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Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice

Sweet and savory honey garlic chicken is a quick and flavorful dinner that will make your entire family happy. And because we’re using an Instant Pot, it’s ready in just 30 minutes. This easy chicken recipe will become one of your favorite one-pot meals!

Close up of honey garlic chicken and rice in a bowl.

Honey garlic chicken and rice is one of my favorite meals to make in an Instant Pot. The flavors work so well together, especially if you love that sweet and savory combo. But what makes one-pot meals like this so great is the simplicity. Once you set everything up in the Instant Pot, you can do other things and cleanup is a breeze! This is some major dinner-time freedom.

Why You’ll Love This Honey Garlic Chicken

  • Made in one pot. There’s nothing better than one-pot meals for easy cooking and simple cleanup. Everything goes in the Instant Pot and comes out ready to serve. So easy!
  • Full of flavor. The honey garlic sauce is sweet, savory, and smells so good. It coats the chicken and rice perfectly and makes every bite delicious. You’ll love the balance of flavor!
  • Versatile. This Instant Pot chicken recipe is really easy to adjust to suit your preferences. Feel free to use chicken thighs instead of breasts, brown instead of white rice, or add some veggies like broccoli or carrots. You can also make the sauce a little spicier by adding some red pepper flakes or sriracha.
  • Great for leftovers. This recipe makes enough for 4 servings, so you can enjoy leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. It’s also really easy to double this recipe if you’d like a little more. Somehow, honey garlic chicken tastes even better the next day!
Bowl of Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken

  • For the chicken. Chicken breast, salt, and pepper.
  • For the rice. White rice and water.
  • For the sauce. Honey, chicken broth, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, oregano, parsley, cornstarch, and water.

How to Make Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

  1. Sear the chicken. Set your Instant Pot to ‘sauté’ mode and heat up a little olive oil. While the oil is heating, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Sear both sides of the chicken for 2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
  2. Make the honey garlic sauce. Mix together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup until it comes together. Pour the sauce into the warmed Instant Pot and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken back in.
  3. Add the rice. Rinse your rice and add it to an oven safe dish that will fit inside your Instant Pot. Add water to the dish, cover it with foil, and place it on top of the trivet. Carefully position the trivet in the Instant Pot over top of the chicken.
  4. Cook. Seal the Instant Pot and cook the garlic honey chicken for 15 minutes on high pressure. When the timer beeps, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and carefully take out the bowl of rice and the chicken. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes.
  5. Assemble. Using the sauté mode, add your cornstarch slurry mixture (cornstarch and water) to the sauce to thicken it up. While that cooks for a few minutes, shred your chicken and add it back into the sauce. Turn the Instant Pot off.
  6. Serve. Spoon honey garlic chicken over your cooked rice and enjoy!

Can I Make Instant Pot Chicken Without an Instant Pot?

Yes, you can make honey garlic chicken if you don’t have an Instant Pot, but it definitely won’t be nearly as quick or be done in a single pot. Before I had my Instant Pot, I often made various shredded chicken recipes in my slow cooker. But, this will take you a few hours and you’ll need to cook your rice separately. You could also do the shredded chicken in a dutch oven on the stove, but again, it won’t be nearly as quick. 

A bowl of Instant Pot honey garlic chicken rice and broccoli

Recipe Tips

  • Garnishes. I really like to add toasted sesame seeds and a little fresh green onion to the top of garlic honey chicken. Toasting the sesame seeds will bring out their nutty flavor and add some crunch to your dish. You can toast them in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden and fragrant. This will only take a few minutes, so watch them carefully and don’t let them burn.
  • Thickening the sauce. While not completely necessary, I like using a slurry made of cornstarch and water to thicken up the honey garlic sauce. Without it, I think the sauce misses that thick, stickiness we all love.
  • Natural pressure release. While it can be tempting to release all the pressure quickly, don’t. The chicken actually continues to cook as the pressure comes down naturally. So, if you rush the process, your chicken may not be completely cooked.

What to Serve With Honey Garlic Chicken

This dish doesn’t need a lot to go along with it. The rice, chicken, and delicious honey garlic sauce are rounded out nicely with a good veggie side. I usually choose something simple like a little steamed or roasted broccoli, but any vegetable will pair well. If you’re looking for something a little adventurous, try our romano beans in garlic butter sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts, or garlic butter roasted asparagus.

Close up of honey garlic chicken and rice in a bowl.

