Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is the perfect solution for a quick and easy dinner on busy weeknights. Tender, juicy chicken thighs are coated in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce that’s even better than takeout – and it’s ready in just 6 minutes of cooking time! With only a handful of simple ingredients, Honey Garlic Chicken in the Instant Pot will become a family favorite in no time.
I’m a huge fan of Chinese takeout because every now and then I need a break!
Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken makes dinner effortless on busy weeknights. Juicy chicken thighs or breasts cook in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce that’s better than takeout, and it’s ready in just 6 minutes of cooking time.
Using only a handful of simple ingredients, it's an easy quick dinner with very little meal prep and ingredients you likely have on hand too!
Easy to make using the Instant Pot, but can also easily be made using the stovetop.
For easy sides try making Instant Pot White Rice, or Instant Pot Brown Rice. You could also add Air Fryer Broccoli, Air Fryer Asparagus, Air Fryer Carrots, or even Butternut Squash for the perfect meal!
For more delicious Instant Pot chicken recipes for dinner ideas, check out my Instant Pot Chicken and Broccoli Casserole, Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice, Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy, and this Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits!
Ingredients for Honey Garlic Chicken in the Instant Pot
You need a handful of simple ingredients for this dish. Full quantities are with the full recipe in the recipe card.
- Butter. Salted butter will work well for sautéing. You can use a neutral flavored oil like canola oil or vegetable oil if you prefer.
- Garlic. Use fresh garlic cloves that you can crush yourself for the best flavor.
- Onion. Yellow onion will give you a great savory flavor base for this dish.
- Chicken. I've used large boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but boneless, skinless chicken thighs will work well too.
- Ketchup. Use your favorite brand, it will give the sauce a great tomato base.
- Soy Sauce. Use low-sodium soy sauce where possible to better control the salt content.
- Honey. Any kind of honey will work here to add a yummy sweetness.
- Cornstarch. A mixture of cornstarch and water will help thicken the sauce after cooking.
- Garnish. Use sesame seeds and chopped scallions to garnish this dish with a burst of tanginess!
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Chicken thighs are a great choice because they stay juicy and tender under pressure. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work best and will cook in the same amount of time as breasts, giving you flavorful and moist results every time.
How to Make Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
I'm going to make this super simple and easy for you. Let me walk you though how to make Honey Garlic Chicken in the Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker.
Start by setting the Instant Pot to Saute and wait until it reads Hot. This will take just a couple short minutes.
Then add butter and diced onion and saute them together for a couple of minutes until the onion starts to sweat and turn translucent. Then add minced garlic.
Just a tip, the minced garlic will burn quickly, so wait to add it and keep stiring so it doesn't stick or get too hot!
Now, go ahead and add the cut up chicken and cook until it's no longer pink. The point is to make sure the chicken is in individual pieces and not stuck together as one giant glob of chicken. Got it?
Make sure to Deglaze the bottom of the Pressure Cooker by scraping off any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot and turn the pressure cooker off.
Now it's time to add the remaining ingredients of Ketchup and soy sauce.
Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook for 4 minutes. Once completed do a Quick Release of Pressure by opening the pressure valve.
Drizzle Honey over chicken. The heat will melt the honey and make it easy to toss and cover everything.
How to thicken honey garlic sauce in the Instant Pot?
Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch with as little as water as possible until dissolved. Add it to the instant pot bottom and stir with other ingredients. This will help thicken sauce.
Serve over rice, garnishing your meal with Sesame Seeds and Scallions (optional).
Storage & Freezing
Storage: Once it has fully cooled to room temperature, you can store leftovers in an airtight container, or portioned into Ziploc bags in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving again.
Freezing: Freeze this dish once it has fully cooled. Store it in a freezer-safe container, or in portions in freezer bags, in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw thoroughly in the refrigerator and heat through in the microwave until piping hot.
Substitutions & Variations
- Garnish. Use fresh, chopped green onions or chives instead of scallions for a garnish—just whatever you have to hand.
