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Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken is the ultimate, easy family-favorite dinner recipe! Tender chicken, sweet bell peppers, and fresh pineapple are cooked to perfection in a simple homemade sweet and sour sauce! Better yet? The rice cooks at the same time! Talk about a winning all-in-one Instant Pot dinner recipe!
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken is on my list of go-to easy weeknight dinner recipes for so many reasons!
- Healthier than Takeout: Just like my recipes for Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli, Instant Pot Orange Chicken, and Instant Pot Mongolian Beef, this Sweet and Sour Chicken is a lighter, better-tasting takeout favorite made with everyday ingredients.
- Chicken + Rice at the Same Time! Use the pot-in-pot method to cook fluffy rice along with the chicken-making dinner extra easy.
- Make it Your Own! Swap chicken thighs for breasts, leave out the peppers, or make it refined sugar-free and gluten-free. You're in control!
- The Secret Sauce. Apricot all-fruit jam mimics duck sauce without added sugar or preservatives, giving the sweet and sour sauce incredible flavor, while keeping it on the wholesome side.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or tenders. Whatever you prefer or have on hand.
- Aromatics: Fresh ginger and garlic add extra flavor to the sauce. Do not be tempted to use ground ginger powder, as the flavor is not the same.
- Apricot Jam: I prefer using apricot jam/preserves sweetened with only fruit juice, such as All-Fruit, to control the level of sugar, but any version you have on hand will work.
- Bell Peppers: Use any combination of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. I don't recommend green peppers, as they don't lend the same sweetness to the dish.
- Pineapple: Fresh pineapple slices are best for this recipe, as canned pineapple chunks tend to fall apart when pressure cooked.
- Stock/Water: You will need a bit of water or chicken stock to thin the sauce and prevent a burn notice from occurring.
- Rice Wine Vinegar/Rice Vinegar: Rice wine vinegar is a mild vinegar used often used in Asian dishes. If you don't have rice vinegar, use apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar in its place.
How to Make Instant Pot Sweet & Sour Chicken
If you are unfamiliar with cooking in an Instant Pot or the functions of your Instant Pot, be sure to start with my guide for using an Instant Pot for the best results on this and future recipes. You will find the full recipe in detail in the recipe card below.
- Sauté the Chicken. Sautéing the chicken is optional but adds a nice texture to the chicken and the overall dish.
- Deglaze the Inner Pot. To prevent a burn notice, is it crucial to add liquid and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot. To do this, add in the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the inner pot while stirring the sauce into the chicken.
- Add Peppers, Onions, and Pineapple. Add the diced peppers, onions, and pineapple to the inner pot.
- Combine Sweet and Sour Sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together apricot jam, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Once combined, add to the inner pot and toss to coat.
- Add Rice (Optional) If desired, you can use the pot-in-pot cooking method to cook the rice above the chicken. To do this, place rinsed long-grain white rice in a heat-safe/stainless steel bowl with an equal amount of water. Place a trivet above the chicken and set the bowl on the trivet. The rice needs a bit longer to account for the stainless steel bowl, so the cooking time of 5 minutes with at least 10 minutes of natural pressure release cooks the rice perfectly.
- Pressure Cook with Natural Pressure Release. To keep the chicken tender (and the rice fluffy if you opt to cook rice as well), be sure to let your pressure cooker be for at least 10 minutes after the cooking time has elapsed.
- Thicken. To give the sweet and sour sauce its classic thick, sticky consistency, it is best to turn the pressure cooker back to sauté and thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry. It will only take a couple minutes and the effort is well worth it!
- Serve. Serve the sweet and sour chicken over the steamed rice. If desired, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Recipe Modifications
- Make it Gluten-Free: If you need this dish to be gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Corn-Free: Replace the cornstarch with equal amounts of arrowroot or tapioca starch.
- Substitute for Apricot Jam: If you don't have jam on hand or you don't want to use it, replace it with ¼ cup ketchup plus ¼ cup brown sugar.
- Adding Spice: This sauce is on the sweeter side, which is GREAT for kids, or those with sensitive palates. I like to add Sriracha after dishing it out so that each person can control the heat level. If you want this recipe to be spicier as a whole, add ½ tablespoon Sriracha or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes before pressure cooking.
- Hate Peppers, Onions, or Pineapple? The added vegetables and fruit add flavor and texture to the sauce, but Sweet and Sour Chicken is delicious even without this addition. Feel free to omit them if you (or your picky kids) despise them, but you will need to add ¼ cup of broth to account for the liquid content they lend to the sauce.
- Note on Pineapple: You can opt to purchase a can of cubed pineapple in 100% juice and use that in place of fresh pineapple and use the juice for the sauce.
Storage
- Refrigerate: The best way to store leftovers is to allow the sweet and sour chicken to cool, and then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: I don't recommend freezing Sweet & Sour Chicken as the peppers and pineapples can break down when frozen and then thawed in the sauce.
- Reheat: Reheat by sautéing on low heat on the stove, using the sauté function on the Instant Pot, or for 1-2 minutes per serving in the microwave.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast (Fresh or Frozen)
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Burrito Bowl
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
This all-in-one recipe delivers a better-tasting, better-for-you version of sweet and sour chicken along with perfectly cooked rice!
