Instant Pot Orange Chicken is for days when you need a quick and easy meal with little fuss. This is an Americanized Chinese dish that’s sweet and sour, but instead of the typical fried chicken, we’re pressure-cooking our chicken!
If you like this, try my Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli!
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Table of Contents
The Process
1. Add Ingredients
Add the orange juice, soy sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, onion powder, and pepper to your inner pot and stir it all together.
2. Add Chicken
Add your chicken thighs to the inner pot and coat both sides with the mixture.
3. Pressure Cook and Release
Pressure cook for 5 minutes and natural-release the pressure for 10 minutes before quick-releasing.
4. Saute and Thicken
Remove the lid and set the chicken aside. Press cancel and turn on saute medium. Make a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and water and pour it into the liquid when it starts to bubble. While that’s thickening cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place it back into the mixture. Turn off saute.
5. Enjoy!
FAQ
Can I use bottled orange juice for this recipe?
Yup! Squeezing fresh oranges is awesome, but also a little more time-consuming especially if you’re trying to make this on a busy weeknight! I always keep orange juice concentrate on hand!
What goes well with Orange Chicken?
I usually eat this with plain jasmine rice, but you can also do fried rice, chow mein, or even lettuce wraps!
How can I make this dish spicier?
Try adding crushed red pepper or sriracha!
What size Instant Pot did you use to make this recipe?
I used a 6-quart Duo Plus Instant Pot.
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The Recipe
Add 1 cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons of ginger, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/2 a teaspoon of onion powder, and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper to your inner pot and stir it all together.
Add your chicken thighs to the inner pot and coat both sides with the mixture.
Pressure cook for 5 minutes and natural-release the pressure for 10 minutes before quick-releasing.
Remove the lid and set the chicken aside. Press cancel and turn on saute medium. Make a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and water and pour it into the liquid when it starts to bubble. While that's thickening cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place it back into the mixture. Turn off saute. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Add 1 cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons of ginger, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/2 a teaspoon of onion powder, and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper to your inner pot and stir it all together.
Add your chicken thighs to the inner pot and coat both sides with the mixture.
Pressure cook for 5 minutes and natural-release the pressure for 10 minutes before quick-releasing.
Remove the lid and set the chicken aside. Press cancel and turn on saute medium. Make a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and water and pour it into the liquid when it starts to bubble. While that's thickening cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place it back into the mixture. Turn off saute. Enjoy!