1poundboneless, skinless chicken breastscut into 1-inch chunks
1mediumonion diced into 1-inch chunks
1mediumred pepper diced into 1-inch chunks
1 mediumyellow pepper diced into 1-inch chunks
1cupfresh pineapple diced into 1-inch chunks
1tablespoonminced garlic
½-¾cupchicken broth/stocksee note
½cupapricot jam/preserves
2tablespoonslow-sodium soy sauce
1teaspoonfreshly grated ginger
¼cuprice wine vinegar
1tablespooncornstarch
2tablespoonswater
Instructions
Turn the Instant Pot to saute, add in the oil, and let heat for 1-2 minutes.
Once the oil is heated, add the cubed chicken to the inner pot and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned on all sides. Turn the Instant Pot off.
Add ½ cup chicken broth if using a 6-quart Instant Pot and ¾ cup broth if using an 8-quart Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot.
Add the peppers, onions, and pineapple to the inner pot.
In a small bowl, combine the apricot jam, soy sauce, ginger, rice wine vinegar, and garlic. Add this mixture to the inner pot and stir to incorporate.
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. Hit cancel to turn off the keep warm function and then hit saute. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of 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.
Serve the Sweet and Sour Chicken over rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa, and top with green onions if desired.
Video
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. Increasing Spice Level: This is a sweet dish, if you want this recipe to be spicier as a whole, add ½ tablespoon Sriracha or hot sauce during the cooking process.To prepare rice at the same time: Place 1 to 2 cups of rinsed long-grain white rice in a 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 seems to work well.Storage: Cooled Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.