Instant Pot Yum Yum Chicken–tender, shredded chicken drizzled with homemade yum yum sauce that’s just as good as your favorite Japanese hibachi restaurant.
Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below
Instant Pot Yum Yum Chicken
Have you heard of yum yum sauce? I recently learned of it this summer when we visited our friends and they made fried rice for dinner. They served the fried rice with a bottled condiment called yum yum sauce. It looked like what Utahans call “fry sauce”–a mixture of ketchup and mayo that we serve with fries. I tried it and liked it! It is basically a mixture of ketchup, mayo, rice vinegar, paprika and garlic powder. It’s a creamy sauce that tastes great served on any meat. If you haven’t tried yum yum sauce you can easily make your own at home with ingredients that you probably already have in your cupboard.
This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I find these at Costco and Sam’s Club in the frozen section and also the fresh section. My normal grocery store only sometimes has them in the fresh section. I like using this cut of meat in the Instant Pot and Crockpot because the chicken stays moist and tender. If you choose to use chicken breasts that’s fine. The meat won’t be as moist and tender but it will still work. The cooking times will remain the same (unless they are unusually thick and frozen…then I’d increase the time by a couple minutes).
This chicken and sauce tastes great served over hot cooked rice. You can use the pot-in-pot method to cook some white, jasmine or basmati rice at the same time. All you do is place a tall trivet* on top of the chicken. Then place a pan* with rice and water on top of the trivet (for white rice use a 1 cup rice to 1.5 cups water ratio). I like to cover my pan with a lid and the rice steams up nicely inside.
A low carb option instead of rice is to steam some riced cauliflower. I buy the big bag in the frozen section at Costco. It comes in a big bag but has 4 or 6 smaller packages inside that you can throw in your microwave and steam in about 5 minutes. It’s a great way to get veggies and feel like you’re eating rice!
Try these other Instant Pot chicken recipes…
Instant Pot Dude Ranch Chicken
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Instant Pot Yum Yum Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Tender, shredded chicken drizzled with homemade yum yum sauce that’s just as good as your favorite Japanese hibachi restaurant.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
- 2 tsp brown sugar
For the yum yum sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp water
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- In a bowl whisk together garlic, broth, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and brown sugar. Pour the mixture into the Instant Pot. Add in the chicken.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 12 minutes for fresh chicken or 15 minutes for frozen chicken. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. Shred up chicken and let it soak in liquid in the pot until ready to serve.
- In a bowl make the yum yum sauce by whisking together the mayo, ketchup, sugar, paprika, vinegar, garlic powder and water.
- Use tongs to serve a scoop of chicken over hot cooked rice (or cauliflower rice) drizzled with yum yum sauce.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Add chicken into slow cooker. In a bowl whisk together garlic, broth, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and brown sugar. Pour the mixture over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Remove the lid. Shred up chicken and let it soak in liquid in the pot until ready to serve.
- In a bowl make the yum yum sauce by whisking together the mayo, ketchup, sugar, paprika, vinegar, garlic powder and water.
- Use tongs to serve a scoop of chicken over hot cooked rice (or cauliflower rice) drizzled with yum yum sauce.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*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.
Could I use boneless chicken breasts instead of thighs?
If you choose to use chicken breasts that’s fine. The meat won’t be as moist and tender but it will still work. The cooking times will remain the same (unless they are unusually thick and frozen…then I’d increase the time by a couple minutes).
If I use jarred sauce how much would I put in. I would have to buy most of the sauce ingrediets.
I would use somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 cup
I thoughtful was a little bland so I made this a little different and it was great! I let the chicken marinate for a half hour but I added a little cayenne pepper, white pepper ,honey and extra brown sugar. I also made white rice with peas and sprinkled cilantro on top of the dish after putting the yum yum sauce and it had great flavor. Make it your own it’s a good recipe!
★★★★★
Sounds like a great version Laura!
I added a bit of hot sauce, pressed garlic, grey Poupon mustard and Catalina Calif. salad dressing with a sprinkle of celery salt to flavor up the Yum sauce. A bit of Teriyaki also helped. Jasmine or basmati are both fine and you can get them in those 90 second quick cook envelopes that are great…I like using chicken thighs best though the youngsters like the legs better.
★★★★
Typically love your recipes. Had high hopes for this one but was disappointed when I finally tried it tonight. Both husband and I found it bland and unexciting – nothing that we would order at a restaurant or make again at home. (Double checked the recipe to confirm I hadn’t left something out!) Tried bit of the cooking liquid over the chicken and that didn’t help flavor. Used all the sauce for just the two of us! Will use the leftover chicken for something else. That said, keep the recipes coming as they are usually good!
★★★
Made this tonight. The Yum Yum sauce is so tasty. The meal is so easy to make and even the marinade in the pot for the chicken made the chicken tasty. I will make this again. Thanks for helping me feed my family!
★★★★★
You are welcome Nancy! I’m glad you all like it!
Hi! Can you replace the mayonnaise with anything and have it taste right? Maybe sour cream?
Thanks!
I would try Greek yogurt because if the tang it has closely mimics mayo. I have a friend that can’t do mayo or sour cream bc it makes her sick. She says Greek yogurt taste is close to mayo.
I’d try sour cream or greek yogurt. Full fat.
Can I use bone in and skin on chicken thighs?
Yes that is fine. I would use a 15 minute pressure cook time with a 10 minute natural pressure release.
Made the instant pot chicken yum yum recipe today. Came out great, sauce recipe needs to be at least doubled. Will make again and give the sauce a little heat zing.
★★★★★
Good idea to double the sauce 😉