This Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Rice is filled with tender chicken pieces in a fragrant orange sauce paired with fluffy white rice, all made in about 30 minutes!
I’m a huge fan of Orange Chicken. In fact, my whole family agrees that it’s one of our favorite weeknight dinners. I usually make my fried Orange Chicken with a pot of white rice and some broccoli on the side, but I wanted to give it a try in my instant pot… you guys, I was BLOWN AWAY!
Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Rice
This easy recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when you just want an easy one-pot meal and don’t want to worry about cleaning up. Plus, a pressure cooker, makes this recipe super quick, allowing you to whip up a delicious dinner in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients Needed
Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need in order to whip up Orange Chicken and Rice in the pressure cooker. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken Thighs (Boneless chicken thighs)
- Sesame Oil
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Ginger or Minced Ginger
- Fresh Orange Zest
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Soy Sauce (Low sodium)
- Sugar (White granulated)
- Dry Sherry (Dry white wine would also work)
- Chicken Broth (Low sodium)
- White Rice (Jasmine rice) – medium grain rice works best.
- Sliced Green Onions for Garnish (Optional)
How to Make Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Rice
In under 30 minutes, you can make this easy Instant Pot Orange Chicken recipe!
SAUTE THE CHICKEN
Select the Sauté function and crank up the heat to high. Add the olive oil and sesame oil and let them heat up in the bottom of the pot. As they warm up, season the chicken thighs with a dash of salt, a touch of garlic powder, and a hint of ginger. Once the inner pot is sizzling, add the seasoned chicken, letting it sizzle for about 2-3 minutes until it’s a beautiful shade of golden brown.
Then, turn off the Instant Pot.
MAKE THE STICKY ORANGE SAUCE
Whisk up the sauce ingredients – orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, dry sherry, and chicken broth. Add the ingredients to the Instant Pot.
PRO TIP: This is enough liquid to adequately let the pot come to pressure and perfectly season the chicken.
MAKE THE WHITE RICE
Place a trivet over the chicken in the Instant Pot. In an oven-safe dish, add the rinsed rice and 1 1/2 cups of water, but remember to keep it halfway filled since rice has a tendency to expand. Carefully position the rice-filled dish atop the trivet. Secure the Instant Pot lid and make sure the vent is in the sealed position.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE RICE
- Make sure you rinse the rice very well! The water should run clear and not be cloudy. This will remove excess starches and result in fluffy rice.
- Use a ratio of 1:1 with white rice. (1 cup rice to 1 cup water).
- Cook the rice inside an oven-safe dish on a trivet inside the instant pot.
- Do not fill the dish more than halfway with rice and water, as the rice will expand when cooking.
- This recipe will only work with white rice as brown rice takes longer to cook, which would be too long for the chicken to cook at the same time.
- All you need is 4 minutes of High pressure with 10 minutes of Natural Release.
Cook On High Pressure
Push the MANUAL and HIGH-PRESSURE buttons, and let the Instant Pot do its thing for 4 minutes. Let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes is up, give a quick release of pressure.
MAKE CORNSTARCH SLURRY
Once you pull the rice out, turn the Instant Pot back to the sauté function and stir in a cornstarch and water slurry. This will thicken up the sauce and make it nice and glossy to coat the chicken.
Serve with white rice, and sprinkle some green onions on top if you like! Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- If you want to kick up the heat a little, try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes and a dash of Sriracha sauce. I usually add that to mine after it’s cooked because some of my kids don’t like spicy food.
- If you’re not a fan of white rice, you can always use brown rice, cauliflower rice, and even fried rice!
- If you don’t have cornstarch, use all-purpose flour, rice flour, arrowroot powder, and even tapioca starch!
- Substitute brown sugar for white sugar for a deeper flavor in your tangy orange sauce.
Make Ahead and Storage
If you’re in a pinch and need to whip up this recipe beforehand, here are some helpful tips:
You can make the cooked white rice in the Instant Pot and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you want to make the orange chicken thighs and sauce beforehand as well, whip them up and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
When you’re ready to eat it, heat up everything on the stovetop in a skillet.
Common Questions
Why use the sauté function to cook the chicken thighs?
- Searing the chicken before cooking will help the chicken pieces keep their shape after being pressurized.
- By partially cooking the chicken before adding the rice, it’ll allow the chicken to cook completely during the same time it takes to cook the rice.
Help! My orange chicken is rubbery. What did I do wrong?
If your chicken is rubbery, you most likely cooked it too long. The key to getting perfectly tender chunks of chicken is to cook them for the allotted time as stated in the recipe and no more.
What’s the difference between regular orange chicken and Instant Pot orange chicken?
Regular orange chicken is deep fried, giving it that crunchy outer layer that you’d find at Asian restaurants and Panda Express. Instant Pot orange chicken is a little different. It still has all the same delicious Asian flavors, but it’s not deep-fried. Basically, it’s the healthier version of regular orange chicken that still tastes just as delicious.
Is this orange chicken recipe kid-friendly?
Absolutely! Kids will love the fresh orange flavors and juicy chicken over the top of a bed of fluffy white rice! But if your kids are picky, no worries! You can give them some cooked chicken and rice before adding the sauce and then put the sauce on the side for them to try!
Can I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe instead of chicken thighs?
