Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken
Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken is one of the easiest dinners you can make; no wonder it’s in the top 10 most popular recipes on my blog. This homemade version of the popular PF Chang menu item can be finished and on the table in less than 45 minutes, so you won’t even consider takeout. It has tender, juicy, flavorful chicken cooked in a garlic-brown-sugar Mongolian sauce. The chicken is then served over herbed butter basmati rice. You will get a mouthful of flavor in every bite!
I tried this dish at PF Chang years ago and loved it so much that I decided to make it myself. Through trial and error, I figured out the perfect balance to make it taste like theirs, only better! First, I came up with the stovetop Mongolian chicken version, and after I got my Instant Pot, I had to give it a try in the pressure cooker.
Table of contents
When I find something we love at a restaurant, I always try to duplicate it at home so I can make it for the family using better ingredients and be gentler on my bank account. And with the Instant Pot, I can make this in a fraction of the time. The chicken gets so moist and tender, and every bite is coated in the most fantastic, shiny, sweet-and-savory sauce.
After sautéing the chicken breast slices, the sauce is cooked at high pressure, then served over perfectly cooked basmati rice, garnished with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. This dish tastes even better on the second day, when the flavors have a chance to meld, so if you have leftovers, you will love it even more the next day.
Why you will love this recipe
- Dump and cook: Sauteing the chicken pieces is optional; do it only if you have the time. If you are in a hurry, you can just dump all the ingredients into the inner pot and pressure cook.
- One-pot meal: Dinner doesn’t get any easier than cooking everything in one pot. After adding the chicken and sauce ingredients, I usually add a trivet and a pot with rice, so I can cook my side dish at the same time.
- Better than takeout: I kid you not, this meal takes less time to prepare than it takes you to order, wait for delivery, or drive to pick up takeout.
- Ideal for busy weeknights: This easy Instant Pot dinner recipe can be cooked on those nights. It requires minimal prep, and you can even use frozen chicken if you forgot to thaw it.
What you will need
The chicken and the sauce:
- Chicken breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into one-inch cubes, but dark meat like chicken thighs will work as well.
- Carrots: This is an optional ingredient, but I like to add carrot chunks or baby carrots.
- Sesame or olive oil: I prefer the milder taste of the extra virgin olive oil; I use it to saute the chicken pieces. However, if you skip the sautéing, you don’t need this ingredient.
- Sauce: The sweet and savory Mongolian sauce is made with a blend of brown sugar for a deep, rich molasses flavor. I also add a mix of garlic powder and fresh garlic for a robust, savory flavor. Fresh ginger for a peppery, refreshing taste. Plus, the liquids like lite soy sauce, chicken broth, and rice vinegar. A bit of red pepper flakes for a bit of spice.
- Thickener: To thicken the sauce, I simply dissolve cornstarch in water and add the slurry after pressure cooking while on saute mode. I stir the sauce for a few minutes, until it transforms into a sticky glaze that is still pourable.
- Garnish: I sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped green onions right before serving this quick and easy meal.
For the rice:
- Basmati rice – This long-grain rice has a nutty flavor and light and fluffy texture.
- Herbed butter – Adds extra flavor to the rice, but regular butter can be used as well.
- Salt and water
How to prepare
Sauté the meat: Using the Saute function on the Instant Pot, I add the olive oil, then sauté the chicken for about 2-3 minutes, stirring as it browns.
Deglaze: After sautéing, I ensure there are no bits stuck to the bottom of the pot; otherwise, a “burn notice” is issued. To avoid it, I deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup of water and scrape it with a wooden spoon.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook: Next, I add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Then, I close the lid and cook on High Pressure.
Release pressure: After that, I let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure, and carefully open the lid.
Add the cornstarch and serve: Lastly, I whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl until smooth, then add the mixture to the pot. I let it cook gently on the Sauté function on LOW for a few more minutes, stirring without the lid, until the texture thickens.
Serve: I enjoy it warm over some white rice with chopped green onions and sesame seeds on top.
Dump and Cook option:
This easy recipe is also a great dump-and-cook meal. If you are in a hurry and don’t have time to brown the meat, just dump all the ingredients into the pot and cook. The cooking time does not change. This way, you can plan in advance, prepare the ingredients, and just add everything to the IP when you’re ready to cook.
Expert tip
How to cook the rice with the chicken in the pressure cooker:
For that, you will need a long-legged trivet and an oven-safe dish. I personally like to use stackable pans to cook the rice and chicken together. The pressure-cooking time stays the same whether you add the rice.
- In the meantime, continue to follow the recipe and thicken the sauce. Finally, fluff up the rice with two forks and serve.
- First, follow the steps to make the Mongolian chicken. Right before pressure cooking, add the trivet to the pot and the dish with the rice.
- After that, pressure-cook everything per the recipe directions. After you release the pressure, remove the dish with the rice and let it rest for a few minutes.
