measuring cup to make a slurry. Hit "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and wait until the broth begins to boil (this should only take a few seconds). While gently whisking the broth constantly, slowly add the slurry to the broth and whisk until the sauce is to your desired thickness (about 1 minute). Hit Cancel on the Instant Pot; pour the sauce in a measuring cup or gravy boat to pour on top of the chicken.
- Serve Low FODMAP Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with a starch component like potatoes, such as the low FODMAP option of my Instant Pot "Garlic" Mashed Potatoes (Paleo, Whole30), white rice (low FODMAP), or cauliflower rice (Paleo, Whole30). Place the chicken on top of the starch and pour the sauce on top. Garnish with lemon slices and thyme if desired.
Pamela Garfield says
I appreciate many of your low fodmap recipes and the way you foolproof them with clear and thorough instructions (like deglazing the pot to prevent a burn notice). Thank you!
Gail says
I'm so glad they're working for you, Pamela. I really appreciate your feedback!