How to Make Lemon Chicken in the Instant Pot
No need to heat up the house by turning the oven on during the hot summer months when you can make this delicious Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Recipe. A little bit of tang and lots of flavour and no oven needed what could be better?
Making Instant Pot Lemon Chicken – Easy Weeknight Meal
I’ve just started to use my Instant Pot more and more and I’m so glad that I am now that summer is here. I sure don’t want to turn on an oven with hot sunny weather and the family doesn’t want cold style meals every so this Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Recipe is a great addition to our summer menu.
If you’re looking for more tasty recipes make sure to check out the following:
No-Bake Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
Lemon Loaf with Homemade Lemon Glaze
Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Easy Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas Recipe – Slow Cooker Option
When we are in the mood for some delicious salads or really any recipe with chicken I go to chicken.ca for some recipe inspiration. So many great recipe ideas the possibilities are endless. 
For this Instant Pot lemon chicken with garlic I like to serve it with either a few different veggies, a salad or rice but it really goes with anything. It’s refreshing and oh so full of flavour it has become a hit with family.
It’s a hit with me as well because it’s easy to make and thanks to the Instant Pot doesn’t heat up my kitchen during these hot summer months. 
To help me get our meals ready for the week like this Instant Pot Lemon Chicken I use the chicken.ca grocery app to make my grocery shopping quick and easy. I can add the grocery items right from their site for the recipe of my choice to the app, it’s so handy and convenient. It makes my life just a little bit easier and our meal planning a lot easier. Make sure to add Chicken.ca’s grocery app to your phone, you’ll love it too.
Let’s get to this tasty Instant Pot Lemon Chicken recipe shall we?
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Recipe
No need to heat up the kitchen or the whole house by turning on the oven when you can make this delicious Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices for garnish if desired
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Rinse and pat dry the chicken, then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
- Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken breast, in batches if needed, cooking for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. Remove from Instant Pot and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil, then toss in the onion and garlic, cooking for a minute until fragrant and slightly softened. Add the Italian seasoning, lemon juice and zest, and chicken broth and stir to combine. Nestle the chicken breast back into the Instant Pot, close the lid and set the valve to SEALING. Turn the Instant Pot on to MANUAL and set the time for *5-7 minutes (will depend on the size of your chicken breasts and your pressure cooker). Once done, do a quick release and remove the lid, then remove the chicken and set aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE once more, and add the heavy cream. Allow the mixture to cook and thicken, stirring frequently, around 2 minutes. Place the chicken back into the Instant Pot and gently coat in the lemon garlic sauce.
- Garnish with parsley and lemon slices, and plate with your favorite sides. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
*please note that cooking times of the chicken will depend on the size of the chicken breasts and even the type and size of your pressure cooker, age of the pressure cooker etc.. you may have to adjust cooking times accordingly once you've tested out the recipe for yourself.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 514Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 199mgSodium: 456mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 71g
Please note that we can not guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information. They are a best guess calculation.
Can you freeze this instant pot lemon chicken?
Yes you can definitely free this instant pot lemon chicken, it freezes very nicely in a vacuum seal bag. I love that you can just defrost it and warm it up in the microwave and it’s good to go with your favourite vegetables, rice or pasta. It’s very tasty on top of angel hair pasta.
What Do You Serve with Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Breast?
That’s the beauty of this lemon chicken it really goes with everything. Obviously I like it with green beans but it would also be delicious on top of a salad, rice or you can chop it up and have it as part of your favourite stir fry. The possibilities are endless!
Make sure to PIN this recipe for later so that it’s there when you’re ready to make it! You will love this Instant Pot Lemon Chicken recipe and we want to hear from you when you make it!
Stop by our Recipes section for more delicious meals, snacks, desserts and more like this Jerk Chicken and Mango Avocado Salsa Recipe HERE. 
Items used to cook this lemon chicken:
Disclosure: I am participating in the Chicken Farmers of Canada campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Thank you for the recipe! This looks delicious. I need to make it soon.
This sounds so delish! I’ve pinned it for when I get an instant pot.
