Sweet and garlicky Instant Pot teriyaki chicken is easy to make and comes out ultra-tender and full of flavor. Perfect for serving over fluffy rice or quinoa.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This Instant Pot chicken teriyaki recipe is a super quick dinner recipe that you can make once, and enjoy leftovers for a week!
How long it takes: 30 minutes from start to finish
Equipment you’ll need: an Instant Pot and forks for shredding
Servings: 6
Easy Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
This saucy, sweet, and sticky Instant Pot teriyaki chicken has me falling in love with my multi-cooker all over again. The flavors in the homemade sauce are garlicky and tangy, rounded out with the rich umami flavors of soy sauce and sweetened with brown sugar and honey. No mystery ingredients here! This one-pot teriyaki chicken recipe is quick to prepare, delicious, and great for meal prep. It doesn’t get much better.
Why You’ll Love This Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
- Better than takeout. The beauty of making this recipe at home is that you know exactly what goes into it. No funny additives or bucketloads of sugar. Just a handful of easy ingredients that you already have in the pantry!
- Homemade sauce. This teriyaki sauce is sweet, salty, and bursting with umami. Pressure cooking locks all that flavor right into the chicken, which you’ll shred and stir back into the sauce for glossy, mouthwatering results.
- Great for making ahead. Meal preppers, I see you. This juicy Instant Pot teriyaki chicken lasts in the fridge for days, and freezes like a dream. Make a big batch and get creative with leftovers. Don’t forget to scroll for serving ideas.
What Is Teriyaki?
You might be wondering, what exactly is teriyaki, anyway? Traditional teriyaki is an Asian cooking method for grilling or broiling meats with a sweet umami glaze made from soy sauce, mirin (a sweet cooking wine), and sugar. In Japanese, “teri” means shine, and “yaki” means to broil or grill.
No mirin? No worries. I’ve adapted my Instant Pot teriyaki chicken recipe to use common pantry items, including soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, and garlic. It might not be the real deal, but it does a pretty fantastic job of mimicking the flavors.
Ingredients You’ll Need
So, what’s in this homemade teriyaki sauce? Below are some notes on the ingredients. Remember to scroll to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions.
- Chicken – I recommend boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Soy Sauce –Low-sodium soy sauce adds rich, umami flavor in Asian-style dishes. You can also use regular soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos.
- Chicken Broth – Again, I prefer low-sodium chicken broth or stock.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – For a more authentic flavor, try rice vinegar. The acidity balances the sweetness in the stir-fry sauce.
- Honey and Brown Sugar – You can use brown or granulated sugar in place of honey if it’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is an essential part of teriyaki sauce. Don’t skip it!
- Cornstarch – Combined with water, cornstarch is used to help thicken the sauce. Arrowroot powder can be substituted.
- Rice or Quinoa – You’ll want to get the rice or side of your choice cooking before you start the chicken. You can also serve this chicken over noodles or vegetables.
- Garnish – Sesame seeds and green onions are perfect garnishes for teriyaki chicken.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken?
Yes! You can make this easy chicken teriyaki recipe with frozen chicken. You’ll need to increase the cooking time (cook for 10 to 12 minutes), depending on how thick your chicken pieces are.How to Make Teriyaki Chicken in the Instant Pot
Making teriyaki chicken in the pressure cooker means that everything comes together in one pot, for fast cooking and even faster cleanup. Here’s how it’s done:
- Combine the sauce ingredients. Add the soy sauce and half of the chicken broth to the Instant Pot, along with vinegar, honey, brown sugar, and garlic. Whisk to combine.
- Add the chicken. Slice your chicken breasts in half lengthwise, and add the cutlets to the pot. Make sure they’re well coated in the sauce.
- Cook. Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to cook at High Pressure for 7 minutes. It will take approximately 10 minutes to come to pressure. Once the cooking time is up, quick-release the pressure.
- Shred the chicken. Next, take the chicken out and shred it.
