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You’re going to love this tender, juicy, and incredibly flavorful Instant Pot Orange Chicken! This easy and healthy orange chicken recipe involves no frying, nothing sketchy – just simple ingredients that beats takeout. 

a plate of Instant Pot orange chicken with rice and slices of oranges and green onions.
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This Instant Pot orange chicken recipe is about to be your new favorite dinner! It’s so easy, absolutely delicious, and will make the most tender chicken you’ve ever had!

If you’re looking for a crispy and breaded version of this recipe, check out our Air Fryer Orange Chicken. And if you are new to pressure cooking and the Instant Pot, check out this post on recipes for Instant Pot beginners.

Ingredients

garlic, ginger, raw chicken breasts, soy sauce, and other ingredients on a marbled board.

This recipe is rocking:

  • Chicken breast – boneless skinless, but chicken thighs would work great too.
  • Orange zest and juice – fresh is preferred.
  • Olive oil
  • Low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos if you need gluten-free
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Rice vinegar
  • Fresh garlic
  • Fresh ginger
  • Cornstarch
  • Baking soda – for tenderizing the chicken
  • Sriracha – leave out if spicy isn’t your jam

How to make instant pot orange chicken

*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.

The first step in making this orange chicken in the Instant Pot is to prep the chicken and marinate it with baking soda.

Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, place them into a medium mixing bowl, and toss them with the baking soda. Let the baking soda sit on the chicken for 10-15 minutes.

While the chicken is resting, mince the ginger and garlic, and juice and zest the orange(s).

Place the chicken in a small strainer and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear. You must completely rinse the baking soda from the chicken. Do not skip this step!

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and let it sit while the Instant Pot heats up using the saute function.

Once the Instant Pot shows “HOT”, add 1 tsp olive and sesame oil to the Instant Pot insert. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chicken will stick a bit, but that’s ok.

two photos showing how to make a chicken recipe in the Instant Pot.

Push the chicken to the sides of the Instant Pot, add the other 1 tsp of olive oil, then add ginger and garlic. Stir for 1 minute. Turn Instant Pot to off.

Add a splash of the orange juice to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck-on residue off the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, orange juice, orange zest, and sriracha (if using). Give everything a brief stir and then lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>5 minutes. 

While the orange chicken is cooking, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Set it aside; you’ll be using it in a bit.

When the cooking time is up, do a natural release for 5 minutes, and then flip the vent to venting and perform a quick release. Carefully open the lid and press “Saute”.

Add the cornstarch slurry to the chicken and mix. Allow everything to come to a boil, stirring often until the sauce begins to thicken, which will take about 3-5 minutes.

two photos showing how to make a chicken recipe in the Instant Pot.

If you’re feeling extra, top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

How to Store and Reheat

Storing Leftovers: Store leftover orange chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating Leftovers: Place chicken in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 60-90 seconds.

Freezing Leftovers: Instant Pot orange chicken is best enjoyed right away, but you can freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating following the instructions above.

What to serve with orange chicken

This recipe is easy enough that you can make something else to go on the side—or, if you’re not in the mood to cook, just pick up a pouch of heat-and-serve rice or quinoa at the grocery store, along with some air fryer egg rolls and roasted frozen broccoli.

In the mood to cook? Here are some ideas:

Frequently Asked Questions

What does baking soda do to chicken?

In a nutshell, it turns the texture of chicken breasts into chicken thighs.

Tossing the raw chicken breast in a few teaspoons of baking soda, letting it rest for 10-15 minutes, and then rinsing it really well will give you the most tender chicken you’ve ever had. 

You can skip this step if you’re pressed for time, but I highly encourage you to give it a try.

Can I use regular orange juice in this recipe?

In a pinch, store-bought orange juice will work just fine. I think it misses some of the intensity of fresh orange juice, but sometimes it is the only option, which makes it the best.

I’ve had a friend make this with frozen orange juice concentrate when her fresh oranges went bad. At the end of the day, use what works best for you.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Yes! You can use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.

What can I use instead of cornstarch?

This recipe was originally written to be Whole30 compliant and called for arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch.

You can use the same amount of arrowroot as cornstarch in this recipe.

Can I meal prep this recipe?

Absolutely! You can cut, marinate, and rinse the chicken and then store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

You can also prep the other ingredients ahead of time, or even use frozen garlic and frozen ginger.

