Spiced Chicken – Instant Pot
Instant pot chicken leg quarters are so delicious, soft and tender! This is my go-to recipe when I am short on time and need something quick and delicious. Not to mention, this recipe is healthy and perfect for any diet. There are three easy steps to follow in this recipe: 1) Marination, 2) Pressure cooking, 3) Broiling.
The marination of the chicken is a very important step. The longer you marinate the more flavorful your chicken will be. If you are making this for dinner, marinate the chicken in the morning or if you’re making this for lunch, marinate the night before. Whatever you do, do not skip this step, otherwise, you will have a very bland meal. I recommend poking holes or making cuts on the chicken. This will allow the marinade to go deep inside the meat and add flavor.
The pressure cook time will vary and depend on the amount of meat and weight. In this recipe, I did 18 mins of high pressure and 10 minutes of NPR. If you are unsure of the time, you can follow a simple formula which is 6 minutes per pound of chicken. Natural pressure release or NPR is important as it will make your chicken tender from the inside. If your chicken a bit undercooked, NOT TO WORRY. You can finish cooking your chicken during this next step.
Last but not least, the broiling of the meat. Normally this step is done to further brown or cook the outer layer. I recommend broiling for at least 10 minutes. You may also spray a bit of oil on the chicken, before placing it in the oven. This step will give a nice color to your chicken and cook the spices further. Also if you feel like your chicken is undercooked, you can finish cooking the chicken in this step.
Instant Pot- Spiced Chicken Leg Quarters
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Marination
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp oregano (dry)
- 1/4 tsp rosemary (dry)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 of lemon (juice)
- 3/4 tsp paprika
- 4 chicken leg quarters with skin or without skin
Instructions
Marination
- Mix all the ingredients listed in a bowl and make a paste.
- Poke holes in the chicken with a fork.
- Coat the chicken with the marinade.
- Marinate for at least 4-6 hours or even overnight for best results. (see notes below).
Pressure Cook
- Add one cup of water to the instant pot.
- Place the trivet or steaming rack inside the pot and stack the chicken.
- Pressure cook 15-20 minutes depending on the weight and then 10 minutes of natural pressure release. (see notes below)
- Release the rest of the pressure and open the lid. (make sure the pin has dropped)
- Take the chicken out of the instant pot and place it on a baking sheet.
Broil
- To get a crispy outer layer, broil the chicken for 10 minutes or until desired crispiness.
- You may spray oil on the chicken before broiling.
- Enjoy your chicken with salad, yogurt sauce or steamed vegetables.
Notes
- Pressure cooking time is based on the amount or the weight of the chicken. The ratio is 6 minutes per pound.
- NPR is letting the chicken sit or naturally release the pressure after the pressure cooking cycle ends. For this recipe, 10 minutes of NPR is recommended.
- If your chicken is undercooked, you can finish cooking it during the broiling process. ( dont be disappointed)
- Marination is very important. The longer you marinate, the more flavorful your chicken will be. For best results, marinate your chicken overnight.
- If you are short on time… marinate for atleast 2 hours.