More tips to consider
- I make this meal with chicken breasts, but dark meat, like boneless and skinless chicken thighs, is juicier and more tender.
- The original dish contains more sugar than I added, so if you prefer it sweeter, add more sugar.
- On the other hand, to cut on sodium and sugar, reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup and the soy sauce to 1/2 cup if desired.
- The carrots are optional, so they are not necessary. However, they add a bit of natural sweetness to the sauce.
- Never add cornstarch directly to the sauce; always dissolve it first, or it will form clumps.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Different meat: Use sliced beef instead of chicken to turn this into Mongolian beef. The same sauce and rice work well with this option.
- Make it spicy: If you like spicy food, experiment with other spicy ingredients like cayenne pepper, minced jalapenos, and chopped chiles.
- More veggies: Add some broccoli, cauliflower florets, and carrots for a heartier meal.
- No veggies: Alternatively, leave out the carrots and have your chicken with the sauce and rice.
- Gluten-Free: Try making it gluten-free with coconut aminos or tamari.
Serving suggestions:
As I mentioned before, I like cooking this dish with rice at the same time, so I only have to prepare a vegetable side. Usually, I choose between steamed broccoli, roasted asparagus, or oven-roasted bok choy. My kids, on the other hand, request it over noodles like my yummy soba noodles. On the days when I have leftover rice, while the chicken is cooking, I fix pineapple fried rice to go with it.
If we have company over, or I choose to make this meal for a Sunday family dinner, I usually make chicken egg rolls and hot and sour soup. For desserts, I prepare something special. If I have leftover bread, I make this Instant Pot bread pudding. Other guest favorites include these lava cakes and creamy rice pudding.
How to store:
- Refrigerate: Store the Instant Pot Mongolian chicken in a sealed container in the fridge for up to four days. Keep the rice in a separate baggie.
- Freezing: To freeze, place it in a freezer-safe container and keep it for 3 months. Put the rice in a freezer bag.
- Defrost: Thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight for the best texture and taste.
- Reheating: Put your chicken and sauce in a pot to heat, and reheat the rice in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
To avoid this, Ihighly recommend ensuring there are no browned bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pan after sautéing. Also, as stated above, try to deglaze it with some liquid and gently scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.
Yes, that is a great alternative; the dark meat actually stays juicier and is very tender. I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and cutting them into uniform bite-sized pieces. The cooking steps and time do not change.
Yes, that is a valid option. Skip the oil and the sautéing step; just dump all the ingredients into the pot, stir to combine, and add 3-4 extra minutes to the pressure-cooking time, followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release, then manually release the remaining pressure. Using a meat thermometer, insert it into the chicken and ensure the temperature reaches 165F before serving.
More Instant Pot Asian recipes:
Loved this recipe? I’d love to hear from you! 💛 Leave a 5-star rating ⭐️ in the recipe card below and share your thoughts in the comments – I read and appreciate every single one!
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Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into one-two inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup brown sugar use 1/2 cup if you want less sugar
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 3/4 cup lite soy sauce use 1/2 cup if you are sensitive to sodium
- 3/4 cup chicken broth or water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 cup carrots chopped – optional
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Cornstarch Slurry:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Garnish:
- 1/4 cup green onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Rice (optional):
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons herbed or unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Sear the chicken:
- To begin, heat up your pressure cooker by pressing the Sauté button. Next, click the Adjust button and select the "More" option to activate the Sauté More function, which allows you to sauté the food over medium-high heat. Wait until the Instant Pot indicator shows "HOT."
- Add the oil to the hot Instant Pot, add the chicken, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring a few times. Cook until it just starts to get golden. When sautéing it, stir constantly so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Also, after you sauté it, check if bits are stuck to the bottom. In that case, deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup of water and scrape it with a wooden spoon.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot: minced garlic, ginger, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, water, carrots, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir well until all the ingredients are combined and coated in the sauce.
Rice (optional):
- Add the rice, salt, and 2 cups of water to an Instant Pot-safe dish/pot. Stir to combine.
- Add a long-legged trivet to the Instant Pot on top of the chicken. Place the pot with rice onto the trivet. Cover with aluminum foil and pierce a few times with a fork.
Cook:
- Close the lid and cook under high pressure for 5 minutes, then allow a natural release for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, release any remaining pressure, and open the lid.
- Open the lid, remove the pot with the rice, and let it rest covered for 5-10 minutes. Before serving, fluff the rice with a fork.
Thicken the sauce:
- Select the Sauté function once more and set it to LOW.
- In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water, whisking until smooth and lump-free. Add the mixture to the Instant Pot and gently stir to combine. Cook on the Sauté function on LOW for a few more minutes without the lid, stirring gently, until the sauce thickens.
- Turn off the Instant Pot.
