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

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

I love to bake and cook and share my kitchen experience with all of you! Remembering to come back each day can be tough, that’s why I offer a convenient newsletter every time a new recipe posts. Simply subscribe and start receiving your free daily recipes!

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Easy instant pot honey garlic chicken breasts made in a snap with only 7 ingredients and 25 minutes of cook time. It's practically begging for rice to soak up any extra sauce!

No ratings yet

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

Print It Pin It Rate It Save ItSaved!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

50 minutes mins

Calories: 303

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

Honey Garlic Sauce

• ▢ ⅓ cup soy sauce
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons minced garlic
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup honey
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon garlic salt

Chicken

• ▢ 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ ½ cup water

Thickener

• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons water

Things You’ll Need

• ▢
  immersion blender
• ▢
  Instant pot

Before You Begin

• Prep time includes the 10-15 minutes that it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure.
• 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.

Instructions

• Combine all sauce ingredients in an immersion blender and process until smooth.
  1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar, 3 Tablespoons minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
• Trim chicken breasts of fat.
  1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 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.
• Add the sauce to the pressure cooker insert and add the 1/2 cup water.
  1/2 cup water
• Place the rack inside the pressure cooker insert. Set chicken breasts on rack.
• Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes and do a quick release.
• Remove chicken breast and cut into bite sized chunks.
• Take the rack out and scrape down the sides of the insert to get any honey crystals off.
• Change the setting to “saute”. Bring the sauce to a boil.
• Make a slurry from the cornstarch and water, then whisk the slurry into the sauce. Bring back to a boil until the sauce thickens.
  1 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch, 3 Tablespoons water
• Add chicken chunks to the sauce and heat through.
• 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.

Expert Tips & FAQs

• 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 303cal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 2647mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Follow on Pinterest @AmandasCookin or tag #AmandasCookin!

The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.