Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

Made using simple ingredients and in under 30 minutes, this instant pot sweet and sour chicken is great to serve for a quick Asian meal. It tastes just like your favorite Chinese take-out but is lighter and healthier.

Try some more of my easy chicken recipes that are just perfect to relish on a lazy weekend – Brown Stew Chicken, Salsa Chicken, Hunan Chicken, Hibachi Chicken, Mango Chicken, Cashew Chicken, and General Tso’s Chicken.

Jump to:

• About This Recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You might also like
• Recipe Card

About This Recipe

Instant pot has become my savior these days! With hectic schedules and no time to cook lengthy meals, it really comes in handy when I want to make something easy, quick, and delicious. The other day I prepared this sweet and sour chicken in instant pot, and it turned out great.

I can proudly say, that this instant pot sweet and sour chicken tastes just like my favorite Chinese takeout. It has the tang from pineapples, crunch from bell peppers, and when served with rice or noodles, makes for a complete restaurant-quality meal.

The sweet and sour chicken made in instant pot is healthier and lighter as there is no breading and frying required, it’s one pot which means less clean-up, hand-off so not babysitting it while it cooks, uses simple ingredients, and comes together in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Chicken – Use boneless chicken thighs or breasts to make this recipe. Breasts are leaner than thighs but if you want juicier chicken, use thigs instead.

Bell Pepper – A mix of colored bell peppers not only makes this chicken dish look colorful but also adds a nice crunch to it.

You can add more vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, beans, bok choy etc.

Pineapple – You can use fresh or canned pineapple to make this recipe. If using fresh, add water in place of juice from the can and add some lime juice and sugar to compensate for the sweet and tangy taste.

Sauce – To enhance the flavor, add ketchup and soy sauce. Ketchup will give this dish that much-needed tartness and soy sauce will add an umami flavor.

If you want a gluten free option, you can use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Cornstarch – Cornstarch works as a thickening agent. Make sure to dissolve it in water before adding it to the pot to avoid lumps.

Vinegar – White vinegar adds a nice tang to this dish. You can use rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar too.

Sugar – Balance the dish by adding sugar to it. I like to use brown sugar as it gives a nice earthy flavor.

Oil – You can use any vegetable oil for this recipe.

Others – Other ingredients required to enhance the flavor are – fresh ginger, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, and green onions.

You can increase or decrease the quantity of red pepper flake as per the spice level you like. Do not miss out on green onions for garnishing, they add great color, bite and freshness to the recipe.

How to make Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken?

Open 1 14-oz pineapple can and strain the liquid. Measure ¼ cup of the liquid and discard the rest. Chop the pineapple into bite-size chunks. Set aside.

Note – If using fresh pineapple, peel and cut it into chunks. Stir together ¼ water with 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp lime juice and use it in place of the liquid from the can.

Wash 1 and ½ pounds of boneless chicken breast (or thighs) and pat them dry using a paper towel. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Stir together 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp white vinegar, ¼ cup tomato ketchup, and 1 tbsp minced garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

Press SAUTE setting of the Instant Pot.

When the display says HOT, add 2 tbsp vegetable oil.

Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add the chicken pieces, salt, and pepper to taste and saute for 3-4 minutes until the pieces are slightly browned.

Add 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger, 1 tbsp minced garlic, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes and cook for a minute.

Add the soy sauce mixture that we made earlier to the pot and mix everything well.

Now add ½ cup cubed onions and mix well.

Press CANCEL. Close the lid of the pot and set the valve to the sealing position. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 4 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE. The timer will take 10-12 minutes to start. This is the time taken to build the pressure inside the pot.

Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Be careful while moving the valve. Use a kitchen cloth to move it to avoid steam burn. Once the pressure is released, open the lid of the cooker.

Add 2 tbsp brown sugar and mix well.

Stir together 2 tbsp cornstarch with ¼ cup water and make a slurry.

Add the slurry to the pot. Add pineapple chunks, liquid from the pineapple can, and 2 cups of mixed bell pepper chunks and mix well.

Press SAUTE again and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Garnish with 2 tbsp chopped green onions and serve hot over rice, noodles or cauliflower rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

Serve instant pot sweet and sour chicken with steamed basmati rice, fried rice, or Jasmine rice. It also tastes great with crispy noodles, Hakka noodles, or any stir-fried noodles recipe.

To give it a healthy twist, you can serve it with brown rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, couscous, etc.

Storage Suggestions

Sweet and sour chicken will last for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Make sure you store it in an airtight container.

Before serving, reheat it in a pan or microwave until nice and warm. If you feel it has become a little thick, add in a little water while reheating and adjust the consistency.

I will not advise you to freeze it, as the bell peppers tend to lose their crunch when thawed. You can freeze the curry if you are making it with just chicken and no veggies.

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