Instant Pot Chicken
Honey Garlic Chicken – moist, tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken thighs made in an Instant Pot, so delicious! The honey garlic sauce is perfect for this Instant pot chicken recipe.
Honey Garlic Chicken is a popular chicken dinner recipe. The combination of honey, garlic and soy sauce always guarantees mouthwatering results.
What’s more, making this recipe in an Instant Pot means that the chicken will be pressure cooked to tender, juicy, moist perfection, and the meat will fall off the bones.
What I love about Instant Pot is the Saute mode. It allows me to pan-sear the chicken thighs first so both sides of the chicken are nicely browned, then I can add in the honey garlic sauce and flash cook the chicken for 10 minutes with high pressure.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this honey garlic chicken in a slow cooker, or on your stove top. If you use a slow cooker, make sure not to overcook it. Use high heat and cook for 3 hours.
For stove top, just pan-fry the chicken and then add in the sauce. Simmer on low heat and cook until the chicken meat is tender.
Regardless of your utensil, this honey garlic chicken recipe is a winner. Serve with steamed rice or pasta, spoon the sauce over your rice or pasta and dig in. The chicken thighs are so good you will want to make thie recipe again and again.
Serve Honey Garlic Chicken with:
Complete Meal Plan
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Fettuccine
Brown Butter Garlic Honey Roasted Carrots
Cilantro Lime Rice
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Susan
I thought you always have to use a minimum of 1/2 cup water to reach pressure?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Susan, my friend taught me how to use Instant Pot with the Manual setting to High and set the time. I had no problem with this recipe and the pictures are exactly how they came out. If you look at the picture inside the IP, it has a lot of sauce as the chicken releases liquid into the sauce after cooking. If you have doubt, you might use the PIP method. Otherwise please add 3 tablespoons water/chicken broth to the Sauce and you will have 1/2 cup liquid.
Cydne Wright
With the soy sauce, honey and water, there is 1/2 cup liquid in the recipe even before the juices are released from the chicken.
John Parson
I see pictures and what goes into it , but I don’t see where it says how much of each ingredient I will need. As a 40 year professional cook I do need the how much of each ingredient.
Darcy
Tap the wide red bar that says GET RECIPE. I was loose with the amounts of honey, soy sauce, garlic and fats I used and it turned out great, remember that the Instant Pot needs a minimum of 1/2 cup of liquid in the bottom – easily accomplish with this tecipe.
Davin Hashiba
Can you do this with just a regular pressure cooker? I have an electric pressure cooker.
JT
Yes. An IP is a brand of pressure cooker. Think iPhone vs Andriod. They do the same thing but are branded differently. ?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you sure can!
Davin Hashiba
Can you make this recipe with a regular electric pressure cooker that is not an instant Pot? i Got that before the instant pot was available
Rasa Malaysia
I think so, just follow the instructions of your pressure cooker. :)
JT
Yes. An IP is a brand of pressure cooker. Think iPhone vs Andriod. They do the same thing but are branded differently. ?
Yvonne Fuller
The instant pot has several features including a setting for, rice, yogurt, slow cooking, steam, sautes and you can also bake bread and cheesecake if you’re ipot savy ;)
Deb
This Honey Garlic Chicken looks so delicious! I don’t have an Insta Pot, but I will make it in the oven! Thanks for sharing the recipe, Rasa!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Deb, thanks for your comment. Yes oven would work. :)
Cyndi M
I made this a few days ago in my crock pot. Its so good! Great flavor!! My new fav dish to make!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, thanks for trying my honey garlic chicken recipe.
Ann
Can you list your carbs please. My husband is diabetic.
Rasa Malaysia
The nutritional label is on the post it has all the details.
cheryl
Since it has honey as a main ingredient, probably not a good idea for a diabetic.
alh
Type 1 diabetics are not restricted in what they are able to eat. Even Type 2 diabetics are all individuals with individual medical needs and it’s very presumptuous of you to tell someone else what they should or should not eat.
Carol Haserjian
Hi
Can you double this recipe.