Serve:
- Serve over rice and garnish with fresh chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
How to cook the rice with the chicken in the pressure cooker:
For that, you will need a long-legged trivet and an oven-safe dish. I personally like to use stackable pans to cook the rice and chicken together. The pressure-cooking time stays the same whether you add the rice.- In the meantime, continue to follow the recipe and thicken the sauce. Finally, fluff up the rice with two forks and serve.
- First, follow the steps to make the Mongolian chicken. Right before pressure cooking, add the trivet to the pot and the dish with the rice.
- After that, pressure-cook everything per the recipe directions. After you release the pressure, remove the dish with the rice and let it rest for a few minutes.
More tips to consider
- I make this meal with chicken breasts, but dark meat, like boneless and skinless chicken thighs, is juicier and more tender.
- The original dish contains more sugar than I added, so if you prefer it sweeter, add more sugar.
- On the other hand, to cut on sodium and sugar, reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup and the soy sauce to 1/2 cup if desired.
- The carrots are optional, so they are not necessary. However, they add a bit of natural sweetness to the sauce.
- Never add cornstarch directly to the sauce; always dissolve it first, or it will form clumps.
What a great easy way to make Mongolian chicken! Looks delicious!
This looks absolutely delicious! I really need to get on the Instant Pot bandwagon!
Quick, Easy, and Delicious! Count me in!
That looks delicious, one of my favorite takeout dishes!
Sauce was good but after three tries and replacing the sealing ring my IP never came to pressure. (The timer started all three times.) I finished the recipe on site mode. Naturally, the chicken burned to the pot after 3 tries of pressurizing and starting counting down. I used fresh chicken fillets. Please help!
Hi Kit, thank you for the feedback, I can see that the recipe was NOT at fault for your troubles, so why the 3 stars? There is definitely an issue with you IP if it doesn’t come to pressure, its not a recipe issue. I would call the company and tell them your issue, also did you make sure that the valve was in seal position?
Hi, the same thing happened to me. It never came to pressure. I tried this recipe multiple times with the same result. I think it has something to do with the corn starch. Next time I am going to try adding the cornstarch at the very end on sauté.
I have never had this issue with this recipe, very weird.
Very good! Even my picky eater enjoyed it. I opted to use Sriracha instead of red pepper flakes for a little kick.
so glad you loved it!!
People must not read directions, you don’t put the cornstarch in until afterwards…
Im making this right now and my IP had no issues coming to pressure. But I also didn’t add the corn starch yet per the recipe directions. Reading really is fundamental.
She said in the directions to put the cornstarch slury in at the end on sauté mode.
We had a similar issue with another recipe we tried with the Instant Pot and it was indeed because of the stuff stuck on the bottom of the pot after sautéing. What we read, and has worked since, is that after sautéing food, you HAVE to DEGLAZE the pot with some kind of liquid and scrape as much stuff off the bottom as you can. Since I had this experience before, when I made this recipe I used the soy sauce and water to deglaze the pot before adding any of the other ingredients. This allows the bottom of the pot to have good conduction to get up to temp and get up to pressure.
I think the next time around I will not add the corn starch to the chicken ahead of time and will add it as a slurry (mixed with some of the water) after deglazing the bottom of the pot. That should help solve this potential problem.
Just made this for dinner tonight – delicious and so flavourful!
After sauteeing, I simply put on high pressure for 3min and let natural release for 3 before the quick release. The chicken was perfectly cooked (I then added the cornstarch slurry afterwards as specified in the recipe to thicken the sauce). It was so quick to make – next time I’ll definitely add in some rice! Thank you!
If I were to half this recipe, would it still work, and would the cook time be the same?
yes, you should be good and use same cooking time.
I made this last night, served it on rice with mixed veggies. It was pretty tasty. The sauce was a bit on the thin side, but that may be because I had to scale back the cornstarch as I didn’t have quite enough. The sauce was nice and flavourful. I found the chicken breast chunks to be juicy and flaked into little yummy little strands. I did not run into the pressure issues the other commenters encountered.
Thank you for the feedback!
I’m sure it doesn’t matter as far as the cooking part is concerned, but for the integrity of the recipe, how do you prepare the carrots? Just roughly chopped into chunks, cut into thin sticks or thin rounds?? Thanks!!
I would do 1/4 inch rounds, if you cut them too thin, they will get mushy. Sticks also break easier once cooked, so I recommend rounds.
This was my first IP trial and it was delicious! Husband and 2 boys (picky eaters) approved! Sauce was a little thin but easily thickened with corn starch. I’ll try to add more vegie’s next time. Thanks so much for sharing!
so happy that you liked it!! 🙂
I just made this dish. It was so good! I had a second helping and ate too much but I couldn’t help myself. I loved the flavor! My husband loved it too! The recipe was easy to follow. I added cornstarch at the end and everything came out perfect. This will be one of our favorites- we will cooking this dish a lot more. We have such busy schedules, its nice to be able to make something so quick that tastes great. Thanks!
Hi Nina, I am very happy that you liked the recipe, thank you for your feedback. Its a family favorite here too!