Recipe Notes/Pro Tips

  • Don’t skip the deglazing step. Any stuck on residue on the bottom of the pot could impact the ability for it to properly come to pressure. Deglazing only adds about 30 seconds of work to the overall recipe. Do it.
  • No Instant Pot? Use a large frying pan or wok and cook the chicken throughout until no pink remains. Follow the instructions in the recipe card below for more details.
  • Make the sauce pop even more by adding in a few pieces of dehydrated oranges during the cooking process. Discard prior to serving.
  • If you prefer your sauce on the sweeter side, add 1-2 tbsp of honey to the sauce prior to cooking.

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS

One serving has 2 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.

a white plate of orange chicken topped with sliced green onions.
5 from 39 ratings

Instant Pot Orange Chicken

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Pressuring/depressurizing time: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
a plate of Instant Pot orange chicken with rice and slices of oranges and green onions.
You're going to love this tender, juicy, and incredibly flavorful Instant Pot orange chicken! This easy and healthy orange chicken recipe involves no frying, nothing sketchy – just simple ingredients that beats takeout. 

Ingredients 

  • 2 lbs chicken breast {boneless skinless}
  • 2 tsp baking soda {optional – see notes}
  • 2 tsp olive oil, divided
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp fresh ginger {minced}
  • 4 cloves garlic {minced}
  • 4 tbsp orange zest
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce, reduced sodium {or coconut aminos}
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 tsp sriracha {optional}

Slurry

  • 2 tbsp cornstarch {or arrowroot powder}
  • 1 tbsp cool water

Instructions 

  • Cut chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Toss with baking soda, stirring to distribute. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
    2 lbs chicken breast, 2 tsp baking soda
  • Chop the ginger, garlic, zest and juice the oranges. 
    3 tbsp fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 4 tbsp orange zest, 1/2 cup orange juice
  • Place the chicken in a small strainer and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear. You must completely rinse the baking soda from the chicken.
  • Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
  • Set the Instant Pot to Saute and allow to heat until it shows "HOT" on the display.
  • Add 1 tsp olive and sesame oil. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    2 tsp olive oil, divided, 2 tsp sesame oil
  • Push the chicken to the sides of the Instant Pot, add the other 1 tsp of olive oil, then add ginger and garlic. Stir for 1 minute. Turn Instant Pot to off.
    3 tbsp fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic
  • Add a splash of the orange juice to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck on residue off the bottom of the Instant Pot.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients through the cornstarch.
    1/3 cup soy sauce, reduced sodium, 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 cup orange juice, 2 tsp sriracha
  • Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>5 minutes. 
  • In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water until smooth and set aside.
    2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp cool water
  • When the cooking time is up, do a natural release for 5 minutes, and then flip the vent to venting and perform a quick release.
  • Open the lid and press Saute.
  • Add the cornstarch mixture to the chicken and mix.
  • Allow everything to come to a boil, stirring often until the sauce begins to thicken ~ 5 minutes.

Notes

  1. You MUST rinse all the baking soda from the chicken prior to cooking.
  2. Don’t skip the deglazing step. Any stuck on residue on the bottom of the pot could impact the ability for it to properly come to pressure. Deglazing only adds about 30 seconds of work to the overall recipe.
 
Frying Pan/Wok Instructions
  1. Follow steps 1-3 above. Make the arrowroot slurry and set aside.
  2. Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil and sesame oil to the pan. Swirl to coat.
  3. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes. 
  4. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  5. Push the chicken to the sides of the pan and add the rest of the ingredients including the arrowroot slurry to the pan.
  6. Cook thoroughly until the chicken is completely white when a test piece is cut.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 231kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 33gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 468mgPotassium: 657mgFiber: 0gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 105IUVitamin C: 19.6mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Fusion
Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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About Sarah

Helping you serve up budget-friendly sustainable recipes with a side of balanced living.
Come for the food. Stay for the snark.

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64 Comments

  1. This was very delicious. The baking soda trick made the texture of the chicken SO much better than it typically is! Why did I never know this? I will definitely be sharing this recipe with friends and making it again.5 stars

    1. So glad you enjoyed it, Ginette! And it’s truly amazing what a super cheap and common ingredient can do for chicken. 🙂