Instant Pot Asian chicken is full of flavor and so easy to make in your Ninja Foodi or pressure cooker. Similar to General Tsos chicken but easier like our Instant Pot teriyaki chicken but with more of a bang of flavors!

Instant-Pot-Asian-Chicken (
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I mean you could call this whatever you want but Instant Pot Asian chicken came to mind. A little like General Tso’s from Panda Express, but so easy you can make this quick Instant Pot recipe at home yourself. (affiliate links present)

Ninja Foodi Asian Chicken

I have use similar flavors in all sorts of different Ninja foodi recipes. It doesn’t matter what brand of pressure cooker you have as long as it is electric and not the old fashioned model. Crockpot express is another name that works well too.

We started with Instant Pot hoisin chicken and this Asian pulled pork is amazing too. Maybe because I was born and raised in Hawaii, I just love those deep savory sauces with protein on top of rice.

If you are new to pressure cooking we have a lot of easy one pot meal recipes for you here. To begin with let’s start with a few basic tips:

For reference, this is the model I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.

A white Instant Pot with a Star Wars theme sits on the kitchen counter, ready to tackle your favorite beef arm roast recipe. The digital display glows "On." Next to it lie a patterned cloth and some green onions, all against the backdrop of blue kitchen cabinets and a stovetop.

Asian Chicken Instant Pot

Similar to our spicy teriyaki chicken, you can adjust the heat on this dish as well. That is one reason I really love making this myself. I like mild but my husband likes it hot so at the end he can amp his serving up!

Asian Chicken Instant Pot Frozen

If all you have for meat is still rock hard, no worries. I have the answer to that one too. What you will want to do is follow the directions in our pressure cooker frozen chicken breasts post but for 10 minutes instead of 12. Then take it out and dice. Throw it in and you can skip the sautéing step. Add sauce and go from there.

What is Chinese chicken called?

Some may call this sesame chicken which is amazing I do agree. Asian chicken breasts have a deeper thicker sauce though which we love.

What sauce is used a lot in most Asian food?

If you want store bought sauces many use chili, fish, oyster or tamari sauces. It isn’t hard to mix soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar and seasonings together though. It’s way better than bottled.

Is General Tso’s Chicken Spicy?

It does have a kick to it at PF Changs restaurant. When you make it homemade like this you can make it as hot or mild as you wish though.

diced chicken thighs

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Let’s talk about a few tips to start with shall we? I have been pressure cooking since the IP was brand spanking new and there were NO recipes for it online, so I created them myself.

I learned quickly a few tricks of the trade. Mostly I will tell you these came with a lot of trial and error and I want to save you the headaches. The first came when making our pressure cooker chicken and rice.

At first I put the breasts in whole and after a few rounds of that not working out, it sticking, not getting done in the middle and I was frustrated….. The hack was to cube or dice them up as you see above. Use thighs or boneless breast pieces, either way. This is what you’re going to need to take out:

Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken

Ninja Foodi General Tsos Chicken

You could use either cubed chicken breasts or chicken thighs, that is your choice. I feel the latter comes out more tender and is typically cheaper as well. Everyone has their preferences though.

Ingredients

  1. Chicken
  2. Soy sauce
  3. Brown sugar
  4. Rice vinegar
  5. Honey
  6. Ginger
  7. Tomato paste
  8. I love hoisin sauce
  9. Add red pepper flakes for some heat

Use a bit of cornstarch at the end to thicken your sauce. You can do this inside the same pot with the meat removed. Just set to saute and it will cook down and become a wonderful “gravy”.

General Tsos sauce

When it comes to Instant Pot dinners like this I love cubing chicken. Not only does the marinade really seep in but the cook time is very short. AND it’s easier to eat too, especially if you have little hands at the table.

1″ pieces are perfect. Discard bones and fat while you’re trimming it all up and then you’re set to serve once it is done.

I started this method when I made my first pressure cooker recipe ever, with teriyaki chicken. Using just bottled sauce that time it made for a quick 5 minute meal that we still make today 4 years later.

Instant Pot Chicken

From there I stick to this rule and others have followed suit. The issue with leaving breasts whole is the thickness. In order to get the middle done appropriately the outside edges tend to get overdone. There is a printable recipe card at the bottom with more specific directions and ingredients below too:

How to Make Asian Chicken in Pressure Cooker

  1. Dice chicken into 1 inch pieces and add the chicken + all other ingredients into your pot EXCEPT cornstarch. Stir together.
  2. Close lid and steam valve, cook on high pressure for 6 minutes cook time. Allow to naturally release steam for 2 minutes when done, then quick release.
  3. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken and keep covered in a bowl.
  4. Set pot to saute. In a small bowl add some of your hot liquid from the pot + cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.
  5. Pour this cornstarch slurry into your pot, stir and allow sauce to thicken. Turn off. Serve chicken over Ninja Foodi rice, white or brown rice with sauce poured over the top.

