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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!
Instant Pot Sticky Korean Chicken
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 358 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- steamed white rice, for serving
- 1 cup kimchi
- 1 mango, sliced
- toasted sesame seeds and green onions, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot the soy sauce, honey, Gochujang, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Add the chicken, tossing to coat. Cover and cook on high pressure/manual for 8 minutes. Once done cooking, use the quick release valve and release the steam. If needed to thicken the sauce, set the instant post to sauté and cook 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. If the sauce seems thin, just continue to cook on sauté, checking often until the sauce is your desired consistency.2. To serve, spoon the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice. Toss the kimchi with the mangos and serve alongside the chicken. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Enjoy!
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine 2 tablespoons water, the soy sauce, honey, Gochujang, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Add the chicken, tossing to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. If the sauce needs thickening, turn the heat to high and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Finish as directed above.
NOPE….definitely not your average chicken.
Can I make this without an instant or crock pot? It looks delicious!!
Hi Roxane! Sure! Just simmer the sauce in the stove, then shred the chicken. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This recipe oh my god it was amazing !! This was the first time using my instant pot…it took us 20 minutes to figure out how to open it but if my god was it. Worth it. This is like my favorite dinner!!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much India! xTieghan
How do you manage decent chicken? Over thrown out 8 chicken breasts now because the instant pot makes it rubbery each time.
Hey Davide, what exactly are you asking? You threw out the chicken? My chicken is never rubbery when making this. What kind of chicken are you using? If you could clarify why you are asking that would be helpful. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi!! I love your recipes! They are always so interesting and so, so tasty. Can you tell me how to cook this recipe either in the oven or on the stove top?
Thanks so much,
Lesley
Hi! I recommend roasting the chicken with the sauce in the oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made tonight, and it was amazing. Flavor was super good but not mind blowing, although I didn’t have kimchi or mango (just broccoli!) so that probably changed it a little. Can’t wait for when we get some ripe mangoes to make it again. I used 1 tbsp gochujang because my 3yo doesn’t do spice yet. All the kids (5 and under!) loved it! Thanks for a good Instant pot meal!
Thank you Vanessa! I am so glad you loved this! xTieghan
This looks sooo yummy. I am cooking it as we speak, but I can’t get the sauce to thicken!! I’m following the Instant Pot recipe, and I’ve simmered it an additional 20 mins and it’s still just as watery. What can I do? Also should i be taking the chicken out while simmering the sauce trying to thicken it? I want to eat properly sticky chicken! 🙂
Hi!! The sauce should thicken up, but if it does not, just simmer on the stove and that will thicken it! I would recommend removing the chicken from the sauce so that it does not overcook. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This dish is delish!! Would love to make this for my craft night with the ladies tomorrow – if I were to double up the recipe, how should I alter the cook time in the instant pot? (I too have a love/hate relationship with the thing…)
Thank you for the recipe, this is going to be a new staple in our house!
HI! I’d tack on 3-5 minutes to the cooking time! I am sure that should be just fine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I tried this tonight and need some help. First I don’t have an instapot so I used the slow cooker directions. I cooked on slow for 3 hours then literally boiled the sauce one hour on the stove. The chicken was way overdone and dry and the sauce never thickened. But the flavors were amazing!!! I need to figure out how to do this again with tender chicken and thick sauce. Please help as I loved the flavors and want to get this right!!!! Thank you!
Hey Donna! Try mixing 1 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoons water and adding it to the sauce when you boil it on the stove. And don’t boil the chicken with the sauce, just add the chicken once the sauce has thickened to to your liking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This was a awesome recipe, I would recommend using low sodium soy sauce, otherwise it is kind of salty.. The Korean paste, made it, I used Chicken thighs instead and it came out great. This recipe is a keeper & it was so easy to make, always looking for new insta pot recipes.
Thank you so much Diana! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
Amazing recipe! My boyfriend loved it and so did I! We love quite a few of your recipes. I ended up adding a little more chicken and increased the cook time by a few minutes. I also cut up the chicken and tossed it in the sauce after it thickened to really get the flavored distributed. So easy and delicious, would definitely make again!
Thank you so much Sarah! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
We are a mixed family of vegetarians and meat eaters, Does this make enough sauce that it could be served over vegetables? Are aren’t picky about whether it has touched meat or not. OR can you think of an easy non-meat sub for chicken? Thank you for the recipes!
HI! If you want to use both chicken and a vegetable, I would double the sauce. I recommend using cauliflower in place of the chicken. That will be delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Could you make this with boneless, skinless chicken thighs?
HI! Yes, boneless thighs will be delicious! I would add 2 minutes to the cooking time. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Is that some sort of slaw you made to eat with it?! Looks bomb!
HI! It’s kimchi with sliced mangos! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Looks amazing! I’m not a fan of kimchi, is there a particular brand that you would recommend that might change my mind? I love all of your recipes and look forward to reading your Sunday Post-Nine Favorite Things!
Hi Francie! I am not sure you would like the kind I use if you do not like it in general.. I would go with any Korean brand you can find! I hope you love this recipe, but feel free to leave out the kimchi!
Excited to make this recipe this week! Quick question (and I’ll be doing this in a slow-cooker, if that makes a difference), is the chicken cut into chunks, or left as whole breasts? I’m having trouble telling in the photo and I didn’t see anything specified in the directions. Thank you! Love your recipes and beautiful cook book so much!
Hey Lauren, I leave the chicken whole and do not cut into chunks. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan