My two favorite things, together at last!
Anyone who reads this site regularly knows there are two things that I absolutely love. The first is my new Instant Pot. I’ve only had it about a year, but I’ve already used it to make shredded chicken, beef stew, steamed artichokes, and a bunch of pasta dishes – and the list just keeps growing.
The other thing I really love is honey garlic sauce. I use it for meatballs, cocktail weenies, shrimp lo mein…even carrots. No matter what you put it on, it’s delicious.
So it was only a matter of time before I decided to put these two wonderful things together. And sure enough, wonderful plus wonderful adds up to REALLY wonderful. This Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is a Chinese-style dish bursting with honey-garlic flavor. And because you make it in the Instant Pot, it’s also really quick to make.
Step one, mix up the sauce, pour it over the meat, and cook for 20 minutes. Step two, take out the meat and thicken the sauce. And step three, cut up the meat and toss it with the sauce. Boom, done. Served over rice with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and green onions, it’s a super-flavorful Chinese meal that takes less time than ordering takeout.
INSTANT POT HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN
Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Sesame seeds & green onion for topping
Rice for serving
Directions:
1. Start by placing your chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, and garlic. Pour the mixture over chicken and put your Instant Pot Lid on and set to seal.
3. Cook on the Meat setting (or on HIGH pressure for non IP) for 15 minutes and then quick release once the 15 minutes is up. Remove chicken from pot, leave the sauce in the pot.
4. Dissolve 3 teaspoons of cornstarch in 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl and pour into your Instant Pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Push the Saute button and cook sauce for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
5. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve over rice.
STORAGE TIPS
SERVE: You can keep the chicken out for about two hours before you need to cover it and place it in the refrigerator.
STORE: Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
FREEZE: Once the chicken is cooled, place it in a freezer-safe container or storage bag and freeze for 2-3 months.
DEFROST: Defrost at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
REHEAT: Warm the chicken in a 350 degree F oven for 10-20 minutes, or until heated through.
COOK’S TOOLS
- Instant Pot
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden mixing spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
RECIPE FAQs
What is honey garlic sauce made of?
The flavorful sauce is made using simple ingredients. Those ingredients include soy sauce, water, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and sriracha. The ingredients are mixed together and then poured over the chicken thighs to cook in the Instant Pot. After removing the chicken, leave the sauce in the Instant Pot and set it to saute to thicken it with a slurry. The result is a delicious sauce to pour over the chicken.
What sides to eat with chicken thighs?
For this dish, I recommend serving it with rice. You may also enjoy serving this Oven Roasted Broccoli alongside the Honey Garlic Chicken.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
HONEY GARLIC SAUCE:
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 large garlic cloves minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch divided
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sriracha
FOR SERVING AND GARNISHES:
- 6 cups cooked rice
- sesame seeds optional
- sliced green onion optional
Instructions
PREHEAT INSTANT POT:
- Heat the Instant Pot to the Saute-Normal function.
PREP AND BROWN CHICKEN:
- Season the chicken thighs lightly with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot. Once it is hot, add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Allow the chicken thighs to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the skin has started to crisp and turn golden brown. The chicken should release easily from the pan, If you have to pull, it’s not ready to flip yet.
- Flip the chicken thighs over and cook for an additional minute.
MIX HONEY GARLIC SAUCE:
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, honey, garlic, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ginger, sesame oil, and sriracha. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
PRESSURE COOK CHICKEN:
- Attach the lid and ensure the valve is in the sealing position. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook-Manual-High Pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot has finished cooking, release the steam manually by switching the valve to the “venting” position.
THICKEN HONEY GARLIC SAUCE:
- Remove the chicken thighs from the Instant Pot and turn the Instant Pot to the Saute-Normal function.
- Combine 2 teaspoons of the cooking liquid with the remaining 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to make a slurry.
- Add the slurry to the Instant Pot and whisk it in to ensure no lumps of cornstarch remain. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
TO FINISH:
- Return the chicken thighs to the Instant Pot and coat them generously with the sauce.
- Serve the chicken thighs with rice and additional sauce.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, both optional.