This sesame chicken is my go-to weeknight recipe when I want something comforting, fast, and reliably delicious. It delivers the sweet-savory glaze everyone expects from takeout, but without the frying and without hours of babysitting the stove. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting: short pressure cook time for tender chicken, then a quick sauté to finish the sauce.
I’m practical about dinner. I like recipes that come together with a handful of pantry staples and a single pot to clean. This one checks those boxes. You can tweak the heat, swap sweeteners, or double it for leftovers—no fuss, no compromise.
Below you’ll find the ingredient list drawn straight from the recipe, step-by-step Instant Pot directions kept in the original order, troubleshooting tips, swaps for dietary needs, and serving ideas so you can get dinner on the table without guesswork.
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts — boneless and skinless, cut into bite-size or 1-inch pieces; the meat that cooks quickly under pressure.
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce — provides the savory backbone and salt control.
- 2 cloves garlic — minced; adds sharp aromatic depth.
- 1 inch ginger — peeled and grated; gives brightness and a subtle kick.
- ¼ cup ketchup — adds tang, body, and a touch of tomato sweetness to the sauce.
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce or sriracha — optional heat and complexity; start with a little if sensitive.
- ¼ cup honey — or brown sugar; sweetens and helps the sauce caramelize when sautéing.
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil — finish flavor; a little goes a long way.
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water — mixed to a slurry to thicken the sauce quickly without lumps.
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds — toasted, to garnish and add a nutty finish.
- Chopped green onion — to garnish; adds color and a mild oniony bite.
Small kit (optional)
- Measuring cups and spoons — for accurate salt and sweet balance.
- Microplane or grater — for the ginger.
- Small bowl and whisk or fork — to make the cornstarch slurry.
Instant Pot Sesame Chicken: From Prep to Plate
- Place the 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size or 1‑inch pieces) in the Instant Pot. Add ½ cup low‑sodium soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 inch peeled and grated ginger, ¼ cup ketchup, and 1 teaspoon hot sauce or sriracha. Stir once to combine.
- Close the lid and set the steam valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK (High) and set the cook time to 3 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure and complete the cooking cycle. When the timer beeps, carefully perform a QUICK RELEASE by moving the valve to VENTING. Keep your face and hands away from the steam.
- When the float valve drops, open the lid away from you. Press SAUTÉ to turn on the pot’s sauté function.
- Add ¼ cup honey (or ¼ cup brown sugar) and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil to the pot. Stir to dissolve the sugar and combine with the sauce.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the pot and stir continuously while the sauce simmers until it thickens, about 1–2 minutes.
- When the sauce has reached your desired thickness, press CANCEL or turn off the SAUTÉ function.
- Transfer the sesame chicken to a serving dish and garnish with chopped green onion and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Why This Recipe Belongs in Your Rotation
Speed: three minutes at pressure and a couple of minutes of finishing time means dinner from fridge to table in under 25 minutes if you’ve got your mise en place ready. That’s game changing on a busy night.
Reliability: pressure cooking tenderizes chicken quickly and consistently, so you don’t have to worry about dry meat. The cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce fast on sauté so you won’t get a watery plate.
Flavor balance: salty soy, bright ginger and garlic, sweet honey (or brown sugar), and sesame oil at the end create that takeout-like glaze without deep frying. Small adjustments tweak it to your family’s taste without breaking the method.
Dairy-Free/Gluten-Free Swaps
Dairy-free: this recipe is naturally dairy-free—no swaps required.
Gluten-free: swap the low-sodium soy sauce for tamari or a certified gluten-free soy sauce. Coconut aminos also work if you prefer a slightly sweeter, less salty option. Everything else (honey, cornstarch, sesame oil) is gluten-free as written.
Note: if using bottled condiments like ketchup or hot sauce, check labels for hidden gluten or cross-contamination if that’s a concern.
Gear Up: What to Grab
- Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker with a SAUTÉ function.
- Cutting board and a sharp knife for trimming and cubing the chicken.
- Measuring spoons and cups — especially for the soy sauce and honey.
- Microplane or fine grater for the ginger and a small knife for mincing garlic.
- Small bowl and whisk or fork to make the cornstarch slurry.
- Silicone spatula or wooden spoon for stirring during sauté.
Problems & Prevention
Sauce too thin
Prevention: make the cornstarch slurry exactly as stated—1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water—and add it while sautéing. Stir continuously; it should thicken in 1–2 minutes. If it’s still thin, make another slurry (start with half a tablespoon cornstarch + ½ tablespoon water) and add gradually.
Chicken overcooked or dry
Prevention: follow the 3-minute pressure cook time for bite-size breast pieces. The short pressure time cooks through without drying the breasts. Avoid cutting the pieces too small; 1-inch is ideal.
Burn notice or sauce sticking
Prevention: degrease or scrape any fond before switching to SAUTÉ. Make sure there’s enough liquid from the soy sauce and ketchup in step 1. If your Instant Pot is older or sensitive, hit SAUTÉ carefully and stir regularly while thickening.
