Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken
An amazing Mongolian chicken dish made at home using your Instant Pot or favorite pressure cooker. Asian-inspired and simple to make, it doesn’t get any easier than this to create your favorite sweet and spicy take-out meal.
I have to say, when Kim first approached me about creating this Mongolian chicken Instant Pot recipe, I was skeptical. Kind of like I was skeptical about the Instant Pot Teriyaki Meatballs.
However, she had done her research and had plenty of inspiration. She pointed me in the right direction and I was able to tweak the ingredients enough to make a sweet and spicy Mongolian Chicken dish your whole family will love.
With that being said, some people may want to increase the red pepper flakes. We don’t usually eat overly spicy foods, so if the heat is a little low for you, feel free to crank it up!
If sweet and spicy Mongolian chicken isn’t your thing, you may prefer our Instant Pot Corn Chowder or Beef Stroganoff.
Both dishes are full of flavor and some of our readers’ favorites. For now, now about we get started on this copycat of a popular take-out meal.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Mongolian Chicken:
First, turn the Instant Pot on and set it to saute, add the sesame oil and chicken. Use a wooden spoon to stir the chicken, cook it until it’s white on all sides.
Next, add the 1/2 cup of water (not the cornstarch water), and use it to deglaze the pan, if needed.
Go ahead and add the brown sugar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, water, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and minced onion. Give everything a quick stir to mix the seasonings.
After that, close the lid and make sure it has sealed, set the pressure cooker to manual, high pressure for 5 minutes.
Then, let the cooker complete a natural release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release. Mix your cornstarch slurry, remove the lid, and stir it into the Mongolian Chicken.
Last, turn the Instant Pot back on to saute so the sauce heats and thickens. Be sure to continue stirring the dish while this process takes place.
The dish is now done; serve it over a bed of rice. Also, you could prepare some homemade egg rolls to serve as a tasty appetizer or side dish.
Tips for an Easy Mongolian Chicken Recipe :
- Make sure you use the water to deglaze your pressure cooker; otherwise, you’ll get a burn warning and the Instant Pot will not come to pressure.
- When making the cornstarch slurry, try to ensure all the cornstarch gets mixed with water or you could have lumps in Mongolian Chicken sauce.
- You can garnish the dish with sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds.
Need a simple rice recipe for your Instant Pot? Check out our Instant Pot White Rice post.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, or other cooking oil
- ½ cup water
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- ⅔ cup soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion, or onion powder
- 2 cups long grain white rice, cooked
Cornstarch Slurry
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 5 tablespoons water
Instructions
- First, turn the Instant Pot on and set it to saute, add the sesame oil and chicken. Use a wooden spoon to stir the chicken, cook it until it’s white on all sides.16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts2 tablespoons sesame oil
- Next, add the 1/2 cup of water (not the cornstarch water), and use it to deglaze the pan, if needed. Go ahead and add the brown sugar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and minced onion. Give everything a quick stir to mix the seasonings.½ cup water⅔ cup light brown sugar3 garlic cloves1 tablespoon ground ginger⅔ cup soy sauce½ teaspoon red pepper flakes2 teaspoons garlic powder1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- After that, close the lid and make sure it has sealed, set the pressure cooker to manual, high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Then, let the cooker complete a natural release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release. Mix your cornstarch slurry, remove the lid, and stir it into the Mongolian Chicken.2 tablespoons cornstarch5 tablespoons water
- Last, turn the Instant Pot back on to saute so the sauce heats and thickens. Be sure to continue stirring the dish while this process takes place. The dish is now done, serve it over a bed of rice.2 cups long grain white rice
So delicious! I loved the flavor and the extra amount of sauce to cover the rice with.
Thank you, Melissa! Kim and I are thrilled you enjoyed the chicken. Have a lovely day 🙂
made it a one pot meal and cooked the rice in the same pot. Best rice ever,a quote from my wife
We’re happy that you and your wife enjoyed the Mongolian Chicken. That’s awesome that you added rice and made it a full meal. I love the quote from your wife. Makes my day!! 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment and the rating. John and I appreciate it. Have a great week!
This looks good, going to try it soon. Thank you for sharing. I found your website by “accident “. Thanks, Sharon
Thank you, Sharon! We hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Can this recipe be doubled or tripled?
Hi, Monica! Yes, absolutely! We’ve only tried this recipe in a 6-quart Instant Pot, but there was plenty of space to double or triple the recipe. Thanks for asking and have a great weekend!