Here’s what it looks like when it is done cooking. You can enjoy as is but I like to thicken the sauce. You’ll want to remove the meat before adding the roux.

asian Chicken

You could make this similar slow cooker sesame chicken but 6 minutes vs. 6 hours just doesn’t make sense. When done sprinkle with some diced green onions or a drizzle of sesame oil and enjoy in a bowl.

How long is cooked chicken good for in the fridge?

The best tip I can give you for this one is to drench the meat in this sauce before storing. Use air tight containers once it is at room temperature. Reheat within 3 days in an oven safe dish in the microwave. You can also keep it cold and serve it like this asian noodle recipe does. On top of a salad in another idea, or make a fresh pot of quinoa.

What is the best way to freeze cooked chicken?

Pour leftovers into a freezer bag and squeeze out all of the air. Then wrap into aluminum foil and store in the freezer. The best way to reheat is to thaw in the fridge and then warm as desired in oven or air fryer.

Looking for other easy Instant Pot chicken recipes? We have made tons in our 6-quart Instant Pot, Crockpot Express and Mealthy pots over the years. You can make any and all of them with breasts or thighs, either works fabulous.

ninja foodi asian chicken
Do you need to brown chicken before pressure cooking?

No, not always. Many times such as when I am making this copycat General Tsos Instant Pot chicken I will throw all the ingredients into the pot with the sauce and start. It is an easy one pot chicken dinner we all love that takes just 6 minutes to cook to tender perfection.

Can you pressure cook chicken without liquid?

Not really. The meat will emit some liquid and juices so you don’t need to add more than 1 cup or so but in order to create high pressure to steam and get tender you do need to add broth or water with your frozen chicken or defrosted meat.

Asian Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

Any size works too. If you have a mini just cut any recipe you find on The Typical Mom blog in half. Use same timing and you’ll be good to go. This comes in handy if there are only two of you, or for my college student.

If you have a Instant Pot air fryer lid you should try our air fryer teriyaki chicken too. Jump to recipe below and let us know if you tweaked it at all so we can try your add in as well. Nutritional information with calories and saturated fat is available to you too.

Instant Pot Asian Chicken
5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Asian Chicken

By The Typical Mom
Instant Pot Asian chicken is full of flavor and so easy to make in your Ninja Foodi or pressure cooker. Like General Tsos chicken but easier.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Servings: 6
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Equipment

  • 1 pressure cooker

Ingredients 

  • 2 lbs chicken, boneless, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 c soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ginger, ground
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch, optional to thicken sauce

Instructions 

  • Add all ingredients into your pot EXCEPT cornstarch. Stir together.
  • Close lid and steam valve, set to high pressure for 6 minutes. Allow to naturally release steam for 2 minutes when done, then quick release.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken and keep covered in a bowl.
  • Set pot to saute. In a small bowl add some of your hot liquid from the pot + cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.
  • Add this back into your pot, stir and allow to thicken.
  • Turn off pot. Serve chicken over rice with sauce poured over the top.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz, Calories: 64kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 650mg, Potassium: 68mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 66IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese, Japanese
Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!
Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken

About The Typical Mom

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

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5 from 3 votes

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7 Comments

  1. This recipe is delicious. Tonight was my maiden voyage into pressure cooking. This did not disappoint.Excellent.

  2. Delicious & so easy to make – made in the Ninja Foodi & would reduce the pressure time by a minute or so as some pieces were slightly overcooked (but maybe my pieces were slightly smaller than stated) and I would double the red pepper flakes as it wasn’t nearly spicy enough for us (again maybe just us!).

    1. Glad it was a hit, yes making sure all pieces are equal size is important for cook time. Heat is great too!

  3. Can I use Splenda brown suger? But only half what’s called for right!
    You are my go place to feed my family from my instapot! It was in the box for mouths before I used it and probably would still be if I had not found your site! My family and myself thank you !!!

    1. Oh that makes me happy to hear!! Ok so I’m not familiar with the ratios on that. My suggestion would be to use half if that is what you think is right and then adjust and add a tad more when it is done if it isn’t sweet enough. Lemme know!