Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps
User Reviews
3.6
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
35 mins
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Servings
4
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer
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Cuisine
Asian
Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Description
The Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe features bite-sized chicken breast cubes coated in cornstarch for a light crispness, seared in canola oil, and cooked under pressure in a sauce of orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chile-garlic sauce, and orange zest. The pressure cooking tenderizes the chicken while concentrating the bright, slightly sweet and spicy sauce. After cooking, the sauce is thickened with additional cornstarch slurry and stirred back into the pot to coat the chicken fully.
The dish's appeal lies in assembling wraps using fresh lettuce leaves filled with the sauced chicken, served alongside cooked white rice and a variety of crunchy, fresh vegetables and herbs such as carrot, cucumber, water chestnuts, and Thai basil. This combination offers a contrast of warm chicken and cool, crisp vegetables with herbal brightness. The inclusion of extra chile-garlic sauce and lime wedges provides options to customize heat and acidity at the table, enhancing the overall balance.
For serving, place the chicken, rice, and garnishes separately to allow everyone to build their own wraps. The fresh bibb lettuce (or butter or romaine) acts as a tender, mild vessel to hold the flavorful filling. This arrangement also makes the dish interactive and adaptable to different tastes. Leftovers can be reheated gently with extra sauce to maintain moisture, and the fresh garnishes add texture on serving.
Ingredients
For the orange chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken breast cut into 2-inch cubes, boneless skinless
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil Asian
- 1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce
- 1 cup orange juice fresh
- 1 tablespoon orange zest grated
- salt Kosher salt and freshly ground
- black pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground
For serving:
- 1 bibb lettuce or butter, leafy green, or romaine lettuce leaves; 2 small heads
- white rice cooked
- cucumber thinly sliced
- carrot
- red bell pepper
- water chestnuts
- Thai basil fresh herbs
- cilantro
- mint
- watercress
Instructions
- Toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch in a bowl to coat evenly.
- Select Sauté on the Instant Pot or pressure cooker and warm the canola oil. Cook the chicken in batches, turning as every minute or so so the chicken doesn't stick to the pan, until all sides are golden brown, about 5-6 minutes for each batch.
- Add the water, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, chile-garlic sauce, and ½ cup of the orange juice and stir to mix well.
- Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to Sealing. Press the keep Warm/Cancel button to reset the program, then press the Poultry button and set the cook time for 7 minutes at high pressure.
- Let the steam release naturally for about 10 minutes, then turn the valve to Venting to release any residual steam.
- Carefully remove the lid and transfer about ¼ cup of the sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to the bowl and stir to dissolve. Return the mixture to the pot and stir well.
- Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button to reset the program, then press the Sauté button ad cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining ½ cup orange juice and the orange zest and season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large serving platter with the sliced garnishes and herbs, and serve aside the cooked rice, green onion, and sauce. Scoop the chicken, rice and garnishes into the lettuce leaves and and serve.
Notes
- Prepare the chicken pieces to uniform size for even cooking and browning.
- The sauce can be adjusted for sweetness or heat by varying brown sugar and chile-garlic sauce quantities.
- Serve immediately after cooking to keep lettuce wraps crisp and chicken juicy.
- Extra orange zest can be added to the sauce for more intense citrus aroma if desired.
- Leftover sauce thickens when refrigerated; rewarm gently with small amounts of water to restore consistency.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
3.6
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