Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli

This simple Asian dish is reminiscent of your favorite take-out meal, but with wholesome ingredients! Orange juice and ginger provide the right amount of sweetness and tang to the delicious homemade sauce. This easy peasy dinner requires only 10 minutes of prep time with instructions for the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker! Serve with my super easy 10 minute- rice for a complete meal.

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Let’s talk busy weeknight dinner recipes shall we? I feel like years of parenting, writing recipes and cookbooks, I am somewhat of a subject matter expert. My favorites? Typically those that involve chicken breast, veggies, and my Instant Pot! As a nutritionist, building a flavorful recipe around a lean protein and veggie is what I do best. And this recipe is no different! One of the good Instant Pot recipes that always comes through, even on the busiest nights.

Reasons you will love this Instant Pot Orange Chicken

• It’s zingy with a tasty homemade Asian orange sauce made with simple ingredients.
• It comes together with about 10 minutes of hands on time, and then you let the Instant Pot do the work.
• You can also use this recipe for Meal Prep! Make on the weekend and keep on hand to enjoy as lunch all week.

Tips to make this Instant Pot dinner a winner!

The ingredients you need for this recipe: chicken breast, arrowroot starch (to create a sticky coating), coconut aminos or Tamari soy sauce, juice and zest from a fresh orange, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, fresh ginger, crushed red pepper if you want a little spice, fresh broccoli, and sesame seeds and green onion for garnish. I love adding broccoli and you’ll find it in lots of my favorite quick meals for its simplicity and all the healthy goodness it brings.

I have tried this recipe multiple ways to get the right texture for the chicken and the broccoli! Here are some important tips:

1. Coat the chicken with arrowroot starch so that you get the sauce to stick better!
2. Create the sauce on the side. The orange juice helps to add liquid to the Instant Pot so that you don’t get the burn signal.
3. Sauté the garlic and ginger in the Instant Pot so that you get more robust flavor.
4. Be sure to add the sauce to de-glaze the Instant Pot, then add the chicken. The mixture cooks in the Instant Pot, use a quick release and remove the lid.
5. Now add the broccoli and cover the lid to let the broccoli steam! This makes the broccoli “al dente” as opposed to mushy if you add it with the chicken.
6. Top with some optional garnishes and serve with rice using my super easy cook rice like pasta method, or my personal favorite Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice.

4.75 from 8 votes

Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Broccoli

By Amy Rains

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 8 minutes mins

Total: 18 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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This simple Asian dish is reminiscent of your favorite take-out meal, but with wholesome ingredients! Orange juice and ginger provide the right amount of sweetness and tang to the delicious homemade sauce.

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1.5 lbs chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
• ▢ 1.5 tbsp arrowroot starch*
• ▢ 1/2 cup coconut aminos or GF Tamari Soy Sauce
• ▢ 1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice**
• ▢ 2 tsp orange zest
• ▢ 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• ▢ 2 tsp sesame oil
• ▢ 3 cloves crushed garlic, divided
• ▢ 3 tsp finely chopped ginger, divided
• ▢ 1 tsp crushed red pepper, optional
• ▢ 3 cups chopped broccoli
• ▢ 2 tsp sesame seeds, optional
• ▢ 2 tbsp chopped green onion, optional

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Instructions 

• In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients: coconut aminos, orange juice, vinegar, sesame oil, orange zest, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 tsp fresh ginger, and crushed red pepper (if using). 
• Place chicken and arrowroot starch inside a resalable bag or container. Shake around until chicken is well coated.
• Select the saute function on your Instant Pot. Once hot, add the avocado oil, 1 tsp garlic, and 1 tsp chopped ginger. Stir, then add chicken. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the chicken is slightly browned. Select the cancel function.
• Now pour the sauce on top of the chicken. Secure the lid, ensuring the valve is in the sealed position. Select “manual” or “pressure” function and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
• Once cooking is complete, use a quick release. Remove the lid once the steam has been released, and toss in chopped broccoli. Stir, and place the lid back on the IP to let the broccoli steam and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. 
• Serve over rice or cauliflower rice with sesame seeds and green onion (if using). 
• For slow cooker, follow the same instructions with the whisking of the sauce. Coat the chicken with arrowroot starch like above and place chicken inside your slow cooker. Pour sauce over the top. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. 

Notes

*The orange juice in this recipe is fresh squeezed from an orange. It took about 1 1/2 oranges to get 1/2 cup. If not following a strict Paleo or Whole30 diet, you can use store bought orange juice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @wholesomelicious or tag #wholesomelicious!