Super easy and super fast, this Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is full of flavor and a family friendly dinner recipe. So much flavor with very little effort!
Time to break out the Instant Pot! If you are a fan of the pressure cooker, you also need to check out this Beef Barbacoa, Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole, or Instant Pot Ribs.
As a blogger, I have always tried to focus on recipes that aren’t overwhelming. And hopefully recipes that both the kids and the adults will love.
I love food, and love to be challenged with a recipe every once in awhile, or love to make a recipe that takes hours in the kitchen on occasion, but 95% of the recipes I make I would classify as easy. Because even though I love to cook, I’m still even looking for something to get on the table after a long, crazy day of mom-ing.
This Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is everything that I look for in a recipe – super easy, super tasty, and pretty darn fast, as well.
I based this recipe off of the Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken that I posted back in 2011. So if you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can always make that one. But really, you need a pressure cooker. Even if it’s only because you need to make this pressure cooker chicken recipe repeatedly.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Only 5 ingredients. 7 if you count the rice and the basil on top. And I have all of those ingredients on hand all the time, except maybe the chicken thighs. But I’d gladly stock up my freezer just so that I can make this recipe when the craving hits.
- Dinner is served in less than 30 minutes, and almost all of that time is not hands on time. I have time to clean up all of my messes while the chicken is cooking, so clean up after dinner is even a breeze.
- There is so much flavor. This is truly proof that simple is just so much better sometimes.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken (video)
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Instant Pot Cashew Chicken
Chicken Tostadas
Garlic Paprika Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
Cast Iron Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Thirteen Spice Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creme Fraiche
Cheesy Ranch Chicken with Potatoes
Chicken Tostadas with Poblano Cream Sauce
Skillet Chicken with Garlic and Herbs
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Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Super easy and super fast, this Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is full of flavor and a family friendly dinner recipe. So much flavor with very little effort!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Fresh basil, shredded, for topping
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce, ketchup, honey and garlic in your pressure cooker. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Lock the lid in place and select high pressure for 9 minutes.
- When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Use the quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Remove the chicken to a plate, keeping the liquid in the pot. Select simmer/saute and bring the liquid to a boil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the water. Whisk the slurry into the liquid and continue to cook until the liquid thickens. Once it has reached your desired thickness, add the chicken back to the pot and carefully stir to coat the chicken.
- Serve the chicken over rice with the sauce. Top with fresh basil.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 614
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 1528 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 56 g
- Cholesterol: 184 mg
Keywords: honey garlic chicken, pressure cooker chicken recipes, pressure cooker chicken, instant pot honey garlic chicken
Diana says
I made this with mashed potatoes and this recipe was a hit in our family. My two picky toddlers loved it and after they said they had enough I gave each a cookie. Halfway finishing their cookies, they gave them back to me and said they want more “potatoes with chicken sauce” ! Thank you for this recipe. I must admit, I licked the plate clean from the sauce… Don’t tell anyone!
★★★★★
Diana says
Also I was a bit sceptical about how the taste would be judging by how simple the ingredients were. But, boy, did the taste prove me wrong! Anyone reading this should try this recipe, I regret I haven’t found this one sooner!
★★★★★
Deborah says
I’m so glad that you and your family loved it!!
Elle says
Awesome and easy! I didn’t have ketchup, so I substituted a no sugar added BBQ sauce and it was amazing!
★★★★★
Elle says
Almost forgot…I used Mrs. Braggs Amino Acid sauce (regular soy sauce) so I upped the water for the sauce to 2/3 cup.
Sabrina says
It was one of those friday nights where the day had gotten away from me and I quickly fumbled around on googlentrying to find a quick meal I could throw together with out having to try and squeeze in a trip to the store. Then this recipe pops up! Let me just say MY FAMILY LOVED IT!! I was so skeptical because they are so picky, but they really loved it. Every plate was clean! I paired it with some steamed broccoli. I am definitely passing this recipe on to the other busy mothers I know. We are always looking for meals that won’t require alot of time once we come home from work. And to be able to just pull all of the ingredients out of my cupboards was just gods sent. Thanks to the pressure cooker I didnt even have tonwait for my meat to be thawed out. I put the frozen meat in the sauce and put it on for 11min and it was reasy to go! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
★★★★★
Steve says
I have a stove top pressure cooker and unfortunately, I burned the dish cooking at high pressure for 9 minutes. First off, we loved the taste and ease of preparation of your recipe. However, I was concerned before turning on my pressure cooker that given the lack of liquid, that burning would occur. Any suggestions?
