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Instant Pot Chinese Chicken and Broccoli takes only 15 mins to get ready from scratch. You'll have thin slices of tender chicken and crisp broccoli coated in a delicious sweet and savory sauce. Tastes so much better than take-out and makes a terrific easy weeknight dinner.
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Instant Pot
How about a 15 mins Asian take out style Chinese Chicken and Broccoli made in Instant Pot that your whole family will love?
Absolutely juicy, tender thin chicken slices simmered in a finger licking good sweet and savory sauce with crisp broccoli florets.
If you prefer tender broccoli do check out the tips section of this post.
You'll love this dish on a bed of steamed Jasmine rice and equally enjoy it with Noodles.
You can also use frozen thawed chicken to make this dish.
Now, that's what I call budget friendly restaurant quality meal that is so much more healthy, tasty, quick and incredibly family friendly.
I often include this recipe along with this Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken and Instant Pot Cashew Chicken in my weekly meal rotations.
They are all 15 mins recipes and have the most outstanding sauces in the whole wide world just like this Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken.
Ingredients
Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs and thinly slice them into 2" long pieces just like your favorite Chinese restaurant. You can also use frozen thawed chicken.
- Broccoli: Made into equal size florets. You can also use frozen thawed broccoli.
- Aromatics: Minced Ginger and Garlic.
- For the Sauce: Oyster sauce, soy sauce ( or tamari or light soy sauce), rice wine, sriracha (optional), brown sugar, sesame oil.
- Thickener: Corn starch slurry. It's plain corn starch mixed with equal amounts of water to make a thin slurry. This is used in various Chinese dishes as a thickener and rewards the dishes with a fantastic glossy sheen. So good! Don't miss it.
- Any neutral oil.
Tips & Tricks
- Cut the Chicken into thin slices: This makes the dish aesthetically beautiful, gives the dish the amazing restaurant touch and also helps cook the chicken fast. Of course you can also dice the chicken into smaller cubes if you do not prefer slicing.
- Saute the Chicken first: I always saute the chicken first while making Chinese take-out recipes in my Instant Pot like this Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice. This helps mimic the wok flavor to some extent and also prevents the dish from tasting like some boiled food. After all Chinese recipes are never pressure cooked and always made in a wok over high heat 😛
- For Crisp tender Broccoli: Add the Broccoli while thickening the sauce. Turn off the Instant Pot and put the lid back on or you can also cover the pot with a glass lid. Rest for 5 mins.
- For soft Broccoli: You can steam the broccoli florets in a steaming basket for 1-2 min while pressure cooking the chicken. Then, add back the steamed florets with the thickened sauce at last after turning off the Instant Pot. Do not cook more. Check out this Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli post, very helpful.
- Thicken the Sauce according to your preference: We love a thick sauce that beautifully coats the chicken slices and the broccoli. However, if you prefer a slightly thinner sauce simmer less and you can also add 3-4 tbsp more water while simmering. Keep the sauce the way you want 🙂
Method
Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.
Step #1 Saute Chicken
Set the Instant Pot on SAUTE and keep it at NORMAL.
Saute the minced ginger and garlic just for 30 seconds and than add the flash marinated thin chicken slices and saute until lightly golden around the edges.
Took me around 3-4 mins.
Step #2 Pressure Cook
CANCEL the SAUTE function.
Add ⅓ cup water and de-glaze the pot very well scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of your spatula.
PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 1 min followed by a QUICK RELEASE.
If you use cubed chicken pieces pressure cook for 3 mins or regular chicken and 1 min for organic farm fresh chicken.
Step #3 Mix Sauces, Simmer, Thicken
CANCEL the Pressure cook function and press the SAUTE function and set it on LOW.
Add the sauce ingredients along with the corn starch slurry and ⅓ cup water. Mix well.
Add the fresh broccoli florets and simmer the sauce until it thickens to your preferred consistency. We love a thick sauce!
Now, turn off the Instant Pot and cover it with a lid or put back the Instant Pot lid. Allow the Chinese Chicken and Broccoli to rest for 5 mins covered.
The residual heat will cook the Broccoli to crisp tender consistency.
If you prefer softer broccoli that's well cooked you may pressure cook the Broccoli florets in a steaming basket along with the chicken. For more details read the NOTES below on the Recipe Card.
Enjoy the Instant Pot Chinese Chicken and Broccoli with steamed Jasmine rice or Noodles.
