Instant Pot Orange Chicken

Instant Pot Orange Chicken Panda Express inspired but minus the deep fried chicken. You'll have the most amazing & best tasting Orange chicken that's made with sauteed chicken in a fabulous sweet, sticky sauce with a bit of a kick.

5 from 7 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American-Chinese, Chinese

Keyword: Instant Pot Orange Chicken, Instant Pot Orange Chicken Healthy, Instant Pot Orange Chicken Panda Express, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken with Marmalade, Pressure Cooker Orange Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: people

Calories: 733kcal

Author: Meghna

Cost: $3

Equipment

Instant Pot DUO 6 quart

Ingredients

0.83 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs diced into ½ inch cubes 380 grams
½ cup orange juice from a fresh orange
1 tsp Finely Chopped Garlic.
1 tsp Finely chopped ginger
1 tsp red chili flakes optional
3 tbsp any neutral oil

For Flash Marinating Chicken (Optional)

1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce

For the Sauce

1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
1.5 tbsp Rice vinegar
2.5 tbsp ketchup or Sriracha for spicy sauce, *Read NOTES below
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp white sugar
3 tbsp orange marmalade *Read NOTES below
½ tbsp orange zest

Thickener

2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with equal parts water to form a slurry

Instructions

Begin the recipe by gently rubbing the cubed chicken pieces with sesame oil & light soy sauce. Set them aside while you prep the other ingredients. This step is OPTIONAL. However, it adds a nice touch to the recipe.
Now, set the Instant Pot on SAUTE function & set it on NORMAL heat settings. Add oil & when the oil becomes moderately hot gently release the finely chopped ginger & garlic and saute them for just 30 seconds.
Next, add the flash marinated chicken pieces & saute them until lightly golden around the edges. Add the red pepper flakes mid way. Saute the chicken while scraping the sides of the pot to loosen any bits & crumbs.
Add the orange juice & de-glaze the pot very well with the help of a spatula. This is to help prevent the BURN error. It'll help loosen the bits & crumbs stuck at the base of the pot or on the sides.
CANCEL the SAUTE function. Close the lid, seal the valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 1 min.
Once, the pressure cooking cycle is over perform a quick release manually moving the valve from the SEALING to the VENTING position. Open the lid carefully.
Now add all the ingredients mentioned above in the, "For the sauce" category of the Ingredients section and also the cornstarch slurry. Give a good stir. CANCEL the Pressure cook option.
Turn on the SAUTE function & keep it at LOW. Simmer the sauce until it thickens to the consistency that you prefer (the sauce also thickens further as it cools down). Finally add the orange marmalade, mix well and simmer for just 30 seconds to blend in the marmalade with the sauce. You'll have a fabulous sticky sweet thick sauce at the end.
Enjoy with Jasmine Rice, brown rice or noodles.

Video

Notes

Measuring Units Used, 1 cup = 240 ml & 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
The Recipe is sweet, you can reduce the amount of sugar to control the sweetness.
Ketchup: If you love spicy food sub the ketchup with Sriracha Sauce. You can also use 1:1 ketchup:Sriracha.
Red Pepper Flakes: They add a subtle kick to the dish. However, if you are completely heat intolerant or making the dish for little ones skip using them.
Orange Juice: For best flavors use the juice from fresh oranges.
Bottled orange juice: It's not a great sub for fresh juice. However, if you totally cannot find fresh oranges you may use bottled juice. In that case reduce the amount of sugar according to your preference.
If not using Orange Marmalade: Use ¼ cups both brown sugar and white sugar.
The Sauce: We prefer a thick sauce that beautifully clings to every piece of chicken. However, you may keep the sauce consistency the way you prefer. Simmer it less to thicken it less.

Calorific details are provided by a third party application & are to be used as indicative figures only.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Orange Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 733 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 120mg40%

Sodium 1285mg56%

Potassium 941mg27%

Carbohydrates 78g26%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 65g72%

Protein 43g86%

Vitamin A 535IU11%

Vitamin C 38mg46%

Calcium 50mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Read our privacy policy - Calorie information is provided as a courtesy only and should be leveraged as an estimate rather than a guarantee.Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition