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    Home » Recipes » Dairy Free

    Instant Pot Sesame Chicken

    Published: Oct 7, 2017 Modified: Apr 29, 2020 by Karen Kelly This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Instant Pot Sesame Chicken is a quick and easy weeknight meal made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.  Your family will love this delicious sauce!  {gluten free}

    Instant Pot Sesame Chicken in a white bowl with chopsticks

    We all have a handful of recipes we keep in the weekly rotation right?  I do and this Instant Pot Sesame Chicken has become one of them!

    I mean look at that sauce!  I have been experimenting with my Instant Pot a lot these past few months and I'm getting the hang of it.  It still amazes me that I can put something in there 30 minutes before dinner and quickly get a slow cooker tasting meal out of it.

    It's a huge win for busy families like mine.

    Instant Pot Sesame Chicken with broccoli

    This Instant Pot Sesame Chicken is made with the simplest of ingredients that you will always have in your pantry: tamari or soy sauce, honey, garlic, crushed red pepper, and cornstarch.  That's it!

    Instant Pot Sesame Chicken

    Serve it with freshly steamed rice or cauliflower rice with a side of broccoli.  New favorite dinner - I promise!

    If you don't have an Instant Pot you can saute some chicken on the stovetop then pour the sauce over top.  Or make it in your slow cooker and cook the chicken on low for 3-4 hours.

    I think you'll love this Instant Pot Sesame Chicken because it's...

    • EASY
    • QUICK
    • kid-friendly
    • gluten-free if you use tamari
    • covered in a savory, delicious sauce
    • fun to eat with chopsticks
    Instant Pot Sesame Chicken

    Instant Pot Sesame Chicken

    Instant Pot Sesame Chicken is a quick and easy weeknight meal made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.  Your family will love this delicious sauce!  {gluten free}
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Keyword: sesame chicken
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 291kcal
    Author: Karen Kelly

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ pound skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces, I used three large
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • ¼ cup honey
    • ¼ cup tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten free)
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (dried)
    • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
    • 2 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 3 teaspoon water

    Instructions

    • Turn Instant Pot to saute.  Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil into pot and saute half the chicken.  Get a bit of browning on all sides, about 3-4 minutes, then remove to a bowl.  Add more sesame oil and saute the second half.
    • In a small bowl mix the honey, tamari, garlic and red pepper with a whisk.  
    • Put chicken back into pot and add sauce.  Turn chicken to cover with sauce. Turn Instant Pot to poultry and set timer for four minutes.  Lock the lid in place.
    • Turn off the heat when the timer beeps.  Carefully use a dishtowel to do a quick pressure release.
    • Whisk the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and turn pot to saute.  Add mixture and stir well.  Saute for a minute or two until sauce thickens to your taste. 

    Video

    Notes

    Note:  I made an adjustment to add the cornstarch slurry at the end to make a thicker sauce.
    If you prefer a fall apart type of chicken, I would cook longer and do a natural release.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1018mg | Potassium: 715mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @seasonal_cravings or tag #seasonal_cravings and I will repost on my stories.

    Adapted from PressureCookingToday.

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    About Karen Kelly

    Hi, I'm Karen Kelly a certified health coach. At Seasonal Cravings, you will find wholesome gluten free recipes and healthy lifestyle tips.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christine Long

      October 07, 2017 at 10:46 am

      5 stars
      Sounds delicious! And, I love the idea of using chopsticks. I think my kids would get a kick out of that.

      Reply
    2. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen

      October 07, 2017 at 12:00 pm

      This would be a huge win at our house too Karen! I still have to get around to getting an Instant Pot! I've heard how easy meals are with one!

      Reply
      • Karen @ Seasonal Cravings

        October 10, 2017 at 4:41 pm

        So easy! You would love it Maryann!

        Reply
    3. Jenn

      October 07, 2017 at 10:19 pm

      I used my Instant Pot all the time when I first got it, but it's kind of fallen by the wayside. I need to get that baby powered back up! My family would love this.

