This Instant Pot honey garlic chicken is quick, flavorful, and made from simple pantry ingredients.
This pressure-cooker honey garlic chicken is an easy crowd-pleaser: sweet, garlicky, and comforting. It’s a great weeknight meal for picky eaters and anyone who enjoys a balance of sweet and savory flavors.
I debated whether to make this recipe in the Instant Pot or on the stove. The Instant Pot gives reliably tender chicken and speeds things up, but the same sauce and cooking steps can be used in a skillet if you prefer stovetop methods.
The Instant Pot works especially well when you want minimal hands-on time and consistently juicy chicken. If you don’t own one, the recipe notes include simple stovetop instructions so you can still make this at home.
How to make honey garlic sauce
There are many variations, but this recipe keeps the sauce straightforward and balanced. You’ll need:
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
A cornstarch slurry is stirred in at the end to thicken the sauce. The Instant Pot’s sauté function helps reduce and concentrate flavors quickly for a glossy, clingy sauce.
Other Instant Pot chicken recipes you may like:
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken (Breasts and Thighs)
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
I hope you’ll try this easy Instant Pot honey garlic chicken. If you make it, please leave a comment or rating to let others know how it turned out.
Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh chives or scallions chopped, for garnish (optional)
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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Prep the chicken. In a small bowl whisk together honey, soy sauce, water, lemon juice, and minced garlic.
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If serving with rice, start the rice now so it finishes around the same time. For four people, about 2 cups uncooked rice is a good guideline.
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Press the “sauté” function on the Instant Pot, add olive oil and the chicken, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often to brown the pieces slightly.
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Pour the honey-garlic sauce over the chicken and stir. Close the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow time for the pot to come up to pressure.
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When the cook time ends, perform a quick release of pressure.
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Set the pot back to “sauté” to thicken the sauce. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry, then stir it into the pot and cook until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken over rice and garnish with chives or parsley if desired.
Notes
- This recipe can be made on the stovetop in a large skillet: sauté the chicken, add the sauce, cover and simmer until cooked through, then stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken.
- Any 6-quart electric pressure cooker will work for this recipe; adjust times only if your model’s manual recommends different settings for chicken pieces.
- Nutritional information is an estimate and should be used as a guideline only.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be treated as an approximation.
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