Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

Yes, thighs would also work great in this recipe. Though I would up it to 6 chicken thighs so you have the right proportion of meat to sauce.

Can I use a different sweetener besides maple syrup?

Honey would also be a great sweetener option in this recipe.

I don’t have rice vinegar, what is a suitable replacement?

You can use white vinegar instead of rice vinegar, but be sure to give the sauce a taste before adding it to the Instant Pot. You may need to add a little more sweetener to balance out the flavors since rice vinegar is naturally less acidic and a bit sweeter than white vinegar.

I forgot to thaw chicken for this recipe! Can I use frozen chicken?

Yes, just add an additional 10 minutes of cook time.

Is Instant Pot Ginger Chicken a good meal prep recipe?

Definitely! It makes several servings and by cooking in the Instant Pot, you can free up your stove or oven so you can prepare other meal prep dishes at the same time.

How do I increase the serving size to feed more people?

This recipe is perfect for feeding a lot of people. Just drag the number beside 'serving size' on the recipe card to increase the serving size. No need to adjust the cooking time!

Easy Instant Pot Ginger Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

Name: Instant Pot Ginger Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Asian inspired
Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (see note); ⅔ cup maple syrup; ½ cup soy sauce; ½ cup water; ½ cup rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger; 1 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves); ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use ½ teaspoon if you like it extra spicy); 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 2 scallions, diced

Ingredients

Scale

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (see note)
⅔ cup maple syrup
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
½ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use ½ teaspoon if you like it extra spicy)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 scallions, diced

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Instructions

Add ingredients: Place chicken in an Instant Pot. Whisk together soy sauce, water, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in a bowl and pour over chicken.
Pressure cook: Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the vent to seal. Press “pressure cook” and set the timer to 10 minutes.
Natural release: When the Instant Pot “beeps” to signal the end of cooking time, allow a natural release until the float valve sinks.
Shred chicken: Remove chicken and shred using two forks.
Thicken sauce: Add cornstarch to a small bowl along with 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid from the Instant Pot. Stir together until there are no lumps of cornstarch remaining. Set the Instant Pot to the “soup” setting and when the liquid comes to a boil whisk cornstarch mixture into the sauce until thickened.
Finish and serve: Turn off the Instant Pot, transfer shredded chicken back in and stir to coat in the sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Notes

If the chicken breasts you are using are especially thick (say larger than 1 ½ inches), I’d recommend pounding them to an even thickness to make sure they cook properly.
STORAGE: Once prepared, let the chicken cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Author: Christine @ Good & Plated
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Chicken
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: Asian inspired

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
Calories: 226
Sugar: 33.6 g
Sodium: 860.1 mg
Fat: 0.9 g
Carbohydrates: 46.3 g
Protein: 9 g
Cholesterol: 20.7 mg