Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

This instant pot honey garlic chicken recipe is smothered in a sticky sweet and savory soy-honey-garlic sauce that comes together easily in the pressure cooker!

Why this recipe works

We have a thing for honey garlic chicken around here, whether it’s wings, breasts, or thighs. It was only a matter of time we shared our 7 ingredient instant pot honey garlic chicken with you!

My husband has become quite the expert when it comes to the Instant Pot! He uses it for so much now, experimenting with different meats and using it after smoking certain proteins to loosen them up. There’s no such thing as dry chicken when it comes to this recipe in particular. The pressure cooker locks in the steam (therefore, juicy chicken), and there’s a preset timer that ensures it isn’t overcooked. Easy. Simple. We love it.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CHICKEN – We’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts here. They come out juicy and tender every single time. Be sure to trim excess fat from the chicken. You can either discard it or freeze it for later if you make homemade chicken stock.

SAUCE – A mixture of soy sauce, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, brown sugar, honey, and garlic salt make one heck of a magical combo in the flavor department.

THICKENER – We like to thicken our sauce up a bit by adding a simple cornstarch slurry to the mix. Like it a little looser? Feel free to skip the slurry.

How to Make Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Combine all sauce ingredients in an immersion blender and process until smooth.
2. Trim chicken breasts of fat.
3. Place chicken breasts in the sauce. If you have time, marinating the chicken for a couple of hours is best. Otherwise, remove chicken from the sauce and place it on a plate.
4. Add the sauce to the pressure cooker insert and add the 1/2 cup water.
5. Place the rack inside the pressure cooker insert. Set chicken breasts on rack.
6. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes and do a quick release.
7. Remove chicken breast and cut into bite sized chunks.
8. Take the rack out and scrape down the sides of the insert to get any honey crystals off.
9. Change the setting to “saute”. Bring the sauce to a boil.
10. Make a slurry from the cornstarch and water, then whisk the slurry into the sauce. Bring back to a boil until the sauce thickens.
11. Add chicken chunks to the sauce and heat through.
12. Remove the insert from the Instant Pot or the chicken will continue to cook, as it takes a while for the appliance to cool off.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Store cooled leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with the sauce over medium-low heat.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your Instant Pot honey garlic chicken over rice to help soak up the surrounding sauce. Optionally garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, and pair with steamed veggies on the side.

More Honey Garlic Recipes

• Honey Garlic Tofu
• Honey Garlic Shrimp
• Honey Garlic Chicken Marinade
• Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

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