If you love the sweet and savory flavors of sesame chicken but want to skip the takeout and long cooking times, the Instant Pot is your new best friend. This Instant Pot Sesame Chicken recipe delivers tender, juicy chicken coated in a sticky, flavorful sesame sauce—all made in a fraction of the time it takes to order delivery.
The Instant Pot is a versatile kitchen gadget that combines pressure cooking, sautéing, and slow cooking in one appliance. For dishes like sesame chicken, it means you can quickly cook the chicken to tender perfection without drying it out. Plus, the sauté function lets you thicken the sauce right in the same pot, minimizing cleanup.
Helpful Tips
- Veggie boost: Add broccoli florets, snap peas, or bell peppers in the last 2 minutes of pressure cooking for a complete meal.
- Spicy kick: Add a teaspoon of chili garlic sauce or red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Make it gluten-free: Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
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Instant Pot Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 2 green onions sliced, for garnish
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ mode and heat the vegetable oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned but not fully cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add garlic and ginger to the pot and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in soy sauce, honey (or brown sugar), rice vinegar, and water (or broth). Stir to combine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Close the lid, set valve to sealing, and cook on ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, carefully do a quick release of the pressure.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with sesame oil to make a slurry. Set the Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ mode again and stir the slurry into the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
- Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions on top. Serve immediately over cooked rice.
Nutrition
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.