Busy weeknights are made for this instant pot chicken and broccoli. Pressure cooking is a quick and easy way to get a flavorful dinner on the table fast that the whole family will love. We like to eat this meal with white rice, but it's a great recipe to use with brown rice or cauliflower rice.
Try my popular Instant Pot Brisket for another delicious, easy dinner idea.
Why it's great
Easy weeknight dinner - or any night of the week! It's just so simple and easy to make and it tastes really good too.
Healthier - this instant pot chicken and broccoli is loaded with protein packed chicken and nutrient rich fresh broccoli.
Simple ingredients - nothing too complicated going on with this delicious recipe. You should be able to find all ingredients easily.
One-pot meal - we love our instant pot because we can get dinner made in one pot and there's less clean up, which is great for everyone!
Asian inspired flavor - all the taste of Chinese chicken and broccoli, but made at home!
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs - or chicken breasts
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Beef broth - chicken broth or even water will also work
- Brown sugar - white sugar, honey will work too, or omit
- Sesame oil
- Red pepper flakes
- Cornstarch - to make a slurry to thicken the sauce
- Fresh broccoli florets - I used steam-in-bag
- Rice - for serving. Choose short or long grain
- Sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds,
Instructions
- Prep chicken by removing any excess fat and cut into bite-size pieces (about one inch is good).
- Add chicken, ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Close and lock lid. Set instant pot to HIGH pressure for 5 minutes then press START. Allow cooker to come to pressure (mine took about 6 minutes).
- When the cooking cycle is complete, press CANCEL then do a QUICK RELEASE by pressing the steam release valve. BE VERY CAREFUL of hot steam. When the pin drops, it's safe to open the lid.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and the water to create a slurry that will help thicken the sauce.
- Set the instant pot to the SAUTE function on medium heat. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pot and let it simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If you want a thicker sauce, you can mix another batch of slurry, but only add a little bit at a time so you can get the thickness just right.
- While the sauce is thickening, microwave the broccoli according to package directions.
- Add broccoli to the pot and give it a stir. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Equipment used
Kitchen tips
If you use chicken breasts, you can reduce the cooking time to 3 minutes.
Add one inch cut bell pepper for added flavor. Use one or two.
Leave out the brown sugar and serve with zucchini noodles for a low carb chicken broccoli dinner.
The best way to cook the broccoli is to just steam it in the microwave like the directions say, but you can use the residual heat from the instant pot if you rather. To do so, just add the cut up broccoli as soon as you've thickened up the sauce, give it a stir, then place the lid on and "steam" until cooked crisp tender.
If you prefer softer cooked broccoli, add it to the instant pot after thickening the sauce while the saute setting is still going and cook through.
Quick Fact
It's more common to get overcooked, stringy chicken when using chicken breasts in the instant pot. Using chicken thighs is better suited to pressure cooking because the meat tends to stay moist and tender.
How to store
Store leftovers in air tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
What tastes good with instant pot chicken and broccoli?
Try some of my favorite recipes to serve with this instant pot chicken and broccoli like...
- Instant Pot Coconut Jasmine Rice
- Instant Pot Basmati Rice
- Air Fryer Bang Bang Cauliflower
- Asian Cabbage Crunch Salad
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Instant Pot Chicken and Broccoli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs prepped
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger fresh or frozen
- 3 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- ¾ cup beef broth or chicken broth, water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar honey, maple syrup, white sugar
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp pepper or to taste
- 12 oz broccoli florets steam in bag or fresh cut (one crown)
Serve with:
- Hot cooked steamed rice white or brown
- Zucchini noodles
- Shiratake noodles
- Cauliflower rice
Instructions
- Prep chicken by removing any excess fat and cut into bite-size pieces (about one inch is good).
- Add chicken, ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Close and lock lid. Set instant pot to HIGH pressure for 5 minutes then press START. Allow cooker to come to pressure (mine took about 6 minutes).
- When the cooking cycle is complete, press CANCEL then do a QUICK RELEASE by pressing the steam release valve. BE VERY CAREFUL of hot steam. When the pin drops, it's safe to open the lid.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and the water to create a slurry that will help thicken the sauce.
- Set the instant pot to the SAUTE function on medium heat. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pot and let it simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If you want a thicker sauce, you can mix another batch of slurry, but only add a little bit at a time so you can get the thickness just right.
- While the sauce is thickening, microwave the broccoli according to package directions.
- Add broccoli to the pot and give it a stir. Serve over hot cooked rice.
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