Absolutely! Chicken breasts are also perfect for this recipe. They just don’t have as much flavor or juiciness as chicken thighs. But if you prefer breasts and not thighs, go for it! Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes as the recipe calls for. Keep in mind that breasts have a faster cook time than thighs, so adjust the sauté time as needed.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Here are a few more easy rice recipes I think you’ll really enjoy…
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs – talk about making everything in one pot!
- Best Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe – so comforting and delicious with a fraction of the cook time.
- Instant Pot Corn Chowder Recipe – my family loves this creamy soup!
- Best Instant Pot Chili Recipe – an instant favorite by anyone who tries it.
This easy Orange Chicken Instant Pot recipe is super delicious and the perfect one-pot meal for any occasion! If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card to help out the next reader!
Make sure you don’t miss a thing! Follow I Wash You Dry here:
FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN
Instant Pot Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger, or 2 tsp minced ginger
For the Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tsp orange zest, fresh
- 2 tbsp orange juice, fresh
- 3 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 1/3 cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp corn starch
For the Rice:
- 1 1/2 cups white rice, I use Jasmine, rinsed and drained until water runs clear
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Sliced green onions for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté function and increase to high heat. Add the olive oil and sesame oil to the inner pot to heat up. Season the chicken thighs with salt, garlic powder and ginger. Add the chicken to the inner pot once hot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, browning on all sides. Turn the Instant Pot to the off position.
- Meanwhile whisk together the ingredients for the sauce: Orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, dry sherry and chicken broth. Pour over the chicken and stir to coat.
- Place a trivet over the chicken in the instant pot. Combine the rinsed rice and 1 1/2 cups water in an oven safe dish (make sure it is only half way filled as the rice will expand). Place the rice filled dish on top of the trivet and close the Instant Pot lid, making sure the vent on top is in the sealed position.
- Press MANUAL and HIGH PRESSURE for 4 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes after cooking (do not release pressure immediately after cooking/do not turn off Instant Pot). Once 10 minutes is up, finish with a quick release of pressure.
- Carefully remove the rice and fluff with a fork.
- Meanwhile whisk together the 2 tbsp water with 2 tbsp cornstarch and turn Instant Pot to Sauté mode again. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook until sauce thickens (about 3 to 4 minutes). Serve chicken over rice and garnish with sliced green onions if desired. Enjoy!
I didn’t have luck with the rice at all. I used a long grain white rice. I know you mentioned you used Jasmine. Would this make a difference? It was not cooked, still standing in water. Any suggestions? The chicken/sauce was delicious.
It sounds like the pressure cooker didn’t actually seal to be honest. The rice has to cook under pressure. The chicken still cooked because it was being heated by the element at the bottom of the pressure cooker, but it never fully came to pressure. This could be simply because of your seal not being on there properly. It happens to the best of us and can be very frustrating. Make sure to adjust the seal so it sit tightly around the lid. Hope you try it again, it’s so neat to open the pot and find the chicken AND rice cooked! 😉
Amazing. My 14 year old loved it. So tasty. I didnt read properly and added the cornstarch with the rest of the wet ingredients and it turned out fine.
So glad you enjoyed it Sue!
I love it because it is easy and my family loved it because it was tasty. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. I did it exactly as it is my only change is that I cut down the sugar in half. The rest was the same.
What do you think about using boneless skinless chicken breasts with this recipe?
This was delicious! I made it tonight. I went ahead and added a bag of frozen broccoli florets since we like broccoli cooked soft. I added an extra 1/4 c. water, just to be on the safe side and an extra 2 minutes to the cook time. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m new to “instant” pressure cooking. I just use my 3 qt pot since there’s only my husband and myself. The recipe book accompanying the cooker was limited and I’d like to try different cuisines. Your recipes are more in my taste. I usually halve the ingredients and adjust the time. So far, liking the results. Should readers assume your recipes are always for the 6 qt?
I’ve made and tested all my recipes in the 8 quart pot, with exception for my ribs recipe, which I’ve also made and tested in the 6 quart pot. I’ve never played around with the mini 3 quart, so I’m not sure how to adjust the recipes for that. I would assume halving the recipe would work just fine though. Let me know what you find out! 🙂
So the chicken only gets 4 minutes of pressure cooking plus the cool-down time? Is that really 14 minutes of pressure cooking? Is it 4 minutes bc you cut the thighs in chunks? I am planning to leave em whole on the bone & 4 minutes doesn’t seem like enough for 8 thighs I’m cooking.
This recipe calls for the chicken being browned on the saute function before being pressure cooked. If you wanted to cook the thighs whole you would still want to sear the chicken first then pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes. It should cook through just fine! Enjoy!
I recently bought a slow cooker, but haven[‘t tried it yet. There are only husband and myself at home now (raised 9 children) so have a hard time down sizing recipes. Also husband does not like chicken or most fish Help.!?
Hmm… You’ll want to check out my one skillet section. Those meals are sized for 4, which would give you leftovers for another night in the week!
This was easy and yummy. I have two Chinese students living with me and although the chicken was not something they would eat in China, they liked it. They said the rice was cooked perfectly – unlike the rice in their cafeteria at Hunan university. I used chicken breast since that is what I had on hand and it turned out great.
That’s a great compliment! Thank you!
this is my favorite food. very tasty and very tasty
Could you make this in a slow cooker?
Looks very tasty. Will be trying it at home.
Awesome! Hope you enjoy it!