Instant Pot sesame chicken takes less than 15 minutes to make in your pressure cooker! This quick and easy meal has a sweet and savory sauce with tender chicken over rice. My family loved it!
Have you ever gone out to dinner and had that sweet sesame chicken with rice and thought “I wish I could make this at home, it’s so good”?? Well here’s an easy Instant Pot sesame chicken recipe you can enjoy with your family tonight! With a thick sweet sauce and tender chicken pieces, it’s amazing served as is if you’re looking for a low carb protein packed dinner or atop rice. It’s one of our favorite Instant Pot recipes. (originally published 12/18, affiliate links present)
Our easy Instant Pot sesame chicken recipe is really a throw it together meal you could make with raw chicken like you see here. Or if you have leftover chicken you could use that as well. It’s really all about the sauce after all.
Of course there is always plenty of ginger and garlic added into Asian inspired recipes so we have just enough of that thrown in there too.
- Likelihood is you have everything you need for this sesame chicken sauce at home except for maybe a bottle of hoisin sauce, which is amazing by the way.
- Don’t worry…the rest won’t go to waste because after you’ve made this pressure cooker sesame chicken you’re going to want to make our Instant Pot spicy teriyaki chicken thighs that uses this sauce in the mix too.
What is the difference between orange chicken and sesame chicken?
- The sauce!
- This recipe is sweeter, really.
- There is no heat to this dish vs. some orange that has a kick to it like General Tso’s at Panda Express.
- Of course this one has sesame seeds too.
I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and dice them up so they are bite size pieces.
Why do I dice the chicken up?
- Smaller pieces of chicken makes each piece more tender in the cooking process
- Bite size pieces allows the delicious sauce to soak all the way in so each piece has that delish sesame chicken taste
- It makes it easier for the kids (and me) to eat when the chicken is already cut up
Alternatives to using fresh chicken:
- If using diced up pre-cooked chicken (i.e. rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken) alter the recipe below this way
- Add your pre-cooked chicken at the beginning but no need to put into Instant Pot and saute like if it were raw
- Mix together your diced chicken pieces with the diced onions, garlic and ginger still, then skip to step 4 where you add the sesame chicken sauce
- On step 5 lock the lid and set to pressure high for 2 minutes vs. 3
Including all the time it will take you to prep everything, this should take under 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Much faster than if you made it in a slow cooker.
Once your chicken is no longer pink on the outside you’re going to whisk together the ingredients for your homemade sesame sauce and pour it right in. Make sure you then stir it around so all the chicken is coated and the flavors will really soak in. I would cook rice at this time so it’s all pressure cooking together. (I have several machines to do it all)
- Any good pressure cooker honey sesame chicken recipe is all about the sauce really!
Now once the 2nd cook time is over, do a quick pressure release. It will be done but it is best if you use a bit of cornstarch to thicken the sauce so it’s ooey gooey delicious. I use 4 tbsp of cornstarch whisked together with 4 tbsp of hot liquid from pot. Add that in on saute and allow that to bubble and the sauce to thicken.
Of course you can use less if you want it thinner than what you see here, but really if you ask me this is just perfection…….
What is sesame chicken made of?
- Thighs usually, but we chose to use chicken breasts. Either or are fine really. Many times they are deep fried, this is a low fat version without breading. Sauces vary slightly adding heat, or making sweet and mild. Cornstarch is used to thicken it up at the end.
This is what you need to make our easy Instant Pot sesame chicken recipe
- Diced chicken
- Green onions
- Minced garlic
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Brown sugar
- Honey
- Worcestershire sauce
- Sesame seeds
- Cornstarch to thicken sauce
- red pepper flakes optional
Cook Instant Pot white rice separately and serve on top.
After you make this we have some other easy Instant Pot chicken recipes you will love:
- Easy Instant Pot butter chicken
- Our pressure cooker apricot chicken is the bomb
- Chicken tinga is a new recipe to try
- Instant Pot orange chicken recipe – healthy version
- 3 ingredientInstant Pot teriyaki chicken
Our spicy honey Instant Pot chicken is probably our most popular followed by Instant Pot Korean chicken. I am telling you, since I got this magical appliance we have been able to eat together more AND I cook more from scratch.
That means we eat healthier and it is amazing how my kids taste buds have changed for the better. They are now very experimental eaters which is great.
What is the difference between orange chicken and sesame chicken?