Is there a way to cook the rice in the Instant Pot with the chicken?
I haven’t tried the pot in the pot version for this recipe, sorry.
Could I add 2 tbsp of hoisen sauce and 1 tsp of sesame oil for more of an authentic flavor?
yes, sure!
This is a 5 star recipe! My version was using sesame oil then arrowroot powder for thickening. Can add almost any veggie to this dish. Yummy, thanks to instant pot and the internet l cook less boring meals!
Hi Sue, I am so happy that you guys loved this recipe. It’s a keeper, I make it every two weeks at least, my husband also loved it. Thank you for taking the time to write your feedback, its much appreciated!
Is that sodium content correct? May want to try this with less soy sauce, since the recipe calls for “lite” already! Going to try it out tonight and reduce the sodium.
Hi Joel, yes it correct, you can use less.
Can you use frozen chicken?
if you use the same amount of chicken as I did, I would add 4 more minutes to the cooking time. NOTE: the sauce will taste differently, because of the extra water from frozen chicken.
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Two questions for you: how much is a serving? Is the brown sugar packed or unpacked?
Thanks!
packed 🙂
Great results!
But on #7 the recipe should read “Turn on the Sauté function” and NOT “Turn on the Sauce function” . There is NOT a sauce function on the IP. Thanks for posting this fast and great recipe.
You are right, that is a typo, thank you for letting me know, I have corrected it.
Can you double this? How would you adjust the cooking time? (Using the 8qt)I’m an instant pot newbie but made this and my kids ate so much of it there was hardly any left for myself and hubby!!
Glad that they liked it, yes you can double and no, increase the cooking time by 1-2 minutes only.
Just made this- super easy and tasty! My carrots turned out a little over cooked and mushy, so next time I think I’ll either lessen the cooking time or throw veggies in while the sauce is reducing. You could add broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper, bok choy- this is an easy recipe to add to depending on what you have on hand.
I am very happy that you liked it!!! Yes, its an easy recipe that you can play with once you try it!
Wonderful!! This was my first IP recipe and it was a hit. The chicken was so tender and flavorful. Everyone had seconds!! Unfortunately the sauce was actually “soup” and wouldn’t thicken even though I added cornstarch slurry at end. Directions were fairly easy to follow. Sautéing chicken took longer than 2-3 minutes. I’m still getting used to IP so for step 7 I couldn’t figure out how to turn Sauté function to Low. I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Hi there! Glad that you loved it, ha interesting about the sauce, just add more cornstarch and bring it to a simmer, it should thicken! 🙂 let me know if you have more troubles with it.
The corn starch is added after pressure cooking the chicken. Read the recipe, it clearly states to add the slurry after it’s been cooked.
What is considered one serving? A cup?
yes
Look forward to trying it. About how much chicken is this in ounces or pounds? Chicken breast can vary greatly in size.
Ive made this recipe more tjme than I can count! I love it! Has anyone tried doubling this recipe? I’m wondering what the cook time would be or even if it would change? Thank you!
My Girl Scout troop is preparing for a big event, and we had a long meeting yesterday (10-5). I prepped everything at home and took my instant pot, ingredients, and rice cooker (with rice) to the meeting.
It was such a hit! Even the two pickiest girls loved it (one of those picky girls is mine). I used 3 lbs chicken tenders, cubed. Increased soy sauce (reduced sodium) and brown sugar to 1 c each. I did add a little hon dashi (Japanese dashi granules) while browning chicken, for a little extra depth of flavor. After pressure cooking I tossed in fresh broccoli with cornstarch slurry. There was barely enough for me to take home to my husband (there were 6 teenage girls and two adults).
Afterward I told the girls that it was going to be either this or sandwiches. They were all so happy that I made the Mongolian chicken and rice. Thanks so much for sharing this easy, tasty recipe!
Roughly how many pounds does 4 boneless, skinless breasts translate to? I’d like to try this recipe but only have chicken breast tenderloins.
2.5-3lbs.
Thank you!
Just made this tonight. I doubled the recipe to feed our large family and cooked it for 7 min…it was a delicious hit! Thank you for the recipe!
Made it! It’s soooo yummy!! Thank you!
🙂 thanks
The orange chicken and mongolian chicken are the same recipes or are they just the same ingredients?
They are not the same recipe, the Orange chicken has more ingredients, please check carefully.
My picky 14 year old son and husband loved this dish. I mixed boneless, skinless chicken thighs in with the white meat. After cooking, I sprinkled roasted, salted cashews on top. What a hit! Better than any restaurant dish. We’re watching carbs so with all the brown sugar, we skipped the rice and nothing was lost. I’ll be making this again.
This was the first thing I tried with my instapot and it was such a success. I followed it exactly and even my picky husband loved it. It’ll be come a regular thing in my house! Thank youuuu!
I accidently used normal soy sauce. I hope I don’t die. Was tasty though.