Storing Leftovers and Reheating

  • To store. Leftovers from this easy chicken recipe can be stored in your fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. You can also freeze it. Just, let it cool completely to avoid extra condensation and freeze it in a freezer bag. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Whether in the fridge or the freezer, keep the honey garlic chicken separate from any leftover rice.
  • To reheat. Reheating honey garlic chicken is super easy. Simply bring it to room temperature on your counter, then heat on your stove top on low. It should only take about 10 minutes to heat through. Serve it with rice and veggies, or use the leftovers to make honey garlic chicken tacos!

Other Chicken Breast Recipes

Bowl of Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
Print Recipe
4.94 from 16 votes

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice

Sweet and savory honey garlic chicken is a quick and flavorful dinner that will make your entire family happy. And because we're using an Instant Pot, it's ready in just 30 minutes. This easy chicken recipe will become one of your favorite one-pot meals!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken breast recipes, easy chicken recipe, honey garlic chicken, instant pot chicken, one pot meals
Servings: 4 serves
Calories: 599kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp ketchup, (I use no-salt ketchup)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley
  • cups short grain white rice
  • cups water
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the Instant Pot on “Sauté” mode. Add olive oil to the instant pot and heat it up. Season chicken with salt and pepper; transfer to the instant pot and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until just browned. Remove chicken and set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl combine honey, chicken broth, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, oregano, and parsley; mix until incorporated.
  • Slowly Pour the honey mixture into the Instant Pot and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add chicken back into the pot.
  • Rinse the rice really well; add rinsed rice to an oven safe dish that will fit inside your Instant Pot on top of the trivet. I always use my Pyrex glass mixing bowls. Add 2 1/4 cups water into the dish with the rice and cover the dish with foil. Place the dish on top of your trivet (the one that comes with the Instant Pot). Carefully place the trivet down into the pot on top of the chicken. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot and set valve to “sealing”. Press the manual button and set the timer for 15 minutes on High Pressure.
  • When the timer beeps let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Once all the pressure is released, remove the lid and carefully remove the rice bowl using oven mitts or hot pads. Then remove the chicken and set on a cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes.
  • Turn the Instant Pot to “Saute”. In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water until smooth. Stir the slurry mixture into the pot; and let cook for couple minutes, stirring often. In the meantime, shred the chicken.
  • Turn off the Instant Pot and stir shredded chicken back into the sauce. Serve chicken over rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.


Nutrition

Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1674mg | Potassium: 646mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 202IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

56 Comments

  • Ruth
    Feb 5, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    Looking for quantity of chicken broth. . . did I miss it?

    I don’t have an instant pot, but I definitely plan to make it in conventional cookware.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 5, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      Now it’s there! 😊 Thanks for catching that – I just fixed it. It’s 2/3 cup chicken broth and 1/3 cup honey.
      I have a similar recipe on my other site for Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken, if you want to give that a try, instead. Here’s the link: https://diethood.com/crock-pot-honey-garlic-chicken/

      Reply
  • Erin
    Feb 6, 2020 at 10:16 pm

    5 stars
    Such an easy recipe and tasted amazing! The family gobbled it up. Thanks!

    Reply
  • Krissy Allori
    Feb 6, 2020 at 10:46 pm

    5 stars
    I love finding new instant pot recipes. This is a good one. I’ll be making it again for sure.

    Reply
  • Andie Thueson
    Feb 6, 2020 at 11:11 pm

    5 stars
    My question, what’s for dinner has now been answered – this looks amazing!

    Reply
  • Amanda
    Feb 6, 2020 at 11:47 pm

    5 stars
    Such an amazing meal that everyone will love!

    Reply
  • Dorothy Reinhold
    Feb 7, 2020 at 1:21 am

    I haven’t be brave enough to try to cook two things at one time in my IP. You give such clear directions I am going for it tomorrow! The honey mixture for the chicken sounds amazing.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 7, 2020 at 12:48 pm

      I was afraid to cook rice + chicken in the IP for so long, but I’m glad I did! It’s, like, liberating. 😃

      Reply
      • Annie
        Dec 20, 2020 at 4:26 pm

        Can you sub long grain brown rice and get same results?

        Reply
        • Melissa
          Mar 9, 2021 at 1:33 pm

          I did. It was the only rice I had in the pantry. It worked perfectly.

