Easy to make Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken made with rice at the same time and is ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. This family favorite is a recipe to be requested time and time again.
This sesame chicken is tossed in a delicious honey sauce, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions, and served with a side of rice, all made in the Instant Pot.
These Honey Garlic Salmon Bites are another fast and tasty dinner option with similar flavors and just as easy to make!
Instant Pot Rice and Chicken
One of the best things about an Instant Pot is it's ability to take advantage of pot-in-pot cooking.
The chicken and the rice is made at the same time! It's time efficient and gets dinner to the table quickly and easily.
When pot-in-pot cooking, it is important to use a pressure cooker approved insert for safety. Glass can shatter and plastic can melt. Your best bet would be to use stainless steel mixing bowls that leave at least a ½" clearance on all sides or to use stainless steel inserts that are designed specifically for pressure cooking!
When pressure cooking chicken at the same time it is important as well to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. To lock in flavor and to ensure the chicken is cooked in the same time it takes for the rice, it is best to sear all sides of the chicken before adding the sauces and the insert with the rice.
RELATED: Quick Instant Pot Beef, Broccoli, & Rice
Ingredients in Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
Very basic ingredients are used to make this Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken and the results are an amazingly delicious balance of a sweet and savory sauce.
- Chicken Breast - 1 pound cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and Pepper - to season the chicken before searing
- Sweet Onion
- Garlic - minced cloves
- Soy sauce - reduced sodium
- Honey
- Ketchup
- Red pepper flakes
- Cornstarch and Water - to create a slurry for the honey sauce
RELATED: Instant Pot Garlic Sesame Beef & Rice
Instant Pot Rice
It only takes two ingredients to make fluffy delicious Instant Pot rice. When making Instant Pot rice you typically want a 1:1 ratio of rice and water. Jasmine rice comes out wonderfully in a pressure cooker but other long-grained rice work great as well!
- 2 cups jasmine rice - I like to rinse my rice as it helps prevent the rice from being gummy while pressure cooking.
- Water
How to Pressure Cook Chicken and Rice
When pressure cooking chicken you still want tender and juicy chicken and the best way to achieve it is to sear all sides of the chicken to lock in the flavor and tenderness.
The first step to making this Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken and rice is to season the bite-sized chicken pieces with salt and pepper. The Instant Pot is then set to sauté and olive oil and the minced garlic and diced onions are added.
The seasoned chicken is then added into the pot and the chicken is then seared on all sides. This next step is important because it will help prevent a burn notice from appearing on your screen.
Deglaze the bottom of the pot! To do this, scrape off any bits of food that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot before adding the other ingredients.
Next, the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, ketchup, and red pepper flakes are stirred together in a bowl and then poured over the chicken.
Now that the chicken is ready to be pressure-cooked, it is time to prepare the Instant Pot Rice. I recommend rinsing your rice before adding it into the pressure cooker approved insert to prevent gumminess of the rice. Water is then poured into the insert with the rice but not stirred!
Deglaze the bottom of the pot! To do this, scrape off any bits of food that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot before adding the other ingredients.
The insert is then lowered into the Instant Pot on top of the chicken. This is where a silicone sling really comes in handy!
The lid is then closed as well as the vent. The pressure cooker is set to 4 minutes on High Pressure with a 10 minute natural release pressure release.
Once the time is up, remove the lid and the insert of rice and fluff it with a fork. Serve with Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken with the Instant Pot Rice with a side of steamed broccoli if desired.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast - cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 sweet onion - diced
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ cup soy sauce - reduced sodium
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water - for slurry
- Toasted sesame seeds - for garnish
- Diced scallions - for garnish
Jasmine Rice
- 2 cups jasmine rice - rinsed
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE and add the olive oil and minced garlic.
- Add in the diced onions.
- Season the diced chicken with salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the inner liner and sear on all sides.
- Press CANCEL and deglaze the pot by scraping any stuck-on food off the bottom.
- In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, ketchup, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour the mixture over the chicken but don't stir.
- Add the rinsed rice to an approved Instant Pot insert.
- Lower the insert into the pot on top of the chicken with a sling.
- Pour the water of the rice and close the lid and vent.
- Set the Instant Pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK for 4 minutes.
- Allow the pot to naturally release pressure (NR) for 10 minutes before removing the lid.
- Carefully use an oven mitt to lift the sling with the rice out of the pot. Fluff with a fork.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate and set the Instant Pot to SAUTE.
- Combine the water and the cornstarch to create a slurry and add to the sauce in the pot.
- Stir to combine and press Cancel.
- Allow the sauce to thicken (add a little more slurry at a time if you want a thicker sauce).
- Toss the chicken in the sauce and served with toasted sesame seeds and diced scallions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
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