Skip the take-out and make this Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli recipe instead! An orange-infused sweet and sour sauce coats tender pieces of chicken and hearty broccoli in this family-friendly dish. Make it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker for a quick and easy dinner.
I’ve rarely tried to replicate Chinese take-out dishes at home because I just feel like it’s an untouchable cuisine. Enjoying Chinese take-out is a dining experience, which for my family, usually happens on a lazy Friday evening after a long week and it involves egg rolls, fried rice, beef lo mein, and a couple fried chicken dishes. It’s not the healthiest of meals, but my goodness, it feeds the soul. So I’m reserving Chinese take-out in all of its greasy, white to-go box, pull-apart chopsticks, fortune cookie glory for special Friday nights. For all the other crazy busy weeknights when I’m craving Chinese take-out, I believe I’ve found my go-to recipe.
If you’re still with me on this Instant Pot and Crock Pot recipe journey (also know as the Instant Crock Series), thank you for bearing with me! I had intentions of wrapping the series up by May, but time slipped away from me in the midst of dance competitions, baseball games, and keeping up with a busy 10 month old baby. Turns out —caring for 3 kids is way harder than 2! Nevertheless, I’m here today to proclaim my undying love for this Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli because:
- The flavor in this dish is so insanely good.
- It’s a quick recipe if you’re using the Instant Pot!
- It’s so easy to make.
- It’s a decently healthy dish!
How to Make Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli
For the Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli, you’ll prep these three components:
- The chicken: You’ll need either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs chopped into bite-size pieces. Make sure to pat the chicken dry with paper towels, especially if you’ve defrosted the chicken from the freezer. Once I chop the chicken, I like to transfer it to a paper-towel lined plate.
- The sauce: Onions, garlic, and ginger add a fresh, savory flavor to this sauce. Sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha give it a bold umami base. And most importantly, the orange zest, orange juice, and honey add the sweet, citrusy flavor. I used the juice of 2 oranges and it resulted in a wonderfully balanced sauce that wasn’t overly sweet.
- The broccoli: Chop the broccoli into small bite-sized florets or make life easy and buy a big bag of pre-cut broccoli from Costco.
Once you have the chicken chopped, work on the sauce. Grab a bowl, pour in the sauce ingredients, and whisk. Add the chicken to the Instant Pot and pour the sauce over the chicken and cook on the manual setting for 5 minutes. (Yes, you read that right. Just 5 minutes!) After releasing the steam from the pot, you’ll need to thicken the sauce. To do so, make a slurry consisting of cornstarch and water, stir it into the chicken mixture, and turn the pot to Sauté mode. Within a couple minutes, the sauce will thicken. Now it’s time to add the broccoli and cook for just a couple more minutes to achieve a tender crisp texture.
This recipe can easily be adapted for the Slow Cooker. Be sure to check out the recipe notes for specific instructions, but really all that’s different is the cooking time.
How to Serve the Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli
I’ve found this Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli to be best served with a side of classic sticky white rice, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and bit of chopped green onion. Of course, cauliflower rice, brown rice, and quinoa would work just as well as the starch. And that’s all there is to it! Chopped chicken and broccoli, a fresh and simple orange sauce, and a quick little number in the Instant Pot will give you a family-friendly meal that is sure to satisfy any Chinese takeout craving!
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Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 serivngs 1x
Description
Skip the take-out and make this Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli recipe instead! An orange-infused sweet and sour sauce coats tender pieces of chicken and hearty broccoli in this family-friendly dish. Make it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker for a quick and easy dinner.
Ingredients
Orange sauce:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- Juice of 2 oranges
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons honey
Chicken and broccoli:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 cups chopped broccoli
Toppings:
- Chopped green onion
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Whisk together the orange sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
- Add the chicken to the Instant Pot. Pour the orange sauce over the chicken. Close the lid, press the Manual button, and set the timer for 5 minutes.
- When cooking has finished, naturally release steam for 10-15 minutes. Press the Cancel button and open the lid.
- Make a slurry by mixing the corn starch and water in a small bowl. Stir into the chicken mixture.
- Press the Sauté button and let the orange chicken cook for a couple minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the broccoli and cook for a couple more minutes until tender crisp.
- Serve with rice and top with chopped green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Notes
Slow Cooker instructions: Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Pour the orange sauce over the chicken and stir to combine. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours. When cooking is complete, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir the slurry into the sauce. The sauce should begin to thicken as you stir. If the sauce still seems a bit runny, turn the slow cooker to high if not already on that setting, and let the dish cook for couple minutes. Turn off the slow cooker, stir in the broccoli, and let the mixture sit for a couple minutes.
Interested in more recipes from the Instant Crock series? Check out these recipes:
Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! 
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