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This simple Instant Pot orange chicken recipe is full of bright flavor! Garlic, brown sugar, and ginger build off a base of orange juice, orange zest, and soy sauce for a sweet and tangy sauce that’s simply irresistible. It’s a restaurant-quality dish made quickly and easily right at home, all thanks to the Instant Pot.
๐ What Makes This Recipe So Good
- The Instant Pot as your only cooking tool means cleanup is a breeze! From start to finish, everything for this orange chicken cooks in the Instant Pot. This recipe really couldn’t get any easier.
- The combination of orange and lemon juice add a fresh citrus kick to this dish. This Instant Pot orange chicken is light and satisfying.
- Sweet and savory ingredients create an award-winning combo. Savory soy sauce is brilliantly balanced by a touch of brown sugar and orange juice.
๐ฉ๐ผโ๐ณ Chef’s Tips
- Don’t fully cook your chicken breast chunks in Step 1. Sautรฉ in olive oil to lightly cook the outside edges, and then Step 2 will take care of the rest!
- Add in the cornstarch, and then wait for your sauce to thicken and immediately turn off the heat. Be careful not to overcook the sauce, otherwise it will be too thick.
- You can easily double this recipe if you’d like! I used a 6-quart Instant Pot, but some sizes of Instant Pot are large enough to hold up to three times the ingredients below. This recipe is perfect for company because the Instant Pot just makes it so easy!
โจ๏ธ More Delicious Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Shrimp
- Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken
- Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob with Honey Butter
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- 20 Keto Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Dal
- Creamy Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta Soup
- Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
- 50 Low Carb Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Sushi Rice
- Creamy Instant Pot Chicken and Noodles
- Instant Pot Eggs
Instant Pot Orange Chicken
This takeout-inspired chicken dish comes together in practically no time thanks to the Instant Pot! Sweet and tangy and deliciously tender, just like you'd get at a restaurant.
servings
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker
- Large wooden spoon
- medium mixing bowl
- 2 whisks
- small mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the Orange Glaze
- ยฝ cup freshly squeezed orange juice juice from approximately 1 large orange
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ยผ cup low-sodium soy sauce see Notes
- ยฝ packed cup light brown sugar see Notes
- ยผ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice juice from approximately 2 large lemons
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger optional
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch see Notes
- 3 tablespoons water
For the Chicken
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil avocado oil, olive oil, etc.
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 3-4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ยผ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- cooked white rice or fried rice
- thinly sliced green onions
- thin orange slices
Instructions
- Add ยฝ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest, 5 cloves garlic, ยผ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ยฝ packed cup light brown sugar, ยผ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (if using) to medium mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until fully incorporated. Set aside.
- Set Instant Pot to Sautรฉ mode. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil, distributing oil across bottom of Instant Pot insert. Heat oil until shimmering, then add 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and sprinkle ยผ teaspoon salt over.
- Stir to incorporate ingredients, then sautรฉ chicken 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is just opaque around edges.
- Add orange glaze mixture to Instant Pot and stir to incorporate.
- Secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in Sealing position. Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize, then 5-minute cook time will begin.
- Meanwhile, add 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water to small bowl. Whisk ingredients together vigorously until fully combined. Set aside.
- When 5-minute cook time ends, carefully Quick Release pressure and remove Instant Pot lid. Use caution – any escaping steam will be very hot.
- Set Instant Pot to Sautรฉ mode. Pour cornstarch slurry into Instant Pot and stir to incorporate. Continue stirring 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
- Once sauce has thickened, portion chicken and sauce into serving bowls with cooked white rice. Garnish each serving with thinly sliced green onions and thin orange slices if desired. Serve immediately.
- Make it Paleo: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, and arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch.
- Make it Refined-Sugar-Free: Use maple syrup or honey instead of brown sugar.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 453calProtein: 50gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 993mgPotassium: 1047mgTotal Carbs: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gNet Carbs: 39gVitamin A: 200IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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This dish was a huge hit with our family. My mother in law has Alzheimers, and her taste palate has changed a bit. She doesn’t eat as much as she used to.
She liked this so much she asked for seconds!
Thanks for creating an easy and delicious meal is can put together while caring for my elderly MIL.
We’re so glad she enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Margaret!
So yummy! Super easy to make. I made mine with coconut sugar and coconut aminos. Way more tasty than take out, and no preservatives/gross ingredients. I will definitely make this again.
So glad you loved it, Meagan! Thanks for sharing! ๐
This was delicious! I had one orange and a cava cava orange so I used that. We added a little garlic chili sauce to spice it up a bit and cut the sugar in half. Would make again and again! Thanks for this it will be I. Our quick and easy dinner rotation!
Glad you enjoyed, Jackie! Thanks for the review!
This recipe is fantastic just as written. No changes necessary. This is definitely going to be a regular around here. Thank you for sharing it.
So happy you enjoyed it, Sal! Thanks for leaving a review!
Served this dish last night. It was very good. Will make again. I did add green pepper and mandarin oranges for a e tra pop.
The brown sugar is missing from the instructions. Step 2??? Cant wait to try but not sure where sugar goes..
Sorry about that, the brown sugar is in step 2. We’ve updated the recipe to reflect the correct changes!