Herbs of Provence, honey, lemon, and lavender are my favorite flavors to combine. The sweetness of the honey is wonderfully balanced by the acidity of the lemon. All five of my children celebrate when I put this meal on the table because it is a perennial favorite. Although I use an Instant Pot, this recipe is readily modified to bake in the oven. I sincerely hope you appreciate it as much as my family does.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 45 mins |
| Additional Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 8 |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons herbes de Provence
- 6 chicken legs
- 4 chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
- 1 tablespoon lavender flowers
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Rub the herbes de Provence into the chicken legs and thighs.
- Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot) and select the Saute function. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sliced garlic. Add chicken legs and thighs to the pot and brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside. Add chicken stock to the pot and place a rack inside. Return chicken to the pot, on top of the rack. Close and lock the lid; choose high pressure and set the timer for 25 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Whisk honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme leaves, remaining oil, and lavender flowers together in a small bowl.
- Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven’s broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer’s instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Transfer chicken to the prepared baking sheet. Brush sauce liberally over the chicken; reserve remaining sauce.
- Broil chicken in the preheated oven until browned, about 2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Pour remaining sauce into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add one ladleful of liquid from the pressure cooker. Whisk in cornstarch and boil until reduced by half or thickened to your preference, stirring frequently to prevent burning, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve sauce alongside chicken.
- If you do not have a rack, you can use aluminum foil. It is also possible to just place the chicken in the liquid, but the skin will probably be even soggier (the one downfall of Instant Pot cooking).
- If you want the get even more flavor, run the lavender through a coffee grinder real quick; it helps to release more floral flavor.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 322 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 16 g |
| Cholesterol | 81 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Sodium | 304 mg |
| Sugars | 9 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I made this in a frying pan. I fried the chicken and added the chicken stock, covered and cooked for 20 minutes. Once chicken was done, I removed the chicken and then made the sauce. It was excellent! I didn’t have a lemon so I used a lime.
So delicious! Best leg and thigh meal I have ever had.
Really good! New fav added to the list. This was the first time using my new instant pot and what a great start
Delicious! Made it for Sunday dinner with white rice and garden salad. Has such an enjoyable complex flavor profile: Sweet, salty, and with hints of floral. Adding it to my regular rotation of Sunday night meals.
Dangerous, bowl-licking deliciousness! I also am no lavender fan so I have successfully subbed this recipe with any one of the following: shaved lemongrass, grated ginger, or sprinkles of thyme….. loved them all!
A little bit of work to get things timed out with the other dishes (not my strong suit), but it was really good. Wife liked it, but she also liked that she didn’t have to cook.
No lavender flower. Still tasted great