Chicken Instant Pot stir fry with bell peppers, snap peas, spring onions with a teriyaki sauce is a great dinner idea that’s healthy and packed with flavor! I guarantee your family will love this one pot meal.
Sounds interesting right?? It’s probably one of your favorite meals when you go out but haven’t tried it yourself. It’s easier than you think. We used chicken but steak stir fry would be an easy swap out too. It’s not only healthy but Keto friendly and gluten free but it made it to our popular list of fail proof Instant Pot recipes.
If you wanted to use Instant Pot bone-in chicken thighs it would work too but you would need to do a lot more work to remove the bone and cut into bite size pieces so the sauce can really seep in.
Instant Pot Stir Fry with Frozen Chicken
If you only have frozen meat this is still possible. You would follow our frozen chicken in Instant Pot directions where you first cook under high pressure for 12 minutes with a cup of broth, quick release and then chop. Pour out the water you used to steam the meat, add items from step 5 for the sauce and skip to steps on step 6 below.
Tips for Success
You’re want to whisk together your teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and olive oil (or avocado oil) in your pressure cooker to add flavor and provide the liquid necessary to cook. If you wanted more of an Instant Pot chicken curry flavor to it you would want to use the seasonings listed in that post instead.
You want Thin Chicken Breast sliced into bite sized pieces or strips. The initial saute step will only cook the outsides enough to lock in those juices so don’t skip it. Since the meat is thin it won’t take long for the pink to disappear. If you have the option select cooking on high for your saute feature. On my Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi I can choose low, normal or high. You want “all the heat”.
It’s best to prepare all of your veggies beforehand because this entire cooking process will be quick. You don’t want the chicken to overcook while you’re trying to dice green onions or slice bell peppers.
You will NOT ever completely close and seal the lid on your Instant Pot to make this chicken stir fry. It is all made using the saute function. The vegetables get tender by merely steaming with the lid on but not locked.
Just leave the valve to venting, set lid on top gently and check every few minutes to see if they’re to your liking yet. Remove lid when veggies are perfect and serve immediately for ideal results.
You do not need much liquid to cook Chicken Thigh Stir Fry either. Realize there will be chicken broth created when you saute the meat. And you’re not really pressuring cooking this meal since that function isn’t used. So no worries that there isn’t enough in this case. Normally with meat I would add 1/2 cup liquid is all.
Can you use frozen vegetables?
Yes. If you choose frozen for this recipe the timing would not change. Just periodically test the tenderness and adjust timing accordingly. Keep in mind the texture isn’t as ideal when you Cook Frozen Vegetables vs. fresh. They will inevitably be more shriveled and drier but an option for sure if that is all you have.
Most places offer an Asian blend sorta speak so if you can find that one that typically has snap peas, onions and peppers in it you’re good to go. Just open the bag and throw all that in.
I would also start your pressure cooker brown rice or Instant Pot white rice before cooking your stir fry so it will be done at the same time. Jasmine rices are our favorite choice. Just add a few cups water with your rice into a separate pressure cooker and in less than 30 minutes it will be time to eat.
Instant Pot Stir Fry Recipe
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced thin
- 1 large bell pepper, red
- 1 large bell pepper, yellow
- 1 bundle spring onions, chopped
- 2 cup sugar snap peas
- 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 1.5 tbsp lemon pepper
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Dice bell peppers into large chunks (smaller they are the softer they will become). Place in a bowl.
- Wash snow peas, put into bowl. Chop spring onion tops and put in a small separate bowl.
- Cut off the long onion bottom and slice in half, add to bowl with peppers and peas.
- Thinly slice chicken breasts the short way across. Set pressure cooker to the saute mode.
- Put chicken and 1 tbsp teriyaki, soy sauce + olive oil into pot together. Saute for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked and no longer pink on the outside.
- In a small bowl whisk together brown sugar, rest of teriyaki and lemon pepper seasoning. Pour over chicken and toss so it is all coated.
- Add vegetables to the pot and toss with chicken. Set lid on pot so everything can steam but do NOT lock lid. Leave lid on for 3 minutes to soften veggies. Stir.
- If you want them softer put lid back on without locking for 2-4 more minutes to soften them further.
- Serve with rice, soy sauce, topped with green onions.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ninja Foodi (Option)
Of course you could use any pressure cooker you have to make this. They all have the saute function. That’s all you need. So grab your Crock Pot Express or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker, using the lid that is not attached, you should never lock the lid when the saute function is on.
Other easy Instant Pot recipes for beginners you’ll love
Instant Pot fajitas are made this time with beef but many of the same vegetables you see here. Pressure cooker roast beef is cooked alone but can be shredded and made into sliders, kids love this idea. Or make this keto friendly pressure cooker turkey breast, a great option beyond just Thanksgiving Day
Excellent! I used organic ground chicken and Braggs liquid Amino Acids (In place of regular soy sauce) .
I also didn’t use the brown sugar. I poured the chicken and veggies over quinoa & brown rice (Seeds of Change brand) THIS WAS AWESOME and healthy 🙂 thank you for quick and easy instant pot meals!
Yay glad it turned out great
Tried & it’s delicious, will do it again. Vegetables stays crunchy.
I made this Lemon Pepper chicken and it was very good. I will definitely make it again.