I’m always afraid it won’t turn out but 4 thighs are not enough for my family
Rasa Malaysia
Sure you can double! :)
Brie
I can’t imagine how this is 827 calories. I think something is off there….
Rasa Malaysia
Sorry it was miscalculated by the website, I have updated the nutrition label.
Momof3WI
This looks yummy!!
Would LOVE more Instant Pot recipes and/or adaptations of your other great recipes!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, yes I will adapt more recipes for Instant Pot.
mark
Thanks Bee – I’d ALSO LOVE more Instant Pot recipes and adaptations !!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Mark, sounds good, I will do that!
Phoebe
Hi
If I am using a slow cooker, do I still need to pan fry the thighs on stove top? Thks.
Rasa Malaysia
Yeah, I think you should because it will make it much better. :)
JEANETTE K HAUSER
Made this last night DELICIOUS – but I switched the parsley to cilantro because it seemed like a better fit for this. It was, imo.
I also added some Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese hot pepper) which gave it a little zing. This one’s a keeper!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Jeanette, sure, or scallions. I didn’t have cilantro or scallion, I just had parsley so I used that. Shichimi Togarashi is always a good idea. :)
Sherri
Can I use a whole chicken for this recipe in the unwrap it? Have a whole chicken & would like to cook it in the unwrap it.
Rasa Malaysia
I think you can use a while chicken, cut up into pieces instead of whole chicken.
Mary
Hi there………..I wanted to triple this recipe and the biggest container I had to do so was an electric skillet. chicken browned beautifully but now wondering at what temp I should cook it and for how long. I cannot find the recipe booklet that came along with the skillet. :o( Will keep looking in case you can’t get back in time. Thanks so much! Sounds wonderful!
Rasa Malaysia
Medium heat on stove top and cook and simmer until the chicken is tender. Add more water if the sauce dries up.
Denise
Made this the other night, maybe 4 days ago…making it again now! This is SO GOOD, if you are reading this comment make it NOW!!!! So good!!!!! Even my husband (leery of chicken thighs) was asking, is there any more of that chicken? HA! It’s so good and, easy, hello!!?!?! Make it!!!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Denise, awww, thanks for the rave review. I am so happy that you love this Honey Garlic Chicken recipe!
Karly
YUM. SO much flavor right here- definitely need to try! I can almost smell it already!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Karly, thanks for your comment.
colleen
Can the recipe be adapted to use boneless skinless chicken thighs? I am new to using an Instant Pot.
Thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes of course, you can use boneless chicken thighs.
colleen
Can the recipe be adapted to use boneless skinless chicken thighs? !
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you can.
Jeannette
This sounds great! How would I have to adjust it for an 8 quart IP?
Rasa Malaysia
I think you can double the recipe and the sauce.
Liv
Made this last night and served it with steamed greens. I thickened the sauce a little with some corn flour. Nice and easy and the thighs were cooked perfectly! Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
Good idea about the corn starch, glad that you made my honey garlic chicken.
Jess
Can i use boneless skinless chicken thighs??
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can just use a couple more.
Mindy
When it says 14 grams of sugar, is that each or all 4?
Rasa Malaysia
Each serving.
Jennifer
I made this in my Instant Pot and the sauce is very good. However, I used skinless thighs and did add oil to the pot to saute. They stuck like crazy even when I left them for a bit before turning. Once it cooked, it came loose and was good. but didn’t look like your pics!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Jennifer, I am sorry to hear that. I think your pot wasn’t hot enough when you pan-fry and yes the skinless tend to stick a little bit. I had the skin chicken thighs and the fat from the skin helped so it didn’t stick. In the future, if you want, you can pan-fry your chicken on a skillet first (stove top) and transfer over. But anyway, as long as it tastes good, your food doesn’t have to look like my pictures! :)
Joanne
These look delicious but my picky eater won’t eat thighs. Ho long would the cook time be with boneless chicken breasts?
Rasa Malaysia
Maybe 8 minutes?
Erika
The sauce was awesome, it was my first instant pot meal and I made the carrots recommended from Kalyn’s website. Next time I won’t bother with chicken with bone and skin, just use skinless, the skin was a little rubbery. Awesome flavor! Will make it again.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Erika, awesome, thanks for trying this Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken.
