One of the easiest pressure cooker recipes you'll ever try, it will challenge everything you know about adding liquid to pressure cook!
This recipe uses boneless chicken thigh fillets or chicken breasts, you choose. Chicken thigh fillets are more tender under pressure, melt-in-the-mouth tender but diced chicken breast (and whole chicken breast, for that matter) pressure cooks amazingly well too!
This recipe has a ton of fans, let's make you one too!
Two keys to this recipe working: a well-maintained Instant Pot and knowledge of how to avoid the Burn error in your Instant Pot.
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📖 Recipe
Baharat Chicken
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 600 g boneless whole chicken thigh fillets Want to use chicken breasts? Dice them or slice them first and follow the different timings I provide
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon of Baharat spices I found mine in Waitrose, Bart brand but other brands are available (good old Schwartz does it too) or make your own
- 1 handful of fresh coriander stalks and leaves chopped separately
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- Juice of 1 more lemon
- Plain yoghurt optional
Serving Suggestion A
- Tortilla wraps or pita bread
- Salad leaves
- Tomatoes
Serving Suggestion B
- Plain rice
Instructions
- Add the chicken thigh fillets OR diced/sliced chicken breast to the inner pot with the lemon zest and juice, 1 tablespoon of Baharat spices, the chopped coriander stalks (save the leaves for later) and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well.
- Lid on. Steam release handle pointing to Sealing (unless you have an Instant Pot with a self-sealing lid, in which case the lid will seal automatically).
- Pressure cook 5 minutes if using boneless chicken thigh fillets / Pressure cook 3 minutes if using diced or sliced chicken breasts. Natural Pressure Release at the end and it will do well on Keep Warm.
- At the end, remove the chicken after quickly seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. Then press Sauté and set it to More (or High) to reduce the sauce with the lid off.
- Stir in some of the chopped coriander and the juice of half a lemon. Pour the reduced sauce over the chicken and add more coriander
Notes
Baha-what?
This Instant Pot Baharat Chicken is one of those recipes that come from impulse purchases from the Waitrose Cooks' Ingredients section.
The day I bought it, I actually left it at the self-service checkout and a lovely Waitrose partner was waiting for me at the exit holding it up for me.
"I was told to look out for the lady with the hair clip".
Yup, that was me. The lady with the hair clip which isn't even a hair clip according to the little Tapita, it's a scarf brooch apparently.
Anyway, this Instant Pot Baharat Chicken (for want of a better name) has been made many, many times now and it's a reader favourite for its ease and depth of flavour.
Baharat spice blend
I used the Baharat spice mix in the photo above, by the brand Bart. Schwartz also does its own Baharat seasoning.
You might also see it spelled as Bharat. So, if you see a different brand spelling it Bharat, that'll be the spice mix you want.
If you can't find either, you might have the ingredients to make your own following a Baharat spice mix recipe like the one on Olive Magazine.
But Maria, no added liquid?
You may have noticed already that I like to push the limits when it comes to liquid in the Instant Pot.
Chicken releases liquid as it cooks so you can get away with very little liquid.
I like to write the Golden Rules of the Instant Pot Way of Cooking and then break them 😉
You do need a very well maintained Instant Pot though.
For example, the rim of the cooker needs to be super clean.
You also need to make sure the sealing ring is properly in place before you close the lid.
In fact, just read the Deep Clean post and watch the videos there before you start cooking 😊
Unsure? Add 100 ml of water or stock (cold). But make sure to read How to avoid the Burn error in your Instant Pot.
Also, click the photo below to join my Pressure Cooking group for lots of tips.
How to serve this Baharat Chicken
With a salad, in a wrap, on its own, with plain rice. but definitely try it with plain yoghurt!
It would, in fact, be delicious with my Za'atar Flat Breads to dip in the sauce.
What other ingredients could you add?
I've also made it with mushrooms and onions and it was lovely. It's perfect for anything vegetables that need using up.
Step-by-step photos
Add all ingredients to the inner pot
Mix well
Add any extra ingredients you fancy, in this photo I've added mushrooms and onions
Pressure cook
Hint: it’s really good with plain yoghurt stirred in! It’s delicious in a wrap with lettuce and tomatoes. It would be great in pita bread too.
Or try serving it with plain rice or with a nice salad.