      Reply
      • Karen @ Seasonal Cravings

        October 10, 2017 at 4:40 pm

        5 stars
        I know I forget about it too!

        Reply
    4. Ginny

      October 08, 2017 at 12:28 am

      5 stars
      I love that sauce just by reading the ingredients. The instant pot makes cooking so much easier! Thanks!

      Reply
    5. Trang

      October 08, 2017 at 2:02 am

      5 stars
      I'm loving all the instant pot recipes! It's making my dinner prep so much easier, thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
    6. Jagruti

      October 08, 2017 at 4:59 am

      I think your sauce sounds incredibly tasty, sticky and yummy, your pictures are really beautiful.

      Reply
    7. Amy | The Cook Report

      October 08, 2017 at 6:48 am

      5 stars
      This looks lovely, I really need to get an instant pot!

      Reply
    8. Sue

      December 08, 2017 at 1:02 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last night and it was easy and delicious. So good I have to double the recipe next time. The chicken tastes like it has been marinaded all day, but who has time for that?!

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        December 08, 2017 at 4:57 pm

        Sue! Nice to see you here! Thanks so much for letting me know and I'm glad your family enjoyed it.

        Reply
    9. David

      January 10, 2018 at 12:30 pm

      I followed the directions perfectly but the sauce at the consistency of water. Do I need to remove the chicken and then sauté the sauce down? Also my instant pot does not have a pain-free setting so I just use the manual

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        January 11, 2018 at 9:42 am

        Hi David, Sorry the sauce wasn't right but I'm not sure we have the same Instant Pot so I don't know if I can give you good advice on this one. You did add the cornstarch right? Maybe you should do all the sauce ingredients and let it saute a few minutes like you suggested.

        Reply
    10. David

      January 10, 2018 at 12:31 pm

      I can’t believe AutoCorrect – I meant to say portrait setting not pain free lol.

      Reply
    11. David

      January 10, 2018 at 12:32 pm

      Poultry not portrait. I give up.

      Reply
    12. Shannon

      January 30, 2018 at 4:59 pm

      5 stars
      Can't believe how much flavor this had for being so simple! My family loved it! Will definitely be making it again.

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        January 31, 2018 at 9:55 am

        Thanks so much for letting me know Shannon!

        Reply
    13. Barb

      January 30, 2018 at 8:16 pm

      5 stars
      this is a very good recipe. We love spicy food, but think I will cut the pepper flakes in half next time.

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        January 31, 2018 at 9:55 am

        Great Barb. Thanks for letting me know. Glad you can adjust it for your family's preferences!

        Reply
    14. Sarah

      February 01, 2018 at 9:14 pm

      3 stars
      The chicken was really tough and the sauce was too thin. Next time I will natural release and take the chicken out of the sauce to sauté the sauce until it thickens.

      Reply
    15. Susan

      March 12, 2018 at 4:11 pm

      Question: Do you cut the chicken into bite size pieces before you saute?

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        March 13, 2018 at 12:36 pm

        Yes, I cut the chicken first then saute.

        Reply
    16. Elana

      March 19, 2018 at 5:52 pm

      Can I use frozen chicken breasts?

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        March 20, 2018 at 6:45 am

        I think you would need to thaw them first. If you do try it with frozen you would have to increase the cooking time.

        Reply
    17. JEAN L GILLSON

      March 30, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars
      I recently found out that I have Celiac Disease so I'm learning the ropes with being gluten free. We have tried MANY recipes & this is BY FAR my family's favorite. I especially love it because it's so ridiculously easy! It's seriously hard to believe that there are so few ingredients because it is incredibly flavorful!!!

      When doubling the recipe, I use 1-2 TABLESPOONS of red pepper because we like the heat.

      NOTE: FOR THOSE HAVING CONSISTENCY ISSUES WITH SAUCE.......2 things: 1: Be sure to drain the chicken before adding the sauce mixture. 2. I actually read the recipe wrong & backwards - I musta been one of those days. HA! When *doubling* the recipe, I made the slushy using 3 TABLESPOONS of cornstarch & 2 TABLESPOONS of water. The consistency of the sauce was PERFECT so in spite of recognizing the error, I continue to do it this way intentionally. Hope this helps! OH HAPPY MISTAKES! 🙂

      Anyway, THANK YOU for sharing this! My family has enjoyed it tremendously & will continue to do so for years to come!!!

