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This Instant Pot Sesame Chicken recipe is better than take-out with a sticky-sweet sauce and a little kick that envelopes tender pieces of chicken!
My husband grew up in the Bay Area. He knows what good Asian food should taste like, so his standards are high. I had resolved never to make Asian food because his criticism wasn’t worth it.
Then I had success with Instant Pot Pho, and he praised it, giving feedback to perfect it. My confidence was high, so one night I made Instant Pot Pork Fried Rice with this Instant Pot Sesame Chicken. I’m certain he said he loved me at least twice during the meal!
You may also want to check out my Pinterest Instant Pot board for more great recipes like this pressure cooker Sesame Chicken!
We love it served with freshly steamed rice or with a side of broccoli, or even the broccoli mixed in.
It’s a delicious meal you’ll want to add to your rotation.
If you aren’t wanting the additional sodium, try using reduced-sodium soy sauce.
Serves 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Function and Time: Manual or Pressure Cook 3-minutes, saute 5-minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Release Method + Time: Quick Release
Total Time: 26 minutes
Instant Pot Sesame Seed Chicken Ingredients:
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tablespoon Oil
2 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
1/2 cup soy sauce, low-sodium
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tsp. sesame seeds
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
green onions, chopped, for garnish
Instant Pot Sesame Seed Chicken Directions:
Prepare the Instant Pot.
Press saute and add the vegetable oil to the Instant Pot.
In a small bowl, add 1 Tablespoon of the cornstarch.
Toss chicken pieces into the cornstarch until chicken is coated evenly.
Press Saute.
Add chicken and the garlic to Instant Pot and allow to cook in the oil for 4 minutes, or until golden brown.
Prepare the sauce.
In a small mixing bowl combine the soy sauce, ketchup, and red pepper flakes and stir until well combined.
Pour this sauce over the chicken in the Instant Pot.
Lock Lid and Set Time.
Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to the “sealing” position and press Manual or Pressure Cook.
Set the timer for 3-minutes.
Quick Release.
When the timer beeps, Quick Release.
Add Honey and Oil.
Open the lid once the pressure has been released and stir in the sesame oil and the honey.
Stir quickly to combine.
Thicken the Sauce.
Press Saute on the Instant Pot.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1 Tbsp Cornstarch into 3 Tablespoons cold water until it is smooth.
Stir this cornstarch and water into the chicken, constantly stirring for 2 minutes or until sauce reaches the desired consistency.
Serve.
Remove chicken from Instant Pot and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serve alone, or over rice or noodles; we recommend this pork fried rice.
Garnish with green onions.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can still partake. Try the Conventional method:
Mix up the sauce, cut up the chicken, and sear it quickly in the oil over medium heat.
Add the sauce.
Bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to low and simmer, covered for 5 minutes.
Mix the water and cornstarch and add to the sauce, stirring until incorporated and continue to simmer until thickened.
Instant Pot Sesame Seed Chicken Tips:
This recipe moves quickly.
Have every prepped before starting the recipe.
The longer you cook the mixture at the end during the saute setting, the thicker the sauce will be. Do NOT leave the pot unattended.
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Save ramen for emergencies with quick and easy recipes from The Instant Pot® College Cookbook.
Including this great Instant Pot Sesame Seed Chicken.
Try pairing it with this Instant Pot Pork Fried Rice recipe.
About Julee:
Julee Morrison is a blogger, mother of six, who lives in the foothills of Virginia with their two dogs.
Her first book The Instant Pot® College Cookbook: 75 Quick and Easy Meals that Taste Like Home celebrates her family recipes and making quick meals everyone will love.
Her writing has appeared on The Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, Pop Sugar, SheKnows, Yahoo Shine, Love What Matters, Ellen Nation, and her recipes have been featured on Bon Appetite, SparkPeople, and The Huffington Post.
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