Instant Pot Orange Chicken

This Instant Pot Orange Chicken is the most popular chicken recipe on Corrie Cooks!

It is so easy to make and even if you are new to the pressure cooking,  you can get a delicious meal in only 10 minutes!

This Instant Pot recipe is much better than takeout and budget-friendly.

Can I Use Frozen Chicken?

Yes, you can use frozen chicken for this recipe of chicken in orange sauce. 

I have received this question for other Instant Pot recipes with chicken, so I thought it’s best to cover it here as well.

However, the recipe asks for small cubes of chicken breast, so there are two options here. You either chop the chicken beforehand and freeze it like this to be used at a later date, or you use the Instant Pot to cook the frozen chicken first and only then cut it into bite-size pieces.

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes, you can use chicken thighs for this Instant Pot orange chicken recipe.

Keep in mind that it’s best to use chicken breast, but you can replace it with chicken thighs if you’re in a pinch. 

You can use chicken tenders as well.

Recipe Video

How to Zest an Orange?

In my book, zesting an orange is rather easy. But, if you’ve never done it, I should start by saying that the zest is the colored part of an orange’s peel. 

It’s important to understand that you don’t need to take the yellow or white part of the peel when you’re zesting - just the orange part!

Now, you can use a grater, a paring knife, or a potato peeler, but if you want the zest to integrate nicely into the food (which is the case now) I recommend using a fine grater. If you want longer strips (like for decoration purposes), a knife or a potato peeler are better choices. 

What can I do if I don't have oranges?

In the case you don’t have fresh oranges laying around, you can always use some substitutes such as dried zest (from a store or home-made), orange extract, or grated candied peel. 

Do I have do use cornstarch?

As you can see in the recipe, that the sauce should have a nice, smooth, thick texture. To get there, you need to add a thickening agent. This is where the cornstarch comes in. 

But if you don't have cornstarch or don't want to use it, it's fine.

Cornstarch substitute

If you don’t have cornstarch, you can always use flour. You will need to use 2 tablespoon of flour instead of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch,  as cornstarch is pure starch which has twice the thickening power of flour. 

To make sure there won’t be any lumps, it’s best to mix the flour with a bit of cool liquid and only then add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce.

In our case, you can use water or orange juice. 1:1 ratio is enough. So 1 tablespoon of liquid for 1 tablespoon of flour.

Can I use store-bought orange juice?

It’s best to use fresh oranges to make the juice, but this pressure cooker recipe also works with store-bought orange juice.

Can I use store-bought orange chicken sauce?

You can buy orange chicken sauce at the store, but I wouldn’t recommend that. The sauce you make at home is ten times more delicious and healthier!

Can I add vegetables?

Sure! Feel free to add bell peppers, mushrooms or green beans. Cooking time stays the same.

Can I store the leftovers?

Sure! Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Other tips

• You also have the option to mix the boiled chicken breast with the sauce (skip the frying step). The result will be less crispy and maybe some of the flavors will be lost, but it’s a way to avoid the frying (for health purposes). 
• A few minutes before the chicken is fully cooked, it’s best to add all the sauce ingredients (without the thickening agent) in a separate bowl and stir everything together. Then, you should add the mixture to the fried chicken.   

Serving

This is a colorful dish and the sauce is a wonderful combination of sweet and spicy, so it works great with white rice.

Check out the Basmati rice, Jasmine rice or the brown rice if you are feeling healthy.

If you want to add more color and make it a bit more interesting, I recommend adding a few steamed vegetables on the plate. It works extremely well with broccoli, green beans, or cauliflower.  

Also, don’t forget to sprinkle some fresh parsley or chives and some orange zest.

You can also top with sesame seeds or chopped green onion.

Looking for more ideas? check out What To Serve With Orange Chicken for 21 delicious side dishes.

How to make

Gather your ingredients:

Add oil into the Instant Pot and press sauté.

Add chicken and saute until browned.

Add tomato sauce and soy sauce.

Add orange juice, garlic powder, ginger, rice wine, and brown sugar. Stir gently.

Lock lid into place and cook chicken at high pressure for 5 minutes.

Do it by pressing the manual or the pressure cook button.

Once the cooking cycle is done, perform a quick pressure release.

Do it by pressing the steam release button or by moving the valve into the venting position.

Mix 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and pour the mixture over the chicken.

Saute for 2 minutes, until the sauce has reached the desired texture with no lumps.

Add some extra orange juice if the chicken is dry.

Sprinkle fresh parsley on top and serve.

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