I love making my favorite Chinese food at home so I can control the quality of ingredients that go into it. This one looks incredible, and would be a winner in my house!
I just got an IP and can’t wait to try this recipe! Can you provide a link or any more details about the accessories you use to cook the rice while cooking the chicken? I’ve looked on Amazon, but can’t quite find anything that matches your description.
Thanks in advance!
This recipe looks wonderful! How long would you cook it if it was brown rice instead of white rice?
Thanks!
Made this on Friday for a dinner party and it was a hit! I can’t recommend it enough.
It looks soo tasty! I love your recipes!
What is best to serve with Mongolian Chicken?
•White or Brown Rice
•Vegetable such as broccoli, asparagus or bok choy
•Noddles
I am a crazy typo finder and fixer, so please make an edit and replace Noddles with Noodles!
as long as it makes you happy 🙂
Hi, what would the cooking time be for chicken thighs with the bone?
I like to do 15 minutes.
I made this this evening. Didn’t have a problem with sauce. I thought i gad ginger in my freezerbut i didn’t. I used piwdered but sure fresh would have been better. Very easy and tady recipe. Thanks
This was delicious. Next time I will reduce the sugar as it was a little too sweet for us. Loved the addition of the chilli flakes. I doubled the recipe and had no issues cooking it (without the rice).
Thank you for the feedback Liv! Yes, you can totally reduce the sugar.
Delicious recipe, thanks!! Question: does the chicken need to be pre-cooked using the sautée function? Couldn’t the cubes cook right in the mixture?
thank you! You can skip the sauté function, I just like to brown it a little, but its optional.
Just made this today and it’s AMAZING! Tried two new IP chicken recipes this weekend and this one is a keeper for sure. Next time I think I’ll do what someone else here recommended and add some fresh broccoli in at the end.
I am so happy that you loved it!
I don’t own an instant pot and still managed to make this recipe on the stove. So easy to make and insanely delicious. Everyone loved it!! I would definitely make it again.
First of all, Catalina you are so pretty. And I am a big chicken lover. Mongolian chicken….hmmm looking so tasty. will make it in the dinner. thanks dear
haha thank you Nikki 🙂 I hope you try the recipe!
I am not a fan of ginger. Would it take away from the recipe if I didn’t use it?
you can skip it
Great recipe for juicy, tender, chicken. I doubled the recipe as i had large breasts, subbed in sesume oil, added brocoli and omitted the chilli for the kids. Not a peep just empty bowls. Cooked tbe chicken for 5 and left to natural pressure for 10 then released. Thank you.
happy that you liked it 🙂
I have made a lot of great instant pot recipes since getting mine and this one is by far the easiest and the best! My husband said so as well. This is the first time since getting my instant pot that there were no leftovers. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Holly, thank you for the feedback. This recipe is a family favorite around here too!
Recipe sounds delicious and something that my pussy kids will like. I don’t have brown sugar in the house. What can I substitute for brown sugar? Can I just use regular sugar? Plus something else? Thanks!
Do you have molasses? You can mix regular sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses to make brown sugar.
Really great recipe!!!
I used the Pampered Chef Quick Cooker with no problems. Halved the red pepper flakes and only had ground ginger so I used about 1/2 Tablespoon.
Thank you!
Made this tonight for dinner!! Delicious ? First instapot dinner. The recipe was easy to follow and made a wonderful, quick meal.
Thanks for sharing.
Do you have to use insta pot pots for the rice? Can you use any pot? A stainless mixing bowl? I’m new to innstapot cooking so I apologize if this is a stupid question.
yes, you can use a stainless bowl or a glass bowl that is oven safe.
What a great idea to mix in garlic and ginger into the sauce. I can imagine all the delicious smells that come from making this recipe.
When do you add butter to the rice? I’ve read the recipe multiple times and I’m missing the step where it’s added. Thanks!
Right when you add it to the pot.
I have a hungry family so I used a whole pack of six chicken breasts instead of four. I multiplied all of the ingredients by 1.5 EXCEPT for the brown sugar and soy sauce. I used regular soy sauce instead of lite. Also, I didn’t have ginger, so I used 3/8 tsp ground cardamom instead. I omitted the Tablespoon of garlic powder. Flavor was still amazing. The amount of red pepper flakes was perfect for this recipe (not too spicy at all). Next time I will drain the chicken after sautéing it (I used fresh chicken but still too much liquid, as I had suspected). Then I will add the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, etc. My IP never “came to pressure.” It just cooked it for the time I set it for (7 minutes because I made extra). And no, I followed the directions and did not add corn starch until after pressure cooking. Chicken was perfectly cooked and tender. Sauce was a bit thin even after adding corn starch due to the extra liquid from sautéed chicken. Draining it will eliminate this problem. This is my second time using my instant pot and I am pleased to be able to add a yummy chicken recipe to my budding collection. Thank you!
