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In need of some quick dinner inspiration? This Instant Pot sesame chicken recipe is super quick and easy, and everyone in the family will love it! Instant Pot chicken to save the day!

instant pot sesame chicken

Ok, before I get into the deliciousness of this sesame chicken, let me tell you about the Harvest Sale I was at this past weekend!  AAH. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but every year there is this sale, where produce distributors can sell off their surplus to the general public for cheap, cheap, cheap! The prices always get me so excited. I end up filling my kids’ wagon with papaya, pineapple, celery, tomatoes, soooo many apples, and other! The hardest part is deciding what to do with all of my newfound abundance. I plan on dehydrating apples, making applesauce, fruit leather and probably more than a few pies!

NOW with all of that talk of pies, we should think about dinner. 

This SUPER EASY Instant Pot sesame chicken is something we make quite often. The recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and we almost always have these on hand. The other ingredients needed for this dinner are things that I always have on hand too!

instant pot sesame chicken

How do you make Instant Pot sesame chicken?

Firstly, you’ll need an Instant Pot! If you don’t have one, no problem. I’ve included stovetop directions below! BUT – come on. You need to get yourself an Instant Pot!!

You’ll need the following for this recipe:

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • cornstarch + water

And sesame seeds, green onions to top!

Start by heating up the sesame oil in the Instant Pot and browning the chicken in it. Then, mix together all of the sauce ingredients, other than the cornstarch, and set the pressure cooker to cook on HIGH for 3 minutes (3 minutes)!!

The Instant Pot takes some time to come to pressure, but once the cooking time is up, do a quick release of the pressure and remove the lid. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, then add the cornstarch slurry and let the sauce thicken up.

Serve immediately, over rice, coconut rice or cauliflower rice, with sesame seeds and green onions to top!

Can you use chicken breasts instead of thighs for this recipe?

Yes! I find chicken thighs to be so much juicier, but breasts will work well in this meal. The cook time will be about the same!

Is this Instant Pot sesame chicken freezer-friendly?

Once the meal is made, it’s totally freezer-friendly! Let everything come down to room temperature before placing it in either a freezer bag or an airtight freezer container. It’ll freeze for up to 2 months!

instant pot sesame chicken

instant pot sesame chicken

I know September is often a crazy time for a lot of you (including me) and this year just feels even crazier. We need ALL of the easy dinners, right!?

Trust me when I think you’ll really love this!! Try some sriracha on top 🙂

Here’s some other Instant Pot favorites from the blog:

instant pot sesame chicken

instant pot sesame chicken

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instant pot sesame chicken

Instant Pot Sesame Chicken


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 8 reviews

  • Author: Katherine | Love In My Oven
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 3-4 servings 1x

Description

In need of some quick dinner inspiration? This Instant Pot sesame chicken recipe is super quick and easy, and everyone in the family will love it!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1” chunks*
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • rice, green onions for serving

Instructions

  1. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté and add the sesame oil. Once warmed, add the chunks of chicken in an even layer, browning on one side before turning and browning on the other side. Turn the Instant Pot off.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, chicken stock, garlic and ginger. Add the sauce ingredients to the Instant Pot, then close and seal the lid, ensuring the valve is sealed. Set the Instant Pot to cook on manual pressure on high, for 3 minutes. The IP will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure (a great time to start your rice).
  3. Once the timer goes, use a long wooden spoon to turn the valve open and perform a “quick release” on the Instant Pot. Turn the IP to sauté again, stir together the cornstarch and water, and add this slurry to the pot. Stir until the sauce thickens up. Serve the sesame chicken over rice, topping it with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Once cooled, this recipe can also be frozen, in an airtight container or freezer bag, for up to 2 months.

Stovetop Directions

  1. Heat up the sesame oil in a saucepan, before browning the chicken. Add the sauce ingredients to the pan and allow everything to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Add the cornstarch slurry to the mixture, and once everything thickens up, remove from heat and serve immediately.

Notes

*If you prefer chicken breasts, you can use boneless skinless breasts and keep cooking time the same.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: dinner
  • Method: instant pot
  • Cuisine: Asian
Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes
Instant Pot Sesame ChickenInstant Pot Sesame Chicken

About Katherine

Heeey! Thank you for stopping by! I like 30-minute dinners and giant peanut butter cups made with only 3 ingredients. I LOVE food! If you do too, you're in the right place.

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18 Comments

  1. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Harvest Sale or a similar event in our area. I would definitely end up filling my wagon (Even though I don’t have one lol) with products; preferably with watermelons and apples 🙂 This chicken dish sounds so good – love the combination of soy sauce, honey, and sesame.






    1. Haha you’d have to get a wagon just for the sale, Ben! Watermelon was a hot commodity at this sale. Thank you Ben!!

  2. I love your homemade sesame sauce recipe… and using the Instant Pot really makes this a fabulous dinner for busy weeknights!






  3. I always get way too excited about fruits and veggies, especially when they’re good quality for a decent price! I just love filling up my cart!! Another thing I love is sesame so this is totally calling my name. Perfect cooler weather comfort food right there 😉






    1. Yeees I knew other foodies would get my excitement about this sale haha. Thanks Dawn!! Definitely great comfort food!

  4. Looks like a fabulous comfort food meal to add to our menu Katherine! Perfect for busy weeknights!






  5. This is a dinner we would love, and I’m so glad I can make it in the instant pot! Sesame is one of my favorite flavors and I can’t wait to try this!






  6. What a great recipe for the upcoming cooler temperatures! I’ll have to definitely try this one soon 🙂






  7. Your harvest sale haul looked amazing!! I can’t wait to see what all you create with it! This sesame chicken looks fabulous ~ I’ll leave it as is for the Bugs and add sriracha for my husband and I. I can always use more easy dinner ideas!!

    1. It was sooo great. I had so much fun shopping that day! Thanks Tasia! You would definitely want to add the sriracha for you two. So good!