★★★★
Beverly says
Perfect! This chicken dish was right on point. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks for savi g me last night. I was hot and tired after a long day.
★★★★★
suzi p says
This is so easy. I extended the cooking time in order to make the chicken fall off the bone. Used bone-in thighs with skin and worked out well.
★★★★★
Jenny says
My whole family loves this recipe!!! It’s simple and delicious!
★★★★★
Brooke says
I used frozen solid thighs, so bumped cook time to 15 minutes with 5 minute natural release. I also did pot in pot to do the rice at the same time, super easy! And because sauce is my favorite food, I added more of the sauce ingredients.
It is almost a sweet and sour flavor? Not sure how to describe it, other than delicious!
★★★★★
Cathy dadgue says
I made this and my husband, who is a picky eater, actually raved about it.
I did chamge a couple of things. I didnt have enough Soy Sauce so I used half soy sauce and half garlic teryaki glaze. At the end of 6 minutes cooking, I used boneless skinless chicken breast, I added grozen stir fry veggies and cooked 2 more minutes.
It was FABULOIS!! My hubby even asked me to save the recipe.
★★★★★
Taz says
So quick and easy to make!great whnyuare in a hurry!thanks
★★★★★
Ryan Jacobson says
Made this! Super easy and kid friendly. Not for those who love very Asian foods. But add some sesame or ginger for a more authentic Asian flavor. Pretty good for a quick weeknight dinner.
★★★★
Trish says
This chicken was the bomb! (Lol) Seriously, it was quick, easy, and tasted great. My family loved it and so I saved it to Pinterest.
Greg says
Added a knob of fresh ginger to the sauce. Great meal
Jeremy Satterfield says
Made this for my family who are very picky eaters and they loved it
★★★★★
Amber says
I wish I would have seen the comment about chicken breasts needing cooked a couple minutes less but it’s still alright so we’re good😂 next time I’m gonna end up upping the amount of sauce made because we’re sauceaholics over here but besides that I’m pretty happy with it especially with how quick it is. Now my fiancé’s can still get a decently early meal after I got too busy and forgot to start the slow cooker meal😂
Terry Mayo says
This was my first use of my digital pressure cooker. Dish was amazing!!! I used breasts instead of thighs because it’s what I had. My family fought over leftovers. Thanks for a delicious recipe that christened my new cooker magnificently.
★★★★★
Deborah says
Yay! You’re going to love your pressure cooker!
Michelle Horning says
This is bloody amazing! Have tried it twice now. It’s a great weeknight meal to whip up after work. And it’s great comfort food for winter too. It cost approximately $20 to make if you have to buy all the ingredients but only about $10 if you already have ketchup, rice, soy etc in the pantry. This recipe makes enough for 4 people comfortably. Yum!
★★★★★
Joseph Birt says
Where does the minced garlic come into play with this recipe?
Deborah says
The garlic is mixed in on the first step with the soy sauce and ketchup.
Paula says
I was given a stove top pressure cooker 6 qt. by my daughter (she got an instspot). I want to cook some large bone in chicken breasts in this pot, but she didn’t send any of the instructions that come with the pot. I don’t know how to set the pressure, how long to cook or anything. Can you please help me?
Jenny says
Hi I’m new to this pressure cooker .just got a 10qt xl I’ll be making this dish as my first recipe using it for the first time. Hope looks as good as yours. Lol.
★★★★★
Vicki Knight says
This recipe was absolutely delicious!!! And so easy to make. Im new to my pressure cooker but this is one recipe I’ll make often. My family loved it. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Lisa Krist says
WOW, WOW, and WOW. I just Google searched and found your recipe. Publix had boneless thighs BoGo, and I had all other ingredients on-hand. I feel like I am an accomplished cook but I have never made homemade BBQ sauce and your recipe hit it out of the park. More please, and thank you!
