Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli is a simple dinner idea with flavorful tender chicken and crisp broccoli in a savory sauce.
One of the easiest ways to make Chicken & Broccoli is in the Instant Pot. It’s a one-pot solution to get dinner on the table quickly.
The chicken takes just 4 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot. The broth that forms in the pot as the chicken cooks is then combined with a cornstarch slurry sauce to make a thick and tasty glaze for the dish.
Be sure to check out our Instant Pot guide for more great recipes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken – Breast or thigh meat, cubed
- Broccoli florets – They should be cut into bite size pieces.
- Cooking oil – For sautéing the broccoli
- Chicken Broth – Forms a sauce in the pot as the chicken cooks and then is combined with a cornstarch slurry sauce to make a thick and tasty glaze for the dish.
- Rice – Cooked rice for serving. Try this recipe for cooking rice in the Instant Pot.
- Sauce Ingredients – Soy sauce, chili oil, hoisin sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, sesame oil, Chinese cooking wine, and corn starch.
- Optional toppings – Red chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, and green onions.
How to Make Chicken & Broccoli in the Instant Pot
Start by cutting the chicken and broccoli into small pieces. They should be around the same size, which makes eating it more enjoyable. Large pieces of broccoli aren’t as fun to eat.
Mix up the sauce. Add 1 tbsp of the sauce to the chicken and set it aside to marinate for a few minutes while you cook the broccoli.
I use the saute mode on the Instant Pot to cook the broccoli for 5 minutes. Just add cooking oil to the pot, pour in the broccoli florets and let them sizzle, stirring occasionally.
Once they’re done, remove them to a bowl and set aside. Turn off the Instant Pot. As the chicken cooks, the broccoli will continue to steam so they’ll be the perfect tenderness.
Just a quick note about the broccoli. You don’t want to cook the broccoli under pressure. It cooks so quickly that even setting the Instant Pot to zero minutes is too much and will leave them mushy and overcooked.
If you’re using store-bought broccoli in a steamer bag, go ahead and steam the broccoli instead of sauteing, if you want.
Next, add the chicken and the chicken broth to the pot. Close the lid and set the vent to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. Do a manual pressure release when done.
Add the broccoli back to the pot and turn on Saute mode again. Add the cornstarch to the remaining sauce you mixed up earlier and pour it into the pot. As it heats up, the sauce will start to bubble and thicken.
Let it bubble for about 3 minutes. Serve the chicken and broccoli with rice, cauliflower rice, or over noodles.
» If you like this recipe you should also try this Beef & Broccoli Noodles.
Additional Tips
You can use frozen diced chicken, if you want. Set the cook time to 5 minutes, if you do. Of course, you won’t be able to add the sauce to the chicken to marinate, so just add the sauce to the broth instead.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for a day or two. The broccoli really loses it’s luster after that and will be less appealing to eat.
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Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound chicken breast or thigh cubed
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup cooked rice
For the sauce
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon chili oil (like Lee Kum Chiu Chow Chili Oil)
- 1 tablespoon hoisin
- 1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine (like Mirin)
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
Optional
- red chili flakes
- toasted sesame seeds
- green onion, sliced
Instructions
- Cut the chicken and broccoli into bite sized pieces.
- Mix the sauce ingredients, except the cornstarch, in a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp of the sauce to the chicken. Stir to coat and set aside to marinate.
- Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the cooking oil. When hot, add the broccoli and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the pot. Cancel saute mode.
- Add the chicken to the Instant Pot, along with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Lock the lid and turn the vent to sealing.. Using the pressure cook button, set the Instant Pot to 4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the cornstarch to the remaining sauce and stir it until smooth.
- When the time is up, do a manual release of pressure and remove the lid.
- Press saute mode again and add the broccoli back to the pot.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli. Stir well and allow the sauce to thicken for about 3 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot. Serve over rice, if desired.
Equipment Needed
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes and currently has a cookbook in development.
I love cooking with the instant pot! And chicken and broccoli are two things my family agrees on, so this recipe was perfect for us! Easy enough to make, and so yummy.
Chicken & Broccoli is one of my fav Chinese takeout recipes, and this one is so easy it’s our new family favorite! Make it, you’ll love it!
Such a lovely family dinner option. I love this! Love the flavors of the sauce and added veggies. I must make this. Thanks!
I’m loving the sound of that sauce. So much flavor!
This was the perfect family meal! So easy and so much flavor. Will definitely make again!