This spicy honey Instant Pot chicken takes just 4 minutes to cook and comes out moist and full of flavor! Sweet and spicy chicken bites smothered in delicious sauce which we love atop a bed of rice. A great healthy pressure cooker dinner our whole family enjoys.
Ever since I got my fancy pressure cooker I have been fiddling with new Instant Pot recipes and have come up with many that are so quick and my family loves! Sometimes it is hard to create something healthy that my entire family will love (including my 3 kids), but this is one of them! My littlest loves what she calls “sweet chicken” which is the chicken she gets at Chinese food restaurants so I aimed to create something similar to that but with a little bit of heat since we love Sriracha! This sweet and spicy honey Instant Pot chicken turned out great the first time around, we will definitely be making this one again! (affiliate link present, originally published 6/17)
If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet and are busy like we are I highly recommend getting one!
It has made making dinners so much easier and I tend to cook healthier overall too. I can whip up the sauce, cook the chicken, and throw on some Minute rice to serve this on in less than 20 total…seriously!
Don’t get intimidated, I was at first. It is really easy to use once you get the hang of it and I only create easy Instant Pot chicken recipes here on The Typical Mom so you don’t have to worry about being labor intensive or difficult.
I also include simple step by step directions for every recipe I create so everyone can make them, and if I can include an instructional video I will do that too. š
That’s just how I roll…….
If you’re looking for a healthy Instant Pot recipe that tastes amazing for dinner or even serve this as an appetizer in a bowl with some toothpicks on the side to snack on without the rice! Use as much or as little Sriracha as you want to adjust the heat level, or leave it out entirely and make a sweet honey chicken, that would be amazing too.
I added 2 tbsp of Sriracha and it was a bit spicy but not over the top, I wouldn’t want more though.Ā I cut large chunks of chicken knowing they would shrink a bit when cooking, if you cut them smaller I would decrease the cook time to 3 minutes to maintain it’s moisture but still give it time to soak up all the yummy sauce juices.
That is the great thing about the pressure cooker function.
You can use the same meat but create a different sauce and it is infused into the meat when it cooks. It does it so quickly too and allows us to eat dinner as a family much more often because I can make a complete meal in about 20 minutes.
Once you’ve tried this one give a few of these others below a whirl….they are amazing.
Let us know what you think too or if you added something else to this spicy honey Instant Pot chicken that we might want to try when we make it next time!
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy spicy honey Instant Pot chicken recipe
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless
- Brown sugar
- Honey
- Minced ginger
- Minced garlic
- Soy sauce
- Sriracha – can leave out if you don’t want any heat
- Onion
- Cornstarch
- Rice – here’s how to make the perfect Instant Pot white rice
Looking for more easy Instant Pot recipes?
- Our Instant Pot Dorito casserole uses diced chicken like this one does too
- Instant Pot chicken noodle soup
- Instant Pot spicy teriyaki chicken thighs
Here’s the printable recipe to follow as well:
Spicy Honey Instant Pot Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts cut into bite size chunks
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1.5 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/4 c soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha or more if you want it really spicy
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 onion sliced or diced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds optional to top
- 2 green onions optional to top
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts into large bite size chunks and cut onion into chunks.
- Put chicken and onions into the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
- Mix all other ingredients together (except the cornstarch) well with a fork and pour on top of chicken.
- Close the lid and steam valve and set Instant Pot to manual, pressure, high, 4 minutes.
- Do a quick release and carefully lift lid.
- Put some of the hot sauce in a small bowl with the cornstarch and whisk together, then add back into the pot and stir.
- Set Instant Pot to saute, normal and let bubble for a few minutes.
- Allow to sit for a few minutes so the sauce thickens.
- Serve spicy honey chicken over rice.
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I am trying this recipe today, but want to leave the siracha out for my toddler….anything else that you recommend mixing with the cornstarch or should I just use water
Either use water, chicken broth, or some of the hot liquid in the pot to whisk in a small bowl with cornstarch until smooth. Then dump in to thicken. š
Thank you! It was delicious, everyone loved it! Will definitely make again š
So glad it was a hit.
Loved this. Next time I will steam some broccoli and add when finished.
4 Tablespoons.,85 grams or 3 oz.
I just got my IP for Christmas and this was my first try at it. Family of 5 says… “Winner winner chicken dinner!” I’m the picky water of the group and man this is good! Thank you so much! I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
OH Yeah!!
Ok but kinda bland. I used 2 tbsp of sriracha and there was no heat at all. Need to double the sauce and add more sriracha.
How long do I keep in IP if chicken is frozen?
Pieces would need to be precut into bite size pieces beforehand, I wouldn’t adjust time but of course check to ensure it is cooked thru when done.