★★★★★
Deborah says
I’m so glad that it was such a hit!!
deirdre says
hello! can i use frozen thighs? would that change the cooking time at all? thanks in advance!
V says
This was really good. My first pressure cooker recipe. Thanks! I didn’t get the sauce as thick as I imagined. Next time I might try adding more cornstarch.
★★★★
Deborah says
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Kim SUNDBERG says
New to using a pressure cooker…and I bought the Ninja that dies multiple things. First I want to say what a easy recipe. Second..I agree with someone else about the 8 minutes being plenty. My trouble was in thickening the sauce. I have more than doubled the recommended amount of cornstarch to get to a desired thickness. Since my cooker doesn’t have a simmer setting, I am using the broil in 5-10 min increments to get it where it needs to be. I also notices the sauce doesn’t seem to be as sweet as I expected. ..so I am now adding some brown sugar and honey to sweet/sticky it up. The chicken tastes really good and I will be sure to make this again.
★★★★
Jay says
Flavor is good but 9 minutes on boneless chicken was slightly dry
Try 8 minutes on instant pot
★★★★
Jason says
Great recipe! Had it for a family of four and they loved it. Light, tasty, but not overbearing with flavor. I did cook it for 2 extra minutes on high pressure because I had thighs with bones in them and they came out juicy inside and very moist. Thank you for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Patricia Wales says
I didn’t see that you answered the question about using bone-in thighs…Please answer 🙂
Thanks,
Deborah says
I haven’t personally tried it, but they should work just fine. I’d probably add about 2 minutes to the cooking time for bone in thighs.
Emmy Lou says
My dad and I made this today. We used bone in thighs and cooked them 15 minutes on high pressure. Wow. I’m one lucky bulldog.
★★★★★
Deborah says
So awesome – so glad you liked it!!
Theresa says
This recipe is DELICIOUS!!! Love the fact I had all the ingredients on hand!!!! Definitely making again!
★★★★★
Deborah says
I’m so glad that you liked it! And yes – it’s always a plus when you have all the ingredients on hand!
Kelli says
Ok, 1st of all, this recipe is as delish as it is easy!! This was my first pressure cooker recipe EVER!! And the manual that came with the cooker left much to be desired to say the least! This recipe said to set cooker to high for 9 minutes. I had to fudge my cooker a bit as it has only preset time amounts, but it turned out great. Now! I am one of those people who can’t leave a good thing alone, especially recipes. I had to use chix breasts (all I had) they were huge so I cut them in about 3 chunks each. I also quartered a large onion. The onion pretty much disintegrated in the cooking but that’s ok. I sprinkled in some ground red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. After thickening the sauce and putting the chix back in the pot I added water chestnuts, chunk pineapple and some fresh chunked green peppers and let it simmer until the pepper was crisp/tender. WOW!! Thank you, Debora for a great recipe I could put my own twist on!!
★★★★
Deborah says
I love the changes you made – sounds wonderful! And I’m so glad you are now a convert to the pressure cooker!
Andrea Pavolonis says
Can you use chicken breasts for this recipe? Does the cooking time change?
Deborah says
If you use chicken breasts, I’d probably cook for a minute or two less. Just make sure to check that they are cooked through.
Sarah Lindquist says
Can you use thighs with the bone?
Ruby says
I don’t have thighs.. Only breasts.. Can I sub them? Also, for a stove top pressure cooker, will the times be the same? Thanks for your response.
Ruby
Tara N. says
I just printed this recipe off and am making it for dinner tonight! Can’t wait! It looks so good! No fliter. 😉
Deborah says
Yay! I hope you loved it!
Carliste says
What I like best about the recipe is that you have used everyday ingredients and turned them into a gourmet dish. All of these ingredients are already present in my pantry, so I wouldn’t have to head to the store to buy anything. I will make it soon and tell you how it goes.
Deborah says
Thanks, Carliste! I hope you do make it and enjoy it!
Taya says
It was an easy to follow recipe! I used a pound and a half of chicken instead of 3 pounds and kept all the same measurements, turned out great. Great flavour, homemade honey garlic and tastes great with rice. Next time I’ll be adding mixed veggies with the rice
★★★★★