Name: Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup honey; 1/3 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium; see note 1); 6 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 1 1/2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce; 2 teaspoons sesame oil; 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs ( roughly 10; see note 2); 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 3-4 tablespoons water; green onion (to garnish)

By: Denise Bustard
Posted: 9/2/20 Updated: 11/17/20

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Instant Pot honey garlic chicken has a deliciously sticky sauce that can be spooned over the chicken, rice and veggies. No sautéing and simple pantry ingredients mean you can get this onto your dinner table in under 30 minutes!

I absolutely love cooking chicken thighs in the Instant Pot because they cook so quickly, and are tender and juicy each and every time. Our favorites include caprese chicken thighs as well as lemon garlic chicken thighs.

This honey garlic chicken is another favorite, and I love that both kids and adults love it! Easy to prepare and made with simple ingredients, and has the most delicious sticky sauce.

Reasons you’ll ♡ Instant Pot honey garlic chicken

no sautéing means you can get the ingredients into the Instant Pot quickly
the chicken is tender, juicy, and infused with so much flavor
the sauce is perfect for spooning over rice and veggies

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see how simple it is to throw this recipe together. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

Ingredient notes

chicken thighs- I've used boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe, but you could also use chicken breast- reduce the cook time to 8 minutes
soy sauce- I use reduced sodium soy sauce, but have also made it with regular soy sauce and it was great. If you are gluten-free, swap for tamari or coconut aminos
worcestershire sauce- is absolutely essential in this recipe as it really enhances the flavor. If you are gluten-free, be sure to check the label as some worcestershire is made with barley malt vinegar, which is not gluten-free

Making this recipe

To the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, stir together the honey, soy sauce, garlic, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce and sesame oil.
Add chicken thighs and stir to coat.
Pressure cook for 10 minutes, then do a quick pressure release: carefully turn the steam release handle from the 'sealing' position into the 'venting' position.
Stir together the cornstarch and water, then add to the pot.
Select the sauté function and simmer for 1-2 minutes, until thickened to your liking.

Quick pressure release

For this recipe, we are using a quick pressure release to prevent over cooking the chicken. What this means is that as soon as the Instant Pot has finished cooking and beeps, we will immediately release the pressure. This ensures that your chicken will be tender and juicy rather than tough and overcooked.

When doing a quick pressure release, you can use a spoon to move the steam release handle, or carefully do it yourself. Caution- never place your face, hand, or any other object over the valve when releasing steam.

If you'd like to learn more about quick versus natural pressure release, check out Instant Pot 101.

Thickening the sauce

After releasing the pressure, carefully remove the lid, then stir in a mixture of cornstarch + water (mixed into a slurry).

Select the 'sauté' button on the Instant Pot, and simmer until the sauce is thickened to your liking. This should only take 1-2 minutes; if it's still not thickened to your liking, add additional cornstarch slurry.

Meal prep

This recipe works amazingly well for meal prep and you can do it in one of two ways:

1. Cook ahead and reheat

Cook chicken according to the directions on the recipe card, and portion out into meal prep containers (we like serving with steamed broccoli and rice). Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Microwave until steaming hot, and do not reheat more than once.

Find my favorite meal prep containers here!

2. Freezer packs

You can prepare freezer to Instant Pot packs by combining all ingredients except for the cornstarch in a gallon-sized freezer bag, meal prep container, or reusable silicone bag. Squeeze out the air, then freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw completely and cook as directed in the recipe card.

Find my favorite freezer containers here!

FAQ

Can I swap the chicken thighs for chicken breasts?

Yes, adjust the cook time to 8 minutes with a quick pressure release.

Can I add vegetables to the Instant Pot?

If you want to add vegetables, it's best to add them after you've cooked the chicken through. Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to rest on a cutting board while you simmer your vegetables in the sauce until softened. You can add the cornstarch slurry at the same time as the vegetables, but you may need to increase the amount of cornstarch as the veggies will release some water as they cook.

Return the chicken, toss in the sauce, and serve.

Can I cook this in the slow cooker or the oven?

Yes! See:

What goes well with Instant Pot honey garlic chicken?

More Instant Pot chicken recipes

Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken