Instant Pot Spicy Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

These are some of the most incredible Instant Pot spicy teriyaki chicken thighs I’ve ever made in my pressure cooker! Moist chicken with a thick sweet and spicy homemade teriyaki sauce you and your kids will love. Healthy dinner loaded with lots of flavor and made in less than 15 minutes!

You know every once and a while you come up with something you can actually pat yourself on the back for? Well these thighs in the Instant Pot is one of those.

• I made Instant Pot teriyaki chicken a while back using bottled teriyaki sauce. You can use your Ninja Foodi or other brand too if you like.

This time I wanted to see if I could come up with a sauce of my own that had some spice to it and they came out so amazing!

Instant Pot Spicy Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken is a staple in our house and I probably cook it 3-4 times a week in some form. So, I like to have a few great recipes to choose from so things don’t get too redundant.

Why do I love chicken thighs vs. other parts?

• They are super cheap
• Chicken thighs have a ton of flavor compared to breasts
• Thighs are so much more tender than chicken breasts

Of course this is my opinion so of course you will have your own preference but typically when I try a new recipe I like to use chicken thighs even if they aren’t the traditional cut used.

• I did this with our Instant Pot crack chicken casserole and Instant Pot Korean chicken recipe too.
• Most recipes call for breasts but I will tell you it’s so much better using thighs….and super cheap too.

Ok…..that’s my 2 cents on to a few questions you might have right about now:

That is one of the many great things about this creation. Make it exactly as you wish. Below is a pic of our 2nd time making it, now we have a non stick pot which I highly recommend.

Not only is cleanup easier but it doesn’t trigger the burn notice like ever. Most of the time that is false and quite annoying.

Instant Pot spicy teriyaki chicken thighs

1. Instant Pot or pressure cooker
   1. I HIGHLY suggest you use this non stick pot
2. Chicken thighs (mine were skinless, bone in, I’ve used skin on too)
   1. some have used boneless skinless chicken thighs and it works well too
   2. this is how to make frozen chicken thighs Instant Pot style
3. Olive oil
4. Ingredients for spicy teriyaki sauce
   1. Hoisin sauce
   2. Brown sugar
   3. Soy sauce
   4. Cornstarch – thickener
   5. Garlic
   6. Sriracha – can leave out if you don’t want it spicy at all
5. Salt and pepper to taste

We serve these over a bed of rice or as is with a side of dinner rolls.

This are the steps to take in order to make our spicy Instant Pot teriyaki chicken thighs

You can use either skin on or off. I prefer skinless but it depends on what I have on hand really so I have used both. 

1. First set pot to saute and add olive oil.
2. Then once it is hot add your thighs inside so you can brown the outsides, the inside meat will not be fully cooked yet.
3. Turn pot off and remove chicken so you can deglaze the pot with a bit of your broth
   1. make sure you get all browned bits off the bottom to avoid burn message
   2. having a non stick pot is very helpful for this too, that pot is not shown above as I bought it later and it’s amazing
4. Put chicken back in with onions.

In a bowl whisk together your homemade teriyaki sauce (with only 1 tbsp cornstarch) and pour that in too.

Close lid and steam valve and set to high pressure for 12 minutes.

1. After your Asian chicken is done I move the steam valve just slightly so the steam comes out really slowly and then lift the lid.
2. Remove chicken and keep warm.
3. In a small bowl whisk together some of your hot liquid with remainder of your cornstarch until smooth.
4. Set pot to saute and pour this in, allow sauce to bubble and thicken. Then serve it over brown rice or alone.

Ninja Foodi Chicken Thighs

Pressure cooking the chicken in the spicy sauce allows it to marinate and soak up all the flavors while it cooks. It’s way better than just pouring it on top.

• You just brown the chicken on saute
• The sauce can be adjusted to the heat level of your liking
  • I do not like a lot of spicy foods but this one is just right and my kids loved it too.

Looking for more Instant Pot chicken recipes to enjoy for dinner?

• Instant Pot sesame chicken has similar flavor using breasts
• Healthy Instant Pot orange chicken recipe
• Pressure cooker chicken and rice

These Instant Pot bone in chicken thighs are great too.

If you love using thighs regularly, you should try baked teriyaki chicken thighs or teriyaki chicken legs in the oven, so good!

The cooking time is quick for this meal vs. a slow cooker so it’s my go to method. If you don’t have a pressure cooker but looking for amazing chicken thigh recipes, try this chicken thighs recipe or air fryer chicken thighs as well!

Easy side dishes that are great served with this spicy teriyaki chicken recipe.

1. Instant Pot mashed potatoes are simple and very inexpensive to make.
2. Best green bean recipe is here to try, or whip up some of our lightly breaded and crispy air fryer green beans.

Then try our spicy honey Instant Pot chicken or air fryer teriyaki chicken. The latter is great for little hands because it’s cut into bite size pieces initially.

When it’s done make sure to spoon the sauce at the bottom of the pot on top of each piece! Here’s the printable recipe.

Instant Pot chicken thighs