This Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken has loads of flavor! It’s sweet and tangy with a hint of spice, and goes perfectly over rice!
A good, saucy chicken recipe is one of my favorite things in life.
But one that’s sweet and tangy with just a bit of spice?
My love language.
I will almost take a plate of this over cake. Almost.
This Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is so easy, it’s become a staple here on busy nights! The chicken comes out so moist, and cooks so quickly (hands offf, too!), there’s pretty much no reason to make honey garlic chicken any other way.
How to make Honey Garlic Chicken in the Instant Pot:
I know that a lot of people will make Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken and add the sauce at the same time as the chicken. I’m sure that works just fine!
I prefer to cook my chicken in some broth (broth or stock over water every time!), then drain and add my sauce after pressure cooking, and simply cook on saute for a few minutes to thicken before serving.
I’ve found this to be a more foolproof way to cook honey garlic chicken, as I don’t have to worry about my sauce being thin enough to build pressure, or being too thick or sugary and burning to the bottom.
It’s really no extra effort, and I know that my chicken and sauce are going to cook perfectly.
What’s the best chicken to use in this Instant Pot chicken recipe?
You can really use any type of chicken in this recipe, you will just have to vary the cook time according to whichever you choose.
I prefer boneless, skinless cuts of meat, and chicken thighs will always be more moist and juicy than chicken breasts.
If you choose to use bone-in, skin-on chicken, you’ll want to add a couple minutes to the cook time and you may want to broil them for a few minutes in the oven if you intend to eat the skin.
I don’t find that the skin is necessary to keep chicken moist in the Instant Pot, so I opt for boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts.
Variations on this Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken:
- This recipe is naturally dairy and gluten free, but be sure to check all of your labels before using. Be sure to look for gluten-free soy sauce in particular.
- Add in veggies! This is a great recipe to turn into a stir fry. Add broccoli, snap peas, mushrooms or carrot matchsticks (or all of the above) at the end when cooking your sauce, then add your chicken back in for a full meal deal.
- Obviously, you could use a store bought honey garlic sauce and pour it over after, but honestly? This sauce is so easy there’s no need!
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes:

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
This Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken has loads of flavor! It’s sweet and tangy with a hint of spice, and goes perfectly over rice!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 234kcal
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup liquid honey
- 1/4 cup tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
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Cut chicken breasts into 1″ pieces and place in Instant Pot with broth, salt and pepper. Stir.
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Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing and select Pressure Cook or Manual for a cook time of 3 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to build pressure and begin counting down.
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When the cook time is over, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, stir together the honey, ketchup, soy sauce, corn starch and pepper flakes if using.
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Open the lid, turn the Instant Pot to saute, and stir in the sauce. Let cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened and bubbly.
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Serve as desired.
Nutrition (this is an estimate)
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 234 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 811mg 34%
Potassium 455mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 33g 11%
Sugars 26g
Protein 20g 40%
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 3.4%
Calcium 1.1%
Iron 4.7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.