Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken is a quick, easy pressure cooker recipe featuring chicken thighs in a sticky-sweet homemade sauce. Serve the chicken over rice or quinoa or shred it as a sandwich filling!
If you love easy pressure cooker recipes, you'll also want to try Instant Pot Egg Roll in a Bowl, Instant Pot Chicken & Black Bean Tacos {or} Burrito Bowls, or Instant Pot King Ranch Chicken Soup.
Y'all know I love me some slow cooker meals...so much, in fact, that I wrote an entire cookbook about them. But in recent years, I've come to the conclusion that there's also room on my kitchen counter for an Instant Pot. I mostly use it when I neglect to plan ahead, forget to thaw the meat, and so on...and I'll admit that these instances happen fairly regularly in my current crazy-busy stage of life. But on such days, it's nice to know that I can still get a delicious, family-pleasing dinner like Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken on the table...even when I'm really short on time!
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken in the IP
This Teriyaki Chicken recipe is always a huge hit with my crew. And would you believe that it was actually inspired by a meal from my aforementioned cookbook!
It starts out by whisking together a simple teriyaki sauce of soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a bowl or a large measuring cup. Then arrange some chicken thighs in the bottom of your pressure cooker insert and pour in the sauce, ensuring that it gets between all of the pieces and coats them evenly.
Next, seal the lid and set to HIGH for 10 minutes. Remember that the pressure will take some time to build up before the timer starts counting down. Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure valve to release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully vent to release the remaining pressure. When the steam is fully released, open the lid, remove the cooked chicken thighs to a plate, and set the pot to the SAUTE function.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until dissolved, which will create a slurry. Once the liquid in the pot begins to bubble, pour in the slurry while briskly whisking the sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer for a minute or two, stirring occasionally until it gets nice and thick. Turn off the Instant Pot by hitting CANCEL and add the chicken back to the sauce.
If you wish, you can shred the chicken into the sauce at this point.
All that's left to do now is serve...and wait for the rave reviews to start rolling in!
Ways to Serve It
I often serve saucy chicken dishes over brown rice. However, there are several other ways you can choose to enjoy this Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken!
- Serve over quinoa instead of rice.
- Enjoy the chicken thighs and sauce over a nest of rice noodles with some shredded carrots and chopped green onions mixed in.
- Or if you're watching your carb intake, you can serve this recipe over cauliflower rice or spiralized veggie noodles, like zucchini or summer squash.
- Shred the chicken thighs into the sauce and pile the mixture onto a hoagie bun, a crusty roll, or a slider bun for a fun, tasty sandwich. Dress a bag of shredded slaw with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette or Peanut Dressing to serve on the side or put right on top of the sandwich filling.
- Make a teriyaki chicken bowl — like what you'd get at Chipotle, except with an Asian twist!
- Serve atop a salad, whole or shredded...chopped lettuce, spring greens, spinach or kale, Napa cabbage, or even shaved Brussels sprouts would all make a great base.
- Make tacos! Wrap some shredded teriyaki chicken in corn or flour tortillas and top with your favorite garnishes.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken?
Forget to thaw the chicken again? I may or may not have found myself in the same predicament before... Well, Instant Pot to the rescue! That's right, friends, you can cook frozen chicken right in your pressure cooker. You just have to adjust the cooking time by a few minutes.
Plan on cooking frozen chicken thighs on HIGH for 13 minutes, and then allow the pressure to release for 10 minutes. The internal temperature of chicken should always reach 165°F to be safe to eat.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts?
Don't have chicken thighs? Or maybe they're just not your fave? No problems there. You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. You'll want to cook them on HIGH for 10 minutes and then let the pressure release for 10 minutes.
Helpful Tips, Tricks, & Equipment
- Always follow the manufacturer instructions for your particular pressure cooker. Safety first!
- I've found it handy to keep an extra inner cooking pot on hand for when I want to batch cook in my IP without having to clean the insert over and over again...particularly since I like throwing my Instant Pot parts in the dishwasher to get them nice and clean.
- If you prefer using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, you will probably want to crisp the skin as a first step (unless you plan on removing the skin before eating). You can brown the thighs in a tablespoon or two of oil (directly in the Instant Pot insert using the SAUTE function) for 1-2 minutes per side before proceeding with the recipe. After browning, just be sure to scrape all of the dark bits from the bottom of the pot (you can add a little water to deglaze the pot) before adding back the chicken and sauce. Otherwise, the Instant Pot may give you a burn warning after it's sealed.
The next time you're in pinch come the 5 o'clock hour, I do hope you'll give this Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken a whirl! I think you'll find it to be a quick, easy, savory-sweet winner of a chicken dinner. Enjoy!
More Asian-Inspired Dinner Ideas
- One-Pan Asian Beef & Rice Skillet
- Easy Fried Rice
- P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps Salad
- Slow Cooker Asian Beef Short Ribs
- Ground Beef & Broccoli
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 8 pieces
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Place the chicken thighs in the bottom of the pressure cooker insert, pouring a little bit of sauce between the layers and the rest over the top.
- Seal the lid of the Instant Pot according to the owner's manual and cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes.
- When the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully vent to release the remaining pressure (consult your owner's manual for more specific instructions).
- Open the lid, remove the chicken thighs to a plate, and set the Instant Pot to SAUTE. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until completely dissolved. Once the sauce starts bubbling, slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while whisking the sauce. Allow to bubble and cook for a minute or two, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened. Cancel the SAUTE function and add the chicken back to the sauce. Serve the sauce with the chicken thighs over rice, or shred the chicken thighs into the sauce and serve on buns.