Can I use boneless thighs for this recipe?.
Thanks
RH
Such a yummy dinner! My husband and family LOVED it! I added a cup of water to make sure there was enough liquid. I left out the Worcester sauce and sesame seeds and also used a Tbs onion powder and 1/4th tsp ground ginger as replacements for fresh onion and ginger. Next time Iām definitely doubling it! š SO yummy!!!
I made this tonight in a skillet with frozen grilled chicken strips! It was delicious! Only took about 4 minutes to cook the chicken since it was already cooked and it was very tender. Love this recipe and will definitely fix it again! I will use my new IP next time with fresh chicken as called for in recipe. Wasn’t sure how to adjust it for the frozen grilled chicken.
This yummy dinner is going on the menu!
Love using my instant pot. This will be a great recipe!
First time user and not sure if your calling for cubed cooked chicken or raw cubed chicken?
Iām pretty sure raw… it cooks fast!
If you don’t have ginger you can use allspice. Awesome recipe
I have everything but cornstarch. Trying not to go to the store. Is there something else to substitute for cornstarch? Thank you !
Flour would likely work too
Build a simple Roux…. small pan…Medium heat… 2Tbs butter 2Tbs flour…work it together and treat as cornstarch in recipe.
Good luck!!
Hi Haven’t tried it yet, but will. Can I do the rice in the same pot?
you would have to add equal amounts of water but yes you can then instead of QR then NPR ten minutes.
I really love the combination of sweet and spicy taste, especially when cooking chicken. I only have Tabasco at home so I might use it to replace Sriracha. I also love slightly toasted sesame seeds. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I have an 8 qt I am trying this with for the first time using it…. I plan to use a little less chicken. The liquid is enough? I though you need one cup of liquid for the instant pot no matter what?
I would use the same amount of liquid.
The only ingredient I am missing is an onion (trying to avoid going to the grocery store). Do you think it would alter the taste too much if I do not include?
It will be just fine without it.
Had never used my instant pot before so decided this would be my first dinner in it. Loved it, didn’t put as much spice in it, boyfriend doesn’t like it too spicy. Will make again!! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad!
For Step 5 Am I taking some sauce from the pot and mixing cornstarch or was the hot sauce not suppose to be added until this step? Step 1 says mix everything but the cornstarch so I’m assuming the sriracha went it then?
Yes everything other than the cornstarch.
Is there an adaptation for a slow cooker or stove top? I don’t have an IP yet (no room for it) and would like to try this recipe – it looks like something i can have without too much adaption for my allergies.
Hmmmm, I haven’t done that but if I were to venture a guess I would half the breasts, add all the sauce, stir so all was coated and put on low for maybe 6 hours or until the chicken was cooked thru (depending on how thick they were). I am sure it would work great that way too.
This was super good. I used 6 breasts and doubled the sauce. Also – subbed fish sauce for Worcestershire Sauce. Added one sliced up red pepper; next time I’ll add some carrots too. Also, instead of sesame seeds, I used Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel sesame seasoning blend – so good!
Yeah!!!
Just made this for lunch in my new Instant Pot that I got during Prime Day. Wow! Like others, I used powdered ginger because this is what I had on hand. My husband and I both loved it other than he needed more salt. I told him it was most likely because I use a sweet soy instead of the salty soy. Has a better flavor and he can always add salt. Thank you so much. This was my first try at using my Instant Pot and the directions were fantastic and easy to follow. Thanks.
So glad you loved it!
How much soy sauce….it said 1/4 c….i am not familiar with that measurement
1/4 cup.
1/4 of a cup
My husband LOVED this, and so did I. I thought it was full of flavor and I also used 1 tsp of powdered ginger in place of the fresh. But other than that, I kept it the same, and added steamed broccoli. It’s a keeper. Thanks.
Really easy and quick. I substituted powdered ginger for fresh, added ground chiles instead of hot sauce and added a tbsp of rice vinegar for tang. Delicious!!
Our new favorite IP supper! I substituted Franks Hot Sauce for the sriracha sauce, and also doubled the sauce. Served over chow mein noodles, delicious!!!!!!!!! Iāve already shared this recipe with IP friends. Thank you posting! š
It can sometimes be a challenge to make a weeknight dinner thatās easy and quick for me, without defaulting to frozen pizza, that is also loved by adults and kids alike. I did leave out the spicy heat, but it was a huge success! The 8 year old wants it again soon, and the 7 year old was on board!
I made this tonight and my husband and I couldnāt get enough! I put some bell pepper and shredded carrots along with powdered ginger since I didnāt have fresh. Also I used chicken thighs instead of breasts. Came out fall apart tender! Will definitely make again
So glad you loved it!!
