Name: Instant Pot Honey Lemon Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 24 min
Ingredients: 1 to 1 ½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs; ¾ to 1 pound of fresh green beans; ½ cup chicken broth; 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce; 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar; 1 Tbsp butter; 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice; 1 ½ tsp lemon zest; 2 Tbsp honey; ¼ tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp garlic powder; 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp cold water; 1 Tbsp sesame seeds; Salt and pepper

Instant Pot Honey Lemon Chicken

This is an easy, healthy and delicious weeknight dinner idea. Chicken and green beans in a lemon-honey sauce tastes great over rice, quinoa or riced cauliflower. After a little upfront work of trimming the chicken and the green beans you’re on your way to eating a tasty dinner.

I like using chicken thighs in the Instant Pot because they stay moist and tender. I usually find a big bag of frozen thighs at Costco and I usually buy fresh thighs at Winco. If you want you can also use chicken tenderloins for this recipe. Use the same pressure cooking time of 4 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release.

If you’d like to use another vegetable besides green beans you can do that. However whether or not you pressure cook the vegetable will depend on what it is. For example, broccoli florets will come out way too mushy with a 4 minute pressure cook time. However baby carrots would be just fine with a 4 minute pressure cook time.

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs–you can also use chicken tenderloins

Green beans–fresh is best. I haven’t tried this recipe with frozen or canned beans but I think they would work fine. If using canned beans drain them and add in after the pressure cooking time is over.

Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon

Low sodium soy sauce–so it’s not too salty

Seasoned rice vinegar

Butter

Lemon juice–fresh is best

Lemon zest–about the amount on one medium lemon

Honey

Ground ginger

Garlic powder

Cornstarch

Sesame seeds

Salt and pepper

Steps

Trim chicken: Cut the excess fat off of the chicken. Cut the chicken thighs into bite size cubes. (I like cutting the chicken when it is partially frozen. I like using these knives*).

Prepare green beans: Wash the green beans and trim off the ends. Cut the green beans in half.

Add ingredients: Add the chicken, green beans, chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, ginger and garlic powder into the Instant Pot. Stir.

Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5-10 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.

Thicken sauce: Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and water. Stir the slurry into the Instant Pot. Once the sauce has thickened turn off the pot.

Serve: Sprinkle in the sesame seeds. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy. Honey lemon chicken and green beans tastes really good over hot cooked rice.

Notes/Tips

Serve the chicken, green beans and sauce over hot cooked rice or cauliflower rice. If you’d like you can cook the rice using the pot-in-pot method. Place a tall trivet* into the pot after you add in all the ingredients. Place a pot-in-pot dish* on top of the trivet. The dish should have a 1 cup white rice to 1.5 cup water ratio in it. You can cover the pot-in-pot dish or leave it uncovered.

I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.

This recipe can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free soy sauce. This recipe can be dairy free if you forego the butter.

Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Other recipes you can make with seasoned rice vinegar are Instant Pot Dynamite Rice, Get In My Belly Supper and Instant Pot Chinese Chicken.

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Comments

Diane says

August 19, 2022 at 5:20 pm

Hi! Made this tonight…very good and easy. Used pork tenderloin and potatoes. Pork turned out great..potoes a little overdone. Will adjust next time.Flavour was there. Please use more pork tenderloin in the recipes. But this one worked out well! Thanks and love this site!

★★★★

Reply
- Karen says
  
  August 22, 2022 at 5:56 pm
  
  mmmm sounds great!
  
  Reply
Vicki says

August 9, 2022 at 7:42 am

Can this be made in a crock pot?

Reply
- Karen says
  
  August 12, 2022 at 11:54 am
  
  I bet you could…this is how I would try it:
  Cut the excess fat off of the chicken. Cut the chicken thighs into bite size cubes.
  Wash the green beans and trim off the ends. Cut the green beans in half.
  Add the chicken, green beans, chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, ginger and garlic powder into the slow cooker. Stir.
  Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.
  Turn slow cooker to high setting. In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and water. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker. Keep lid off and let sauce thicken for about 10 minutes.
  Sprinkle in the sesame seeds. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.
  
  Reply
Donna B. says

August 5, 2022 at 1:30 am

Hello Karen,
This is another of many easy and delicious family favorites from you. I make it exactly “as is” in my six quart Instant Pot – perfect every time…and I serve it with brown rice made in my 3 quart I.P.
Thank you 🙂

Reply
- Karen says
  
  August 5, 2022 at 8:56 am
  
  yay! Thanks Donna!
  
  Reply

Instant Pot Honey Lemon Chicken