Blueberry Chicken Thighs In The Instant Pot
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Blueberry glazed chicken thighs – Without BBQ sauce, I never made chicken that tasted so delicious – both savory and sweet!
Blueberry chicken in the Instant Pot
Who doesn’t love a delicious meal? And if blueberries are in season, what could be better than juicy blueberry glazed chicken?!
This blueberry chicken recipe is sweet and tangy and will be a hit with your family. This chicken recipe features fresh berries and can be served with a fruit salad or veggies like a side of green beans.
This recipe is one of my favorites. I love how the blueberry glaze has a nice strong flavor without being too overwhelming. This meal is sure to please your family on any occasion – even when they’re not expecting it.
And it’s such a simple recipe – a magical meal in minutes,thanks to the Instant Pot!
What is blueberry chicken?
The blueberry glaze chicken contains seasoned chicken, blueberry glaze mixture, and aromatic seasonings from your pantry.
The blueberries add a sweet, tangy flavor, while the chicken provides healthy proteins for a satisfying dinner, lunch, or brunch. Once you take a bite of this tender, juicy chicken, you won’t stop eating ’til it’s finished!
How do you make blueberry chicken in the Instant Pot?
The first step is to prepare delicious blueberry sauce made from fresh blueberries or frozen, granulated sugar, and water.
The next thing is to season the chicken thighs with all-purpose seasoning salt. Then, combine the homemade blueberry syrup, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, red pepper, and black pepper to prepare a glaze mixture. Lastly, add the seasoned chicken and glaze mixture to the Instant Pot!
The sauce is made from scratch by cooking down the fresh blueberries until they have released their juices, which gives it a sweet tang that compliments the savory flavors of the juicy meat.
If berries are not in season, you can still prepare this blueberry chicken recipe using frozen blueberries.
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you!
It’s a family favorite. So delicious, and it has just the right amount of sweetness from the blueberry glaze.
Looks like your mouth is watering already!!
So what are you waiting for? Let me show you how to make blueberry-glazed chicken!
If you double this recipe, do you double the liquid?
Blueberry glazed chicken is so good; you might want to double or triple the recipe! Which is easy to do with the dynamic recipe card below.
Yes, for this recipe, doubling the recipe will require doubling the blueberry syrup.
You can use the dynamic recipe card below to adjust the serving size for the proportionate amount of ingredients for making more or less of this chicken!
It’s time to get cooking! Below you’ll find detailed instructions on preparing the simple blueberry sauce from scratch and then how to cook this dish, and the tools needed.
Kitchen equipment
- Instant Pot pressure cooker
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Instant Pot Duo | Courtly Check glass canister | Courtly Check glass cutting board | Tfal stainless steel pot | Pyrex measuring cup | Target small spatula | Courtly Check 13″ serving dish | Courtly Check stockpot |
Ingredients for the blueberry simple-syrup
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of blueberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions: blueberry simple-syrup sauce in the Instant Pot
- Remove the Instant Pot lid and turn on the sauté setting for 20 minutes. (Although you will not use all of this time. I like to put on the extra time for the few minutes it takes for the sauté to become active.)
- Add the granulated sugar, water, and blueberries into the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
- Sauté with the Instant Pot lid off. (Use medium-high heat if using the stovetop.)
- When the mixture comes to a boil, cancel the sauté setting and change to the ‘keep warm’ setting.
- Wisk the mixture for a minute or two until the sugar melts.
- Using oven mitts, remove the stainless-steel inner pot from the Instant Pot. (Caution: the pot will be hot!)
- Let the mixture sit in the inner pot for about 10 minutes to cool.
- Strain or scoop out the blueberry pieces and pour the mixture into a mason jar with a lid. (You may choose to reserve the blueberry pieces to garnish the cooked chicken later).
- Keep the blueberry simple syrup refrigerated until ready to use.
Ingredients for the blueberry glazed chicken
- 1 ½ cup of blueberry simple-syrup (recipe above)
- 2 pounds of thawed chicken thighs
- ¼ cup of honey
- ¼ cup of ketchup
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of all-purpose seasoning salt
Instructions: blueberry glazed chicken in the Instant Pot
- Combine the blueberry syrup, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, red pepper, and black pepper. Combine in a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir to mix thoroughly.
- The ketchup will turn the sauce from blue to red.
- Season the chicken thighs with the seasoning salt.
- Place the seasoned chicken in the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
- Pour the chicken glaze mixture over the chicken thighs in the inner pot.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 4 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Serve blueberry glazed chicken right away, and enjoy!
Could you use blueberry jam?
The idea of substituting blueberry sauce with jam in this chicken recipe may seem odd.
Blueberries are a very popular fruit that people enjoy for their lightly sweet taste.
The only issue is that they are seasonal, so you cannot always find them year-round at your grocery store.
But you can solve this by substituting blueberry jam, blueberry preserve, or blueberry balsamic instead as an alternative ingredient. And, it actually saves you some cooking time!
Can you use frozen blueberries?
You can go with frozen blueberries to prepare the blueberry sauce. Frozen blueberries are just as good as fresh ones, so you can use them in any recipe that calls for blueberries!