Thank you for sharing
I love how the Instant Pot keeps the chicken juicy while infusing it with that bright, tangy lemon flavor, definitely adding this to my notes.
Thanks for sharing such a refreshing and simple dish! It’s great not having to turn on the oven during these hot summer days.
This looks absolutely delicious!
That looks very tasty!
The lemon chicken looks healthy, flavorful, and delicious. I bookmarked this page to try the recipe in the near future. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I love new recipes for the InstaPot. The Instant Pot Lemon Chicken looks delicious and easy to make
This sounds so good and so healthy.
This looks really good.
Sounds real good I love chicken
never had lemon chicken before
this look so delicious. I will have to try this hear lemon chicken is so good.
This looks delicious! I cannot wait to try it for my family soon!
This looks absolutely delicious! I’m going to have to try it.
This looks delicious and I need to try it in my instant pot.
I think your lemon chicken in the Instant Pot recipe looks wonderful. I got an Instant Pot last year and am always on the lookout for good easy recipes that my family will enjoy.
This looks absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing.
I always enjoy coming across recipes for healthy meals I can make for my family. I’m saving this one to make after my next trip to the grocery store. Lucky for me, I just checked the prices of the lemons and chicken at my local grocery store, and they’re both on sale! Thank you for posting this Instant Pot recipe!
I love lemon chicken and your story made it look so easy and quite scrumptious. I think I will try this recipe.
we hope you like it.
I have my own favorite lemon chicken recipe which involves garlic, white wine, celery, and parsley. I want to make this one too. Lemon and chicken is a combo I crave.
I’m not a great cook but this recipe seems so easy and fool proof. Can’t wait to try.
Thanks for giving me another quick dinner idea. Will try and get back about the review from family.
Love the lemon flavours! This sounds so good, and easy too!
I could not remember where I got the recipe for this chicken in the ista pot but now I know. I have been on a chicken kick and this just makes a mouth watering dinner., And you have left overs.
Made this today. It was so easy and just delicious! Will definitely make it again.
so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing that you made it and liked it.
This lemon 🍋 chicken recipe sounds delicious. I am looking for more ways to cook,grill and bake chicken. So I am definitely going to have to try this recipe out for my family.
This recipe for lemon chicken sounds yummy. I am going to try it tomorrow for our supper. I love anything lemony.
I am moving out on my own after living with my mom due to health reasons, I am really excited to try all these new dishes! I can’t wait to cook in my new apartment
Yum Yum Yum. This was so easy and delicious. We’ll definitely be making it again
Been a long time since I had good lemon chicken!
I am always looking for new idea on what to make for dinner and this looks and sounds so good. I can’t wait to make it. Thank u
I like the idea of no heat and the cook time is so fast. It looks so yummy.
This chicken recipe looks absolutely wonderful to try, we have an instant pot so, we may try this.
i love lemon chicken i will try this recipe i had used lemon juice but no zest i will have to try that i bet it will taste more like it should then thanks for sharing
This looks really good right now. We have junk food night New Year’s Eve, so of course now I’m craving real food, lol.
I’m really anxious to try out this recipe! I received an insta pot for Christmas and just beginning to try recipes. I’m sure this will be a hit with my family.
I really like how easy this is to make and that it doesn’t take a whole lot of time to fix . I love that I can add it easily to many sides for a great meal
This looks and sounds so good!! Going to share this with my sister in law who does a lot of cooking. She and her insta pot are real pals.
Excited to try this out in my Foodi! It sounds delicious and pretty easy!
I am always on the lookout for new Instant Pot recipes. Thank you for sharing, this one looks delicious! I am pretty sure my entire family would love this.
I am a big fan of lemon chicken and it is something my family asks me to make all the time. THanks for the recipe
Sounds good love to try this
Love Lemon Chicken I will have to make it this way .
I like the idea to make this in the Instant Pot. I don’t have one, but I keep hearing how useful they are. I didn’t realize you can sauté in them. I thought you just cooked with pressure in them.
Wonderful recipe. For my family, we will reduce the amount of red pepper flakes next time. Though I am more sensitive to hear, my husband, who loves heat, felt the red pepper flavor overpowered the other herbs. We will definitely make again…thank you!
thank you for sharing 🙂
I made this last night.
I didn’t have heavy cream, so I substituted light sour cream. It was fabulous! I am excited about leftovers for lunch today. Can’t wait to make it again and serve it for friends!
So glad you liked it and thanks for sharing your variation 🙂
Good and tasty. My wife and I both enjoyed it.
Thanks for letting us know and so glad you both liked it 🙂
Do you have a substitute for the cream? I am trying not to do dairy.
Thank you!
Hi Kendra,
Sorry but I have not tried it with a non-dairy substitute.
I have made a slurry with corn starch and water and added to thicken the sauce
Any suggestions on what to use in place of heavy cream??
Hi Hannah,
We’ve only used cream, why do you want to skip it?
I used light sour cream. It was so good. I don’t think I would make it with heavy cream.
Thank you for this recipe. I served it at a small dinner party and made it to the letter. It had wonderful flavor but I was honestly embarrassed by how salty it was. I was a little skeptical when adding the salt but I thought, ‘well if that’s all the salt for the chicken and the sauce maybe it’s okay’. I should’ve trusted my instincts. Also the chicken was cooked but not tender so next time I will either cut the pieces smaller or cook longer (my pieces weren’t unusually large). As a side note. I browned my chicken in a separate pan instead of doing it in batches in the instant pot. I know the point of the instant pot is to do everything in one pot but saving time was more important to me 🙂
Thanks for sharing Heather, it’s always helpful to hear back from people who have tried it. Just curious, did you use kosher salt? For 3lbs of chicken 2 tsp should not make it overly salty when using kosher salt. That said we have decided to reduce the salt because it won’t take away the flavour & everyone could do with less sodium. So again thanks for sharing 🙂
This was wonderful + easy! It was incredibly flavorful. We served it over rice. It would pair well over pasta, served with a salad, asparagus, anything!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing Calah, we love hearing from people after they’ve tried a recipe.
Stellar sauce permeated depths of the chicken. 7 minutes was too long for my chicken, and it was overcooked. I will make it again pressure cooking for less time and checking temperature of chicken. We really loved the seasoning! 5 stars there!
Thanks for sharing and good point, I will add a note that timing will depend on size of the chicken and too the Instant Pot, sadly we can’t guess it for all so it’s always a bit of playing around in your own kitchen with each recipe.
This lemon chicken looks so delicious! I have seen so many wonderful recipes out there to use with an insta pot. I am going to have to check into getting one soon.
I have been wanting an Instapot because I keep seeing recipes like this one that look so delicious. We enjoy chicken cooked with lemon so this lemon garlic chicken would be so full of flavour. The jerk chicken with the mango avocado salsa also looks so good. I will bookmark them and hope One day soon I can make them.
On top of this crazy pandamic, I am going thru a kitchen reno, going to borrow an instapot and try this recipe. sounds delicious
I’m new to instant pot cooking, so I’m anxyto try this lemon chu
I just got an instant pot . Now I have to start using it. This looks like a great recipe to start out.
This looks wonderful!
This looks and sounds really simple. And I love lemon chicken. I don’t have an instant pot. Wouldn’t this work in my crockpot though? Thanks for the recipe!
I just got an instant pot and I am trying to find easy recipes to make in it until I get comfortable with using it. This lemon chicken looks so good. I will be making this. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I just got an instant pot and I am trying to find easy recipes to make in it until I get comfortable with using it. This lemon chicken looks so good. I will be making this.
I’m completely intimidated by my instant pot. I haven’t tried making anything in it but I’d like to start with something like this.
Yummy recipe! I would decrease the amount of red pepper flakes since I’ve got young kids. My 1 year old ate it but my sensitive 3yo wouldn’t touch it and my 7yo said it was too spicy but she ate it. I drenched my chicken with the sauce after cutting it up and enjoyed it with riced cauliflower.