Well, we have made pressure cooker orange chicken before and it is good. This copycat General Tso’s sesame chicken recipe is a bit sweeter without any heat. Of course there are many varieties of each and it is nice to change it up a bit. Both are served on top of rice in our home and are favorites for sure.
Is sweet and sour chicken the same as sesame chicken?
Ours is definitely different because our Instant Pot sweet and sour chicken uses frozen popcorn chicken that’s breaded. This one has less carbs since it doesn’t have any breading at all.
The sauce also has a different taste. One has some heat and this one is sweeter
How do you thicken sesame chicken sauce?
- Cornstarch + some of the hot liquid mixed together creates a roux.
- Dump this in on saute mode at the end and stir.
- It will thicken as it sits thereafter too.
Can you make this in your Ninja Foodi too? YES of course!! Follow the same instructions below. Then serve it over fluffy rice and BAM, best meal evahhhh!
- If you’re looking for other easy Instant Pot recipes like our Instant Pot hoisin chicken and more I have tons of those too. We hope you enjoy this and many others on The Typical Mom blog. 😉
You can make Crockpot sesame chicken too! With a sweet sauce cooking all day long the meat just sucks it up and makes it over the top. I’ve served this over mashed cauliflower for a lower carb meal and it’s as good as brown or white rice.
Ready for an easy family friendly meal? That’s really all we do here since I have 3 girls and I will tell you that they think this one is “the bomb”! Have you made something that your family thought was over the top lately??
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Instant Pot Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 2-3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, diced into bite size pcs.
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 c soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp garlic minced
- 5 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 green onion diced, more for topping if desired
- 2 tbsp sesame oil can use olive oil
- 3 tbsp ginger I use minced, jarred
- 4 tbsp cornstarch + 4 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Add your diced onions, sesame oil, diced raw chicken breasts, 1.5 tbsp minced garlic and 1.5 tbsp minced ginger into your pot. Set to saute.
- Mix all ingredients together so chicken pcs. are coated, cook until pink on outside of chicken pcs. is gone.
- Turn Instant Pot off.
- Whisk together remaining ingredients except cornstarch, and only use 1 tbsp of your sesame seeds, pour into your pot. Stir so all chicken pieces are nicely coated.
- Close lid and steam valve and set to pressure high for 3 minutes.
- Do a quick release, lift lid and set to saute again if you want the sauce to be thicker.
- In a small bowl whisk together your cornstarch and cold water well so there are no lumps, add this into your IP once it begins to bubble on the saute setting.
- Stir for 1-2 minutes until sauce begins to thicken, then turn pot off and unplug so it doesn’t continue to cook.
- Serve on top of rice sprinkled with your remaining tbsp of sesame seeds and add some diced green onions if desired.
Wendy says
I made this tonight. I used 2.5 lbs of the frozen cut up chicken pieces from Costco. I didnt dice up an onion, I just dumped the sauce and frozen chicken into the instapot and set the timer to 4 minutes and did a quick release. Worked perfect. Cooked some rice and steamed some broccoli and green beans. Everyone devoured it!
Jessica says
This looks so good. What can I use instead of honey so that my baby can have some too?
justine says
Hmmm a bit of maple syrup or sugar??
Michelle says
I added sliced portobello mushrooms and since my is on keto served over sautéed cabbage delicious!!!
The Typical Mom says
Great add in!!
sonnya moran says
I haven’t tried yet but planning to soon. My question is, would it be possible to cook the rice at same time? I’m fairly new to IP.
Krystal says
List of ingredients says 3 tablespoons or garlic and ginger. But in the directions says to add 1.5 tablespoons of each. Which amount is correct? Thanks
justine says
Step 4 you “add all remaining ingredients other than cornstarch” including the other 1.5 tbsp
Melissa says
Hi! I wasn’t able to find ginger when I went out to shop this morning but did grab ground ginger in the spic aisle. Would I be able to substitute the fresh for what I got? Looking forward to making this on our menu this week!
The Typical Mom says
It will taste different but of course you can try until you can find it in a jar. I got mine on Amazon.
Wendy says
Try squeeze ginger. It’s a game changer!
Katie says
Hi. How long does this recipe actually take? I’m over 30 minutes? I see the saute until not longer pink would be about 5 minutes + 10ish (+) minutes for the IP to reach pressure + 3 minutes to cook + 1 minute for quick release + 2 minutes for cornstarch sauce. If this cook time is added to prep I’m getting around 35 minutes. Am I missing something? I don’t understand how your total time is 18 minutes. I’m looking for VERY SPECIFICALLY 30 minute or less recipes for clients and was wondering how this could work.