Too salty
Prevention: use low-sodium soy sauce as called for. If the finished sauce is too salty, balance it with a splash more honey or a squeeze of citrus (lemon or lime) to brighten and cut saltiness.
Smart Substitutions
Chicken thighs: if you prefer dark meat, boneless skinless thighs work well and stay juicy. Reduce cook time slightly only if pieces are very small; otherwise the recipe will still perform. Note: thighs may release a touch more fat.
Sweetener: the recipe gives you two options—¼ cup honey or ¼ cup brown sugar. Honey gives a glossy finish and floral notes; brown sugar gives deeper molasses flavor. Both thicken the same way.
Heat: swap the 1 teaspoon hot sauce or sriracha for chili garlic sauce if you want texture and garlic heat. Start with half a teaspoon and taste before adding more.
Thickener: if you avoid cornstarch, tapioca starch works as a 1:1 swap for thickness. Arrowroot is another option but don’t boil arrowroot long or it can thin out.
Method to the Madness
Why pressure cook at all? Pressure builds steam and cooks the chicken rapidly without drying it. Three minutes is enough because the pieces are bite-size; the carryover and quick release preserve texture.
Why sauté after pressure? The sauté step lets you dissolve honey or brown sugar into the cooking liquid and reduce it into a glossy glaze. Adding toasted sesame oil at this stage preserves its flavor—sesame oil can become muted with prolonged high heat, so we finish with it.
The cornstarch slurry is essential. Adding cornstarch directly will clump. Whisk it into water first, pour it in slowly, and stir while it thickens. That’s the simplest, most reliable way to get the right consistency in less than two minutes.
Best Ways to Store
Refrigerator: cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. The sauce will thicken as it cools; loosen with a splash of water or broth when reheating.
Freezer: portion into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. For freezer meals, keep a separate small container of fresh sesame seeds and green onion to add after reheating.
Reheating: reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water or chicken broth to re-melt the glaze and keep the chicken moist. Microwave works too—cover and heat in 30–45 second bursts, stirring between intervals.
Ask the Chef
Q: Can I use frozen chicken?
A: I don’t recommend starting from frozen for this particular method. The cook time and texture are optimized for thawed, bite-size pieces. If you must use frozen, fully thaw first for reliable results.
Q: Can I double the recipe?
A: Yes. If your Instant Pot is large enough to accommodate the volume without exceeding the max fill line, double the ingredients and keep the same cook time. Sauces scale linearly, but ensure there’s enough space to sauté afterward.
Q: My sauce turned gummy. What happened?
A: Overusing cornstarch or cooking the slurry too long at high heat can create a gluey texture. Fix it by adding a little warm liquid (water or broth) and whisking vigorously, then simmer briefly to reincorporate.
Bring It to the Table
Serve this sesame chicken over steamed jasmine or brown rice, or spoon it over cauliflower rice for a lighter plate. A side of steamed broccoli or snap peas adds color and crunch. Sprinkle the plated dish with the reserved chopped green onions and the 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds called for in the recipe for texture and contrast.
Make it family-friendly by serving extra hot sauce on the side. If you’re plating for guests, a wedge of lime adds a fresh lift and cuts the richness.
Clean-up is simple: the Instant Pot inner pot rinses out easily, and a quick soak handles any sticky spots. That’s why I reach for this recipe again and again—fast, flavorful, and practical.
Instant Pot Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ?2 poundschicken breastsboneless and skinless cut into bite-size or 1-inch pieces
- ?1/2 cuplow-sodium soy sauce
- ?2 clovesgarlicminced
- ?1 inchgingerpeeled and grated
- ?1/4 cupketchup
- ?1 teaspoonhot sauce or sriracha
- ?1/4 cuphoneyor brown sugar
- ?1 tablespoontoasted sesame oil
- ?1 tablespooncornstarchand 1 tablespoon water
- ?1 tablespoonsesame seedsto garnish
- ?chopped green onionto garnish
Instructions
Instructions
- Place the 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size or 1‑inch pieces) in the Instant Pot. Add ½ cup low‑sodium soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 inch peeled and grated ginger, ¼ cup ketchup, and 1 teaspoon hot sauce or sriracha. Stir once to combine.
- Close the lid and set the steam valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK (High) and set the cook time to 3 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure and complete the cooking cycle. When the timer beeps, carefully perform a QUICK RELEASE by moving the valve to VENTING. Keep your face and hands away from the steam.
- When the float valve drops, open the lid away from you. Press SAUTÉ to turn on the pot’s sauté function.
- Add ¼ cup honey (or ¼ cup brown sugar) and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil to the pot. Stir to dissolve the sugar and combine with the sauce.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the pot and stir continuously while the sauce simmers until it thickens, about 1–2 minutes.
- When the sauce has reached your desired thickness, press CANCEL or turn off the SAUTÉ function.
- Transfer the sesame chicken to a serving dish and garnish with chopped green onion and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Notes
Nutrition values are calculated per 1 portion of sesame chicken without rice (rough estimate). If you’re following a specific diet or have a health condition, please make your own calculations and don’t rely on our data.
