Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Get dinner on the table quickly with this Instant Pot teriyaki chicken! With a simple homemade teriyaki sauce that infuses so much flavor into the chicken, and is perfect to drizzle over veggies and rice.

While it might not be the first thing to pop into your head, the Instant Pot is great to make your favorite take out foods at home. From Instant Pot fried rice to Instant Pot honey sesame chicken, there are plenty of options!

I adapted my homemade teriyaki sauce for this recipe, and it works amazingly well to get teriyaki chicken on your table quickly. This is a kid-friendly, crowd-pleasing recipe that absolutely needs to be in your recipe rotation!

Serve it with perfect, fluffy rice and steamed broccoli for an easy weeknight dinner.

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

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this Instant Pot teriyaki chicken. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.

Ingredient notes

• chicken- we've used boneless skinless chicken breasts here, but you can easily swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs. Simply increase the cook time to 10 minutes with a quick pressure release!
• soy sauce- I use reduced sodium soy sauce in my recipes as I personally find regular to be too salty; you can swap for tamari if you want to make the teriyaki sauce gluten-free
• maple syrup- a plant-based sweetener; you can swap for brown sugar if you'd like, honey for a non-vegan option, alternative sweeteners have not been tested
• mirin- is a Japanese cooking wine that adds depth of flavor and gives the sauce a characteristic 'teriyaki' flavor; you can omit it, or swap for sake or white wine.
• cornstarch- thickens the sauce, intensifying the flavors. You can swap for half the volume of arrowroot starch for a corn-free version

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Step by step directions

1. Assemble- in the stainless steel inner pot of the Instant Pot, stir together the soy sauce, honey, water, mirin, garlic and ginger. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat in the sauce.

TIP- you can use a 6 quart Instant Pot or an 8 quart Instant Pot to cook this recipe!

2. Cook- place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. As soon as the cooking cycle has completed, perform a quick pressure release.

3. Thicken- use tongs to transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board, and select the 'sauté' function of the Instant Pot. Stir together the cornstarch and water, then add to the pot. Stir frequently, until the sauce bubbles and thickens- around 2 minutes. Use oven mitts to remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot so that the sauce doesn't over-reduce.

4. Toss & serve- cut the chicken into strips or cubes, then toss with the sauce. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli, sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

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FAQ

Meal prep & storage

Leftovers/reheat meals

1. Cool chicken, then portion out in an air tight container. For reheat meals, portion out with rice and vegetables.
2. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw completely if necessary.
4. Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot.

Freezer packs

A crock pot freezer meal is assembled ahead and frozen before cooking. This way, when it’s time to cook, you simply dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and skip any measuring. This is a great recipe to prepare for someone who is expecting a baby.

Here’s how you can turn Instant Pot teriyaki chicken into a freezer meal:

1. Assemble the boneless skinless chicken breasts plus all remaining ingredients (except for cornstarch) in a gallon-sized freezer bag, reusable silicone bag, or meal prep container.
2. Squeeze out as much air as possible.
3. Freeze flat for up to 3 months.
4. Thaw completely, then cook as directed in the recipe card.

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