Awww thanks for sharing and yes of course decrease the red pepper flakes to suit your family’s needs 🙂
Nice. Especially the color.
How did you get it to brown up?
I got an instapot for Christmas and can’t get my chicken to brown.
Looking for more recipes and still experimenting with it.
I am a fan of lemon chicken. I haven’t tried it in a instant pot, but this looks easy and yummy
Our family loved Lemon Chicken. We cook it with potatoes. The kids always request it about once a week.
We love lemon chicken at our house. So good. This recipe sounds so good. I can’t wait to give it a try. Thank you for sharing
This recipe sounds so good. We are going to give it a try. I love cooking in my insta pot and looking for more great recipes to try
Always looking for Instapot recipes. My husband loves the lemon chicken at a local restaurant that I can now make at home
I have had an Instant Pot for more than a year and have never used it. this looks like it might be easy enough for me to start with. I think I’ll put it on my plan for next week. the only thing I’m lacking is the lemon.
I have an instant pot and I am having a hard time figuring it out, we love lemon chicken so I will try this and maybe I can convert my Husband, he loves the crock pot.
This looks good. I don’t have an Instant Pot, but might try a version in the slow cooker.
This looks delicious and I was just looking for instant pot recipes as I just got one for Christmas. Made my first recipe the other night and now I am hooked and looking for more. I’ll have to try this one. Thanks for sharing!
I have been contemplating getting an Instant Pot to help get meals on the table quicker for my busy family. This recipe for the Lemon Chicken sounds good and healthy.
This looks amazingly delicious and easy to make
That looks SO good! I love lemony anything. And I really want an Instant Pot 🙂
We love this Lemon Chicken in the insta-pot!
My daughter just got an instapot will share recipe.
I love Lemon Chicken. I make it at least 3 times a month.
I love lemon chicken.
This looks delicious. I bet it’d be great with fresh asparagus in the spring.
This recipe looks really good! I will have to make this.
Wow such an easy recipe. Yay for the instant pot!
This chicken dish looks and sounds yummy!
I received an instapot as a gift. This looks and sounds really good so I will be making this soon!
This looks really good, and so easy to make in an Instant Pot.
I always think of a TV show ever time I hear Lemon Chicken. Have never had it but have to say just looking at the pictures made me real hungry. It sounds so easy and so quick
I bet this is super yummy. I would like it with some rice pilaf and asparagus.
This sounds lovely, I have been wanting to get an instant pot. Thanks for the share.
Lemon chicken is one of our favorite weeknight meals!
Paige
This looks so tasty and healthy! I love cooking in our Instant Pot. It makes cooking healthy meals so much easier. Thank you for the recipe. I will be making this!
I received some gift cards for Christmas and I think getting an Instant Pot is what I will be spending them on. I’ve been looking at these great recipes and thinking that is the way to go. Easy and they look delicious. I love lemon chicken. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m always looking for new chicken recipes, because I love chicken, but am getting tired of my same old recipes. This looks like a good one to me and I’ll give it a try. Can’t tell you how many recipes I’ve tried that didn’t have a lot of flavor…this one seems to have tons of it.
I have finally decided to purchase an Instant Pot after looking at so many great recipes. This Lemon Garlic Chicken one looks so good and it is a family favourite. I don’t make it often because it takes a bit, but in this pot it would be a breeze.
I just got an Instant Pot! I’ll have to try this!
I made this tonight. It was my first time I used an Instant Pot ever. It was fantastic. This may be a newbie question but when you say put iron manual is that high or low?
Hi Jane,
So glad you liked it 🙂 I don’t have to select high or low when I select seal and then pressure cook (or manual on older models), if yours does require that I’d try low first.
This looks delicious and easy to make. I’m making this this weekend!
I definitely need to try this recipe tonight!
This recipe sounds amazing! I can’t wait to make it!
This looks amazing and I needed some new chicken recipes for my Pot, this looks easy to make and it looks very tastey too. I will try it this weekend
Sounds delicious! Now I just need an instapot! I’ve heard so many great things about them!
