Instant Pot Honey Lemon Chicken

Instant Pot Honey Lemon Chicken with amazing sweet and tangy flavors is easy to prep with simple ingredients and is ready in minutes. It’s the perfect weeknight meal!

Honey lemon chicken was one of my favorite things to make in a slow cooker but ever since my first batch of roasted potatoes in a pressure cooker, I am pretty much obsessed with my Instant Pot and use it at every opportunity.

It took me a while to warm up to what I thought was just another appliance to clutter my already cramped kitchen counter, but after my first taste of its convenience, it has become my best friend forever. Anything that can churn out the perfectly moist and flavorful chicken in thirty minutes or less, I am all for it!

If you’re looking for quick and easy weeknight meals, this pressure cooker honey lemon chicken needs to be on your menu rotation. It uses simple pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand plus sears and cooks in the Instant Pot for less mess.

Easy to prep and readies faster than it would take to warm up the oven, you’ll be enjoying amazing sweet and tangy flavors in no time!

Cooking tips

• If substituting boneless chicken dark or white meat, decrease the “pressure cook time” by 2 to 3 minutes.
• To double the recipe, add 2 to 3 minutes per additional pound of bone-in chicken thighs.
• Once cooked, the chicken will be sitting in an amazing pool of sweet and tangy sauce I love to spoon over steamed rice or noodles! If you prefer a thicker glaze, turn on the SAUTE feature of the Instant Pot after the chicken has been pressure cooked and continue to cook, uncovered, for about 1 to 2 minutes to reduce the sauce. Or you can use corn starch slurry (dissolve one teaspoon corn starch in 1/4 cup cold water) and stir into the sauce to thicken.

How to serve

• Serve the chicken with steamed rice, couscous, quinoa, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles along with a green salad or roasted vegetables to round out the meal.
• To store leftovers, allow to cool completely and transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months
• To reheat, place in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil and bake in a 350 F oven to an internal temperature of 165 F.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @OnionRingsAndThings on Facebook and Instagram!

4.45 from 27 votes

Instant Pot Honey Lemon Chicken

Honey Lemon Chicken made quick and easy in the pressure cooker. Perfectly sweet, tangy, and delicious served over steamed rice!

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Author: Lalaine Manalo

Course: Main Entree

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4 Servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound (about 4 to 5 pieces) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• ▢ 2 tablespoons canola oil
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• ▢ 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• ▢ zest of one lemon
• ▢ 3 tablespoons honey
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Corn starch Slurry (to thicken the sauce)

• ▢ 1 teaspoon corn starch
• ▢ 1/4 cup water

Instructions

• Trim chicken thighs of excess fat. Season with lemon pepper seasoning.
• PRESS the SAUTE mode button on the Instant Pot. When HOT appears on the display, add oil and heat with the Instant Pot lid open. 
• Arrange chicken in a single layer with skin side down. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and then turn to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. 
• Drain excess oil from the Instant Pot. Add garlic and cook, stirring as needed, for about 20 to 30 seconds or until softened.
• In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, water, and soy sauce. Stir until well blended and pour over chicken. 
• Press KEEP WARM/CANCEL button. Close and lock the lid, making sure the floating valve is set on SEALING. Press the POULTRY button, use the plus and minus buttons to adjust the cooking time to 12 minutes.
• Once done, use quick release by pressing CANCEL and then turning the steam floating valve on the lid to VENTING position. Open lid. 
• To reduce the sauce, press the SAUTE button and cook, with the lid open, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is reduced. Alternatively, add corn starch slurry and cook using SAUTE mode for about 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
• Serve hot.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 110g, Calories: 370kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 111mg, Sodium: 341mg, Potassium: 266mg, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 90IU, Vitamin C: 6.6mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”