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Instant Pot Sticky Korean Chicken…the best Monday dinner.
FOR REAL.
Sorry, I don’t mean to shout at you, especially on a Monday, but it’s true what I said up there, this is the best Monday dinner. It’s an under thirty minute meal, super simple, and extra delicious.
Ok, all the dramatics aside, I do truly love this recipe and am very excited to share it with you guys for so many reasons.
I wanted to start the week off with yet another Korean inspired recipe, because you guys…we are just two days away from boarding an airplane and flying off to South Korea. Craziness! It’s still unbelievable to me that we are headed there to watch my brother compete in the Olympics. I know I’ve been talking about this for weeks, but this is for sure the coolest thing to ever happen within my family. I have been following along with my brother Red’s Instagram stories (it is so fun having social media so we can all be a part of his experience). He spent Saturday in Soul, South Korea getting fitted for his Team USA Opening and Closing Ceremony outfit. Yup, just another normal Saturday…
Right, right.
One of my favorite Korean inspired recipes is Bulgogi, which is Korean gilled beef in a sweet and spicy sauce. It’s truly just so good. I have a recipe for Korean Bulgogi BBQ Steak Bowls that you guys all seem to love, but I wanted to create a lighter, simpler chicken version using the Instant Pot (don’t worry, I included slow cooker directions too).
The key to this recipe is all in the sauce, it’s sweet, sticky, and a little bit spicy. It takes normally boring chicken to a whole new level.
Most traditional Bulgogi marinades use pears and a lot of brown sugar, but I wanted to keep this chicken on the healthier side, so I swapped honey for brown sugar and reduced the sweetness a bit by omitting the pear (which I am really not a fan of anyway). The rest of the sauce consists of Gochujang (Korean chili paste) sesame oil, ginger and garlic.
And then? Everything gets mixed and cooked up in the Instant Pot (or slow cooker). It could not be easier.
I like to serve this Korean chicken over a bed of rice with some kimchi, toasted sesame seeds, and green onions. I also added in some thinly sliced mango…because I am obsessed and I can’t help myself. Mango is for sure not Korean, but it’s delicious. Just go with me on this one.
Here’s the thing, as I said, I’m sure this is not traditional. But that’s kind of the idea of these Korean inspired recipes I’m sharing, they’re only Korean inspired. I can’t wait to see how the recipes I’m sharing now, differ from the real deal Korean food that we will be enjoying in South Korea. My goal is to find some new inspiration while there and be able to come home and share new, more traditional, Korean recipes with you guys.
But until then, you should probably make this chicken, because traditional or not, it’s really stinkin’ good.
Also? I think if there’s one thing I would cook in the Instant Pot, it would be chicken. I’m not going to lie, I have a love/hate relationship with my Instant Pot. I’m still trying to figure certain things out. But if there’s one thing the Instant Pot seems to cook amazingly well, it’s chicken. No matter what, it always turns out tender, moist, and never dry.
That said, this can easily be cooked in the slow cooker or even in the oven.
And with that, I’m off to keep working away in preparation for my week away. Happiest Monday!
PS. I have only ever been out of the country once, and that was to Mexico, so this will be a whole new kind of experience for me. It should be fun…and very interesting, considering no one in my family knows even a little Korean. Ahh, yikes!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
NOPE….definitely not your average chicken.
This recipe is AMAZING!!! I have been looking for another chicken recipe to add to our instant pot go-to weeknight dinners. This is on that list. It was perfect served with rice and crisp sauted greens on the side. Thank you for this easy and mouthwatering recipe!
Hi Beth,
Happy Monday!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for trying and your feedback! xT
My Instant Pot requires 2 cups of water for pressure cooking. Did you add water to your sauce at the beginning?
Hi there,
I’ve never added water to the instant pot for this recipe:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
This was a hit! I used chicken thighs instead of breast and replaced half of the honey with monk fruit. To thicken the sauce, I removed the chicken, simmered the sauce and added arrowroot powder. My daughter doesn’t like too much spice, so I add the Gochujang right at the very end after dishing up her serving.
Hey Hayley,
Happy Friday!!đ¸âď¸ I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for trying it and sharing your review! xx