This looks so yummy and I will have to try out the recipe 🙂
OMG this looks so yummy! Can;t wait to try it!
I love lemon and chicken is my favorite protein to have. This is a great recipe and I will make it soon. I love that it takes no time to prep.
I will make this tomorrow for my friends that are visiting from out of town. Looks delicious and the recipe sounds easy enough to make.
I will have to try out this recipe. I already have all the ingredients and an instant pot! And it sounds yummy!
This sounds so good. I have been looking for instant pot recipes to try. I will be giving this one a try for sure.
This is such a flavorful recipe. I’m really looking forward to making it.
What I like about this is that the chicken is brown. Not a fan of the chicken that is just white. This sounds so easy and simple going to have to make it.
One of my favorite food combinations is lemon with chicken and this recipes looks like it fits the bill. Thank you for the recipe.
This Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe looks delicious! I will have to look into a instant pot! Thanks for sharing!
I. Needed to leave a comment so here it is ? sorry early rainy day
Lemon chicken is great. I had never eaten it until a few months ago, now I can’t stop.
This looks delicious. Will have to try this recipe soon
This looks amazing and I really wish I had an Instant Pot so I could try it!
I love lemon chicken and white rice. I first enjoyed it at a Chinese restaurant. When they closed, my husband was able to make the sauce by simply tweaking around with it to best mimic theirs. We enjoy this often. Even if we pick up ready made chicken we sometimes will make the sauce to put on it.
I have been debating getting the instant pot and this has me sold! That sounds so good and I love that it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. And my daughter eats anything chicken so I’m grateful for the site for chicken recipes. Makes it easier on this busy mom.
Instant pot recipe looks really delicious and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.
This looks really tasty and really east to do. The instant pot does most of the work for me, so what a great tool and recipe too.
This lemon chicken recipe sounds and looks delicious. I do not own an Instant Pot yet but my friends do and love it!
That looks amazingly good. I am hungry now.
This lemon chicken looks super yummy. I would love to try this out.
This sounds delicious. I have been using my Instant Pot a lot this summer, sometimes I even set it outside so even the steam isn’t in the kitchen. I am probably lucky I haven’t attracted any wildlife so far, we are very rural, but at least my house stays cool, lol.
An Instant Pot would be so useful to have. My husband enjoys a nice chicken dinner and this seems so tasty and the photos are terrific.
That looks so delicious.
I am always looking for new instapot recipes, so I can’t wait to try this because I absolutely love Lemon Chicken. It looks so delicious and easy!
This looks like a yummy recipe. I bet it taste delicious too.
The lemon chicken looks delicious . I like how fast and easy it was to make . I must get an Insta-Pot. Thanks for the wonderful review!
I just ordered an Instant pot off Amazon for prime day so cannot wait to try this recipe out!
This sounds like it would be really good.
I have not used my instant pot because it’s a little intimidating. Maybe this is the recipe to try it out on.
I love lemon chicken! I also always put almonds on my green beans. I have to try this recipe. It will be a hit in my home!
This sounds like such a delicious recipe! I really need to get an instant pot so I can make it. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing, I will bookmark for later!
Our house gets so hot in the summer that recipes like this are exactly what I am looking for. A good scrumptious meal without heating up the house.
This looks like it would be really good. I want to get an Instant Pot.
I love lemon chicken but have never tried to make it.
I really like lemon chicken
This looks amazing. Thanks for another great easy dinner idea!
This lemon chicken sounds so good. It is also fairly easy to make. We eat alot of chicken so I can’t wait to try this. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe
You keep making me want an instant pot. Good flavors in this.
This does look so good, and to think you could have a nice meal like this in no time at all. I want to check into getting an instant pot – it would be fun!
My mom loves lemon everything! This will be an ideal dish she and I can enjoy together. You can make a lot from the leftovers, like great-tasting, hearty sandwiches. Also, you could slice it up to top pasta or salads with! Can’t wait to try it!
Love that idea for the leftovers 🙂