Instant Pot Orange Chicken: Skip the takeout tonight and make your own easy recipe! Done in 30 minutes, it’s sure to be a family pleaser.
I’m so excited you’re here! You’re here so that means you’re interested in Instant Pot recipes, and let me tell you… you’re going to LOVE this one from Meghan…
Hey Fantabulosity readers! It’s Meg from Meg’s Everyday Indulgence checking in and bringing a new favorite recipe, Instant Pot Orange Chicken. It’s packed with fresh orange flavor and a snap to put together.
Instant Pot Orange Chicken
I absolutely love using my Instant Pot, especially on weeknights. It’s such an easy way to get dinner on the table and you can make just about anything in it.
This Instant Pot Orange Chicken just may be my favorite instant pot recipe yet. It uses both the sauté and pressure cooker options on the Instant Pot to cook the orange chicken ensuring the chicken is cooked through and the sauce gets thick and glossy.
More Instant Pot Favorites:
- Instant Pot French Dips
- Easy Cheeseburger Macaroni in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
Why You’ll Love this Recipe:
There are so many reasons to love this recipe. First, it’s done in less than 30 minutes. I know there are a lot of busy moms out there always looking for quick and easy recipes.
And that means it’s quicker to make this than to order and wait for takeout or delivery. Big win.
Second, it’s packed full of so much sweet, bright orange flavor. The key is the use of fresh orange juice and zest. It makes a world of a difference.
Healthy Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Plus, it’s way healthier than anything you would grab out. Since it isn’t breaded and fried, you can feel good about feeding this to your family any night of the week.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Here’s what you’ll need for this delicious dish:
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Fresh orange juice
- Orange zest
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Rice vinegar (white vinegar can be substituted here)
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Cornstarch
- Nonstick cooking spray
Tips on Zesting Your Orange
The key to perfect orange zest is a microplane. It grates the zest super fine, ensuring it gets in each and every bite.
Before zesting your orange, make sure to wash the outside just like you would any other type of produce.
Grate only the orange, outer skin of the orange. Once you get to the white pith, it becomes bitter. You don’t want that in your orange chicken.
Make sure to grate the whole orange to ensure you have lots of fresh orange flavor in your finished dish. There are lots of oils in the skin and they provide TONS of orange flavor.
Start By Searing the Chicken
Start by cutting your chicken into bite-size pieces and toss it to lightly coat in cornstarch. Plug in your Instant Pot and turn it to sauté mode.
Once hot, spray liberally with nonstick cooking spray and add the chicken in a single layer. You will probably need to cook the chicken in two batches to make sure you don’t overcrowd your pot.
Make the Orange Sauce
While the chicken is searing in the Instant Pot, whisk together the sauce ingredients. This will include the fresh orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, rice vinegar and red pepper flakes.
I’ve included a range of amounts of red pepper flakes to add. If you want things a little spicy, add ½ teaspoon. To kick it up a notch, add a whole teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
If you’re serving to people who don’t prefer spicy food, leave it out completely.
Time To Pressure Cook
Once all the chicken is seared, add it all back to the instant pot and pour the orange sauce over it. Stir to coat then close the lid and seal the valve.
Set your Instant Pot to high manual pressure for 3 minutes. Once it’s done cooking, let it naturally release for 5 minutes then carefully turn the valve to release the remaining pressure.
Thicken the Sauce
The last step in this Instant Pot Orange Chicken is thickening the sauce.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water. This is called a slurry.
Set your Instant Pot back to sauté mode and once simmering, add the cornstarch slurry. Stir well and watch it thicken. This will happen pretty quickly so keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t get too thick.
When it’s ready, the sauce will be thick and glossy and will coat the chicken nicely.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Orange Chicken
My favorite way to serve this orange chicken is atop a big helping of white (or brown) rice with a side of veggies.
My favorite is steamed broccoli but you could do carrots, green beans or even asparagus.
Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- nonstick cooking spray
For the Orange Sauce:
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice + zest from 1 orange
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp. cold water
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot on saute mode. In a bowl, toss the chicken with 3 tablespoons cornstarch until coated. Once hot, spray pot liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Add half the chicken and sear, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken. Add all chicken back to the Instant Pot.
- Whisk together orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken and stir to coat. Place lid on Instant Pot and seal the valve. Set on high manual setting for 3 minutes. Once cooked, allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes then turn valve to release remaining pressure.
- In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and cold water together. Change Instant Pot to saute mode. Once simmering, add cornstarch slurry and stir immediately. Continue stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, until sauce is thickened and glossy. Serve over hot rice.
Nutrition
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If you struggle with coming up with dinner ideas that your family will love, while making sure you don’t spend a ton of time in the kitchen… then make sure to get your hands on the NEW Fabulously Fast Dinners Cookbook where I give you easy main dish recipes and pair each one with a side dish recipe!
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