Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken
User Reviews
4.5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
370 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Dinner
Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken
Description
Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken involves cooking bite-sized pieces of chicken breast in a flavorful sauce made with a mix of soy sauces, honey, brown sugar, fresh garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, and a hint of red pepper flakes for subtle heat. The chicken cooks quickly under pressure, which helps maintain its tenderness and allows the flavors to meld thoroughly. After pressure cooking, the sauce is thickened directly in the pot using a cornstarch and water mixture, resulting in a glossy coating that clings to the chicken pieces.
The final dish combines sweet, savory, and mildly spicy notes typical of General Tso's Chicken, making it suitable to serve over rice or alongside steamed vegetables. The preparation takes advantage of the Instant Pot’s convenience, while still achieving a rich sauce from scratch. Optional garnishes like sesame seeds and chopped green onions add texture and freshness.
Adjust the sweetness by reducing the honey or brown sugar if desired. The recipe suggests referencing the Instant Pot manufacturer’s guide for proper use and mentions substitutions for chicken thighs and vinegar variants. Cooking times remain consistent with the pressure and sauté settings used in the method.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast skinless and boneless, cut into bite size pieces
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh, grated
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Optional Garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. (See your manufacturer's guide for detailed instructions on how to use your instant pot.)
- Add the chicken pieces to the Instant Pot then dump the rest of the ingredients to it, excluding the cornstarch and water. Stir everything well with a spoon.
- Close the lid (follow the manufacturer's guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Set the Instant Pot to the Poultry setting and set the timer to 5 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 10 minutes. Follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release, if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.
- Switch the Instant Pot to the saute setting (do not put the lid on). Transfer the chicken to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
- In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch and water together then pour over the sauce and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot and turn off your Instant Pot by pressing the cancel button.
- Garnish the chicken with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over rice.
Notes
- Refer to your Instant Pot manufacturer's guide before starting the recipe to ensure safe usage.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breast with the same cooking time.
- Rice vinegar can be substituted with cider vinegar if needed.
- Red pepper flakes can be replaced with cayenne pepper to adjust the heat.
- Hoisin sauce gives an authentic sweet and spicy flavor; if unavailable, a mix of barbecue sauce, sriracha, and five-spice powder can be used as a shortcut.
- Reduce the honey or brown sugar to lessen the sweetness according to taste.
- Nutritional information does not include rice or serving accompaniments.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 370 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 370kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 23g | 8% |
| Protein | 50g | 100% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 145mg | 48% |
| Sodium | 1045mg | 44% |
| Potassium | 945mg | 20% |
| Sugar | 17g | 34% |
| Vitamin A | 225IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 5.2mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 51mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1.8mg | 10% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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