Instant Pot Orange Chicken
This Instant Pot Orange Chicken recipe is healthy and delicious. This easy chicken dish is served with a sweet and savory orange sauce. Both kids and adults love this yummy chicken dish that is ready in under 40 minutes.
If you like recipes that are both sweet and savory, then I think you are really going to love this Instant Pot Orange Chicken. Even though this recipe has a healthy spin, it still has a ton of flavor.
The orange juice sauce is thick and sticky, and it coats the chicken and vegetables. You could say that this is a makeover recipe of the popular deep fried orange chicken that you can get at fast food restaurants (see my similar Air Fryer Orange Chicken recipe).
Why You Need This Recipe
- Tired of the same old chicken recipes? This is a tasty recipe that your family will love!
- Serve your Instant Pot Orange Chicken with your choice of steamed white rice, brown rice, or sautéed cauliflower rice.
- This recipe is made gluten-free so everyone can enjoy it.
Key Ingredients
Chicken breasts or chicken thighs are perfect in this recipe. Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Orange juice helps create the sticky sweet sauce for the chicken.
Bell pepper and onion add great texture and nutrition to the dish.
Arrowroot powder or corn starch help to thicken the orange sauce.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Steps
Step One
Sauté your oil, chicken, onion, and pepper in the stainless steel insert of the Instant Pot. Add the orange juice, sugar, and salt, and stir to combine.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Lock on the lid and set the time to 8 minutes at high pressure.
Step Three
Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure.
Step Four
Stir in the arrowroot and simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.
Step Five
Serve hot with cooked white rice or sautéed cauliflower rice.
Recipe FAQs
It needs 8 minutes on high pressure, plus about 10 minutes to come up to pressure and 10 minutes to come down from pressure. Plus, you’ll need about 10 minutes prep time. So, about 40 minutes from start to finish.
Yes! The recipe as written is gluten-free, and I suggest serving it over brown rice or cauliflower rice which both fit that diet as well.
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
- You can easily double this recipe if you want to make more servings.
- The total cooking time includes approximately 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure. The total time also includes 10 minutes of natural pressure release.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes You Might Like
- Instant Pot Chicken & Sweet Potato dinner
- Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Potatoes
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Plus, don’t miss my round-up of my other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes.
Don’t Miss These Instant Pot Resources
Instant Pot Orange Chicken
This Instant Pot Orange Chicken recipe is healthy and delicious. This easy chicken dish is served with a sweet and savory orange sauce. Both kids and adults love this yummy chicken dish that is ready in under 40 minutes.
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (I used avocado oil)
- 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups freshly-squeezed orange juice (from about 3-4 oranges)
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or corn starch
Instructions
- Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot. Pour in the cooking oil and let it heat up for a few minutes.
- Then, add the chicken, onion, and bell pepper. Stir and let cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Cancel the Sauté button and add the orange juice, sugar, and salt. Stir and lock on the lid.
- Set the time to 8 minutes at high pressure.
- When the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes. Then, use the quick-release to get rid of any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and press the Sauté button. Whisk in the arrowroot starch or cornstarch for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Cancel the Sauté button and serve the orange chicken over steamed white rice, brown rice, or sautéed cauliflower rice.
- Serve hot.
Equipment
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Notes
- Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
- You can easily double this recipe if you want to make more servings.
- The total cooking time includes approximately 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure. The total time also includes 10 minutes of natural pressure release.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 243
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 522.1 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 26.6 g
- Cholesterol: 82.7 mg
Keywords: healthy orange chicken, pressure cooker orange chicken, chicken with orange juice
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest is the author of the best-selling Instant Pot-authorized cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook. She has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and receives nearly 10 million annual visitors to her site. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Thank you for this great recipe. This is the first time using my new instant pot and it was so easy.
I’m a kidney patient and always looking for good recipes for my condition. I found your website and could see a lot of potential. The meal was great. I did cut back on the salt,but it didn’t make much difference.
Thanks
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for the review! 🙂
This is such a great meal! My husband loves it!
★★★★★