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        March 31, 2018 at 11:03 am

        Wow, thanks for all the tips and so glad the recipe was a success!

        Reply
    18. Denvergal

      April 09, 2018 at 11:34 pm

      Really good recipe and so easy! My family thought it would be great with more sauce and also some roasted broccoli. I added carrot ribbons as I had carrots on hand, which added a vegetable. Healthier than the takeout version!

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        April 10, 2018 at 10:44 am

        Thanks so much for your great review!

        Reply
    19. Patricia

      April 27, 2018 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious and so very easy! I omitted the red pepper flakes. Next time I will cut the soy sauce with water. It was a touch salty but still super yummy! My young kids do not normally like the texture of meats but they devoured every last bite! I usually just pop frozen chicken breasts in my Instant Pot but I was afraid the extra liquid would ruin the sauce so I made sure to thaw them first. I did not cut the chicken breasts into pieces but left them whole and cut them after they were cooked. I will double the recipe next time because we had nothing leftover 🙂

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        April 27, 2018 at 8:53 pm

        Patricia, thanks so much for letting me know. I'd love to figure out how to make it with frozen chicken breasts so I'll try that next. Glad your kids enjoyed it!

        Reply
    20. Kym

      October 04, 2018 at 9:05 pm

      I see sesame seeds are in the ingredient list, but there is nothing in the directions of when they are to be added. Help?

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        October 06, 2018 at 7:10 am

        Sorry they are just for garnish. Thanks!

        Reply
    21. Robyn

      November 15, 2018 at 8:46 pm

      4 stars
      SOO spicy! I thought I had a tolerance for heat but this made our mouths burn! I’d put a pinch, or maybe 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper. I also doubled the cornstarch & water because it wouldn’t thicken.

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        November 16, 2018 at 11:48 am

        Oh no, I may make an adjustment to the pepper flakes bc you can always add more if you like it spicy!

        Reply
    22. Joan

      December 31, 2018 at 8:06 pm

      when do you add the sesame seeds? It is not included in the instructions. Thank you

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        January 01, 2019 at 8:18 am

        They are just for garnish so add them before serving.

        Reply
    23. Natalia

      January 01, 2019 at 6:24 pm

      Can you use chicken thighs?

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        January 02, 2019 at 1:13 pm

        Yes, that should work!

        Reply
    24. Natalia

      January 02, 2019 at 12:35 am

      5 stars
      Super delicious and EASY/quick meal. I used part chicken breast and part chicken thighs and it worked out great.

      Reply
    25. Sheli

      January 18, 2019 at 1:27 am

      My son has an intolerance to chicken. Do you think subbing boneless pork chops would work? Anything different for cooking instructions?

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        January 18, 2019 at 7:19 pm

        Hi Sheli I have not made pork chops in the Instant Pot. So sorry I can't be of more help.

        Reply
    26. MaryM

      January 21, 2019 at 2:58 pm

      What happened to your recipe?

      Reply
    27. Marge Penrod

      January 22, 2019 at 10:52 am

      Can't see the recipe. Is there anywhere I can find this?

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        January 22, 2019 at 12:18 pm

        So sorry! I fixed it!

        Reply
    28. Rss

      March 13, 2019 at 9:10 am

      Has anyone made the rice in a Pyrex at the same time as the chicken? I’ve read that it’s a possibility in the instant pot but wonder if it will work with this recipe? I made this last week for my first instant pot meal ever and it was a huge hit!!

      Reply
      • Karen Kelly

        March 14, 2019 at 9:26 am

        Good idea - let me know what you figure out!

        Reply

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    Hello!

    I'm Karen Kelly a food photographer and recipe creator. At Seasonal Cravings you will find quick, gluten free recipes made with seasonal ingredients. Let's get cooking!

    ABOUT KAREN»

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