Instant Pot Orange chicken with broccoli
This delicious orange chicken with broccoli recipe can be made quickly and easily in the Instant pot that is better and healthier than takeout.
Ingredients
 | 3 pounds (5-6 pieces) of any type of chicken pieces such as thigh, leg or boneless chicken can be used. |
 | 2 cups of fresh broccoli |
 | 1/2 cup of unsweetened orange juice |
 | 1 teaspoon of orange zest |
Spices and flavoring ingredients:
 | 2 tablespoons of soy sauce (low-sodium soy sauce if possible to control the amount of salt) |
 | 1 teaspoon of ground ginger spice |
 | 2 tablespoons of olive oil |
 | 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, but you can also use garlic powder. |
 | 1 teaspoon of brown sugar |
 | 1 teaspoon of dried parsley |
 | 1 cup of liquid chicken stock or a stock cube and water. |
 | 1 tablespoon of cornstarch |
 | 1 tablespoon of water – to mix with the cornstarch for the slurry |
 | (Optional) 1 tablespoon of sriracha spicy sauce |
 | Pinch of salt and pepper |
How to make orange chicken in the Instant pot
- Sauté the olive oil, garlic, chicken, and ginger in the Instant Pot for a few minutes, until fragrant.
- Prepare the slurry: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except the broccoli and slurry) to the pot.
- Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 14 minutes.
- Natural release the pressure for 10 minutes once the timer ends, then carefully release any remaining steam.
- Stir in the broccoli and the cornstarch slurry.
- Switch to Sauté mode and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
- Rest on Keep Warm for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to settle.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve warm.
Orange chicken and broccoli is one of the popular recipes in Asia. With its medley of flavors, it is a stew that everyone can get behind, even young children who don’t always like to eat their veggies.
Packed with protein and vegetables, it has plenty of wow-factor. It’s a great way to spice up a weeknight dinner or a quick lunch or weekend lunch with friends. I love it so much, it is part of our regular dinner rotation.
With the Instant pot, it doesn’t require any special skills to create, just put all the ingredients in the Instant pot and cook. Perhaps the most tricky part of the recipe to new cooks is making the slurry to thicken it up. But it is just mixing a bit of cornstarch in with water and then adding it to the stew.
And compared to restaurant take-out, it is definitely healthier and perhaps even more delicious without all those added preservatives.
Cooking tips
- You use frozen chicken if you wish, as the Instant pot will naturally increase the warming up time.
- I’m using fresh broccoli and adding it into the Instant pot after the chicken, so it doesn’t overcook. If you use frozen broccoli, add it to the Instant pot at the same time as the chicken, although it may soften and disintegrate into the sauce. (It will still taste great though!)
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Instant Pot Orange chicken with broccoli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of boneless chicken approx. 5-6 pieces
- 2 cups of fresh broccoli
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of orange zest
- 1/2 cup of orange juice unsweetened
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
- pinch of salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon of sriracha (optional)
Slurry
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon of water
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, garlic, chicken and ginger into the instant pot and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and the water completely to make a slurry.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the broccoli and slurry), and set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 14 minutes.
- Once the countdown has finished, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Open the Instant pot and stir in the slurry and the broccoli.
- Press the Sauté button again for 5 minutes to let the sauce thicken.
- Let the orange chicken rest for 10 minutes on the Keep Warm function.
- Taste to add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve while warm.
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
Orange chicken with broccoli goes very well with pilaf rice or plain rice. (I usually have my rice cooker going at the same time.)
But it can also be served with vermicelli noodles, ramen noodles, or even egg noodles.
How to store it?
This orange chicken with broccoli should keep quite well, you can easily put aside portions in a container and put in the freezer. The broccoli may get a little mushy, but it will taste just as good. Let the dish cool, and then place in an airtight glass container.
