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!

chopsticks holding a piece of mongolian chicken

Best Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken

This quick and easy take of the famous Chinese Mongolian Chicken is such a perfect, delicious, and quick Asian meal made in just 30 minutes! It’s faster to make this meal at home than to drive to a restaurant or to order takeout. Also, by making it at home you will save some good dollars and will have amazing leftovers.

My family and I love Asian dishes, and this Mongolian chicken recipe is delicious, quick, and accessible. 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!

When I find something that we love when dining out, I always try to duplicate it so I can make it at home for the family. As much as I enjoy dining out, I also love making my recipes because I can tweak them to my preferences. And with the instant pot, I can make this faster than waiting for them to bring it to my table at the restaurant!

After sautéing the tender chicken breast slices, the delicious sauce is cooked at high pressure and then served on top of perfectly cooked basmati rice garnished with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. This dish tastes even better on the second day, so if you have leftovers, you will love it even more tomorrow.

I like making everything in my Instant Pot. I have two because sometimes I cook two Instant Pot recipes simultaneously. It doesn’t heat the house like the oven, so it is perfect for warm days when your windows open. But if your neighbors smell the delicious aroma coming from your home, they may be knocking on the door.

overhead shot of instant pot mongolian chicken ingredients in bowls on a wooden table

What you’ll need to make instant pot Mongolian chicken

Special items:

  • An instant pot – I use an instant pot Duo Plus and a RIO Wide Plus. I used the Duo for this recipe because I do not need the wide top for large pieces of meat.
  • A wooden spoon – To stir your chicken without scratching the pot.
  • An extra-tall trivet with handles – Make sure it is the size of your instant pot.
  • A heat-safe pot – To cook the rice in.
  • Small mixing bowl – For making the cornstarch slurry.

The ingredients for instant pot Mongolian chicken:

The chicken and the sauce:

  • Chicken breasts – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into one-inch cubes.
  • Carrots – Chopped into small pieces for serving with the chicken.
  • Sesame or olive oil – I prefer the milder taste of the extra virgin olive oil. 
  • Brown sugar – To add rich sweetness to your sauce.
  • Garlic cloves – Fresh minced garlic will give your chicken the most incredible flavor.
  • Garlic powder – Gives this dish an even more intense garlicky taste.
  • Lite soy sauce – Use low-sodium soy sauce for a less salty flavor.
  • Chicken broth – To add extra flavor to your chicken.
  • Rice vinegar – a light but tangy sweet vinegar that adds a nice kick to the recipe.
  • Red pepper flakes – Add a bit of spiciness to your meat.
  • Fresh ginger – For a sweet and a little hint of spicy earthy taste.
  • Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce.
  • Water – To dissolve the cornstarch.

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.
  • Salt – To enhance the other flavors.
  • Water – To add to your rice for cooking.

For garnish:

  • Sesame seeds – Adds some crunch and a nutty flavor.
  • Green onions – Chopped to add extra flavor to your meal.
collage of six photos showing the steps how to make instant pot mongolian chicken and rice

How to make the instant pot Mongolian chicken?

  1. Saute the meat: Using the Saute function of your Instant Pot, add the olive oil and quickly saute the poultry for about 2-3 minutes. Remember to properly stir while browning the chicken. 
  2. Deglaze: After sauteing it, ensure that there are no bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, otherwise, you will get a “burn notice”. To avoid it, deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup water and scrape them with a wooden spoon. If you leave the bits stuck to the bottom, they may burn or cause the pot not to come to pressure.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook: Next, add the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine. Then, close the lid and cook on High Pressure.
  4. Release pressure: After that, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, release manually any remaining pressure and carefully open the lid. 
  5. Add the cornstarch and serve: Lastly, in a small bowl, add the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and stir to combine, add the mixture to the pot. Gently let it cook on Sauté function on LOW for a few more minutes stirring without the lid, until the texture thickens. 
  6. Serve: Enjoy 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. In case you are in a hurry and don’t have time to brown the meat, just dump all the ingredients in the pot and cook. The cooking time does not change.

This way, you can plan in advance, and prepare the ingredients ahead of time and just add everything to the IP when ready to cook.

overhead shot of instant pot mongolian chicken

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 these stackable pans to cook the rice with the chicken. The pressure cook time stays the same, regardless if you add the rice or no.

  1. First, follow the steps to make the juicy Mongolian chicken, and right before pressure cooking it, add the trivet to the pot and the dish with the rice.
  2. After that, pressure cook everything per recipe directions. After you release the pressure, remove the dish with the rice and let it rest for a few minutes.
  3. In the meantime, continue to follow the recipe and thicken the sauce. Finally, fluff up the rice with two forks and serve.

Make in the slow cooker or using the slow cooker function:

This dish can also be made in your Crockpot or in the Instant Pot using the Slow Cooker function.

