I can't say enough about how much I love my Instant Pot! It's truly a blessing of a kitchen appliance, especially if you're a busy mom like me. It's just so convenient to leave on and set it to cook dinner while you get other stuff done (aka change diapers, kiss boo boos, laundry, cry, j/k!) But hold up, this is about honey garlic chicken.. yesss! Honey garlic chicken is the most delicious savory meets sweet entree that's perfect for busy weeknights. It happily fills hungry tummies, and it couldn't be easier to make in the instant pot! That's a major MOM- WIN, my friends!! My Fit Foodie version of this dish uses clean ingredients (but, of course!), and nothing like the fake honey (ehhem corn syrup) that you'll find in take out. That delicious sticky sauce that you'll want to spoon over everything is made from raw honey and a few other simple ingredients from mother nature, no msg necessary. Let's get cooking!
INSTANT POT HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs chicken thighs, skinless boneless*
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup gluten free tamari
1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/4 cup avocado oil
6- 8 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 tablespoons organic corn starch
DIRECTIONS:
Turn Instant Pot on to sauté mode. Wait for it to read "Hot," then sauté minced garlic in avocado oil until aromatic, and promptly shut off. In a medium bowl mix together water, tamari, honey and black pepper. Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer in the instant pot liner, then pour in the sauce mixture. Close the lid and turn the lid dial to sealing and cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. Add on 6 minutes for frozen chicken. Once the pressure cooking has finished, allow it to de-pressurize on its own for 5 minutes, and then manually release the rest of the pressure. Always use a pot holder to do so, and stand back from the escaping steam. Remove chicken onto a serving dish. Next, ladle 2 scoops of the sauce into a small bowl and add the corn starch. Set the instant pot on to sauté mode. Whisk the cornstarch mixture in the bowl until no lumps appear, then add it back into the Instant Pot. Whisk it well into the rest of the sauce and allow to thicken for about 2 minutes. Once it has thickened turn off the InstantPot and spoon sauce over chicken and serve. Omg. Magic. Chicken is moist, flavorful, sweet and perfectly cooked. It can be served with a number of sides, but I like it with jasmine rice and vegetables. Broccoli, carrots and string beans pair well with it. NOM. Try it!
*This recipe uses fresh chicken but I have also made it from frozen chicken, totally do-able! Add on 6 minutes to the cooking time for frozen chicken and allow it to depressurize naturally all the way (until the red button is completely lowered).