Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
Instant Pot honey garlic chicken is just 5 ingredients and a few minutes to prep but has a deep, rich, delicious flavor! You’ll want to drizzle the yummy sauce over your whole plate!
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional, adjust for heat
Optional toppings:
- Sliced green onions, chopped peanuts, chopped parsley or cilantro, extra sprinkle of red pepper flakes or even a drizzle of sriracha for a spicy kick
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. (Go easy on the salt because the soy sauce has a lot of sodium.)
- Heat the oil in the Instant Pot insert on Sauté mode. Add chicken and cook for about 4 minutes per side, until browned and they release from the bottom of the pot.
- Meanwhile, mix together the honey, soy sauce, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
- Add the sauce to the Instant Pot and turn to coat the chicken thighs. Also, be sure to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot insert so you can avoid the burn notice.
- Cover and seal the Instant Pot then set to cook at high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Once the cook time is up, allow for a natural release for 3 minutes, then switch to a quick release.
- Once the pressure has been released, open the Instant Pot. Remove and chop or shred the chicken thighs, then return to the Instant Pot and let the chicken sit in the sauce for 5-10 minutes. This really helps it soak up all the flavor.
- Serve the chicken with extra sauce drizzled over it.
Notes
Chicken: I use and recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts as well. I’ve made it that way and while it’s a tad less flavorful, it’s still really good.
Red pepper flakes: You can adjust the heat of this dish by adjusting how much red pepper flakes you use. As is, it’s a low-medium level of spicy. I use a bit less than what the recipe calls for when I’m making it for my kids and they’re fine with it.
Gluten-free: Want to make this gluten-free? Just sub some gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce.
Serving ideas:
- We love having this honey garlic chicken with steamed brown rice with a veggie side - broccoli, peas and snow peas are all great here.
- You could also keep it low-carb and serve it with cauliflower rice.
- I bet it’d also be delicious over quinoa or some rice noodles or a long, thin noodle like angel hair. Anything to sop up more of that sauce!
- You can even make honey garlic chicken stir fry or rice bowls with this chicken. (These are also great options for the leftovers.)
- Leftovers, once cooled, will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Store in an airtight container and be sure to store the chicken with the remaining sauce.
- Reheat individual servings in the microwave or reheat slowly on the stove, until warmed through.
- You can also freeze leftovers. Place in a freezer-safe bag or container - be sure to label and date it - and freeze for up to 4-5 months.
- Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat and serve.
- Bonus: The sauce helps keep the leftovers from drying out or tasting bland.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 208mg | Sodium: 1021mg | Sugar: 18g
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