Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken is a quick and easy instant pot recipe featuring tender chicken breasts or thighs glazed in a sweet and tangy homemade teriyaki sauce.

Serve this flavorful Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken on its own or over Instant Pot Brown Rice or Instant Pot White Rice for a no-fuss, family-favorite dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes.

When life is crazy busy and you need a quick and easy recipe that your family will devour, turn to this recipe for Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken.

Made with a wholesome, homemade teriyaki sauce that is both sweet and tangy, and tender chicken, this recipe wins over all the picky-eaters at my house. And I bet YOUR picky eaters will give this simple chicken recipe two thumbs up as well.

But the number one reason this busy mom loves this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki?

It is exceptionally easy to make! While just as flavorful as my recipe for Grilled Chicken Teriyaki, this recipe requires NO marinating! Instead, the electric pressure cooker does its thing to quickly infuse the chicken with intense flavor.

And any time that I can deliver a flavorful, wholesome 30-minute meal to my family and have them beg for seconds, I am one happy Mama!

So if you are like me and find yourself desiring family-approved, easy recipes, you too will love this recipe for Instant Pot Teriyaki.

Note on Ingredients

• Chicken: Either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs work equally well for this recipe. Use what you like or what is on sale.
• Teriyaki Sauce: Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is the way to go for the best flavor. Made with pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, honey, and rice wine vinegar, this sauce is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Just be sure to use reduced-sodium soy sauce to control the level of sodium.
• Cornstarch: While not necessary, if you would like to thicken the teriyaki sauce, you will need a cornstarch slurry, which is just cornstarch dissolved in water.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki

While this recipe is incredibly simple to make, if you are unfamiliar with cooking in an instant pot or the functions of your instant pot, be sure to start with How to Use an Instant Pot for the best results on this and future recipes.

• Prepare the homemade teriyaki sauce by whisking the soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl. Set this aside to add to the dish later in the cooking process.
• Turn the Instant Pot to Saute and add in a bit of oil to heat.
• Season the chicken with both salt and pepper evenly on both sides.
• Once the oil has heated, add your seasoned chicken in a single, even layer to the inner pot. You may need to work in batches, depending on how many chicken thighs or breasts you are cooking. 
• Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side, until just golden.

• Once the chicken is seared, turn the saute function off by hitting cancel on the instant pot, remove the chicken from the inner pot, place it on a plate, and set it to the side.
• Add the water into the inner pot and scrape up the browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. This will prevent a burn notice.
• Place the chicken back into the inner pot and pour the prepared teryiaki sauce over the chicken.

• Place the lid on the Instant Pot, be sure the vent knob is sealed, and use the pressure cook or manual button to set it to cook on HIGH pressure for 7 minutes.
• When the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, as this will keep the chicken super tender!
• Once the pressure has been released, remove the lid from the inner pot, and then remove the cooked chicken to a clean plate.
• Hit cancel on the instant pot to turn off the keep warm function and then hit saute. We want our sauce to come to a boil so that we can thicken it up and create a rich glaze for the chicken.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until completely dissolved.
• Pour the cornstarch slurry into the inner pot of the Instant Pot while whisking the sauce. Simmer for two to three minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and then serve over the cooked chicken.

Serving Suggestions

Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken is best served over Instant Pot Jasmine Rice or Instant Pot Brown Rice, to soak up the delicious teriyaki sauce, as this recipe makes a generous amount of the sauce.

I also love adding steamed vegetables on the side and a sprinkling of sesame seeds and sliced green onions for texture and flavor.

Recipe FAQs

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

• Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken
• Instant Pot Chicken Breast

I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot Teriyaki Recipe! If you gave it a try, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.