Instant Pot teriyaki chicken is fast and easy! It's sure to become a family favorite. You'll love the tender chicken and sweet sauce.
Try my Simple Mongolian Beef for another takeout fave at home.
It took me a couple of tries to get this electric pressure cooker teriyaki chicken recipe just right. The first time I made it, I found the sauce wasn't thick enough, and it didn't quite taste like teriyaki chicken should.
I made a few revisions, and now I am much happier with this recipe. The sauce isn't super thick, but it coats the chicken nicely and goes very well with rice.
This is definitely a nice and quick Instant Pot chicken recipe that will work on busy weeknights.
Teriyaki sauce ingredients:
- Mirin (a sweet and tangy Japanese rice wine)
- Honey
- Brown sugar
- Soy sauce
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
Pro tip: I do suggest using mirin because there isn't a perfect substitute (it's quite readily available in major supermarkets in the Asian foods aisle), but according to Bon Appetit magazine, you can sub in a dry sherry or a sweet marsala wine. Dry white wine or rice vinegar will also work, BUT you will need to counteract the sourness with about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar for every tablespoon you use.
How to make teriyaki chicken in an Instant Pot
Mix your sauce ingredients (mirin, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, olive oil, and water) together until the sugar has dissolved.
Place your chicken in your Instant Pot and cover it with the sauce. Give it a quick stir to ensure that the sauce gets under the chicken. Cook it for 10 minutes on high pressure, and then do a quick pressure release.
Once the time is up and the pressure completely releases, take the chicken out and cut it up. Turn the Instant Pot on the sauté setting and add the cornstarch slurry in. Cook for a few minutes until it's as thickened as you like, then add the chicken back in and serve as desired.
I love to garnish this recipe with fresh scallions. I also added some sesame seeds for the photos, but those aren't necessary.
Pro tip: I included the olive oil in this recipe to help prevent the sugary mixture from sticking to the Instant Pot.
Another tip: I always keep fresh ginger in my freezer. It's handy because it doesn't go off, but it also makes it a TON easier to grate. I use my handy Microplane grater and it takes me a few seconds.
Want to make this recipe on the stove? Try my stovetop teriyaki chicken recipe - it's very similar.
I hope you will give this easy Instant Pot chicken teriyaki recipe a go!
Let me know in the comments below if you've tried it or if you have any questions.
Love teriyaki sauce? Try my teriyaki chicken meal prep bowls, this teriyaki salmon recipe or my teriyaki chicken zoodles.
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless/skinless)
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (use low sodium if you wish)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water
For serving:
- Cooked rice (I used jasmine)
- Scallions chopped, to taste
Instructions
- Place your chicken breasts into the Instant Pot.
- Add all sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch + 2 tbsp cold water to a bowl. Mix/whisk it together until all the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken. Close the Instant Pot's lid and make sure the valve is set to "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the countdown has finished, do a quick pressure release. This will help keep the chicken from overcooking. Take the chicken out of the Instant Pot and place it on a cutting board.
- Set your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Make the cornstarch slurry by combining the cornstarch and 2 tbsp cold water. Add it to the Instant Pot.
- Let the sauce thicken for a few minutes until it's thickened to your liking, and meanwhile, cut the chicken up. Add it to your Instant Pot once the sauce is thickened enough.
- Serve over rice and with chopped scallions or chives.
Notes
- Inactive time represents the time it takes the Instant Pot to get up to pressure.
- I use this 6-quart Instant Pot.
- I use this grater/zester for the ginger.
You may also like my Instant Pot honey garlic chicken, my Instant Pot honey sriracha chicken, or my Instant Pot BBQ chicken.
Ali says
Yikes my breasts were super dry despite following directions to a tee. And I only used 3 breasts. I will try again with thighs as other people have mentioned. The sauce was great and complimented my roasted broccoli well. Thank you for your abundance of Instant Pot recipes!
Natasha says
Hi Ali! I'm sorry to hear that. 🙁 You could definitely try reducing cooking time a bit (and was it possible the chicken breasts were on the smaller side?) or try thighs.