I made this recipe last night and it was a HUGE hit. I used chicken thighs instead of breast and did not make the rice in the instant pot. Simply wonderful.
I made this tonight but added broccoli at the end. Delicious!!
so happy that you loved this!
Ice made this 3 times now, with just water instead of chicken broth it’s really darker. With chicken broth it’s more yellow toned than brown
This is a meal the whole family loves.
Hi Samm and thank you for visiting. I really appreciate the nice feedback, and glad that you have loved it! thanks!
Where did you purchase the rice steam pot you used in this recipes video. I’m new to the instant pot and looking for items and ideas to make cooking fun and easy. Thank you
Can’t wait to try your recipe
amazon, I think I link to it in the blog post.
Made this last night! Used carrots and broccoli. Didn’t have fresh ginger so used ground ginger. Cut sugar to little under 1/2 cup and cut soy to 1/2 cup. Added 2 Tbls Hoison sauce and used some sesame oil too. Thought it was still too sweet at the end so added a bit more soy, red wine and red wine vinegar – HUGE hit!
Thank you for the feedback 🙂
Loved it. Followed the recipe to the t.
Thank you! We are glad you have enjoyed it!
Could I use a flour slurry instead of the cornstarch?
yes
Made this tonight and it was delish. We love veggies so we did the carrots and added big onion slices. After it cooked when adding corn starch we added big slices of red peppers and sliced water chestnuts. So good! We reduced the brown sugar to 1/2 cup and it was still pretty sweet for us. Would reduce even more next time for our personal taste.
Catalina, this was wonderful! Never knew that those flavors would come out as they did in this beautiful dish! Follow the recipe word for word!!!
Hi Kate, glad you enjoyed this dish! It is really a delicious dish full of flavor!
Yum! I made this for dinner tonight and it really is tasty! I used 11 pieces of boneless skinless thighs cut in large chunks and used only 1/2 cup shoyu and 1/2 cup brown sugar plus the other ingredients. I also did not use carrots but otherwise followed the recipe. Will definitely make this again! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Gale, thank you for the review, we are delighted and glad that you have enjoyed this dish. It is truly an easy and amazing dinner. Glad you liked it!
This was great! Our favorite instant pot recipe so far. We didn’t have lite soy sauce, so we put in 1/2 C reg soy sauce, and a full cup of broth, and it tasted awesome. nice and spicy!
This is a new family favorite! So quick, easy and delicious. I omit the carrots and serve with steamed broccoli.
very good. whole family loved it and they are picky! had no pepper flakes so used cayenne instead and used 1/4 as much. came out great! definitely a keeper
It was a great recipe, I’ll make it again. I have just one question. I cooked the rice in the instant pot with the meat and I wonder if the measurements are correct. Is it really 2 cups rice and 2 cups water? I thought it was twice as much water as rice when cooking long grain rice. I cut the rice back to about 1 1/2 cups, but it was still a bit under done.
Thank you
Made this for the first time and my children loved it . My youngest went back for thirds. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because that is what I had on hand. I will be making this again and often
Made this tonight because I needed something quick with my chicken tenderloins. Mongolian (beef) is my go to at restaurants so I thought I’d try this with spaghetti squash. So good!! Thanks for the recipe
Welcome, Karen, and thanks for your review. I am very glad and happy you have enjoyed it! Thanks for visiting!
My family loved this! I added halved baby carrots and quartered baby portabella mushrooms to the chicken. After the 10 minute natural release I also added a bag of steamed broccoli. Yum! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Followed recipe exactly as written. Very good and will make it again. I cooked jasmine rice separately on the stove.
This was my first time using an Instant Pot, and it was so good! We added green pepper, but honestly couldn’t find it in the end product because it was so flavorful. Had it over rice – perfection! Thanks for the great recipe – it’s going to be used again and again!
Glad you have enjoyed this recipe! Green peppers are a nice addition to it as well!
Wow what a nice and convenient dish this is! I got a new pressure cooker and was looking for a delicious and easy recipe to make, and came across your website. I am very happy I did, as this dish turned out very yummy! The fact that I could cook the rice along with the meat in the pressure cooker was really a bonus! My husband loved it as well, and we enjoyed it a lot! Thanks for sharing, will be making your other recipes going forward!
Glad you liked it Vivian. Feel free to go over our other IP recipes, as we have plenty of them to pick from. Let me know which ones you like the most. thank you for your feedback!
Holy shit this is good!!!! No need for Chinese take out now!!
Loving it. Super easy! Thanks.
Superb dish! I got a pressure cooker recently and this was my first redipe to try. It came out amazing. It has the right texture, flavorful, and we enjoyed it over white rice. Can’t be happier! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your review! Glad you loved it! Please feel free to try our other pressure cooker recipes, we have over 100 to pick from!
Turned out really good. However, the directions jump from cooking the chicken to cooking rice to making the sauce and it was a bit confusing while trying to cook at the same time and make sure I was doing everything right. I also ended up needing more cornstarch and my sauce was still very runny, but overall still really tasty!
