You know how there are one pot dishes that kinda taste like they sound? Like, you could only do so much in one pot and what you’re left with isn’t that interesting? Thankfully, this one pot dinner isn’t like that – it’s creamy, bursting with flavor and tastes like it took many, many pots to make it. This is our instant pot creamy spinach and sun-dried tomato chicken thighs.
One of the things that makes us so obsessed with our instant pot is the fact that it’s got so many different settings and functions, most important – aside from the actual act of pressure cooking – being the ability to sauté things. This saves you from having to dirty another pan, plus, you can get a perfectly even sear on any meat you’re going to throw in the instant pot to cook, meaning you get more flavor without more hassle. All that to say, we seared our chicken thighs before cooking them (for only 8 minutes!) and then made our sauce in the very same pot. Whether you decide to broil your chicken for a couple minutes is up to you, just make sure you don’t skip the sauce.
This sauce is seriously the stuff of dreams. Once your chicken cooks, you’ll set it aside and whisk your softened cream cheese and parmesan cheese into the chicken broth (that the chicken cooked in, ensuring it stays nice and juicy). This creates a creamy, cheesy backdrop for when you stir in the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. This sauce then coats the chicken perfectly and tastes amazing on its own or if you decide to serve it with noodles or rice. It’s so good and you’ve got yourself a whole meal that comes together in 20 minutes!
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato And Spinach Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature, cubed
- 3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for serving
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- spaghetti or fettuccine noodles, cooked, for serving
- Optional:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Preparation
- In a small bowl, whisk together Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Rub or sprinkle mixture over both sides of chicken thighs.
- Add olive oil to instant pot and set to sauté, then (working in batches, if needed) add chicken and brown on both sides.
- Pour chicken stock over chicken, then close lid and seal valve. Set to manually cook for 8-9 minutes, then let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before turning valve to quick release.
- Transfer chicken to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until browned.
- While chicken broils, turn instant pot to sauté again and stir in cream cheese and parmesan cheese.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth, then stir in spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, cooking until spinach is wilted and bright green.
- Optional: whisk cornstarch into water to create a slurry. Whisk into sauce to thicken, if desired.
- Serve chicken with pasta and drizzle sauce over the top. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Typical Mom