When sautĆ©ing do I put the lid back on or leave it off?? Iām new to the whole instapot thing .. lol
No you never put the lid on when you are using the saute feature.
I made this for dinner tonight and everyone agreed it’s a keeper! I used thighs instead of breast, but I’m sure it’d be great with either. I didn’t have any ginger, so I just left it out and it wasn’t missed. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Im new to this pressure cooker phase (crock pot express multi cooker) So if I have whole boneless skinless chicken breasts that are frozen….should i pressure cook them first, cut them up into chunks, then start with your instructions???
I think your best bet would be to thaw the chicken first. If you have a microwave oven you can speed up the thawing process but use the lowest setting so the edges donāt get cooked.
So you just cube the raw chicken then put it in?
Made this tonight for dinner and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Only thoughts were how we could incorporate vegetables into the dish. My son came up with water chestnuts and carrots. I was thinking of green pepper and bamboo shoots. Since we did not make it spicy I just made a slurry of water and cornstarch to thicken up the sauce and served it over brown rice. Thank you for an easy and tasty meal!
Try serving over riced cauliflower!
My daughter wants it more saucy sweet and Spicer. How would I do that?
Well you can always double the recipe for the sauce to make more of it and increase the Sriracha for spice.
I made this tonight for my hubby and extremely finicky daughter. When I say she’s picky,… I’m talking the worst. So, I put it on her plate and to my surprise and my husband’s, SHE ATE EVERYTHING!!!!
Thank you ,thank you ,thank you…..
OH yeah!!! It’s one of our faves too!
OMGeee!! This is amazing! I only switched out the Sriracha for Red Chili Sauce (as someone else mentioned), added a half of green bell pepper to the onions and 1/2 tsp salt. This is a KEEPER!!
This was my first dish made with my brand new instant pot and could not have been more pleased!! Cooking time of 3 minutes was perfect and my husband who is a fan of tasty food was well satisfied!
I haven’t tried this yet, just wondering if that is enough liquid?
Thatās what Iām wondering too but this has rave reviews so Iām trying it. If I have issues Iāll let you know
It worked and was good!
Glad you enjoyed it!
If you’re not using siracha, can I mix the corn starch with rest if they wet ingredients?
What is the weight of the chicken you’re using? Or the general size? I have two chicken breasts but they are HUGE. Not sure if I should pick up more at the store.
I would say they are medium sized generally. I suggest cubing the chicken into fork size pieces when you cook it so the breast size initially shouldn’t matter much.
Is your carb count including the rice? This sounds amazing but I count carbs.
I am new to the Instant Pot (have the Crockpot Express Cooker, largest size). Can you double this recipe (want to cook it for 8-9 people)?
Should work without a problem, yes.
The ingredients doesn’t include an onion (other than green onions for garnish), but the instructions ask for a chopped onion. How much onion did you add to the chicken?
Yes it states 1/2 onion in ingredients, you can slice or dice whichever you prefer. Small or larger pieces
Does the onion go in the instant pot? Or is it added after the dish has completed cooking? Is this a white onion or green onion?
Hi Typical Mom,
I just made turkey noodle soup tonight, my first dish in my new IP. I want to try your recipe however I only have ground ginger and I’m not the best with spicy dishes. Do you think I’d be OK with the ground ginger instead of minced? Thank you
How long do you think I would need to cook it if I used chicken tenders?
We really liked this dish. Finally got a recipe that I didnāt get the āBurnā message on my Instant Pot. š
We arenāt fans of Siracha sauce so I used Sweet Chili Sauce and ground ginger. It was delicious!!
Trying this tonight and have only had BURN messages on my instant pot thus far your comment has given me hope!
Did you use frozen or thawed chicken? I’m making this as my first instant pot go. I’m so excited!!!!!
I did not use frozen chicken. š
How would you modify if you used frozen chicken breasts?
If you have whole frozen breasts instead of bite size pieces like I did frozen breasts at about 2 lbs. total take about 12 minutes to cook well, so depends if they’re whole or not.
Easy recipe- thumbs up! My family loved this. Iām usually not a fan of chicken dishes and I enjoyed it! I used fresh ginger. I imagine it wouldnāt taste as good with ground (powder) ginger. This was great because I reserved some without the hot sauce for my child and for the adults I mixed the hot sauce in our portion. Tasty both ways! I served it with white rice and Asian slaw. The next day I mixed all three leftovers into a bowl and that was delicious too.
OH good!!
Made it this evening for dinner. The only switch I made was powdered ginger because I didnāt have fresh. Otherwise, followed to the letter. Just meh. My husband, who will generally eat anything, didnāt like it. Not a keeper. Needs more flavor.