Instant Pot Orange Chicken

Name: Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces; 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 3/4 cup fresh orange juice; 1/4 cup soy sauce (or tamari if gluten free); 4 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp ginger; 1 tbsp corn starch; 1 tbsp water

Published: Oct 27, 2019 Modified: Feb 20, 2023 by Karen Kelly This post may contain affiliate links.

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Sweet and tender Instant Pot Orange Chicken is ready for a weeknight dinner is less than 30 minutes. The whole family will love the flavorful sauce and you'll love how easy it is to make. {gluten free}

Are you feeling pressure to hop on the Instant Pot train? I think it's safe to say you should. If you are anything like me, with a house full of chaos most nights, you need a little help getting dinner on the table. Why do you think all those meal delivery kits are so popular right now?

We are busy, stressed-out folks who still have to eat!

The number one advantage to the Instant Pot is that it cooks QUICK. For example, this Instant Pot Orange Chicken only had to cook for 5 minutes. The result is a tender chicken and a thick juicy sauce.

The only downside to the Instant Pot is that the saute function really doesn't brown the chicken well - it's nothing like cooking on the stovetop. So the chicken can sometimes lack some of that browning flavor. But I'm okay with that for weeknights when I want dinner on the table fast.

If you are in the market here is the Instant Pot I love. It never lets me down and I've never gotten a burn message like many people complain about.

I think you are going to love this Easy Instant Pot Orange Chicken because it's...

ready in under 30 minutes
made with pantry staples
full of flavorful sauce that can be spooned over rice too
gluten-free if you use tamari instead of soy sauce
kid and husband friendly
low carb if served with cauliflower rice

Health Benefits of Chicken

Chicken is full of health benefits. It is an excellent source of protein. It is low in calories, cholesterol, sodium, and fat. And it contains a variety of beneficial nutrients including Iron, Phosphorus, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, and more. The American Heart Association even recommends that people give preference to lean meats like chicken and fish rather than red meats like beef and pork.

My daughter loves orange chicken and prefers the frozen kind from Trader Joe's. I've heard that is the top-selling product from TJ's - it's that good! But it's loaded with weird ingredients so it's always healthier to make it homemade.

This is a nice compromise. The chicken is not deep fried and it's made with simple pantry staples. Using fresh squeezed orange juice really amps up the flavor. You just can't get that flavor from the refrigerated orange juice. I tried to cut down on the sugar but wanted my kids to eat it so I added only 2 tablespoons.

Ingredients to Make This Recipe

Chicken breasts - Chicken breasts work better than thighs in this recipe.
Sesame oil - Sesame oil adds a nice flavor to Asian-inspired dishes.
Salt and pepper - Brings out the flavor in the dish.
Orange juice - Fresh squeezed orange juice adds flavor you can't get from store-bought juice.
Soy sauce - Instantly adds bold flavor.
Garlic - Garlic helps to liven up the dish.
Sugar - Adds a little extra sweetness.
Ginger - Ginger helps to brighten up the dish.
Corn starch - Corn starch (mixed with water) thickens up the orange sauce.

How to Make Instant Pot Orange Chicken

In a small bowl whisk the fresh orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Turn Instant Pot to saute and add sesame oil. Add chicken and brown for 3-4 minutes.
Turn pot off. Whisk sauce again and add to the pot.
Close lid and push manual. Set timer for five minutes. Set vent to closed.
When the timer goes off let it naturally release for ten minutes. Then carefully open the pot.
Set pot to saute again. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add to pot. Stir well and let saute for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens to your liking.

I like to serve mine with cauliflower rice that I keep in the freezer (also from TJ's). The kiddos eat theirs with rice that I cook hands-off in my cheap rice cooker. It's so easy!

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes to Try

If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! I’d love it if you could add a star rating ★ and a comment below. Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!