  1. First, add the browned meat to the Slow Cooker, add the rest of the ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry.
  2. Next, cover and cook on High for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
  3. Then, make the cornstarch slurry, gently stir it in and cook on high for 20 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
a spoonful of instant pot mongolian chicken with sesame seeds and green onions

Expert tip

The best rice for instant pot Mongolian chicken

One thing about making Mongolian chicken in the instant pot is whether to cook the rice and chicken simultaneously or separately. I first sauté the chicken in my recipe and then add it to the pot with the other ingredients. Then, I add the rice in a separate dish on top of the chicken, so they cook together but in different juices.

You want the chicken to stew in the sauce while the rice stays separate in the water with butter and salt. That way, the rice does not absorb all the meat’s juices and becomes soggy while the chicken turns hard. Other recipes may have you cook the rice in the pot before the chicken and add them together afterward.

It’s essential to use the right kind of rice. I prefer basmati or jasmine rice because it does not get too moist when cooking. However, there are over 40,000 varieties of rice. You should use a one-to-one ratio of water and rice. This recipe calls for two cups of rice with two cups of water, which is perfect. Then, adding a bit of butter will not be an issue. Other types of rice often used include arborio and sushi rice.

Instant pot mongolian chicken and rice garnished with sesame seeds and green onions

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.
  • No cornstarch: You could use potato starch or flour instead of cornstarch. 
  • Gluten-Free: Try making it gluten-free by using coconut aminos or tamari sauce.

Serving suggestions:

  • Instead of serving your Mongolian chicken on rice, try it on top of noodles like my yummy soba noodles.
  • For dessert, get some Chinese fortune cookies. Or you can make your own and write your fortunes.
  • Serve some dinner rolls with your dinner to soak up the extra sauce.
  • On the side, try some stir-fry veggies, dumplings, or bamboo shoots.
  • Also, it goes great with vegetables such as steamed broccoli, roasted asparagus, or oven-roasted bok choy
instant pot mongolian chicken served over rice with sesame seeds and green onions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mongolian sauce made of?

Whether you use an instant or a regular pot, the sauce is the same. It has soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, chicken broth, and sesame oil. I add red pepper flakes for a little kick without too much spiciness and carrots to help add texture and flavor.

What is the difference between General Tso’s chicken and Mongolian chicken?

This depends on who makes the recipes. My Mongolian chicken may not be as spicy as other recipes, so that will be one significant difference. General Tso’s chicken is often tangy and spicier than Mongolian chicken, and the meat is deep-fried in batter instead of sautéed in oil. They both have chicken broth, rice vinegar, light soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic with a slurry to thicken the sauce, but General Tso’s has chiles or chili paste.

What is the difference between Szechuan chicken and Mongolian chicken?

Another delicate Asian dish that can also be made in the Instant Pot, Szechuan chicken has a spicier sauce because it has Szechuan peppercorns. These unique peppercorns create a numbing and tingling sensation when eaten. You will also taste a bit of star anise and sesame paste, and sometimes, it has peanuts in it as well.

How to avoid the “burn notice” on the Instant Pot?

Sometimes, you might get the “burn notice” when cooking in the IP or any other pressure cooker. To avoid this, we highly recommend ensuring that there are no browned bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pan after sautéing the food. Also, as stated above, try to deglaze it with some liquid and gently scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.

overhead shot of instant pot mongolian chicken served over rice with sesame seeds and green onions

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 you can keep it for three months in the freezer. 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.   

More instant pot Asian recipes:

Recipe tips:

  • Always use the best cuts of chicken for your recipes to get the tastiest dishes with tender, juicy meat.
  • The Mongolian chicken served in the restaurant has a lot of sugar. You can add more if you wish.
  • The carrots are optional, so they are not necessary. However, they add a bit of sweetness to your sauce.
  • Keep the rice and chicken separate so you can store leftovers separately when you put them away. This helps when reheating.
  • To cut on sodium and sugar, reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup and soy sauce to 1/2 cup if desired.
  • Some older pots don’t have a sauté function. Use a pan to sauté your chicken instead.
Mongolian chicken with rice and topped with green onions and sesame seeds

Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken

Catalina Castravet
Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken takes just 5 minutes to throw into the pressure cooker. It only takes 30 mins to cook tender, and juicy chicken!
4.83 from 85 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Natural Pressure Release: 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Asian, Chinese
Servings 6 servings
Calories 503 kcal

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 water or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 cup carrots chopped*
  • 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:

  • Heat up your pressure cooker: press Sauté, click on the Adjust button, and select More to activate the Sauté More function. This means that the food will be sautéed over medium-high heat. Wait for the Instant Pot indicator to read 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.
    sautéing chicken pieces in the instant pot
  • Also, after you sauté it, check if bits are stuck to the bottom. In that case, deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup 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.
    pouring soy sauce on top of chicken in the instant pot
  • Stir well until all the ingredients are combined and coated in sauce.