So many possibilities
Other Chicken recipes you may like
I love pressure cooking with chicken, as shown by the number of pressure cooker chicken recipes on this website.
For diced chicken, I love this Chicken and Chorizo Stew, also this Chicken and Chorizo Orzo / Risoni Pasta.
For whole chicken, there is the Lemony Whole Chicken, Zero Minute Chicken (which makes delicious stock at the same time) and Whole Chicken Stock which is an old recipe but worth looking into.
Maria
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Hazel Dannatt says
Mmmmm Maria I made it this evening with diced pork. I added some slice mushrooms and some chopped onion. I put in 125 ml of water, and I didn't need it because the mushrooms produced enugh liquid. I boiled off the excess, and thickened with cornflour.
Served it with home made flour tortillas, absolutely delicious and will definitely be one of our frequent makes now. I can imagine using the Baharat seasoning on leftover roast chicken and serving that like fajitas too
I've had that Baharat seasoning in my spice cupboard for a very long time, and I's so happy that you suggested a recipe for it.,
Thank you xxxxx
Jenny Webster says
This is absolutely delicious and so quick and easy to make. A feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.. We had it last night for supper. Served it with a little wild rice and salad - perfect! I’m going to enjoy experimentIng with this as it seems to be a very versatile dish.
Lesley Walton says
Made it exactly to the recipe and it was bloody gorgeous. My son had it with plain boiled rice and I had it with salad. Will definitely make it again and soon
Jo says
Really nice, super easy, served as part of a summery lunch with cous cous salad and roasted veg. Even without water there was some sauce produced and tasted great. I used the spice mix in the recipe link (and to be honest didn’t even roast and grind whole spices just used the powdered versions which I had in the cupboard) and was still great.
Maddie says
Just made this for the second time and it was even better! Added couscous to the cooking liquid in the pot after removing the chicken rather than reducing it down for sauce and then left it on keep warm for five minutes and it made the easiest side dish in the world. Served it with broccoli and Greek yoghurt spiked with lemon and garlic. Rapidly becoming a family favourite.
Wendy says
Wow wow wow! I made this tonight exactly as per the recipe. Nervous about no water, but it works perfectly with the lemon, and all the juice from the thighs gives a good amount of liquid for cooking and then sauce! So many compliments from my OH, I will definitely be making this again, the flavour is amazing 😋 So little effort and ingredients for such a tasty dish, absolute staple for me now. Had it with rice, mushrooms and wraps, yum! 😋
Michele Hawdon says
Stunning. Was very nervous making this but I had faith in Maria and wow wow wow. It's gone in the keeping it recipe book.
Thanks Maria
Maria says
This makes me so happy Michele, thanks so much for your feedback
Cathy Mc says
I have some chicken thighs taken out of the freezer and taken to many out! So I have marinated them in the first part of the recipe, in fridge until tomorrow.
Also going to add 1/2 courgette. Handful of mushrooms, 1 shall red onion.
Love this recipe. Family favourite, so easy and quick to make and so tasty. Thanks Maria.
Also I now have your page with all your lovely handy recipes on my HomePage on my phone
There is always a lovely recipe to try.🤭
Maria says
That's so lovely Cathy, thank you! It's great for using up vegetables, isn't it? Mushrooms and onions are definitely one of my favourite additions
Mary says
This was fantastic with green bell pepper, onions and mushrooms. Served over harissa rice... So yummy!!
Esther says
Thank you very much for this recipe! This kind of delicious and easy dishes is exactly what I was after when I bought my Instant Pot! No sauté, everything in, minimum effort and full of flavour - what a great recipe!
It is a favourite of us and it works well with other seasonings (e.g., Has-el-ranut, herbs and lemon) and it always works - so easy and tasty! I usually follow the suggestion of another person here to make couscous with the remaining liquid and automatically there is a full meal on the table - win win!
Anne-Mette says
This recipe is a favourite of ours. It us so very easy and deep delicious flavour.
We don't like cilantro/coriander, so I use parsley. I use the finely chopped stalks in the chicken. The leaves I use for a homemade labneh, to go with the chicken.
Next time I make it I will try adding some onion, as you suggest!
Maria says
Parsley instead of coriander is a brilliant idea Anne-Mette, lovely to hear from you, Maria