          Reply
          • Katerina
            Katerina Petrovska
            Mar 9, 2021 at 3:47 pm

            That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

  • Deseree
    Feb 7, 2020 at 4:52 am

    5 stars
    I can’t wait to try this chicken and rice dinner in my instant pot! It looks and sounds fantastic!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 7, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      I consider it a win each and every time when I can make my main and side dish in the same pot, at the same time! 🙌

      Reply
      • Dee Schaefer
        Apr 21, 2023 at 10:02 pm

        4 stars
        This was very good! I love being able to cook the rice at the same time and this method works! It was a tad salty for my taste – but I didn’t have all the low sodium ingredients and adjusted by throwing in a the juice from a can of mandarin oranges along with the cornstarch, then carefully stirred in the oranges to reheat. I’ think I will try to slow cooker method for a family potluck so I can triple the recipe. Thanks!

        Reply
  • Jacque Hastert
    Feb 7, 2020 at 5:02 am

    5 stars
    I can’t believe the flavor that comes from this chicken in less than 30 minutes. Locked and loaded with flavor.

    Reply
  • Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
    Feb 7, 2020 at 9:26 am

    5 stars
    I’ve got to try this tasty Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken recipe soon!

    Reply
  • Lora
    Feb 7, 2020 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    Everyone just loves this. Honey garlic is always a hit!!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 7, 2020 at 12:44 pm

      Yes! I put that sauce on every.thing! 😀

      Reply
  • Linda
    May 11, 2020 at 1:52 am

    5 stars
    Came out perfectly and oh so good.
    I used low salt soy sauce and didn’t have sesame seeds so I used green onions. I am brand new to my Instapot, this was so easy to follow. I will make this many more times.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      May 12, 2020 at 6:11 pm

      I am very happy you enjoyed it!! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Linda
    May 14, 2020 at 3:32 am

    5 stars
    Tonight I made it with skirt steak and added onion…..oh my! Love you recipe.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      May 14, 2020 at 3:09 pm

      I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  • Kristen
    Sep 14, 2020 at 11:35 pm

    First time using my insta pot and was sort of a disaster for me! Maybe you can help. The c8 symbol came on during sautéing. Had to keep turning of pot and then turning it back on to finish. Then I wasn’t very clear on what setting to my my IP on when I put chicken back in so I used pressure cook and it burned the food before it even finished pre heating!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Sep 15, 2020 at 1:03 pm

      Hi!
      So sorry this didn’t work out for you. I hope I can help, but I’m not sure what the “c8” symbol means. I googled it and it says that “c8” means you are using the wrong inner pot. My Instant Pot comes with just one inner pot so I don’t know how true their explanation is. 🤷‍♀️
      The instructions on what setting to choose for pressure cooking are in the recipe card under step #11 and step #12. It says to, “Lock the lid of the Instant Pot and set valve to “sealing”.” Then, “Press the manual button and set the timer for 15 minutes on High Pressure.”
      In as far as burnt food in the IP; always make sure to have enough liquid in the pot. I suggest using at least 1 cup of liquid for this recipe; the chicken broth and soy sauce combined are a little over 1 cup of liquid.

      Reply
  • Kristy
    Oct 29, 2020 at 8:58 pm

    Would I be able to do this with frozen chicken breast? If so,will the rice need to be cooked separately?

    Reply
  • Molly
    Dec 28, 2020 at 11:10 pm

    5 stars
    I used frozen chicken breasts & brown rice (similar cooking times for each other) and adjusted the cooking time to 31 minutes. Just skipped the sauté step. Awesome!

    Reply
  • Aimee
    Jan 16, 2021 at 2:13 am

    5 stars
    We are still new to the Instant Pot. This recipe was easy to follow (I love the videos!) and incredibly delicious. This will be a new favorite in our family…even my 3 year old ate it and loved it! We did Jasmine rice and it turned out great.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jan 16, 2021 at 4:37 pm

      That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
      • Sarah
        Jun 30, 2023 at 3:52 pm

        Do you have to cook the rice at the same time?
        I have a preferred way with my style of instant pot.

        Reply
        • Katerina
          Katerina
          Jul 1, 2023 at 6:51 am

          No, you don’t have to. I cook them both simultaneously for this dish to make things more practical and quicker.