The frozen blueberries won’t affect the dish other than possibly making it a little sweeter!
How long do you cook blueberry chicken in an Instant Pot?
It’s recommended to cook this blueberry chicken on high pressure for 8-10 minutes in an Instant Pot.
Why chicken breast for this recipe?
Chicken breasts are a great alternative to chicken thighs, especially if you’re looking for leaner meat. They also tend to cook faster than other parts of the chicken, especially if you’re not using an Instant Pot.
So your blueberry-glazed chicken breasts will be on your table in no time!
Blueberry chicken salad
Chopped skinless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets would also be great as grilled chicken marinated in homemade blueberry syrup and tossed in a delicious crispy salad. And dress with a vinaigrette.
Whether you’re cooking them for dinner or just adding them to your favorite recipe for an extra punch of flavor, chicken breasts are sure to please.
Should you brine the chicken?
Brining is a cooking process that involves submerging meat in a salt and water solution. Brining is often used as a way to infuse flavor into meats and vegetables. The most common brine ingredients are sugar, salt, spices, herbs, and vinegar.
It’s always a help and not a hinder to brine your chicken first!
What are the benefits of cooking chicken in an Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot pressure-cooking function locks in the steam produced by liquid (liquid excreted from the chicken), building pressure and forcing steam back into the meat.
The result is tender, juicy chicken, like using a brine!
Brining chicken before cooking will help make it moist and flavorful while sealing in juices. The meat stays juicy even after being cooked. So, considering the process has so many advantages, yes!
How long can you store this recipe?
Store blueberry chicken in an airtight container for no more than 3-5 days in the fridge.
Because this recipe includes a fruit-infused topping. It may not last as long in the refrigerator as other traditional chicken recipes.
What should you serve as a side dish with blueberry glazed chicken?
Blueberry chicken goes well with rice and vegetables such as green beans.
You could even garnish this chicken recipe with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped red onion, or a sprinkle of chopped almonds, goat cheese, feta cheese, or rosemary.
Make it a meal!
Can you use different berries for these recipes?
Yes! Absolutely! Like blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, or pomegranate arils.
Why not experiment to see what you like best?!
What did you think about this recipe?
Blueberry contains antioxidants that protect cells from free radical damage that could lead to health problems. This dish combines the rich and tangy flavors of blueberries with chicken, which provides protein, making this dish a delicious meal for any occasion.
Brining is a cooking process that involves submerging meat in a salt and water solution. Brining is often used as a way to infuse flavor into the chicken. Other common brines are sugar or vinegar solutions.
This recipe uses a blueberry chicken marinade – a sweet blueberry brine combined with the Instant Pot for the ultimate infusion of fruit flavor. As a result, you get tender, juicy, and delicious chicken – sweet and savory with every bite!
Want my secrets to immediate kitchen confidence?
Start with this Instant Pot cooking times guide here!
Cooking times are rarely discussed in the meal planning niche, yet there’s so much angst at dinner time around how long it will take to cook a delicious meal!
Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of sharing how easy Instant Pot cooking is. How you can make magical meals in minutes – without the pre-steps of meal planning and no meal freezing even needed!
Start HERE! –> Print my helpful Instant Pot cooking times chart to always know how long to let meats, seafood, vegetables, eggs, rice, grains, and beans pressure cook in the Instant Pot.
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More Black folks’ classic chicken recipes to make:
This recipe appeared first on ShaundaNecole.com on June 19, 2020.
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Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
Ingredients For The Blueberry Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar granulated
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup blueberries fresh
Ingredients For The Blueberry Glazed Chicken
- 1 ½ cups syrup blueberry (recipe below)
- 2 pounds chicken thighs thawed
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt to taste
Instructions
Instructions For The Blueberry Simple-Syrup
- Remove the Instant Pot lid and turn on the sauté setting for 20 minutes. (Although you will not use all of this time. I like to put on the extra time for the few minutes it takes for the sauté to become active.)
- Add the granulated sugar, water, and blueberries into the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
- Sauté with the Instant Pot lid off. (Use medium-high heat if using the stovetop.)
- When the mixture comes to a boil, cancel the sauté setting and change to the ‘keep warm’ setting.
- Wisk the mixture for a minute or two until the sugar melts.
- Using oven mitts, remove the stainless-steel inner pot from the Instant Pot. (Caution: the pot will be hot!)
- Let the mixture sit in the inner pot for about 10 minutes to cool.
- Strain or scoop out the blueberry pieces and pour the mixture into a mason jar with a lid. (You may choose to reserve the blueberry pieces to garnish the cooked chicken later).
- Keep the blueberry simple syrup refrigerated until ready to use.
Instructions For The Blueberry Glazed Chicken
- Combine the blueberry syrup, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, red pepper, and black pepper. Combine in a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir to mix thoroughly.
- The ketchup will turn the sauce from blue to red.
- Season the chicken thighs with the seasoning salt.
- Place the seasoned chicken in the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
- Pour the chicken glaze mixture over the chicken thighs in the inner pot.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 4 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Serve blueberry glazed chicken right away, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Indeed a mouthwatering recipe!
So glad you love it!