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Home Method Instant Pot Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
5
/5
25 minutes

Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Nut Free Nut Free Freezer Friendly Freezer Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard2 Comments
Posted: 8/9/21 Updated: 7/28/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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!

close up view of chicken teriyaki on white plate with broccoli and rice
Jump to... show
1 Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
2 Recipe video
3 Ingredient notes
4 Step by step directions
5 FAQ
6 Meal prep & storage
7 More Instant Pot chicken recipes
8 Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

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!

Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe

  • the homemade teriyaki sauce provides liquid to bring the Instant Pot to pressure while infusing the chicken with delicious flavor
  • we thicken the sauce with cornstarch using the sauté function while allowing the chicken breasts to rest
  • you can assemble it ahead as a freezer meal, or store leftovers for reheat meals

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

ingredients (labelled) required to make teriyaki chicken
  • 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

Step by step directions

uncooked teryaki chicken in the instant pot

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!

instant pot with 8 minutes on the timer

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.

simmering teriyaki sauce in instant pot

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.

teriyaki chicken in instant pot after cooking through

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.


FAQ

Can I use bottled teriyaki sauce?

This recipe has only been tested as written; it may be possible to use bottled teriyaki sauce, but as it is already thickened, it could potentially trigger a burn warning. If you give it a try, let us know in the comments below!

Can I cook the broccoli with the chicken?

If you want to cook the broccoli in the Instant Pot, add it after the chicken has been removed to rest; simply allow the broccoli to simmer in the sauce for 3-4 minutes before adding the cornstarch slurry.

Can I cook the rice with the chicken?

You can, however I'm still hammering out all the kinks to get perfect rice & chicken using the pot in pot method. So far I've found 6 minutes high pressure with 10 minute natural pressure release to yield *OK* results. You'll need a tall trivet and a 7 inch cake pan to hold the rice above the chicken in the Instant Pot.

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.

Favorite Meal Prep Containers

Our tried and true favorite meal prep containers and jars that will keep your food fresh, help you reheat it evenly, and withstand the test of time. No more wasting your money, these are the absolute best containers out there!

Keep reading

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.

Favorite Freezer Containers

Our top picks for the best freezer containers to help your food stay fresh and free from freezer burn! From bags to soup storage to meal prep containers and more.

The Best Freezer Containers
overhead view of teriyaki chicken on plate with rice and broccoli

More Instant Pot chicken recipes

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    Instant Pot Chicken Breast- 7 Flavors!
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    Instant Pot Whole Chicken (Fresh, Frozen)
  • closeup shot of creamy lemon chicken breasts with a lemon slice
    Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Breasts
  • close up shot of instant pot honey garlic chicken on plate
    Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

close up view of chicken teriyaki on white plate with broccoli and rice

Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Time to pressurize: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Print Rate
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.
4

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless chicken breast note 1
  • ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce note 2
  • ⅓ cup honey note 3
  • ⅓ cup water
  • ¼ cup mirin note 4
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons ginger finely grated; or ½ teaspoon powdered

After cooking

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
  • 3 tablespoons water

Instructions 

  • 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.
    uncooked teryaki chicken in the instant pot
  • 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.
    instant pot with 8 minutes on the timer
  • 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.
    simmering teriyaki sauce in instant pot
  • 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.
    teriyaki chicken in instant pot after cooking through

Tips:

1- roughly 4 large chicken breasts; swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs and increase the cook time to 1o minutes on high pressure with a quick pressure release.
2- you can use regular soy sauce, though your sauce may be saltier. Swap for tamari, coconut aminos or liquid soy seasoning for a gluten-free version
3- honey may be swapped for brown sugar or maple syrup; leave us a comment if you try a low carb sweetener!
4- mirin can occasionally be found in the Asian food aisle of the grocery store, in specialized Asian grocery stores, or online. If you can't find it, swap for dry white wine, sherry, or rice vinegar; adjust the sweetness of the sauce to taste.
Freezer packs
  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.
Storage
Cool completely after cooking. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
 

Video

Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Japanese

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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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.

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Recipe Rating




  1. Geo says

    Posted on 10/14/21 at Posted on 10/14/21

    5 stars
    Very good and tasty.

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 10/15/21 at Posted on 10/15/21

      Hi Geo, glad to hear you enjoyed this Instant POt teriyaki chicken! Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Denise

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

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