The Instant Pot pressure cooker makes meals easy. Try combining the bold flavors of lemon and garlic with chicken for a delicious dinner.
Jump to RecipeHaving an Instant Pot pressure cooker means I have a great way to make some quick and easy meals. So far, we’ve made a few different things in the Instant Pot, all dinners. I haven’t ventured into desserts or breakfast yet. But we love chicken meals here, so I decided to make some lemon-garlic chicken in the Instant Pot.
Lemon and garlic is one of our favorite flavor combinations. The tart lemon plus the tangy garlic adds a delicious kick of flavor to so many dishes. A few of our favorites include Pasta with a Lemon Butter Sauce, Shrimp Orzo with Lemon, and Toasted Gnocchi with Spinach.
Including the time it takes for the Instant Pot pressure cooker to fully pressurize, this recipes takes just over 30 minutes. And, one of the benefits of using the Instant Pot is being able to use chicken that hasn’t thawed yet. There are often times I forget to take meat out of the freezer, but that isn’t a problem with the pressure cooker.

Instant Pot Lemon-Garlic Chicken Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 lb chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 lemon, sliced
Preparation
Heat the olive oil in the instant pot on the sauté setting. Add the onion, garlic, and lemon juice to the pot and cook for about 1 minute.

Add the chicken to the instant pot and sprinkle with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned on the outside, flipping at least once (2-3 minutes per side).

Pour in the chicken broth and add the Italian seasoning.

Place the lid on the instant pot and set it to the poultry setting for 9 minutes. Note: if your chicken was frozen, this may take an extra few minutes. Manually release the pressure.
Remove the chicken and serve topped with the sauce from the instant pot and garnish with a lemon slice.

Instant Pot Lemon-Garlic Chicken Leftovers
Save any leftover lemon-garlic chicken in containers in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat by placing in a sauté pan on medium heat until warmed through. This chicken can also be eaten cold as leftovers.

Recipe
Originally Published On: March 31, 2021

Instant Pot Lemon-Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 lemon (sliced)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in the instant pot on the sauté setting
- Add the onion, garlic, and lemon juice to the pot and cook for about 1 minute
- Add the chicken to the instant pot and sprinkle with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper
- Cook until browned on the outside, flipping at least once (2-3 minutes per side)
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the Italian seasoning
- Place the lid on the instant pot and set it to the poultry setting for 9 minutes (Note: if your chicken was frozen, this may take an extra few minutes)
- Manually release the pressure
- Remove the chicken and serve topped with the sauce from the instant pot and garnish with a lemon slice
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Lemon-Garlic Chicken FAQs
Honestly, define healthy to me. This is free from most allergens, and is a fairly low-calorie meal. When you have cooked chicken that isn’t breaded, it is usually a pretty light meal. But “healthy” depends on which diet you consider healthy.
We ate ours with a side of mashed potatoes. Or, if you are looking for a healthier side, you could try making some garlic mashed cauliflower. We also like it with a side of sun-dried tomato and basil orzo.
Recipes with Lemon Flavor
- Watermelon Lemonade
- Lemon Crepes
- Lemon-Herb Chicken Kabobs
- Simple Strawberry Lemonade
- Instant Pot Lemon-Garlic Chicken
- Lemon-Tahini Chicken with Green Beans
- Lemon Bars with Prickly Pear Juice
- Tilapia with Lemon Butter Sauce
- Lemon Thyme Chicken Dinner with Potatoes and Green Beans
- Chicken and Carrots with Rosemary and Lemon Sauce
- Chicken Tortellini Salad with Lemon Dressing
- Lemon Rosemary Tilapia
- Pasta with a Lemon Butter Sauce
- Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Lemonade
- Shrimp Orzo with Lemon
- Kid-Friendly Lemon Bar Dessert
- Creamy Lemon Pasta
- Dairy-Free Sour Cream Substitute with Only 2 Ingredients
- Delightfully Tangy Chicken Piccata
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Beef
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Beef and Broccoli in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot French Onion Roast Chicken
- Instant Pot Lemon-Garlic Chicken
- Orange Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
- Butter Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- Instant Pot Turkey Roasted to Perfection
I really need to buy a pressure cooker – you make such great meals in yours! We eat a lot of chicken… and this dish sounds so tasty.
You definitely should! It’s worth the investment. We use ours often.
That chicken sounds so good! I really need to get an instant pot.
Oh man, I love the Instant Pot! But you could probably make a similar dish by cooking it in the oven or in a skillet.
Chicken looks delicious — love that you made it so flavorful!
It’s amazing what just a few herbs can do for the flavor!
This recipe turned out great! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks, Kristen, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Love it! It was really easy to follow!
Thanks! I’m glad it was so easy 🙂
What a great recipe! Simple, quick and easy but so tasty! I’m sure everyone will love it!
Sometimes the more simple ones are the best!
Oh wow! This recipe sounds amazing and so delicious! Definitely going to have to try this! The family is going to enjoy this and I just love using my instant pot for recipes! Can’t wait!
Isn’t the instant pot just the best? It makes meals so quick and easy 🙂
You can’t go wrong with lemon and garlic with chicken. The combination is so delicious! I can’t wait to make your recipe.
Love the simplicity of this dish! Its a good one to just throw in the oven as well.
I’m that weird person that loves lemon everything, but never tried it with garlic on chicken
Always got me craving food after I leave from over here, lol. As usual, it looks so good!
This sounds like a really refreshing type of chicken – nice and light. Thank you for sharing.