Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Lemongrass + Coconut Chicken

And now, by popular demand, I’m converting an old fave, Slow Cooker Lemongrass Coconut Chicken, into a quick and easy 30 minute meal: Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Lemongrass + Coconut Chicken!

I’m currently on a mission to transform all my slow cooker recipes into pressure cooker ones—mostly ’cause the Instant Pot rocks my socks off. I know I sound like a broken record, but an electric pressure cooker is a life-changing kitchen appliance. Whenever I come home with no plan for supper (a regrettably frequent occurrence at Chez Nom Nom Paleo), I know I can toss a few ingredients into the Instant Pot and dinner will magically cook itself while I hang out with the kids or take a much-needed shower.

This Thai-inspired chicken stew is packed with my favorite flavors and it pairs perfectly with cauliflower rice and stir-fried bok choy. You’ll be amazed how just a little effort yields so much lip-smacking umami.

Time to make Instant Pot Lemongrass and Coconut Chicken!

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

• 1 thick stalk fresh lemongrass, papery outer skins and rough bottom removed, trimmed to the bottom 5 inches
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon five spice powder
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (+¼ cup optional)
• 10 drumsticks, skin removed (or 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ghee or coconut oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice from 1 lime (optional)

Equipment:

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Meat pounder
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Blender or food processor
• Large bowl
• Instant Pot or other pressure cooker

Method:

Peel, trim, and smash the piece of lemongrass. (If you need to read up on cooking with lemongrass, check out this tutorial.)

Combine the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, coconut aminos, and five-spice powder into a blender or food processor.

(Note: a powerful blender or food processor is your best friend when it comes to prepping sauces and marinades.)

Pour in the coconut milk…

…and blitz until a smooth sauce forms.

If you haven’t ripped off the skin from the drumsticks, grab a paper towel and go to town. (You can leave the skin on if you’re feeling particularly lazy, but it’ll get kinda rubbery in the stew.)

Put the chicken drumsticks into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the chicken parts with the salt and pepper.

Plug in your Instant Pot and press the “Saute” button to heat up the insert. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, crank your burner to medium.)

Drop in a teaspoon of ghee or coconut oil. When it melts, add the sliced onions.

Stir-fry the onions until they’re translucent (3-5 minutes).

Add the drumsticks to the pot and pour the marinade on top.

Press the “Cancel/Warm” button on the Instant Pot and lock the lid with the top dial pointed towards the sealed position.

Press the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” button and set it to cook for 15 minutes under high pressure. Decrease the cooking time to 10 minutes if you’re using boneless, skinless thighs.

(If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, lock the lid and increase the heat to high to bring the contents to high pressure. Once high pressure is reached, decrease the heat to low or enough to maintain high pressure. Set a timer for 15 minutes as your chicken cooks under high pressure.)

When the stew finishes cooking, turn off the pressure heater (or turn off the heat) and release the pressure valve. Once the pressure drops, unlock the lid and taste for seasoning.

If needed, add a few splashes of fish sauce, a dash of salt, or a grind or two of black pepper.

Update: If you don’t mind dirtying your blender again, my pal Ben gave me a great tip on how to get an extra creamy sauce at the end. When the stew is done cooking, remove the chicken and put the sauce and onions into a blender. Puree the sauce, and add ¼ cup more of coconut milk into the blender at the final moment. Put the sauce and chicken back into the cooker and keep warm.

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Dig in!

Pro tip: You can make Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Lemongrass + Coconut Chicken ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for a few months. When you’re ready to eat, simply re-heat the stew in a pot on the stove until it’s bubbly, and garnish with fresh herbs.

Hungry for more pressure cooker recipes? Check out My Top Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Recipes!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).

PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Instant Pot Lemongrass and Coconut Chicken

4.93 from 13 votes

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Author Michelle Tam

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And now, by popular demand, I’m converting an old fave, Slow Cooker Lemongrass Coconut Chicken, into a quick and easy 30 minute meal: Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Lemongrass + Coconut Chicken!

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 thick stalk fresh lemongrass papery outer skins and rough bottom removed, trimmed to the bottom 5 inches
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
• ▢ 1 thumb-size piece of ginger peeled and roughly chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce
• ▢ 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
• ▢ 1 teaspoon five spice powder
• ▢ 1 cup full-fat coconut milk +¼ cup optional
• ▢ 10 drumsticks skin removed (or 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ghee or coconut oil
• ▢ 1 large onion peeled and thinly sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• ▢ Juice from 1 lime optional

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Instructions 

• Peel, trim, and smash the piece of lemongrass. (If you need to read up on cooking with lemongrass, check out this tutorial.)
• Combine the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, coconut aminos, and five-spice powder into a blender or food processor. Pour in the coconut milk and blitz until a smooth sauce forms.
• If you haven’t ripped off the skin from the drumsticks, grab a paper towel and go to town. (You can leave the skin on if you’re feeling particularly lazy, but it’ll get kinda rubbery in the stew.)
• Put the chicken drumsticks into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken parts with the salt and pepper.
• Plug in your Instant Pot and press the “Saute” button to heat up the insert. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, crank your burner to medium.)
• Drop in a teaspoon of ghee or coconut oil. When it melts, add the sliced onions. Stir-fry the onions until they’re translucent (3-5 minutes).
• Add the drumsticks to the pot and pour the marinade on top. Press the “Cancel/Warm” button on the Instant Pot and lock the lid with the top dial pointed towards the sealed position.
• Press the “Manual” or "Pressure Cook" button and set it to cook for 15 minutes under high pressure. Decrease the cooking time to 10 minutes if you're using boneless, skinless thighs. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, lock the lid and increase the heat to high to bring the contents to high pressure. Once high pressure is reached, decrease the heat to low or enough to maintain high pressure. Set a timer for 15 minutes as your chicken cooks under high pressure.)
• When the stew finishes cooking, turn off the pressure heater (or turn off the heat) and release the pressure valve. Once the pressure drops, unlock the lid and taste for seasoning.
• If needed, add a few splashes of fish sauce, a dash of salt, or a grind or two of black pepper. Plate and serve!

Notes

• You can use 2 pounds of boneless, skinless thighs in place of the drumsticks. Simply change the cooking time to 10 minutes under high pressure.
• If you don’t mind dirtying your blender again, my pal Ben gave me a great tip on how to get an extra creamy sauce at the end. When the stew is done cooking, remove the chicken and put the sauce and onions into a blender. Puree the sauce, and add ¼ cup more of coconut milk into the blender at the final moment. Put the sauce and chicken back into the cooker and keep warm.
• Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Dig in!
• Pro tip: You can make this dish ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for a few months. When you’re ready to eat, simply re-heat the stew in a pot on the stove until it’s bubbly, and garnish with fresh herbs.

Nutrition

Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 31g | Fiber: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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