Ashley
This was my first IP meal and it was delicious. Even my 9 year old said it was AH-MAZING. High compliments indeed! I added some cornstarch at the end to thicken the sauce and served with mashed potatoes. So good!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Ashley, I am so happy you liked this Honey Garlic Chicken recipe.
Kristen
I made this tonight and the flavor was amazing! My only issue, and it always seems to happen with all my instant pot meals, is that my sauce didn’t really thicken? How do I get it thicker?
Adrienne
After the chicken is cooked remove it from the IP, then turn the IP on to the saute setting and let the sauce simmer/boil for a few minutes. Much of the liquid will evaporate and you’ll be left with a delicious, more concentrated sauce or glaze.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Adrienne, correct. Saute mode is awesome to thicken up the sauce!
Jennifer
What would I do if I wanted to just use frozen chicken breasts? (thin cut)
Rasa Malaysia
Just increase the cook time by 50%.
Amanda
Do you think this would work with party wings? I don’t have thighs
Rasa Malaysia
Yes it would but you probably want to cook for maybe 8 minutes.
Maria
Can I adapt this to chicken legs ?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can and just cook for 8 minutes.
Tkim
If I use a mixture of chicken thights and legs and use more like 10 pieces total, how long do I need to cook in the instant pot for?
Rasa Malaysia
Maybe 12 minutes?
Tracy
I’m new to Instant Pot cooking and am looking forward to making this recipe. I would like to add broccoli to the dish; when would be the best time to do this?
Rasa Malaysia
I would add Broccoli after pressure cooking, using Saute mode or they would be too mushy.
Joi
How long for chicken breast? Using about 8 medium sized ones
Rasa Malaysia
You can try 15 minutes.
Adam Pearson
This was delicious I made it for my family tonight thank you for the recipe
Rasa Malaysia
That’s awesome, so happy that you love this Instant Pot honey garlic chicken recipe.
Kathi
This was EXCELLENT!! We had my sister over for dinner the other night. She does not have a pressure cooker, so I had everything ready and measured out for when she got here. So she and I basically put the meal together and it was so D.E.L.I.S.H.!!! She was amazed about the pressure cooker and the tasty recipe. I also used my rice cooker for a side of rice. And took the advise of another comment here, and made baked small red potatoes tossed in olive oil and salt/pepper. I was at an Asian grocery store and purchased fresh made egg rolls and mung bean coconut cake. The 3 of us agree that this recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Kathi, thanks so much for trying this Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken recipe. I am so happy that you and your sister love it. :)
Steph
Made this today, but used boneless chicken breasts, doubled the sauce (except for the garlic and cayenne) and added baby carrots. I also thickened the sauce with a tablespoon of corn starch and water. Served over white rice. It was delish. Will definitely make this again soon. Thanks for sharing.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Steph, thanks for trying my recipe, love your variations! :)
Nancy
I have an Insta Pot 6 qt IP Lux, and the safety tips specifically say to never use less than 18 oz. of liquid when pressure cooking. How is everyone making this with 4 oz. of liquid?
Rasa Malaysia
If you look it up on Google, there are different claims about the minimum liquid. One article said that Instant Pot said 1 cup, then their technical person revised down to 1/2 cup as we are not cooking soups all the time and for this chicken, you don’t want it to be too watery. Then someone said that Instant revised it to 1 cup again for all models. I have made this many times and with no problem. It pressurize well and the chicken is great. You can double the sauce and then reduce it down with saute.
Jeff
This recipe is outstanding. I’ve already made it a few times. Here’s a potentially stupid question, but I’m new to pressure cooking, so please forgive me. If I want to double the recipe to serve more people, how do I accommodate more chicken in the IP? 1.5 lbs of thighs basically covers the bottom of the pan. Should I just stack the additional chicken on top? Put them on a rack? Double the sauce? Additional cooking time? Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Jeff, awwww thanks for your sweet comment. Just stack them and double the sauce. After you release the pressure, transfer the chicken on top to the bottom and use saute function to cook a few minutes. :)
Jeff
Awesome, thanks! But keep the 10 minutes of pressure cooking time the same?