Rice (optional):

  • Add the rice, salt, and two 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. Add the pot with the rice onto the trivet. Cover with aluminum foil and pinch a few times with a fork.
    a trivet with rice water and butter in the instant pot

Cook:

  • Close the lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 5 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. Turn off the heat, release the 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 again the Sauté function on LOW.
  • In a medium bowl, combine two tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and whisk until combined and without lumps. Add the mixture to the Instant Pot and gently stir to combine. Cook on Sauté function on LOW for a few more minutes without the lid, stirring gently, until the sauce thickens.
    instant pot mongolian chicken
  • Turn off your Instant Pot.

Serve:

  • Serve over rice and garnish with fresh chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
    close shot of perfectly cooked instant pot mongolian chicken bites

Notes

  • Carrots are optional in this recipe.
  • Add more or less Red pepper flakes, based on the level of heat you like in a dish.
  • Also, they can be omitted from the recipe.
  • Garlic powder was added for extra garlic flavor on top of the fresh garlic.
  • Use gluten-free tamari or amino acids if you want to avoid gluten.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcalCarbohydrates: 84gProtein: 24gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 1842mgPotassium: 555mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 3727IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
4.83 from 85 votes

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199 Comments

  1. 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!3 stars

    1. 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?

      1. 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.3 stars

          1. Very good! Even my picky eater enjoyed it. I opted to use Sriracha instead of red pepper flakes for a little kick.5 stars

          1. 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.5 stars

    2. 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.5 stars

      1. 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!5 stars

  2. 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.4 stars

  3. 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!!

    1. 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.

  4. 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!5 stars

  5. 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!4 stars

    1. Hi Nina, I am very happy that you liked the recipe, thank you for your feedback. Its a family favorite here too!

  6. 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!5 stars

    1. 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!

  7. 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.

    1. 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.

  8. 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!5 stars

  9. 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.5 stars

  10. 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!!5 stars

    1. Glad that they liked it, yes you can double and no, increase the cooking time by 1-2 minutes only.

  11. 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.4 stars

  12. 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.4 stars

    1. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. Look forward to trying it. About how much chicken is this in ounces or pounds? Chicken breast can vary greatly in size.

  15. 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!5 stars

  16. 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!5 stars

  17. Roughly how many pounds does 4 boneless, skinless breasts translate to? I’d like to try this recipe but only have chicken breast tenderloins.

  18. 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!5 stars

    1. They are not the same recipe, the Orange chicken has more ingredients, please check carefully.

  19. 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.5 stars

  20. 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!5 stars

  21. 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!5 stars

  22. 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!

  23. 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!

  24. 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

  25. 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).5 stars

  26. 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? 5 stars

  27. 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.5 stars

  28. 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.5 stars

  29. 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 dear5 stars

  30. 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.5 stars

  31. 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!5 stars

  32. 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!

  33. 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!5 stars

  34. Made this tonight for dinner!! Delicious ? First instapot dinner.  The recipe was easy to follow and made a wonderful, quick meal. 
    Thanks for sharing.  5 stars

  35. 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. 

  36. 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.5 stars

  37. 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!

  38. 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!5 stars

  39. 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.  5 stars

  40. 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.5 stars

    1. Hi Samm and thank you for visiting. I really appreciate the nice feedback, and glad that you have loved it! thanks!

  41. 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

  42. 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! 5 stars

  43. 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.

  44. 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!!!5 stars

  45. 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!  5 stars

    1. 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!

  46. 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!5 stars

  47. This is a new family favorite! So quick, easy and delicious. I omit the carrots and serve with steamed broccoli. 5 stars

  48. 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 keeper5 stars

  49. 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 you5 stars

  50. 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 often5 stars

  51. 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 recipe5 stars

    1. Welcome, Karen, and thanks for your review. I am very glad and happy you have enjoyed it! Thanks for visiting!

  52. 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 🙂5 stars

  53. 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!5 stars

  54. 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!5 stars

    1. 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!

  55. 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!5 stars

    1. 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!

  56. 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!

  57. 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!4 stars

  58. 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?

    1. 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.

  59. 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!5 stars

    1. 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.

    1. Thank you Kim for your feedback! Glad you loved it! Please check out our other Pressure Cooker recipes, we have plenty to pick from.

  60. 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.

  61. 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?

    1. 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! ))

  62. 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?4 stars

  63. 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!!

  64. 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!5 stars

  65. 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.

  66. 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!!5 stars

  67. 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!5 stars

  68. 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!

  69. 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.5 stars

  70. 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.

  71. I made this for the 2nd time and the husband and I absolutely love it! In the rotation to stay! Thank you!5 stars

  72. 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.5 stars

  73. Absolutely delicious. i did cut sugar and soy sauce as suggested. Im making it for 2bd time tonight. Cant wait!5 stars

  74. 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.4 stars

  75. 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.5 stars

  76. 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!

  77. 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.

  78. 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?4 stars

  79. 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!5 stars

  80. 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!5 stars

  81. 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.5 stars

  82. After “deglazing” the instapot do we dump that water out and then add our ingredients or is that liquid part of the recipe?

  83. 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!4 stars

  84. How do you make your herbed butter for the rice? Searched your site and can’t find a recipe for it. Thanks in advance.

    1. 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.

  85. 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.