Instant Pot Orange Chicken

Poultry, Pressure Cooker

Cook Time: 35 mins Servings: Servings 4 Source: Pressurecookrecipes.com

Ingredients

4 - 6 (2lbs) bone-in chicken thighs
1 orange , juiced (70ml - 90ml) and zested (7g)
6 (21g) garlic cloves , chopped
1 tablespoon ginger , crushed and sliced
1 (170g) onion , sliced
¼ cup (63ml) regular soy sauce
½ teaspoon (2.5ml) sesame oil
2 tablespoons (30g) ketchup
Optional: 1 tablespoon (15ml) Shaoxing wine
½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock
1 - 3 tablespoons (30g) honey or sugar to sweeten
Salt to taste
Thickener
2½ tablespoons (22.5g) cornstarch
3 tablespoons (45ml) cold water
Optional Garnish
1 - 2 stalks green onion , finely sliced
Orange slices, orange zest
Toasted white and black sesame seeds

Directions

Marinate Chicken in Instant Pot:
Add garlic, ginger, onion, ¼ cup (63ml) regular soy sauce, ½ tsp (2.5ml) sesame oil, 2 tbsp (30g) ketchup, orange zest, 70ml - 90ml orange juice, 1 tbsp (15ml) Shaoxing wine, and ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Mix well.
Add chicken in Instant Pot skin side down.
Marinate chicken in the inner pot for at least 30 minutes to up to 2 hours in the fridge.
Pressure Cook Orange Chicken:
Place the inner pot back in Instant Pot. Flip the chicken over so the chicken skins are facing up.
Close the lid. Turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 6 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position. When the Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.
Sweeten and Thicken:
Set aside the chicken on a serving plate. Bring the orange sauce to a simmer with "Saute" function.
Add in 1 to 3 tbsp honey to sweeten the sauce.  Make sure to taste and adjust the sweetness as you add the honey because the amount you need depends on your orange juice's sweetness, honey, and your preferences. For reference, we used 2 tbsp (30ml) honey.
In a small mixing bowl, mix 2.5 tbsp (22.5g) cornstarch with 3 tbsp (45ml) cold water. Mix it into the orange sauce one-third at a time until desired thickness.
Taste the orange sauce, then season with salt or regular soy sauce if necessary. For reference, we added 3 large pinches of salt to season it properly.
Place the chicken back in the orange sauce.
Optional Flavor-Boosting Step:
Option 1 - Oven or Toaster Oven:
Place the Orange Chicken on an oven tray under the "Broil" function (or the highest temperature setting) for a few minutes until the tasty orange sauce is caramelized.
Option 2 - Air Fryer or Air Fryer Lid:
Place air fryer basket with the tray on the middle rack in Instant Pot. Layer chicken on the air fryer tray in Instant Pot. Place the Air Fryer Lid on Instant Pot. Press "Airfry" button, set Temperature to 400°F and Cooking Time to 15 minutes. Then, air fry the second batch of orange chicken in Instant Pot.
Garnish and Serve:
Garnish your caramelized orange chicken with finely sliced green onions, orange zest, orange slices, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy~

Nutrition