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Instant Pot Sesame Chicken

Instant Pot Sesame Chicken

The ultimate comfort food, Instant Pot Sesame Chicken is a sweet and savory delight that comes together in just minutes! This easy weeknight dinner will satisfy your cravings with tender chicken in a rich sauce that pairs beautifully with rice. Make it tonight!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cut into bite-size or 1-inch pieces
  • ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 inch ginger peeled and grated
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce or sriracha
  • ¼ cup honey or brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds to garnish
  • chopped green onion to garnish

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Method
 

  1. Add the chicken to the Instant Pot, followed by soy sauce, garlic, ginger, ketchup, and hot sauce or sriracha. Give everything a quick stir.
  2. Cover the pot with the lid, and make sure that the valve is in sealing position. Press on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK (this depends on which Instant Pot do you have), and cook on high for 3 minutes.
  3. Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure, and count down to when it beeps, quickly release the steam by turning the vent to RELEASE position and make sure that it's not close to your face as the steam will be really hot.
  4. Carefully remove the lid, and press on the SAUTE setting. Add the honey (or brown sugar), sesame oil, and make the cornstarch slurry.
  5. To make the slurry, combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add it to the sauce, and stir with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens. Switch off the saute setting.
  6. If needed, add another tablespoon of cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce more.
  7. Serve over rice, and garnish with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

  • Tip 1: It’s important to use low-sodium soy sauce in this recipe, as otherwise, your sauce might be too salty. If you only have regular soy sauce, use ¼ cup of soy sauce or tamari, and ¼ cup of water.
  • Tip 2: Nutrition values are calculated per 1 portion of sesame chicken without rice (rough estimate). If you’re following a specific diet or have a health condition, please make your own calculations and don’t rely on our data.