Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken

Last updated on June 6th, 2018 at 02:14 pm

This Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken is the perfect, healthier, homemade dinner in under 30 minutes. This spicy Chinese takeout favorite is simple and quick to prepare with just the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

General Tso’s chicken is a favorite, everyone loves it. It is generally a deep-fried chicken dish that is served in restaurants, and it’s quite a popular takeout dish. While I love deep-fried food just as much as anyone, I usually hate deep-frying anything at home.

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Which is where the Instant Pot comes in. While we’re still packing for our move, the Instant Pot has not been packed, it’s probably the only appliance I have left and I love it. It has come in super handy during this time. I think I’ve been making chicken noodle soup in it pretty much every week.

Making Asian food at home is quite easy. Once you learn what the basic ingredients are, you’ll love cooking Asian food at home all the time because it really is super quick and it’s just so darn good. And this General Tso’s chicken really is as easy as they get, especially in the Instant Pot.

All you have to do is pretty much dump and turn on the Instant Pot then go and watch tv while it’s doing its thing.

TIPS FOR MAKING GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN IN THE INSTANT POT:

• Prepare your chicken first by cutting boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used as well if you prefer dark meat. Chicken thighs also have more moisture and more flavor.
• Start cooking your rice or vegetables when you turn your Instant Pot on. Vegetables that could be served as a side to this are steamed broccoli or asparagus.
• Make-ahead tip: You could prepare this the night before right in the instant pot bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it over night until ready to cook. OR if you’re lacking fridge space, mix it all together (minus the cornstarch paste) in a ziploc bag and place that in the fridge. When ready to cook, just dump all the ingredients in the Instant Pot and set it on.

Love your Instant Pot as much as I do? Try these other IP recipes:

• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!

5 from 4 votes

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Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

This Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken is the perfect, healthier, homemade dinner in under 30 minutes. This spicy Chinese takeout favorite is simple and quick to prepare with just the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian

Servings: 4

Calories: 370 kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken breast skinless and boneless, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp ginger fresh, grated
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water

Optional Garnish

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 green onions chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. (See your manufacturer's guide for detailed instructions on how to use your instant pot.)

2. Add the chicken pieces to the Instant Pot then dump the rest of the ingredients to it, excluding the cornstarch and water. Stir everything well with a spoon.

3. Close the lid (follow the manufacturer's guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Set the Instant Pot to the Poultry setting and set the timer to 5 minutes.
   

4. Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 10 minutes. Follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release, if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.

5. Switch the Instant Pot to the saute setting (do not put the lid on). Transfer the chicken to a bowl using a slotted spoon. 

6. In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch and water together then pour over the sauce and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot and turn off your Instant Pot by pressing the cancel button.

7. Garnish the chicken with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over rice.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

I strongly recommend reading the manufacturer's guide for instructions on how to use your Instant Pot before attempting this recipe. 

 

Substitutes: Boneless skinless chicken thighs may also be used with the same cooking time. Rice vinegar can be substituted with cider vinegar. Red pepper flakes can be replaced with cayenne pepper. Hoisin sauce is a delicious sweet and spicy mix and a must for many authentic Asian meals. A simplified shortcut to using something else instead would be mixing sweet barbecue sauce with sriracha and five-spice powder. 

 

For less sweetness, feel free to reduce the honey or brown sugar.

 

Nutrition: Nutritional information does NOT include rice. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

 

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