Ginger Soy Chicken (Instant Pot)
Published Apr 15, 2019
Updated Sep 02, 2024
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Ginger soy chicken is the easiest and most delicious Asian braised chicken that takes only 8 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot! Cooked in a sweet and savory sauce made with ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil, it is perfect served over rice or noodles!
Table of Contents
Ginger Soy Chicken
Ginger and soy sauce are two of the most important ingredients in Asian cooking. And this chicken with ginger sauce is something I always make for dinner at home!
You can make it on the stovetop using a skillet, wok, and Chinese clay pot, or even in a slow cooker. But this braised soy sauce chicken is one of my best Instant Pot recipes! It’s ridiculously quick and easy, and the chicken is tender, juicy, and practically fall off the bones!
A quick saute of chicken and ginger, then dump the rest of the ingredients in the pot. The ginger soy chicken marinade makes this dish so addictive. Since you need at least a cup of liquid for the Instant Pot, there’s enough sauce for you to drizzle over noodles or rice.
Save my recipes for Ginger Soy Soba and Ginger Soy Fish because I guarantee you’ll be craving that sauce all the time!
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken – I like to use wings and drumsticks because they’re not too meaty, so you get more soy ginger sauce in every bite. Thighs work great too! You can also use chicken breast, but they won’t be as juicy as bone-in dark meat.
- Ginger – fresh ginger brings a slightly spicy and aromatic warmth to soy ginger chicken. Also helps cut through the sweet and savory sauce.
- Soy sauce – the savory backbone of the dish. It also gives the chicken a deep brown color that makes them look so appetizing!
- Sweet soy sauce – also known as kecap manis, this Indonesian sauce is thicker and sweeter than regular soy sauce. It’s the secret to making this soy and ginger chicken taste authentic. You can sub with honey or brown sugar, but you won’t get the same flavor profile.
- Sesame oil – just a touch of this adds a nutty taste and aroma that’s essential in Asian cooking.
- Scallions – these add a fresh, oniony bite and a pop of color to finish off your dish.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Choosing The Right Cut Of Chicken
My go-to cuts for Chinese Instant Pot recipes like this soy braised chicken are bone-in thighs, wings, and drumsticks. The bone acts like a built-in insulator, keeping the meat juicy and tender without falling apart from pressure cooking. The fat from the skin also melts into the sauce, making it richer and more delicious.
You can use chicken breasts if you prefer but reduce the cooking time to 5-6 minutes because white meat cooks faster. Note that it won’t be as juicy as dark meat.
Can I Use A Slow Cooker Or Skillet
Yes, you can use a slow cooker or a skillet to make this braised soy sauce chicken.
Simply combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. You may want to reduce the amount of liquid slightly, as slow cookers tend to retain more moisture than pressure cookers.
To make Instant Pot ginger chicken in a skillet, saute the chicken and ginger then pour the sauce ingredients into the pan. Cover and cook over low heat for around 20 minutes.
How To Make Instant Pot Ginger Chicken
This is the easiest ginger chicken Instant Pot recipe you’ll ever make! Remember to follow the recipe exactly, because Instant Pot cooking is all about timing.
Those 8 minutes include the time it takes for the pot to come to pressure. If you cut the cooking time short, you might end up with raw chicken, and if you go too long, well, let’s just say nobody likes dry, rubbery chicken.
One more crucial step: when the cooking time is up, be sure to perform a QUICK release, not a natural release or you’ll end up with overcooked chicken.
Here’s how to make Instant Pot soy sauce chicken:
Step 1. Chop the drumsticks into two to three pieces.
Step 2. Turn on the Saute mode on your Instant Pot. As soon as the pot is fully heated (to make sure the chicken doesn’t stick to the pot), add the cooking oil. Pan sear the chicken until they turn slightly brown.
Pro tip: If they stick to the pot too much, you may use a non-stick skillet for pan-searing. I highly recommend this step, so don’t skip it as much as possible.
Step 3. Add the ginger and saute a little bit. Add the soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, ground white pepper, sesame oil, and water. Cover the pot, select Manual, and set to High pressure for 8 minutes.
Step 4. When it beeps, turn to Quick Release. When the valve drops, remove the cover carefully, stir in the scallions, and serve immediately. If the sauce is too watery, you may turn on Saute mode and reduce the sauce for about 1 minute.
Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
- In Asian cooking, we usually chop up the chicken drumsticks into 2 to 3 pieces. You may use wings only or you may use all drumsticks. If you use whole drumsticks, pressure cook for 10 minutes. I used a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- If you don’t have sweet soy sauce, use 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar instead. But I highly recommend you buy a bottle. Because trust me, you will want to use it on everything!
- If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this Ginger Soy Chicken in a slow cooker. Use high heat and cook for 3 hours. On your stovetop, pan-fry the chicken and then follow the instructions above. Simmer on low heat and cook until the chicken meat is tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, but they won’t be as tender and juicy as chicken thighs. Chicken breasts cook faster so reduce the cooking time by a couple of minutes.
Braising involves first searing the chicken for flavor, then cooking it low and slow in liquid until it’s tender and juicy.
Not at all! Braising uses a small amount of liquid, just enough to partially cover your ingredients, which you’ll then cook at a gentle simmer. Boiling uses a lot more liquid set at a very high temperature.
Some common braising mistakes are not browning the meat – you’ll be missing out on so much flavor! Another is using too much liquid, which will boil and overcook your ingredients rather than braise them.
Your chicken cut is probably too lean such as chicken breasts. They lack the fat and connective tissue that protects the meat from drying out during the braising process.
This Instant Pot soy sauce chicken recipe has only 409 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Soy Braised Chicken
Serve this ginger soy chicken with steamed rice or noodles, but you can also try roasted vegetables or a cucumber salad for a lighter option. For a complete Chinese feast, go all out with Fried Rice, Chow Mein, and Dumplings!
For a wholesome meal and an easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
- Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken
Ginger Soy Chicken (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs (750g) chicken wings and drumsticks, you can use chicken breast or chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 inch (2.5cm) ginger, peeled and sliced into pieces
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon sweet soy sauce , or Indonesian kecap manis (I used ABC Kecap Manis)
- 3 dashes ground white pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 stalk scallion, cut into 2-inch lengths
Instructions
- Chop the drumsticks into two to three pieces.
- Turn on the Saute mode on your Instant Pot. As soon as the pot is fully heated (to make sure the chicken doesn’t stick to the pot), add the cooking oil. Pan sear the chicken until they turn slightly brown.Pro tip: If they stick to the pot too much, you may use a non-stick skillet for pan-searing. I highly recommend this step, so don’t skip it as much as possible.
- Add the ginger and saute a little bit. Add the soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, ground white pepper, sesame oil, and water. Cover the pot, select Manual, and set to High pressure for 8 minutes.
- When it beeps, turn to Quick Release. When the valve drops, remove the cover carefully, stir in the scallions, and serve immediately. If the sauce is too watery, you may turn on Saute mode and reduce the sauce for about 1 minute.
Video
Notes
- In Asian cooking, we usually chop up the chicken drumsticks into 2 to 3 pieces. You may use wings only or you may use all drumsticks. If you use whole drumsticks, pressure cook for 10 minutes. I used a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- If you don’t have sweet soy sauce, use 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar instead. But I highly recommend you buy a bottle. Because trust me, you will want to use it on everything!
- If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this Ginger Soy Chicken in a slow cooker. Use high heat and cook for 3 hours. On your stovetop, pan-fry the chicken and then follow the instructions above. Simmer on low heat and cook until the chicken meat is tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What about people who don’t own and instant pot??? How do you modify this recipe?
Please disregard the comment!! Didn’t read the notes!!!
Hello Bee!
Thanks for the great recipe. I really enjoy the taste of ginger, too bad it’s not in more recipes. I didn’t have sweet soy sauce, so I sweetened mine with some honey. Excellent!
Yes, ginger is great!
This was so easy and so delicious! Thank you for the recipe notes as I didn’t have sweet soy sauce and appreciate the tip. I also used the slow cooker without searing because I was lazy. There are not a lot of Asian and low sugar Asian recipes In the slow cooker or instant pot so I appreciate your recipe!
Thanks Judy!
If you are using skinless/boneless thighs how long do you cook it? Still the same or?
Yes.
Hi Bee, thank you so much, for such an easy and soo delicious recipe, I cooked it today, it came out perfecto!!!!!!!!! ❤️
If I substitute sweet sauce with sugar, how much sugar should I add?
Just to taste, maybe 1/4 teaspoon.
Thanks, tries your recipe but added vinegar…delicious.
That’s awesome. I love the idea. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Deny here, why quick release when it’s a meat dish?
I always do QR, regardless of ingredients. It never fails. What’s the issue here?
Bravo! The quantity of the basic sauces are in the right proportion and it is guaranteed to satisfy any cravings. I tried this recipe on my Philips pressure cooker and the result was very satisfying!
For a more Asian taste, I would recommend a tad more ginger (maybe 1.5-2 inches instead of 1 inch) and a dash of Shaoxing cooking wine.
Thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe!
Sure you can add as much ginger as you want. Yes, you can add Shaoxing wine but most of my audience are Americans and they don’t have Shaoxing wine. I try to make my recipes as accessible as possible!
I cook a lot, but this is the best dish I can remember making. Well done! I had an idea to make soy sauce chicken in the pressure cooker without really knowing what it was. I’m so happy I found your recipe. Thank you!
Hi Marianne, please try more recipes on my site, they are all good: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Sorry, I meant how many cups of water for double the servings
1.5 times.
Hi, do I increase the portion if I use an 8 quart?
Delicious. Made in the Instant Pot, so very quick but still full of flavour and the chicken was tender. We had it with thin egg noodles. Thanks for the recipe. :)
Thanks for trying Tanya. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipes/instant-pot-recipes