- Thicken the sauce. Combine cornstarch with the remaining broth to create a slurry. With the Instant Pot set to sauté, stir the slurry into the sauce and simmer to thicken. Finally, return the shredded chicken to the pot, stirring to coat.
- Serve! Serve up over rice or quinoa, and sprinkle on some green onions and sesame. See below for more easy serving suggestions.
The Best Pressure Cooker
My Instant Pot does it all: steaming, sautéing, and pressure cooking! I recommend the 6-quart or 8-quart model.
Tips for Success
The Instant Pot makes this homemade chicken teriyaki recipe a breeze. Here are my final tips:
- Double the recipe. If your Instant Pot allows, go ahead and make a double batch of teriyaki chicken and freeze the rest for later. Make sure that you don’t go past the “max fill” line. You can keep the cooking time the same but it will take longer for the Instant Pot to reach full pressure.
- Can I use store-bought teriyaki sauce? In a pinch, make this recipe using store-bought sauce. Nothing beats the flavor of homemade, though!
- If you love teriyaki recipes, try my teriyaki-glazed grilled shrimp kabobs and teriyaki salmon.
Make This Chicken Teriyaki Recipe Your Own
You can jazz up this teriyaki recipe in more ways than one! Below are some of our favorite Instant Pot teriyaki chicken variations:
- Add spice. Amp up the flavors of the sauce with fresh or ground ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, or a squeeze of hot chili sauce (like Sriracha).
- Add vegetables. If you’d like to include veggies in this recipe, I recommend adding quick-cooking vegetables (broccoli, onions, bell peppers, cabbage) after you’ve added the cornstarch slurry. The veggies can simmer and cook while the sauce thickens.
- Make teriyaki pork. Substitute pork tenderloin for the chicken.
- If you’d prefer a slow cooker version, try my crockpot teriyaki chicken recipe.
What to Serve With Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Instant Pot teriyaki chicken is SO versatile. We love this teriyaki shredded chicken served over a bowl of fluffy steamed rice, quinoa, or noodles with broccoli. Try cauliflower rice as a low-carb option, or coconut rice for another layer of flavor. You can also pile the chicken into lettuce cups for a tasty light meal.
On the side, try this crunchy Asian salad or a colorful cabbage salad with honey lime dressing, or your choice of vegetables, like roasted carrots, green beans, or sautéed cabbage.
This Instant Pot teriyaki chicken is one of my favorite meal prep ideas. It tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge! You can also let the shredded chicken cool, divide it into freezer containers, and then label and freeze it for up to 6 months. See below for detailed storage instructions.
- To Store. Keep your leftover teriyaki chicken stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave or on the stovetop for easy lunches and dinners. If needed, add a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce up again.
- Freeze. You can freeze your Instant Pot teriyaki chicken for 2 to 3 months. Thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #66. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.
More Takeout-Style Recipes
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- rice or quinoa, for serving
- sesame seeds, for garnish, optional
- sliced green onions, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add soy sauce, ¼ cup chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, honey, brown sugar, and garlic to Instant Pot. Whisk until well-blended, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Add chicken to sauce, turn to coat.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set for High pressure for 7 minutes. It will take approximately 10 minutes to come to pressure. When timer goes off, turn vent to quick release pressure.
- Remove chicken to plate or cutting board; cool slightly and shred. Turn Instant Pot to sauté. Whisk cornstarch into remaining ¼ cup broth. Stir mixture into sauce and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add chicken back to pot and stir until coated.
- Serve with cooked rice or quinoa, if desired. Garnish with sesame seeds and/or green onions.
Notes
- Nutrition information is based on one 4 oz. portion of chicken with sauce and does not include rice or quinoa.
- Refrigerate leftover teriyaki chicken for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- If desired, substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs or pork tenderloin for the boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Recipe can easily be doubled for meal prepping.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Just give the damn recipe. All the BS wastes everyone’s time
I’m sorry, but what?? I do give you the recipe, for free. It’s all there. There’s a handy jump to recipe button at the top of every post that brings you directly to the recipe. Everything else in the post is helpful information about the recipe.
Happy Thanksgiving, Greg.