This recipe originally appeared on A Food Lover’s Kitchen.
Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli is a great dinner when you’re looking for an easy, savory, and delicious meal that will come together within an hour.
When it comes to making favorites in the Instant Pot, Chicken & Broccoli certainly comes to mind. This becomes super easy in the Instant Pot, and can be whipped up in as little as half an hour! The perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.
Why You’ll Love It
- The chicken takes just 4 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot. The broth that forms in the pot as the chicken cooks is then combined with a cornstarch slurry sauce to make a thick and tasty glaze for the dish.
- This recipe is a one-pot dinner solution. You can cook the beef, the broccoli, and the rice all in the same pot.
- This is truly one of those recipes that makes everyone happy. There are never any leftovers and it is asked for over and over.
kim says: 
This was the perfect family meal! So easy and so much flavor. Will definitely make again!
Stephanie says: I love cooking with the instant pot! And chicken and broccoli are two things my family agrees on, so this recipe was perfect for us! Easy enough to make, and so yummy.
» You might also like this Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken – You can use either cubed breast or thigh meat for this recipe.
- Broccoli florets – Cut into florets. You can also use frozen broccoli from a steamer bag.
- Cooking oil – Choose an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, avocado, or peanut oil.
- Chicken broth or cubes – Adds flavor and also helps deglaze the pot.
- Cooked rice
For the sauce
- Low sodium soy sauce – When you use low-sodium, you get better control over the salt content of the final dish.
- Chili oil- like Lee Kum Chiu Chow Chili Oil
- Hoisin – Hoisin will give the sauce a nice thickness and umami flavor. Oyster sauce can also be used if that’s what you have on hand.
- Ginger, freshly grated – Fresh ginger works best, but you can use 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
- Garlic, minced – Adding fresh garlic will give the dish a nice savory flavor.
- Sesame oil
- Chinese cooking wine- like Mirin
- Corn starch – Adding a bit of cornstarch to sauce will make it thicker.
Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus to make all of my recipes, but you can use any size or brand of electric pressure cooker. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more water to build steam.
Tips to Follow
- You can use frozen diced chicken, if you want. Set the cook time to 5 minutes, if you do. Of course, you won’t be able to add the sauce to the chicken to marinate, so just add the sauce to the broth instead.
- If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for a day or two. The broccoli really loses it’s luster after that and will be less appealing to eat.
- I don’t use the pressure cook function to cook the broccoli in this recipe because it just cooks too quickly. Even setting the Instant Pot to zero minutes (yes, this is possible!) is too much and will leave the broccoli mushy and overcooked.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli
Step 1: Cut Ingredients
Start by cutting the chicken and broccoli into small pieces. They should be around the same size, which makes eating it more enjoyable. Large pieces of broccoli aren’t as fun to eat.
Step 2: Mix up Sauce
Mix up the sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of the sauce to the chicken and set it aside to marinate for a few minutes while you cook the broccoli.
Step 3: Cook the Broccoli
Use the sauté mode on the Instant Pot to cook the broccoli for 5 minutes. Just add cooking oil to the pot, pour in the broccoli florets and let them sizzle, stirring occasionally.
Once they’re done, remove them to a bowl and set aside. Turn off the Instant Pot. As the chicken cooks, the broccoli will continue to steam so they’ll be the perfect tenderness.
Just a quick note about the broccoli. You don’t want to cook the broccoli under pressure. It cooks so quickly that even setting the Instant Pot to zero minutes is too much and will leave them mushy and overcooked.
If you’re using store-bought broccoli in a steamer bag, go ahead and steam the broccoli instead of sautéing, if you want.
Step 4: Cook the Chicken
Next, add the chicken and the chicken broth to the pot. Close the lid and set the vent to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. Do a manual pressure release when done.
Add the broccoli back to the pot and turn on Sauté mode again. Add the cornstarch to the remaining sauce you mixed up earlier and pour it into the pot. As it heats up, the sauce will start to bubble and thicken.
Let it bubble for about 3 minutes. Serve the chicken and broccoli with rice, cauliflower rice, or over noodles.
Before You Go
Since you made it to the end of this article, you might be interested in more Instant Pot recipes that make a full meal. Here are a few more articles we think you might enjoy.
- Instant Pot Ranch Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs
- Instant Pot Creamy Sausage Rigatoni
- Instant Pot Cauliflower (Whole Head)
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Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) chicken breast or thigh cubed
- 1 large head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cooking oil
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup (158 g) cooked rice
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons (44 ml) low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon (7 ml) chili oil such as Lee Kum Chiu Chow Chili Oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) hoisin
- 1 tablespoon (7 g) ginger freshly grated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Chinese cooking wine such as Mirin
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) corn starch
Optional Garnish
- red chili flakes
- toasted sesame seeds
- green onion sliced
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients, except the cornstarch, in a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp of the sauce to the chicken. Stir to coat and set aside to marinate.
- Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the cooking oil. When hot, add the broccoli and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the pot. Cancel saute mode.
- Add the chicken to the Instant Pot, along with chicken broth. Lock the lid and turn the vent to sealing. Press the pressure cook button and set the Instant Pot to 4 minutes (high pressure).
- When the time is up, do a manual release of pressure and remove the lid.
- Add the corn starch to the remaining sauce and stir it until smooth.
- Press saute mode again and add the broccoli back to the pot.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli. Stir well and allow the sauce to thicken for about 3 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot. Serve over rice, if desired.
Notes
- You can use frozen diced chicken, if you want. Set the cook time to 5 minutes, if you do. Of course, you won’t be able to add the sauce to the chicken to marinate, so just add the sauce to the broth instead.
- If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for a day or two. The broccoli really loses it’s luster after that and will be less appealing to eat.
- I don’t use the pressure cook function to cook the broccoli in this recipe because it just cooks too quickly. Even setting the Instant Pot to zero minutes (yes, this is possible!) is too much and will leave the broccoli mushy and overcooked.
Nutrition
Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.
I love cooking with the instant pot! And chicken and broccoli are two things my family agrees on, so this recipe was perfect for us! Easy enough to make, and so yummy.
Chicken & Broccoli is one of my fav Chinese takeout recipes, and this one is so easy it’s our new family favorite! Make it, you’ll love it!
Such a lovely family dinner option. I love this! Love the flavors of the sauce and added veggies. I must make this. Thanks!
I’m loving the sound of that sauce. So much flavor!
This was the perfect family meal! So easy and so much flavor. Will definitely make again!
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