Ali says
I was thinking that perhaps they were too thick and I could have pounded a bit before. Regardless, I will definitely make again. Any recipe of yours I’ve tried has been delicious! Excited to cook my way through more of them 🙂
Natasha says
Aww thank you! 🙂 I think that pounding them would make them cook faster so they may overcook even more. That's the trouble with the Instant Pot and why I don't do tons of recipes with it. This could be an unpopular opinion, but I think that things like pulled pork or Coq au Vin (with chicken thighs) or bolognese are the types of things that really are best for IP cooking rather than recipes with lean meats, but people who are IP fans love to cook anything and everything in their IP and it doesn't always work since you can't check if it's underdone/overdone easily.
Natalee Lance says
Easy and basic, so great crowd pleaser! I used huge frozen chicken breasts, so I added two minutes. I forgot to release, so I think it slightly dried out the chicken doing NR, but it was still cooked through nicely and tender. I added dried red peppers because we like a kick. I found Mirin at the wine store. Curious if using a flavored Saki would be good. And I would like to add stir fry veggies next time. Any suggestions on cooking the veggies in the IP? Such as when to add them or just add cooked ones during the saute? Thanks!
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂 I cook veggies in the IP in soups, but they do tend to get VERY soft, so if you don't want that, I'd probably cook them separately and add them at the very end. Or chop them small and turn the "sauté" function on at the very end (after releasing pressure) to quickly cook them to tender-crisp.
Jessica says
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
Natasha says
Yes. You may want to give it an extra a minute or two, though, and check to ensure they’re fully cooked. Let me know how it goes!
Kenai says
This was really good. I could not find Mirin in Walmart so I substituted for Red Wine(Thanks for the suggestion)
Everything else was yummy and easy to follow.
Natasha says
I am so happy to hear it, Kenai! Thanks so much for leaving me a comment. 🙂
Monique says
Hello, I am interested in trying this recipe but I do not have an insta pot. Do you think it would turn out well in a slow cooker?
Natasha says
Hi Monique! I'm hesitant to say it would work because I haven't tested it. I'm concerned the chicken may dry out and that there may not be enough sauce, but you could always give it a try if you're in the mood to do a little experimenting. I'd do 3-4 hours on high and add the cornstarch slurry after. Let me know if you do give it a try! 🙂
Tiffany says
Could you coat chicken tenderloins in cornstarch then cook In pot?
Natasha says
I'd probably do it in a skillet, but I think that could work!
Jessica says
My husband is a super picky eater, and he LOVES this recipe. No joke, we make it at least twice a week! We both work long hours, and this is so fast to throw together at the end of the day. We use chicken thighs and have the smaller 3 quart instant pot, but keep the cook time and measurements the same. Turns out great every time! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Natasha says
I am so happy to hear that, Jessica!!
Betsym says
I am interested in trying this recipe, but I often avoid chicken breast recipes because breast can turn stringy an thighs are 9ften juicier. Does the chicken breast stay tender and soft in this reciipe?
Natasha says
Hi! You could definitely try it with thighs instead. I agree with you - I too find chicken breasts get a bit dry.
Cindy says
Loved this recipe! I've tried several instant pot teriyaki recipes and this is by far the best. I used chicken thighs instead of breasts because I think they stay juicier and steamed some broccoli as well. Delicious! Someone commented about doubling the recipe..I've never had luck doubling Asian sauces. They always has too much soy sauce and so way too salty. Is this just me? Thanks for the recipe!
Natasha says
I am so happy to hear that. I totally hear you that sometimes the taste is way off with these teriyaki recipes. It's sometimes hard to work out the sauce quantities haha.
marilyn @family food around the clock says
Delicious and super easy! We enjoy your instant pot recipes! thanks for sharing 🙂
Natasha says
I'm so happy you like the recipes, Marilyn! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Cheryl says
Does this recipe double well? I have six or seven people coming over tomorrow night (unexpectedly) and I am looking for something quick and easy.
Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi! I think doubling it should work fine, but I haven’t tried doing that with this recipe.
erin says
Delicious, quick prep, and super easy! Kids loved it! Made a ton of leftovers for lunches! We served with roasted broccoli. Definitely going into the regular meal rotation for fall/winter. 🙂
Natasha says
I'm so happy everyone enjoyed it, Erin!! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