Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

When you’re hangry and craving an easy simple meal, this Instant Pot teriyaki chicken recipe is here for you. Just 5 minutes, a handful of ingredients that you (hopefully) have in your pantry, and you’re good to go.

Teriyaki chicken is one of my faves. It might not be particularly authentic – you’ll be hard pressed to find teriyaki chicken in Japan, but there’s just something about that sweet and savory sauce on chicken that gets me every time. I’ve tried this recipe both with and without browning, and while there is a bit more flavor if you take the time to brown, I find it strictly not necessary. Plus, the fact that the chicken is covered in sauce means that the skin doesn’t stay crispy anyway, so if you’re in a hurry, just pop everything into your instant pot, turn it on, make a pot of rice, and you’ll be eating in the time it takes you to get into your comfy home clothes.

What is teriyaki chicken?

Teriyaki chicken is a cooking technique used in Japanese food – foods are brushed with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, then either broiled or grilled. Traditional teriyaki chicken isn’t as saucy as we know it in North America, it’s more of a glaze. Teriyaki chicken as we know it is a sweet and saucy chicken dish that’s served with fluffy rice. It’s quick, easy, and flavorful and probably one of the most popular chicken recipes out there. Lots of people go out and buy bottled teriyaki sauce, but it’s incredibly easy to make it at home.

How to make instant pot teriyaki chicken

While the instant pot may not be as hot of a commodity and plays second fiddle to the air fryer these days, making teriyaki chicken in the instant pot is easy and only takes one pot, so you can even do it in a dorm room:

1. Marinate (optional) and stew your chicken thighs in the instant pot for 7 minutes.
2. Remove the chicken and reduce the sauce in the same pot.
3. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with rice or noodles as your heart desires.

What ingredients do I need for teriyaki sauce?

For this teriyaki sauce you’ll need: soy sauce, sake, and mirin. These three ingredients make up the backbone of Japanese cooking.

Soy Sauce – I’m pretty sure you have a bottle of soy sauce in your pantry. It adds umami, a glorious brown sheen, and is delicious. If you can, try to use Japanese soy sauce for this dish. Kikkoman is a good brand that is found in most grocery stores and it is naturally brewed.

Sake – Sake is Japanese rice wine. It adds umami and a natural sweetness. Sake is to Japanese cooking just as wine is in French cooking: to add an extra layer of aroma and flavor. They sell cooking sake at Asian grocery stores. If you don’t have any you can substitute it with Chinese rice wine but it won’t have the same flavor. Buy a bottle and you won’t regret it, it’ll take your Japanese cooking to another level.

Mirin – Mirin is Japanese sweet rice wine and the other ingredient that is key in Japanese cooking. It’s similar to sake in that it is a sweet rice wine. Compared to sake, it has a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content that occurs naturally from fermentation. It’s used as a seasoning and glazing agent. They sell mirin in the Asian aisle and Asian grocery stores.

PS – If you want to make teriyaki chicken on the stove, check out this recipe.

Air fryer chicken teriyaki

Want fast easy chicken teriyaki without an Instant Pot? An air fryer will cook your chicken thighs or drumsticks perfectly at 350ºF for about 22-25 minutes. There’s no need to season or anything, just pop your bone-in, skin-on thighs or drumsticks and let the air fryer do its magic. While you’re waiting, you can make the teriyaki sauce on the stove, then toss your chicken to coat. It’s as easy as that!

-xoxo Steph

Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

A quick and easy instant pot teriyaki chicken recipe perfect for busy weeknnights

Serves 4

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time 1 minute min

Cook Time 9 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup sake
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 6 chicken thighs bone in, skin on
• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
• sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired

Special Equipment

• instant pot

Instructions

• Add the garlic, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar to the Instant Pot insert. Nestle in the chicken thighs skin side up.  Turn the Instant Pot on to High Pressure and cook for 7 minutes. When the Instant Pot is done cooking, quick release the pressure. Carefully open the lid and remove the chicken thighs onto a plate.
  
• In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1.5 tablespoons of water. Turn the Instant Pot sautè function to medium and add the cornstarch and water mix to the the sauce in the insert. Stir and let simmer and thicken to your liking.
  
• Turn off the Instant Pot and spoon sauce onto the thighs. Top off with green onions and toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
  

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 435 Calories from Fat 181

% Daily Value*

Fat 20.1g31%

Saturated Fat 5.6g35%

Cholesterol 114mg38%

Sodium 1469mg64%

Potassium 291mg8%

Carbohydrates 24.3g8%

Protein 33.4g67%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.