Instant Pot Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken

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Some nights you want dinner fast. You’re tired, you’re hungry, and the last thing you want is another pizza delivery. That’s when I make this Instant Pot Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken.

It’s sweet, savory, sticky, and comforting. It tastes like takeout, but it’s healthier and cheaper. Best of all, it’s ready in about 30 minutes.

If you’re new to pressure cooking, this guide is a great place to start. It walks you through how to use your Instant Pot and why it’s such a time saver.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick. Dinner on the table in half an hour.
• One pot. Less cleanup.
• Budget friendly. Pantry ingredients and chicken thighs.
• Flavor packed. Sweet honey, garlic, and soy sauce.
• Family friendly. Even picky eaters like it.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (low sodium if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (optional but recommended)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• Sesame seeds, for garnish
• Sliced green onions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Sear the chicken.
   Set your Instant Pot to sauté. Add a drizzle of oil. Brown the chicken in batches. Don’t crowd the pot. This step adds flavor, but you can skip it if you’re in a rush.
2. Mix the sauce.
   In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.
3. Cook.
   Pour the sauce over the chicken. Stir to coat. Put the lid on the Instant Pot. Set to high pressure for 5 minutes.
4. Release pressure.
   When cooking time is done, quick release the steam. Carefully remove the lid.
5. Thicken the sauce.
   Mix cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry. Stir it into the chicken and sauce. Turn on sauté mode. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.
6. Serve.
   Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.

Serving Ideas

• Over white or brown rice.
• With noodles.
• As lettuce wraps for a lighter meal.
• Add steamed broccoli, green beans, or snap peas for extra veggies.

For more ideas on balanced meals, EatingWell has a great guide here.

Storage and Reheating

• Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days.
• Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warm.
• Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.

Tips and Variations

• Use chicken breast if you like, but chicken thighs stay juicier.
• Swap honey for maple syrup if that’s what you have.
• Add extra red pepper flakes or a squirt of sriracha for more heat.
• Double the sauce if you love extra to soak into rice or noodles.

Want to cook healthier at home? The American Heart Association has tips here.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Crock Pot Ham
• Overnight Turkey

Final Thoughts

This Instant Pot Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken has become one of my weeknight go-to dinners. It’s quick, simple, and tastes like something you ordered out. But it’s better, because you made it at home.

Give it a try this week and let me know what you think.

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken

Sweet and spicy! This meal is better and healthier than any take out and probably much quicker as well. 

4.67 from 3 votes

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Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Cook Time 4 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts diced
• freshly ground pepper
• salt
• 1/2 large onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce low sodium
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less to taste
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 3 green onions chopped
• sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• Season chicken with ground pepper and salt. Select saute on your pressure cooker. Add oil, chicken, onion and garlic to the preheated pot. Stir often until onion is just softened, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add soy sauce, ketchup, red pepper flakes and sesame oil to the pot and stir to combine. Set your pressure cooker to manual high pressure for 4 minutes. When done, release the pressure with the quick release method.
• Add honey to the pot and stir to combine. In a small bowl mix cornstarch and water together to create a slurry and add to pot, stirring to combine. Turn the pot to saute and bring to a boil. The sauce must boil in order to thicken the sauce.
• Mix in green onions right before serving.
• Serve over rice and top with sesame seeds. 

Notes

Although we refer to the Instant Pot pressure cooker in this recipe, this will work with any pressure cooker.

We like to use a long grain rice in this recipe occasionally, such as Jasmine rice. To make it even healthier I will often make a batch of Easy Baked Brown Rice to use throughout the week and use that. 

Keyword instant pot, pressure cooker, sesame chicken

Tried this recipe? Let us know how it turned outMention @TwoSouthernSweeties or tag #twosouthernsweeties!