Tender and packed with flavor, this honey garlic chicken is delicious. It’s made in the Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker) and perfect served over rice with steamed veggies.
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Hello hello!
I’ve got another amazing Instant Pot recipe for you today. Whoo hoo!
This recipe is kind of the sister recipe to this honey glazed chicken I posted last month. It’s got a similar Asian-flare to it.
This honey garlic chicken is slightly less sweet and more on the savory side compared to the honey glazed chicken. If you were to ask me which was my favorite, I’d have a hard time picking one. They are both delicious for different reasons. And both deserve a place in my archived recipe collection.
Here’s how you make this Instant Pot honey garlic chicken
Start by trimming the excess fat from chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper. Place them in the pressure cooker insert.
You can probably use other types of chicken, but I am completely smitten with boneless chicken thighs cooked in pressure cooker recipes. They are so much better I think. The chicken gets soft and doesn’t dry out when its cooked to the point of softness. So good.
Next whip up a simple sauce with honey, chicken broth, soy sauce, fresh minced garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.
For best flavor, use large cloves of fresh garlic. And don’t use the refrigerated kind. I know it’s a little more work to mince fresh garlic (I use one of these garlic mincer thingies to make it easier, aff. link). Believe me you’ll thank me later when you taste it. So delicious.
Pour on the sauce, then lock the lid in place and cook it on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes.
When time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then do a quick release. Or you can also let the pressure release naturally the entire time. I use a natural release as much as possible for meat because I think it makes the meat a lot more tender.
Finishing it off
Remove chicken to a 9×13-inch baking dish, leaving liquid in the pot.
In a small bowl whisk together some cornstarch and water. Select the sauté function on the Instant Pot. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the Instant Pot and heat until thickened, whisking to avoid lumps.
Pour the thickened sauce over the chicken and finish it off under the broiler for a few minutes.
The broiling step is optional, but I think it adds a nice color and caramelized flavor.
We like to serve this honey garlic chicken over cooked rice with steamed vegetables either on the side or mixed in (your preference).
Then its time to dig in. Yum.
Update (3/12/22): I’ve found that you can cut down the cooking time to 10 minutes in the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
Tender and packed with flavor, this honey garlic chicken is delicious. It's made in the Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker) and perfect served over rice with steamed veggies.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup (3 ounces) honey
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth see note
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 6 large cloves fresh garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooked rice and vegetables for serving, optional
Instructions
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Trim excess fat from chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Place in bottom of electric pressure cooker insert.
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Add honey to large microwaveable liquid measuring cup and microwave in 30-second increments until honey is runny (skip this step if honey is already runny).
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Combine honey, chicken broth, soy sauce, fresh minced garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes to large glass measuring cup or small bowl and whisk until smooth.
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Pour sauce mixture over chicken in Instant Pot. Lock lid in place and cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. When time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then do a quick release.
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Remove chicken to a 9×13-inch baking dish leaving liquid in the pot. In a small bowl whisk together 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch and 1 ½ tablespoons cold water. Select the sauté function on the Instant Pot. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the Instant Pot and heat until thickened, whisking to avoid lumps. Taste sauce and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
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Pour thickened sauce over chicken. Preheat broiler. Place baking dish with chicken and sauce directly under broiler and broil for 2-4 minutes chicken browns slightly (see note).
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Serve chicken with sauce over cooked rice with other steamed vegetables as desired.
Recipe Notes
1. For the chicken broth I use ½ cup water + ¼ teaspoon homemade chicken bouillon substitute.
2. Make sure to use fresh garlic in this recipe (rather than refrigerated kind). It will really make a difference in the flavor.
3. The broiling step is optional, but I think it adds a nice color and caramelized flavor.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