Thanks
Rosa says
How much time to cook if I have 5 chicken breast?
Lisa Woods says
I left out the ginger and hoisin bc I didn’t have it, it turned out perfect! Better than Chinese food delivered!
David Charles says
Made this today and give it 5 stars. Very quick and easy to make. Served over cauliflower rice to cut carbs. Used 2 chicken breast and there is plenty of leftovers.
Thought we had hosen sauce in pantry but was out so used oyster sauce instead but only 1/2 of what the recipe called for hosen sauce.
Highly recommend and will make again.
The Typical Mom says
Yeah so glad you enjoyed it.
Lynda says
Made this recipe last night and we LOVED it! I used fresh garlic and fresh ginger and obviously all the other ingredients … the aroma was … mmm,mmm,MMM!!!! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch!
The Typical Mom says
So glad you loved it!
Sam says
3 TABLESPOONS of minced garlic and ginger seems like a LOT. Not teaspoons? Just want to double check because this is on my list to make this week!
The Typical Mom says
I have had nothing but compliments on this recipe, you can add less if you prefer.
Lolo says
The family enjoyed this one I just wish I hadn’t told them I was making “sesame chicken”. I think we all thought that it was going to taste like Chinese takeout. It did not. I’d definitely make this again for us to enjoy. Thanks for the recipe!
Kelly says
This looks really great and I’m looking forward to trying it. Other than low sodium soy sauce, how can I cut down on the sodium content? Seems really high.
The Typical Mom says
Worcestershire could be left out. I don’t calculate it, the recipe card does that so I am unsure how accurate the amounts are but that would probably help.
Kokila says
Definitely trying this today! Just going to add some chili flakes for a little heat …. ? perfect for a cold night …. in Orlando.??♀️
Jennifer says
Could you put frozen chicken in or does it have to be thawed?
The Typical Mom says
If your frozen chicken was diced into bite size pieces then it should be fine, maybe add 1 min.
Mandy says
Okay, I give. How does this recipe work without displaying the dreaded “Burn” warning? It only has 1/2 cup of soy and a splash of Worcestershire sauce, both of which typically burn in a heartbeat. I usually ignore any IP recipe that calls for less than one cup total of liquids and don’t exactly see how this one would be any different.
Justine says
When sautéing the chicken some liquid will be created as well. I would never share a recipe that didn’t work. It’s excellent.
Anthony says
If you normally ignore recipes that you dont think would be good why come here and comment on this lady’s recipe instead of just trying a different recipe that has the amount of liquids you deem acceptable?
Amy2 says
Actually, I had the same question, so I’m glad it was asked. Everyone (including the manual) says to never use less than 1 cup of liquid. Good to know this was already tested but it doesn’t hurt to make sure it wasn’t a typo.
Jen says
I was able to make just fine. No burn warning. Maybe something is wrong with your IP.
Thanks for the recipe!
Lolo says
Mine did not burn at all. Followed recipe exactly…except only 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water to thicken the sauce.
The Typical Mom says
So glad you loved it.
kimberly stidger says
i make all asian inspired dishes inside stainless steel pots or crockery that is placed inside my IP and i add water around it to insure that i will not get a burn warning and i never have.
Alesha says
I made this recipe with a few modifications. I used less soy sauce. Used some sesame oil. And omitted the hoisin. It turned out delicious! Thanks for the recipe
The Typical Mom says
Yeah!
Dana says
Sesame oil is one of the things that makes a dish Asian, in my opinion. After seeing your comment, it got my attention. I think when I make this I will sub a little of the olive oil for sesame oil, then add a few drops into the sauce. It doesn’t take much sesame oil – a little goes a LONG way! I’m glad you added that comment, I will definitely follow your lead!
Kathy Diaz says
Does the calorie count per serving of 320 count the rice also?
Marty says
If I double the recipe is the cooking time the same?
The Typical Mom says
I might increase by 1 minute and then of course check once it is done that pcs. are cooked through since it is chicken. Dice into bite size pcs. beforehand and they will cook quickly.
Nola says
If I used chicken thighs would the cooking time be the same or would I need to add time?
The Typical Mom says
If they are cut up bite size like I did here then the timing would be the same with either thighs or breasts.