Rasa Malaysia
You can cook for 15 minutes?
Diane Wood
Has anyone tried this with frozen chicken breasts? Just wondering if that would work.
Rasa Malaysia
If you use frozen chicken breast, just cook for 15 minutes.
SB
Has anyone tried this PIP with rice at the same time?
Liz B.
This is amazing!!! Even my 8 year old step daughter liked it!
Rasa Malaysia
Yay, thanks for trying this Intant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken.
MaLynda Smith
Made this for supper tonight with chicken breast ( doubled sauce as suggested ). It was amazing and definitely will be making many more times :) than you so much for the fast easy and delicious recipe :)
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks MaLynda.
Prav
After you cook the chicken in the IP, with the source, can you freeze it and eat save it for later?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, for sure!
James
Hi, thank for the recipe. Could you please clrify if the measurements are in US or imperial? For example US table spoon or imperial table spoon
(I’m from Australia)
Thank you
reenie
I made this chicken dish last night…it came perfect and was delicious!!! Thank you for sharing.
Amber
What am I doing wrong? All of my chicken recipes end up plain because the sauce just falls off.
Julie
This is my favorite thing that I’ve made in the Instant Pot yet. Thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
Aww, thanks for trying this Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken.
John
We tried this tonight. Our first time using our IP. Very tasty and easy. I have the 6 QT 7 in 1, instant Pot and I found the 10 minute cook time a little too long. I will try 8 minutes instead of 10. We found the chicken a little overdone.
Christy
I never know how long to sauté the chicken. Mine always sticks and rips the skin off.
Rasa Malaysia
You can do it on stove top and then transfer to Instant Pot.
Nikki Kenney
Hello! I am new to IP. I got the 8QT IP for Christmas. I just made this last night and I have to say that it was a WINNER! The only thing that got confusing was on the recipe card some of the buttons you name are different on my IP. So that made it a little confusing.
I was also wondering if I could cook the chicken on the stove first with the garlic, then transfer it all to the IP? It was a little hard to turn the chicken in the IP (at least for me, I’m short so the height of the counter and the IP made it hard.)
Also can I use frozen chicken? If so how much longer should I cook for?
Last thing! I followed the recipe and I didn’t notice until later that your recipe was for a 6Qt IP. When I make this next should I double the sauce ingredients?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Nikki, thanks for trying my recipe. Yes, I have a 6 quart and I am not sure what are the difference between mine and your 8 quart. Yes, you can pan-sear the chicken first on stove top and the garlic before transferring to the IP for pressure cooking. You can double the sauce. You an also use frozen chicken and add the cooking time maybe by 4 minutes. :)
S. Jeanne
Super nervous about using my 8Qt Instant Pot for the first time. Saw this recipe on FB and had all the ingredients on hand so decided to go for it. I doubled the sauce (nervous about using the right amount of liquid in the 8 QT) and only made 4 small thighs. I did have to saute the sauce for quite a while to get it to a good consistency to serve over the chicken. It was a major hit with my husband who wanted to know why I didnt make “more” and with my picky 8yo who never tries anything new but asked if I was going to eat all my chicken after she finished eating hers. Thank you for an easy and great tasting recipe – it helped this instant pot rookie take the plunge and get a win under my belt!
Rasa Malaysia
Awww, so happy to hear about your success. Thanks so much for trying my recipe, your comment really made my day. Please check out my other Instant Pot recipes, they are all easy and amazing: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipes/instant-pot-recipes. And yes, always use the Saute function to reduce the sauce to your desired consistency. We need enough liquid to pressure cook so use the Saute to reduce it for more intense flavors. :)
Fiona
This looks amazing! I am having 12 people over so may need to do this in two batches. If I make both in the IP and then put in the oven covered to keep warm, what temp do you suggest and for how long? I am making several dishes so really need some make-ahead ones. Thanks!!
Rasa Malaysia
I would just microwave to warm up. Or just keep in the IP and use saute function to warm up.