- Add some spice. Add in some red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce for a bit of heat, if desired.
- Coconut aminos. You can use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce if you prefer.
- Add flavor. Add even more flavor to this dish by adding in more garlic and onion, adding coconut aminos as well as soy sauce, adding some Worcestershire sauce, or adding some black pepper before serving.
Tips for Perfect Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Browning the chicken before sealing the Instant Pot helps seal in the juices and give the chicken a nice crispy exterior.
- Deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot after cooking the chicken. This will help loosen any bits of food that may have stuck to the bottom and will also help infuse the sauce with even more flavor.
Have you tried this Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken recipe?
Please leave a comment below if you have tried making this recipe. I love to hear from you and enjoy reading about what you think. Be sure to tag @devourdinner when posting to social media. I can't wait to see your photos!
Pin this Recipe for Later!
More Easy Chinese Takeout Recipes
- Mongolian Beef
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Ramen Pad Thai
- Cashew Chicken Wraps
- Asian Noodles
- Cashew Chicken
- Teriyaki Noodles
- Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki
- Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
- 30 Minute Beef Teriyaki
Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs Butter
- 2-3 clove garlic - Crushed
- 1 sm Yellow Onion - Diced
- 2 large Chicken Breasts - Cubed
- ½ Cup Ketchup
- ¾ Cup Soy Sauce
- ¾ Cup Honey
- 2-3 Tbs Corn Starch - Add to 3-4 Tbs Water
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds - *Garnish
- ¼ cup scallions - *Garnish
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to Saute and wait until it reads "Hot"
- Add Butter, Garlic and Diced Onion. Saute' for 2-3 minutes until onions start to turn clear. 2 Tbs Butter, 1 sm Yellow Onion, 2-3 clove garlic
- Add cubed chicken and Saute' until no longer pink. 2 large Chicken Breasts
- Turn Instant Pot off.
- Add Ketchup and Soy Sauce and stir making sure the chicken is covered. ½ Cup Ketchup, ¾ Cup Soy Sauce
- Set Instant Pot to Manual for 4 minutes.
- Quick Release.
- In a separate bowl mix 2-3 Tablespoons of Cornstarch and as little water as possible and mix. 2-3 Tbs Corn Starch
- Add slurry to Instant Pot and stir.
- Add Honey and Stir ¾ Cup Honey
- Serve over Rice. Garnish with Sesame Seeds and Scallions (optional) 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds, ¼ cup scallions
Notes
How to Deglaze Instant Pot
After you have cooked the onions, garlic and chicken together add about ¼ cup of water or broth. The heat will help release any stuck bits on the bottom of the pot. Use a flat wooden spoon to help lift up any stuck bits. This is how you deglaze the bottom of the pot before going under pressure.What to Serve with Honey Garlic Chicken
Serve with steamed white rice, brown rice, or your favorite vegetable!Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
Robin Aleszczyk
I have made many honey garlic ginger chicken recipes. This is by far the best. There is enough sauce for the rice I serve with it.
I do add a 1/4 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes to add a zing to it.
Everyone loves this recipe!
Devour Dinner
Hi Robin, great idea to add Red Pepper Flakes, it will give a nice Zing of flavor for sure. Thanks for the great review!
Jill
I made this last night in my IP. Mine came out so much darker though and there was what seemed a lot of sauce. It tasted good but not as much like honey Garlic Chicken as I anticipated. I double checked my measurements and I followed them and the directions to a T. Any idea what I did wrong? I’ll try again and maybe tweak it a bit.
Devour Dinner
Hi Jill! Hmmm.... I'm not sure what could have happened. I make this recipe often as we just love it. The Soy Sauce would make the sauce darker. If you want a stronger honey taste I might suggest cutting back on the soy, maybe just 1/2 cup of soy sauce and leave the rest the ingredients the same. That would give you a stronger honey taste that you might enjoy more.