Video
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium onion, diced into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium red pepper, diced into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium yellow pepper, diced into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ - ¾ cup low sodium chicken stock or pineapple juice, see recipe card for amount
- ½ cup apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water, for cornstarch slurry
For Rice (Optional)
- 1 cup long grain white rice, rinsed REALLY well
- 1 cup water or stock
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute, add ½ tablespoon canola oil, and let heat for 1-2 minutes. Once the oil is heated, add cubed chicken to the inner pot and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned on all sides. Once browned, hit CANCEL to turn off the Instant Pot off.
- Add ½ chicken stock (or pineapple juice) for 3 or 6-quart model OR ¾ cup low sodium chicken stock (or pineapple juice) for 8-quart model to the inner pot. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot.
- Add the onion, bell peppers, and pineapple to the inner pot.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup apricot jam, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger, and ¼ cup rice wine vinegar. Add this mixture to the inner pot and stir to incorporate.
- If desiring to cook rice at the same time, place a trivet above the chicken. In a stainless steel bowl or cake pan, combine 1 cup long grain white rice with 1 cup water or stock and place the pan on the trivet.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker, be sure the vent knob is sealed or locked, and set it to cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. Do this by hitting the manual or pressure cook button and using the +/- buttons to adjust until it reads 5.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes to keep the chicken tender. It is okay to leave on keep warm.
- Once the pressure has been released, remove the lid from the inner pot. Remove the rice from the inner pot if needed.
- Hit cancel to turn off the keep warm function and then hit saute. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water until dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the bubbling sauce. Stir/whisk constantly, until the sauce has thickened. It won't take but a minute or two. Once thickened, turn the Instant Pot off by hitting cancel.
- Serve the sweet and sour chicken over the cooked rice.
Equipment
- 7x4-inch cake pan for rice--works perfectly!
Notes
Amount of Liquid: The peppers, onions, and pineapple release a lot of liquid, therefore along with the soy sauce, vinegar, jam, and stock, you will have more than enough liquid to prevent a burn notice.
Corn-Free Modifications: If you have a corn allergy, use tapioca or arrowroot starch in place of the cornstarch.
Gluten-Free Modifications: If you need this to be Gluten-Free, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce, Tamari, or coconut amnios for the soy sauce.
Apricot Jam: I prefer using Apricot All Fruit, as it is naturally sweetened with fruit. However, any apricot jam or preserves can be used. Alternatively, you can replace the jam with ¼ cup ketchup with ¼ cup brown sugar.
Ginger: If you do not have fresh ginger, do NOT use powdered ginger, just skip the ginger altogether.
Pineapple/Pineapple Juice: Purchase a 20-ounce can of cubed pineapple in 100% juice and use that in place of fresh pineapple and use the juice in place of the chicken stock. (Measure accordingly--you won't need it all.)
Storage: Cooled Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 17gFat: 3gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 425mgPotassium: 445mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 700IUVitamin C: 77.6mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 0.8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @amindfullmom or tag #amindfullmom!
This post was shared in 2021 and updated in 2025.
You must have caught my vibes, I have been thinking I need to find a sweet and sour recipe. 😁
Perfect timing Emily 🙂
Hi, when making this on the stove top - when do you add the veggies/fruit? Do they go in with the sauce or get sauteed with the chicken?
Great question Katie--you should add the vegetables and fruit with the sauce. I will update the post now to clarify!
Hi - I don't see water in the recipe. I thought water is required to bring the cooker up to pressure. But perhaps the rice vinegar and the water from the peppers and the pineapple are enough?
Hi Kathi!
Yes it is CRUCIAL to have enough liquid in any pressure cooker recipe--I only added in an additional 1/2 cup chicken stock/water. However, the apricot preserves, juice from fresh veggies/fruit, and rice wine vinegar/soy sauce actually create more than 1 cup liquid. If you watch the video you can see that before I add cornstarch, the recipe is very liquidy.
The first 2 times I made this I added 1 cup chicken stock, but it lacked flavor--so then I tried it several times with 1/2 cup chicken stock and uped the preserves (to the amount) stated in this recipe. And it worked perfectly!
Can I adapt the recipe to serve 8 - 10?
Hi Judy! Yes, you can adapt this recipe. The easiest way is to double the recipe--leaving you with 10 large servings. If you don't want large servings, or leftovers increase the ingredients as follows:
1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 tbsp canola oil
1 onion, diced into 1 inch chunks
1 extra large red pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 extra large (or 2 small) yellow pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
2/3 cup apricot all fruit jam
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
The cooking instructions should remain the same. If you double the recipe, I would increase the total cooking time by 2 minutes.
Thanks for your quick reply. This recipe sounds great. I'm looking forward to making it soon. Just have to buy a pineapple. Does canned pineapple work?
Canned pineapple will work great Judy 🙂
That's great. Thanks.
Hi. It says the serving is for 6. Can you tell me the serving size? For the stove top, brown the chicken, make the sauce, then add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 20 min? Is that correct? Thanks again! This looks super yummy!
Hi Laura! Yes, the serving size is for 6--that would be about 3/4 cup give or take (to be served over rice). And yes, to make on the stove, brown the chicken, make the sauce and add chicken back in for 20 minutes. Add the cornstarch in after the 20 minutes of simmering and cook for 1-2 additional minutes to thicken. Enjoy!
Wow, this recipe looks amazing!! Can't wait to try making it over the weekend, thanks for sharing!
You bet Diego. I hope you enjoy!
I love my instant pot, but I have only played with five or six recipes. I need to make your Sweet and Sour Chicken next week for dinner!
Nichole, it is SO SO good and easy! I hope you love it!