          Reply
  • Cody
    Jan 21, 2021 at 10:01 pm

    Hi there, I’m making this for dinner tonight and was wondering if the cook time would change if I didn’t cook the rice in the ip? I don’t have a bowl to do it in. Thank you and I’m excited to try it!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Jan 22, 2021 at 12:35 am

      Hi!
      Yep, cook time stays the same.

      Reply
  • Krystal
    Feb 12, 2021 at 12:08 am

    Is it possible to get the same results with frozen chicken?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 12, 2021 at 12:20 am

      Yes, but cook them a bit longer, about 2 more minutes, I would say.

      Reply
  • Kyleigh
    Mar 6, 2021 at 6:35 pm

    Can you skip cooking the rice?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Mar 6, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      Hi!
      Yes, you don’t have to use the rice.

      Reply
      • Kyleigh
        Mar 8, 2021 at 12:04 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
  • Ena
    Mar 6, 2021 at 9:42 pm

    Can you leave out the ketchup? I’m allergic to tomatoe. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Mar 6, 2021 at 10:54 pm

      Yep, just leave it out.

      Reply
  • Melissa
    Mar 10, 2021 at 12:12 am

    Would it still work without cornstarch? 😭 I grabbed everything at the store to make this tonight and forgot the cornstarch!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Mar 10, 2021 at 1:50 am

      Hi!
      Yep, it will be fine. The cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce before serving. But, you can also just use all-purpose flour instead of cornstarch.

      Reply
  • Jen
    Mar 29, 2021 at 1:12 pm

    Would the cooking time be adjusted for chicken thighs?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Mar 30, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      Are they bone-in thighs? Yes, time will definitely need to be increased, but that may be too long for the rice if it’s bone-in thighs. Boneless thighs will only need to be increased by a minute or two.

      Reply
  • Korie
    May 4, 2021 at 2:19 pm

    5 stars
    Easy and melt in your mouth tender (I used boneless skinless thighs). The flavor was pulled pork meets delicious Asian dish. I only used an 1/8 cup of cornstarch w just enough water and used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Enjoy. Thanks for a great recipe to add to my rotation.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      May 4, 2021 at 2:26 pm

      I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Lisa
    Jul 11, 2021 at 7:26 pm

    Are you supposed to mince the garlic or put it in whole? After you remove the chicken, are you supposed to turn “saute” off before pouring in the bowl of ingredients? Sorry, I need things spelled out. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Jul 12, 2021 at 8:12 am

      Hi!
      No problem! 😊
      You’ll want to mince the garlic or just chop it up as finely as you can.
      I don’t advise to turn off the “Saute” because you want that sauce to heat up a bit. Also, “Saute” mode will automatically turn off when you press the manual button and set the timer for 15 minutes on High Pressure to finally cook the food… at least that’s how it works on mine 🤔 You can also just turn off the “Saute” mode right before sealing the cover on the Instant Pot. Does this help? I hope 🤞 😃

      Reply
  • Katie
    Sep 1, 2021 at 7:31 am

    Hi – would I be able to substitute jasmine rice? It’s all I have on hand at the moment! Thank you.

    Reply
  • Cat
    Jan 24, 2022 at 9:23 pm

    This was awesome! I loved that I was able to make the rice at the same time as the chicken in the same pot! Only thing I would change is not add the salt to season the chicken since the soy sauce is salty enough (even at low sodium). Other than that, this was a wonderful dinner

    Reply
  • Nicole
    Sep 7, 2022 at 5:09 pm

    How would you adjust this to make it in the crock pot?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Sep 8, 2022 at 6:48 am

      Put it all in the crock pot and cook for about 3 hours on LOW. I would brown the chicken on all sides before placing it in the crock pot.
      Also, check the chicken’s internal temp – cooked chicken is done when internal temperature registers at 165˚F.

      Reply
  • Melissa
    Oct 18, 2022 at 8:31 pm

    5 stars
    I was out of soy sauce and substituted it for teriyaki sauce. Still yummy!!

    Reply
  • Sammie
    Jul 31, 2023 at 6:35 pm

    5 stars
    This was really good however, I think I would sauté onion with the chicken next time. Left the sesame seeds out due to an allergy. Served alongside steamed veggies and it’s a super easy dinner!

    Reply
  • Trisha
    Mar 26, 2024 at 10:55 am

    Hi! I can’t wait to try this! I was wondering if the nutrition info was for all of the rice and chicken or if it was for 1 serving. I’m assuming it’s for 1 serving. What size is a serving?

    Reply

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