This dish ended up being really good! But the directions jump from how to cook the chicken to cooking rice to making the sauce and it’s a bit confusing, especially when you’re in the middle of making the dish and trying to figure it out. I also ended up needing more cornstarch because my sauce was still runny, but overall very tasty!
I am currently in the process of cooking this and I know you won’t see it before I am done but what does this mean: “pressure cook at High Pressure for 5 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release.” What does the +10 minutes natural release part mean? Does it mean cook it for 5 minutes and then leave it in the pot for ten minutes before releasing the pressure?
Yes, this is what it means, to cook it for 5 minutes and then leave it in the pot for ten minutes before releasing the pressure.
Excellent, flawless recipe and turned out very well!
Hi Dan, glad you loved it!
Currently cooking it on the “slow cook” function (about 1.5 hour in) and I think it’s supposed to cook for 3 hours? Threw all the ingredients in except for the corn starch slurry. I will say that it doesn’t look as orange as the pictures. Do you have any recommendations for slow cooking this? Can’t wait to try. Thanks!
I would recommend browning the meat first for more flavor, adding the sauce, slow cook and after that add the slurry in the last 30 minutes of slow cooking. I would also slow cook it for at least 3 hours.
My very first Instant Pot recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for such a yummy easy meal!
Thank you Kim for your feedback! Glad you loved it! Please check out our other Pressure Cooker recipes, we have plenty to pick from.
This was awesome! Even my picky HS son had seconds. I doubled the sauce as we like extra sauce for dipping egg rolls into and I made this on the stove.
Seriously so delicious and easy to follow! This will definitely become a go to recipe!!!!
Only 2 nd time using my IP.
This recipe is amazing and will be a regular in our house now
This was a huge hit at our house! Thank you so much!
Question: I am gathering some recipes to meal plan and freeze before baby 3 arrives. Will
This freeze well?
Huge hit!! Loved it! Thanks!!
Does it freeze well? Prepping a meal plan to freeze food for when baby 3 arrives!
Hi Bia, Yes you can easily freeze this dish, just ensure to use a freezer-safe dish. Exiting time with baby 3! All the best! ))
We liked it a lot! One thing that disappointed me was that the chicken ended up shredding quite a bit Instead of staying in nice chunks like your beautiful picture. Did I do something wrong? Perhaps overcooked it?
Did you brown it for too long? That may cause over cooking.
I tried this recipe and followed it to the letter and had nothing stick to the bottom of the pot. I let the oil get hot before I put the chicken in, then I made sure to stir the chicken often and only browned it, didn’t cook it all the way through since it was going to be pressure cooked anyway. Turned out AMAZING!!
I made this and it was a huge hit! Nothing stuck to the bottom of the IP pot (I let the oil get hot before putting the chicken in) and the flavors melded together for an awesome dinner. I did Jasmine rice on the side since I don’t have a long-legged trivet for the rice. I did put carrots in and I also added some frozen peas AFTER I depressurized and opened the lid. They cooked up very nicely without being mushy while I added the cornstarch slurry and let the sauce thicken at the end. I’m not huge on presentation (too many to feed!) but it was a very appetizing dish when I added sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving. Everyone loved it, even my 5 year old and her friend. We will be making this dish again, soon! Thank you!
Thank you Shelly for your feedback! Very glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you for this recipe! Rated very yummy by my husband.
Superb!
looking very tasty and delicious. tonight i’m going to try this. thanks Catalina Castravet to posting such great recipe. i hope to post best in your features.
Wow, this is such an easy recipe and absolutely delicious!!
Hi can you use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of boneless skinless chicken breast?
Yes you can!
This is so good. I cooked the rice in my IP for the 1st time and turned out perfect but I did do the rest on the stove since I didn’t feel like washing the IP liner that was filled with rice. I had fronzen spirl carrots so I added them. Very good that I posted it to my FB page, pin on pintrest, and commented here since it was so good. Try it. I did add extra water so it would be saucy so it would cover the rice too after I thickened it. Yummmm thanks for a great recipe!!
Thank you Sue for your review. Glad you loved this recipe, it is one of our favorites as well!)
Delicious recipe! Super easy! However there are no leftovers here. Which I’m kind of bummed about ..I was hoping for a yummy lunch tomorrow. Have yo settle for a sandwich now. Next time I will probably increase the amount I make! Thanks!
Hi,
Does the nutrition include the rice? If not, why are the carbs so high?
Thanks
It includes the rice actually.
I made this for dinner tonight and got two thumbs up from my family! I used ten boneless skinless chicken thighs and added a red onion when cooking and a cubed red pepper when thickening the sauce. Next time I will add more chicken as this recipe makes a lot of sauce (and perhaps mushrooms and some chopped peanuts when serving). Delicious!
Really great recipe, thank you. I added some onion & asparagus. Will do again
It was a hit with my family. Good flavor!
