Instant Pot Korean Chicken

This is the best Instant Pot Korean chicken thighs recipe! Served over rice it is sweet with a bit of spicy flavors in the sauce you’ll love. You can make this as a Ninja Foodi recipe or in any pressure cooker in just 5 minutes.

Our version is REALLY different because it is healthy with NO frying required. That’s right, I skipped the breading but not any of the bold flavors! You will love it just as much but without any oil required and a lot less calories. To make things even more simple to eat I prefer to use boneless, skinless thighs and cut them into bite size pieces. No there wouldn’t be an issue using chicken breasts either, I just think thighs are much more tender.

You can use any brand of electric pressure cooker to make this. A Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi have the same saute and high pressure functions so that doesn’t matter. With this brand though you need to remember to use the lid that is not attached to pressure cook.

Ingredient Notes

The protein is chicken thighs cut into large bite size pieces. This makes it super tender and easy to eat when done as there is no need for slicing.

I like to slice some onions in there for added flavor and texture but those are certainly optionsl.

Soy sauce gives it umami (could use aminos for a gluten free option) and chicken broth provides enough moisture to cook or steam the meat to a fall-apart texture.

Minced garlic, brown sugar, Sriracha, minced fresh ginger and hoisin sauce will make the authentic sauce to cook the meat in.

To thicken just add a bit of cornstarch. Once you have whisked together some cold water or hot liquid from your pot, wait until your contents are bubbling. You’ll need to put it on the saute mode to do this. When you turn the pot off let it sit for a good 5 minutes to thicken even more.

Sesame seeds and/or diced green onions were used but optional. Chives could be used as an alternative topping as well. Use what you have on hand I always say.

Variations

Bibimbap is another name for this dish and you can make as mild or spicy as you want. If you want some real heat to it add a bit of gochujang for your best flavor. Other options would be to include a bit of Sriracha or red pepper flakes into the sauce like we do with our Instant Pot teriyaki chicken thighs.

How Long to Cook Korean Chicken Thighs in Instant Pot

You will want to first dice into pieces about 1″ by 1″ or so like our Instant Pot Hawaiian chicken dish. This will allow the meat to soak up the sauce better and make it easier to eat too. Then add the sauce and stir the contents together so it’s all nicely coated and close the lid to cook for just 5 minutes on high pressure cook = the perfect time to cook the chicken all the way thru.

This will still keep it nice and tender though. Release the pressure quickly once it is done (quick release), then decide whether you want to thicken the Korean sauce once it’s done.

Can you use frozen chicken?

If all you have are frozen pieces you will want to separate them from one another. Add into the pot with a bit of broth and this is how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot first. Then drain liquid, dice meat, and follow directions in recipe card below. Decrease cook time to 2 minutes in this case since it is precooked.

The steps for this Instant Pot chicken recipe are simple because there is NO precooking required. I’ve used the same technique for many other dinners because cutting the meat into small pieces cuts down on cook time.

FAQ

How to reheat leftovers

I suppose you could drizzle on some sesame oil, and use the air crisp mode on your Ninja Foodi or air fryer. I’d just throw it into a pan and reheat it though. I did try this once. Once I removed the chicken after trying to crisp it a second time and thought it made it too dry. I think it really needs to be fried ahead of time to really work well.

If you do have leftovers you might wonder what to do with it. I would just refrigerate it and eat it within the next 2 days to maintain the flavors and texture. BUT yes, technically you can freeze it even after it’s already been cooked. Save it in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind the integrity of the meat will be altered.

Other easy pressure cooker chicken recipes you’ll love

Now it’s probably our favorite way to cook Instant Pot chicken thighs bone in, just ask my kids! We love our Instant Pot Korean beef so much I had to find a way to tweak it with chicken and here it is!

After you print recipe below and enjoy it thoroughly, you’ll want something similar the next night. Try our Instant Pot sesame chicken then.