Ready in just 20 minutes, this Instant Pot Kung Pao Chicken recipe will be your new favorite weeknight meal. Forget takeout and try this easy homemade recipe instead. It’s so flavorful and fast!
The added spices take the flavor of this chicken Instant Pot recipe from good to great! Get your chopsticks ready – this is the best kung pao chicken dish, ever!
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Why I Love This Recipe
What I really love about this easy chicken dish is that it’s loaded down with veggies. I tend to tone down the heat a bit for the kids because I don’t want them to miss out on this dish! I’m a fan of eating spices so that means I’ll just add some more heat to my own bowl so that it’s not too hot for everyone else.
Using the Instant Pot or pressure cooker to make this meal is great because it’s fast and makes for super simple clean-up! A fast dinner that everyone will love to eat? Count me in on this recipe every single time.
You can easily make this for a fast weeknight dinner or whip it up on the weekend as well. The kids will think that you ordered takeout because this recipe literally tastes like it!
If you’re ready for a fun and simple way to cook chicken, don’t miss out on this easy instant pot recipe. It’s safe to say that one bowl just might not be enough!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
Gather up the list of simple ingredients below to get started on this yummy chicken recipe.
- Chicken breasts – boneless and skinless
- Olive oil
- Red chili peppers – you can adjust the amount of peppers to your desired spice level
- Peanuts – add a great crunch! Choose whole peanuts vs. chopped.
- Red bell pepper
- Zucchini
- Soy sauce
- Honey adds a very light touch of sweetness to the kung pao sauce
- Chinese five-spice powder – Find in your grocery’s Asian foods section or at an Asian market.
- Minced garlic – Fresh is best, but you can use jarred minced garlic if needed.
- Red pepper chili flakes – Again you can adjust the amount to your taste.
- Salt and Pepper
🔁 Variations
The best way to change up this recipe is by adding in more or different vegetables. You can add in whatever veggies you want! For added flavor, I think that fresh jalapeños (totally non-traditional, I know!), as well as fresh onions, are a great choice, too!
You can also opt to use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
To reduce the sodium in this meal, opt for unsalted peanuts and reduced sodium soy sauce.
📌 Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with quantities and step-by-step instructions!
🥣 How to Make
STEP 1: Turn Instant Pot to sauté. While it’s heating, season both sides of chicken breast with salt and pepper, then cut and dice. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to pot to warm
STEP 2: Add chicken into the Instant Pot and cook each side for about 3 to 4 minutes – only until the outside browns. Stop sauté mode.
STEP 3: Add soy sauce, honey, Chinese 5-spice powder, minced garlic, red pepper chili flakes to Instant Pot. Mix to coat chicken. Close Instant Pot lid and seal the pot’s valve by it pushing it away from you. Pressure cook for five minutes and then do a quick release of the pressure. Remove chicken and set it aside.
STEP 4: Return Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add remaining Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and warm. Add the zucchini, bell pepper, and red chili peppers, stirring to coat with the oil. Sauté for three minutes or until both the bell pepper and zucchini become tender.
STEP 5: Add chicken back to the pot and cook for another two minutes so that the chicken warms back up to the temperature of the vegetables.
STEP 6: Mix in the peanuts. (You can opt to pressure cook peanuts with the veggies, but I prefer them crunchy and uncooked.)
To serve, it’s perfect over white or brown rice, and optionally top with green onions or sesame seeds! Enjoy!
How do you store leftover Kung Pao Chicken?
Until you’re ready to eat this simple recipe again, you’re going to want to keep it stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Eat within 3 days.
Can you use leftover chicken for this recipe?
I like to use fresh chicken so I don’t have to worry about it drying out as I’m cooking it.
More Instant Pot Dinners to Try
If you tried this Thanksgiving Leftover Egg Roll Recipe or any other recipe on my site, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing your about your results and thoughts!
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 lb. Boneless Chicken breasts
- 4 Tbsp Olive oil
- 4 Dried Red Chili Peppers Optional
- 2/3 cup Peanuts
- 1 Green Bell Pepper Chopped
- 1 Zucchini Sliced and halved
- 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Chili Flakes
- Sesame Seeds Optional: for Garnish
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté. While it's heating, season both sides of chicken breast with salt and pepper, then cut and dice.
- Add chicken into the Instant Pot and cook each side for about 3 to 4 minutes – only until the outside browns. Stop sauté mode.
- Add soy sauce, honey, Chinese 5-spice powder, minced garlic, red pepper chili flakes to Instant Pot. Mix to coat chicken. Close Instant Pot lid and seal the pot's valve by it pushing it away from you. Pressure cook for five minutes and then do a quick release of the pressure. Remove chicken and set it aside.
- Return to sauté mode. Add the zucchini, bell pepper, and red chili peppers, stirring to coat them with the sauce. Sauté for three minutes or until your bell pepper and zucchini become tender.
- Add chicken back to the pot and cook for another two minutes so that the chicken warms back up to the temperature of the vegetables.
- Mix in the peanuts. (You can opt to pressure cook peanuts with the veggies, but I prefer them crunchy and uncooked.)
Notes
Nutrition
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