Storing Tips
The Instant Pot Chinese Chicken and Broccoli will last for 5 days in the fridge when stored in moisture free air tight container.
You can also freeze the dish for upto 2 months. Freeze in individual freezer safe bags or containers. It certainly helps to re-heat and serve that way.
Re-Heating Tips
You can re-heat the dish in the microwave oven. Just sprinkle a few drops of water to add back some moisture and warm it up.
For freezer meal thaw the Chinese chicken and Broccoli overnight in the fridge first and than re-heat following the above instructions.
The Broccoli will get cooked more and become slightly soft when you re-heat the dish every single time.
More Asian Take-out recipes:
Instant Pot Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
Print Recipe Pin RateWatch Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 0.75 pound Chicken breast (** 325 grams, cut into 2 inch long thin slices, boneless skinless chicken breast.)
- 2 cups Broccoli (** fresh florets or a small broccoli head. For frozen broccoli read NOTES below)
- ½ tbsp Garlic (** minced)
- ½ tbsp Ginger (** minced)
- 3 tbsp Avocado oil (** or use any neutral oil)
For Flash Marinating Chicken
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- ½ tbsp Soy sauce (** or light soy sauce)
For the Sauce
- 3 tbsp Soy sauce (** use low sodium variety or use Tamari or light soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice Wine
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
Thickener
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch (**made into a slurry, diluted in equal parts water)
Liquid
- ⅔ cups Water (** divided into equal parts)
Equipment Used
Instructions
- Flash marinate the thinly sliced chicken pieces with sesame oil and light soy sauce. Now, this is a totally optional step. It certainly boosts the flavor of the dish and acts similar to velveting the chicken.
- Now, set the Instant Pot on SAUTE function and keep it at NORMAL heat settings. Add oil and when the oil becomes moderately hot add the minced ginger and garlic and saute for just 30 seconds.
- Next, add the flash marinated chicken slices and saute until lightly golden around the edges. It took me around 3-4 mins.
- Add ⅓ cup water and de-glaze the pot very well scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of your spatula so that there are absolutely no bits and crumbs stuck. CANCEL the SAUTE function.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the valve to SEALING position. PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 1 min.
- When the pressure cooking cycle is over do a QUICK PRESSURE RELEASE by manually moving the valve from the SEALING to the VENTING position. Open the lid carefully and CANCEL the Pressure cook function.
- Add the sauce ingredients mentioned above in the "For the Sauces" section along with the corn starch and ⅓ cup water. Give everything a good stir.
- Press the SAUTE function and set it at LOW.
- Add the Broccoli florets, mix well with the rest of the ingredients in the pot. Simmer the sauce until it thickens and reaches the consistency that you prefer.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and Cover it either with a glass lid or put back it's lid. All the Chinese Chicken and Broccoli to rest for 5 mins. The residual heat will cook down the Broccoli florets and make them crisp tender. If you prefer tender soft broccoli read the NOTES below.
- Enjoy the dish with some steamed Jasmine rice or Noodles.
Notes
- Measuring Units Used, 1 cup = 240 ml & 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
- Cook time for cubed chicken pieces: 3 mins/ QPR for regular chicken and 1 min/QPR for organic farm fresh chicken.
- Want Soft Tender Broccoli? Pressure Cook the florets separately on a steaming basket along while pressure cooking the chicken. Add back the steamed florets while thickening the sauce.
- Want to use frozen Broccoli? Thaw the frozen Broccoli first and drain the excess water. Follow the recipe as such.
- Want to use frozen chicken breats or thighs? Thaw them over night in the fridge. Drain the excess moisture and than slice them thinly.
- The Sauce consistency: We prefer a thick sauce that clings beautifully to the chicken and the broccoli florets. However, if you prefer a thinner sauce simmer it less and you can also add 3-4 tbsp more water to thin it down a bit while simmering it. You can control the consistency of the sauce. Keep it the way you want.
- Storing Tips: Lasts for 5 days in the fridge in moisture free air tight containers and keeps good in the freezer for upto 2 months.
Kathy says
I doubled this and it came out great. So delicious and everyone loved it!
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you enjoyed the chicken and broccoli recipe so much Kathy 🙂 Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback with us 🙂 Appreciate it. - Meghna.