Equipment Needed
Video
Notes
- For frozen thighs, cook on HIGH for 13 minutes and allow the pressure to release for 10 minutes.
- You may make this recipe with chicken breasts instead. Cook on HIGH for 10 minutes and then release pressure for 10 minutes.
- If you prefer using bone-in, skin-on chicken things, you will want to crisp the skin as a first step (unless you plan on removing the skin before eating). You can brown the thighs in a tablespoon or two of oil (directly in the Instant Pot insert using the SAUTE function) for 1-2 minutes per side before proceeding with the recipe. After browning, just be sure to scrape all of the dark bits from the bottom of the pot (you can add a little water to deglaze the pot) before adding back the chicken and sauce. Otherwise, the Instant Pot may give you a burn warning after sealed.
Easy and delicious! Thanks Samantha!
Very delicious. Came out just like the picture. I added steamed baby bok choy and carrots.
Made this tonight with boneless skinless chicken breast that I had marinated in some store brand teriyaki sauce day before.
I cooked it with liquid then made the sauce in recipe after removing chicken. It's a keeper !!!
Delicious. I substituted the fresh ginger with half a teaspoon ground ginger. I added sliced carrots and cooked the broccoli on the side.
So tasty and easy recipe.
Substituted 1/2 tsp ground ginger because didn’t have fresh on hand. Definitely will make again.
Fantastic! Loved the time conversions for frozen meat. Served over rice at broccoli we highly enjoyed.
Fantastic, tossed in some cooked broccoli n served over rice. Delish
Delicious! The whole family loved it and it made me look like a great cook 😜
Delicious! This is a keeper for sure.
Absolutely delicious!! Added a little sriracha to shredded chicken and served over rice.
I followed the recipe exactly with quality ingredients.
So disappointing. My son & I actually tossed the chicken after a few bites.
Smelled wonderful while it was cooking but then didn't hold the flavor.
I made this for a quick and easy dinner. It’s delicious, I’ve already sent your link to several friends and family. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe that my family loves.
Had to come back and give a 5 star review, this recipe was so easy to put together and the flavour was amazing. Whole family loved it and I will def make it again. I even shared your recipe on my FB page.
I've made this recipe many times and it's always wonderful! This weekend I will be serving it for a larger group. Do you have a suggested cooking time for doubling the recipe?
Hi Stephanie! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoy this recipe! I've never tried doubling it, but I know that when using an Instant Pot, doubling a recipe is not always straightforward depending on the ingredients. So while I'm unable to answer your question myself, I found this article with tips and advice that will hopefully help you. 🙂 https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-double-instant-pot-recipes/
Thank you! That link was very helpful!
I'm so glad to hear it! 🙂
First time making teriyaki in an Instant pot and first time with honey, and I was pleasantly surprised at how great this turned out. I do personally prefer making it with Brown Sugar instead of honey just because it has a darker fuller taste (to me anyways). But this recipe was very good. In this recipe, could one sub the honey for the brown sugar or would it not work in the instant pot?
I actually just needed directions on how long to cook a teriyaki chicken breast and these directions were perfect. I marinated one large chicken breast in store bought teriyaki sauce. Since only 1 breast I used High Pressure for 8 minutes, with 5 minute natural release then vented to QR. My boyfriend thought the chicken was cooked to perfection. I used the left over sauce as a drizzle for added flavor. Will try more recipes.
Loved the base sauce with honey. Used bone-in thighs and legs and cooked for 12 minutes on high pressure. Came out very tender.
Great recipe! Also good base for modifying as needed. I had a half a jalapeno and some grilled pineapple I needed to use so I chopped both and threw them in. I also wanted veggies but didn't want to do more work so I chunked up 4 carrots and threw those in as well. Came out GREAT! Can't wait to make this again.
This was great and very easy! I used chicken breasts and it came out well. Thank you!
I was so scared to use my instant pot today, and a friend suggested this recipe. Its delicious! Totally a keeper for recipes!
So excited to try this out! I have a question about the nutrition info, what is the serving size for those numbers?
Hi Christina! The nutrition info is calculated on the assumption that the whole recipe makes 4 servings. So if you use 8 chicken thighs, as directed, one serving will be 2 pieces. Hope that helps! 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly as shown other than using an eight quart instant pot and it turned out great. What I really love is the simplicity of the meal preparation. Far too many recipes have a gazillion ingredients and this, by far is so manageable for those with a busy lifestyle. It fed a family of four (2 adults, 1 teenager, & 1 child adequately. However, the taste was so good everyone was asking for seconds. Based on my use of the recipe, you could go to 3lbs of chicken without any change in the recipe. Just a great instant pot recipe for something different on those weeknights. Thanks!!!
made this today as written only I ran out of honey, so I used powdered honey I had on hand. The color was not as dark... I wondered how hers was so dark, maybe sub dark brown sugar for the honey? . Everyone LOVED it and raved about it.. Will definitely make again. This could probably make a great freezer meal. Has anyone tried mixing it all in a gallon sized zip top bag and freezing it ?
Can you use frozen chicken thighs? If so what would the time adjustments?
For frozen thighs, cook on HIGH for 13 minutes and allow the pressure to release for 10 minutes.
Very good but I put in less red pepper flakes. Served it with brown rice.