4.5 from 1,314 votes
Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
This 20-minute Instant Pot honey garlic chicken recipe is the perfect addition to your weeknight staples. Juicy boneless chicken thighs seared and pan-fried in the Instant Pot and smothered in a sticky honey garlic sauce—tastes just like Chinese takeout!
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 484 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Chinese
Ingredients
Honey Garlic Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water or chicken broth (preferred)
- 3 dashes cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Mix all the ingredients in the Honey Garlic Sauce together and stir to mix well. Make sure the honey and sugar are completely dissolved. Set aside.
- Turn on the Saute mode on your Instant Pot. As soon as the pot is heated, add 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil. Pan-sear the chicken thighs (skin side down first) until both sides turn nicely brown.
- Leave the chicken thighs in the Instant Pot, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil, and add the garlic. Saute the garlic a little bit. Pour in the sauce and cover the lid. Select Manual and set to High pressure for 10 minutes.
- When it beeps, turn to Quick Release. When the valve drops, remove the lid carefully, add the chopped parsley, and serve the Instant Pot chicken with honey garlic sauce immediately.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- After searing the chicken, use a wooden spoon to scrape all those tasty browned bits off the bottom. Aside from adding flavor to the sauce, this also prevents the Instant Pot from displaying a “Burn” error.
- The sauce in the recipe equals 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup of liquid content. This is the minimum amount of liquid for a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- For a keto honey garlic chicken version, swap out the brown sugar and honey for a sugar-free alternative like monk fruit or erythritol, and coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- If the honey soy sauce is too sweet, balance it out with a splash of rice vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice. A little bit of acid cuts through the sweetness without turning the flavor sour.
- You can easily adapt this Instant Pot chicken recipe for your oven (375°F for 30-40 minutes), slow cooker (6-8 hours on low or 3-4 on high), or stovetop (sear chicken, then simmer in sauce until tender).
Nutrition Information
Serving
1g
Calories
484kcal
(24%)
Carbohydrates
16g
(5%)
Protein
29g
(58%)
Fat
34g
(52%)
Saturated Fat
8g
(40%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
7g
Monounsaturated Fat
15g
Trans Fat
0.2g
Cholesterol
167mg
(56%)
Sodium
677mg
(28%)
Potassium
411mg
(12%)
Fiber
0.4g
(2%)
Sugar
14g
(28%)
Vitamin A
529IU
(11%)
Vitamin C
3mg
(3%)
Calcium
25mg
(3%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 484
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 484kcal | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 16g | 5% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 34g | 52% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7g | 41% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 167mg | 56% |
| Sodium | 677mg | 28% |
| Potassium | 411mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 529IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 25mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.