Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken
Tender, deeply flavored chicken cooked in a savory-sweet sauce with warming spices. Quick, hands-off, and perfect for serving with rice or simple vegetables.
Servings: 6
Calories: 403kcal
Cost: $10–15
Equipment
- Instant Pot (6-quart recommended)
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 3½–4½ pounds, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 tbsp neutral oil avocado, canola, or light olive
- 4 garlic cloves or 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 2 star anise pods
- 1 cinnamon stick or ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced or 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ cup soy sauce regular, low-sodium, or tamari for gluten-free
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 4 cups water or chicken broth for extra flavor
Instructions
- Brown the chicken. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add oil and brown the chicken on all sides. Don’t worry about cooking through. Just build color and flavor.
- Add the aromatics and liquids. Turn off Sauté. Add garlic, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and water. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom to prevent a burn notice. No stirring needed; pressure will do the work.
- Pressure cook. Lock the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook (High) for 25 minutes. Wait for the pot to pressurize before the timer starts.
- Release and finish. Quick-release the pressure carefully. For a thicker sauce, remove the chicken and simmer the liquid on Sauté a few minutes. Optional: broil chicken 3–5 minutes for crispier skin.
- Serve. Slice and serve with rice and a simple green vegetable. Leftovers reheat beautifully.
Notes
Chicken Size: Larger birds may need trussing or extra care.
Substitutions: Tamari or coconut aminos for soy sauce, honey or maple syrup for sugar, and ground spices if fresh isn’t available.
Sauce: Adjust sweetness or saltiness to taste after cooking.
Broiling: Optional, for crispy skin.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; sauce improves flavor overnight.
Nutrition
Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1183mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