BROOKE says
Chicken and broccoli is my fav take out. But I hate broccoli. Think I could just omit it? Would it change the cool time? I seriously order chicken and broccoli no broccoli 😹
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Brooke just skip the broccoli. The cook time and the recipe would remain the same 🙂 Hope you enjoy the flavors 🙂 - Meghna xoxo.
Rochelle says
This dish is so close to the dishes we used to eat when we lived in San Francisco. Thank you so much.
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you enjoyed the flavors Rochelle 🙂 - Meghna xoxo
Michele says
What is flash marinating?
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Michele You marinate the chicken first and allow it to rest while you prep the other ingredients. It's a quick marination process done in a flash 🙂 Hope you love the recipe. - Meghna.
Carolyn says
Hi Meghan, this recipe is AWESOME!!! I used the breast meat from a whole-chicken and decided to try a new recipe. Being in the pandemic and I do not want to eat out at a restaurant, finding your recipe to make Chicken and Broccoli was just what I wanted, and has a great authentic taste. At Chinese restaurants, I’ve had this dish with carrots and decided to do the same. With the extra veggies, I doubled the sauce, using low-sodium Tahari soy-sauce. I have a young child and she find the Sriracha sauce too peppery tasting for her; but I managed to add a couple of crushed red pepper flakes (disguised in the sauce mixture) which is easier for her to manage. It’s been my experience that steaming broccoli in the IP loses its color, so I decided to steam them separately in a sauce pan to maintain its bright-green color. I have 2 IP’s so I steamed the carrots in the 2nd one while the chicken was cooking. This recipe is so good, it can be made without chicken and the broccoli, carrots and sauce over rice would be amazing!. Overall, a great, tasting quick and easy recipe that’s worth including in a family rotation for meals. Thank you for sharing and I can’t wait to try other dishes you have posted.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Carolyn thanks much for sharing your lovely feedback with us, we are so so glad that you loved the recipe so very much 🙂 A lovely pointer, blanching or steaming broccoli helps retain it's gorgeous green color, thank you for mentioning this, my other readers will certainly benefit 🙂 You are absolutely right skipping the chicken and adding more veggies like mushroom, carrots, zucchini will make it a hearty meal for any vegetarian out there, a great idea too 🙂 We appreciate that you shared your ideas with us and gave the recipe a try. Hope you would like our other recipes too 🙂 Take care Carolyn. - Meghna.
Chef O' Defyoocher says
My one criticism is that if you're making more than two servings, this recipe will definitely take you more than fifteen minutes; in fact, it might even take you several hours. Is it worth it? Hell yes! This is an astoundingly good recipe, better than anything you'll find in most typical Chinese joints and a rival to the best you've ever had. Much kudos to you, Meghna! A few notes for those who might be interested:
- As I was making this for Eight servings, I found it necessary to fry the chicken in two batches, splitting up the garlic and ginger accordingly. I used Peanut Oil, which I found to be amazingly good at keeping the chicken from sticking to my (supposedly) non-stick ceramic frying pan and which probably added greater depth to the flavor as well.
- I used regular Soy Sauce throughout and found it perfectly suitable if anyone else is wondering whether they need to run out and buy a bottle of Light Soy Sauce before attempting this.
- Consistent with my practice for many other dishes, I added an extra minute with the heat turned off to the original cooking time of 1 minute before I de-pressurized the cooker. I find this helps give the chicken just a little bit more tenderness than it might otherwise have without overcooking it.
-If you are making large amounts (8 servings would be the max for a 6-qt. cooker), you'll have to use the Medium Saute setting when you're heating up the sauce ingredients and vegetables, being sure to stir it every now and again while doing so to keep it from burning and to turn it down to Low (the "Hot" setting) when the dish finally comes up to a good simmer. You'll be waiting around forever otherwise
.
Once again, an amaze-ballz recipe, and that goes for your Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe too which was just as outstanding!
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks a bunch for an outstanding feedback, appreciate it a lot and we are just so glad that you loved this dish and also our sweet and sour chicken from the blog. Regarding the soy sauce considering the amount used in the recipe one can use use either regular or light soy sauce or use even Tamari - all 3 works excellent. I updated the recipe saying just "soy sauce" so that it's convenient for one and all 🙂 Your feedback will be so very helpful for my readers, thank you once again from the bottom of my heart 🙂 Hope you try our other recipes as well. Take Care. - Meghna.