I made this recipe as written today, and other than being too sweet, my family and I loved it. I will cut the Brown sugar down to 1/2 cup and see how that tastes. I did use my rice steamer out of convenience. I did not have any problems with the chicken sticking to the bottom, but neither did it sear very well. I think the chicken released too much juice, so it did seem to cook it. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I made this last night. Loved it! So easy. I added a few extra bits – chopped peppers. I also cooked the ride in the IP at the same time and it was great. Will definitely make this again.
I made this for the 2nd time and the husband and I absolutely love it! In the rotation to stay! Thank you!
This was outstanding!! Thank you for this great recipe. I followed the recipe (added more chilis because we like spicy 🙂 and all was perfect. I am still thinking today about how amazing my supper was last night. The chicken was absolutely perfect and the sauce really delicious.
Absolutely delicious. i did cut sugar and soy sauce as suggested. Im making it for 2bd time tonight. Cant wait!
Very good! I will definitely make again!
Thanks for the feedback, glad that you liked it!
Liked the recipe very much; only changes will be less sugar and low sodium soy sauce. It would be great to indicate chicken by weight since there’s a huge size variation. I used chicken tenders since they were thawed and they worked wonderfully, could have doubled the amount. Sauce thickened nicely; keeping the sauté function turned on helps thickening, for those who said sauce was too thin.
Quick question:
When you say “lite” soy sauce, do you mean reduced sodium or the readily available soy sauces in U.S. stores? There are heavier soy sauces in some Asian recipes.
Hi Beth, yes “lite” in the US means reduces sodium soy sauce.
This recipe needs a warning label! May cause over eating. I was so full, but couldnt stop because it was so good! I now feel like I’m going to explode.
I made this several times in my Instant Pot and it’s amazing! My kids are very picky eaters, but they love this. I just got the Ninja Foodi and was wondering if I need to change the cooking time or make any other adjustments. Has anyone made this in a Ninja Foodi yet? Thanks!
The formatting on this page is all messed up, not sure if it’s all your pages or not but since it’s been this way for a while now, I thought I’d mention it.
Thank you MJ, we have fixed it.
I liked this very much, though I will use a little less brown sugar next time … it was quite sweet! My chicken didn’t sear, but instead released a lot of juice, but ended up a little dry. One thing I wasn’t sure of: If you don’t include the rice, is the cook time the same as in the recipe?
Yes, the cooking time stays the same.
I made this tonight and it was the bomb! I have tried one other chicken mongolian recipe before, and it didn’t work out as well. This one is jam packed full of flavor. I didn’t end up needing to deglaze, so didn’t add much of the chicken broth and the thicnkness/consistency of the sauce turned out perfect with the cornstarch slurry. Easy to make and flavorful! Highly recommend!
I did this in my IP, added mushrooms and carrots sticks and so I did a little extra liquid. I was AHHHMAZING. Wondering if I could be cut down on the sugar a little bit but it was incredibly tasty. I also made Brussels on the side so I felt super healthy lol. Delicious!
This one’s a keeper! I followed the recipe using 1/2 a cup of lite soy sauce. The sauce was so flavorful and thickened perfectly with a quick simmer after adding the cornstarch. I look forward to trying this again with some broccoli and mushrooms in addition to the carrots. I didn’t have plain sesame seeds so we used everything bagel seasoning giving it a pleasant sesame crunch.
Happy that you loved it!
Can you double this recipe. Cooking times and other changes.
You can easily double the recipe, the cooking time stays the same.
After “deglazing” the instapot do we dump that water out and then add our ingredients or is that liquid part of the recipe?
you do NOT dump that water, that water adds extra flavor so please keep it.
Tasty but very salty for my family. I’ll use low-salt soy sauce next time. Did not need to deglaze instant pot as the chicken released lots of liquid in the sear stage. I’ll definitely make this again as it was well-received by all!
Tasty but very salty. I’ll use low-salt soy sauce the next time. Enjoyed by all!
For cooking it using the dump amd cook option, do you still coat the chicken in the cornstarch?
No, I skip it, and add a slurry at the end.
Dumb question. Do you mean cut chicken in half-inch cubes, one-inch cubes or 2 inch cubes? Will make a difference in how “shreddy” you like your chicken.
If you cut it in pieces that are too small, when pressure cooked it will shred too easily.
How do you make your herbed butter for the rice? Searched your site and can’t find a recipe for it. Thanks in advance.
Leave the butter on the counter so it comes to room temperature. Choose your herbs, I usually do basil, dill, parsley, oregano. Chop them, mix with the butter. Spread it into a log on plastic wrap, wrap and place in the fridge. Done.
This was a hit! I put everything on the pot and finished with corn starch when we were ready to eat. Picky 6 year old approved.
so happy that you liked it, thank you for the feedback!
Excellent recipe. Just enough “kick” to make it memorable! I will definitely make this again!
My picky eaters really like this! Thank you