Yield: 6

Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli

Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli

Chicken & Broccoli is a total staple in any Chinese-American restaurant. And if you make this recipe, this is one time you can turn your kitchen into a Chinese restaurant instead.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp of crushed garlic
  • 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp of sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp of Shaoxing rice wine (or cooking sherry if you don’t have this)
  • 1.5-2 pounds of chicken breast, sliced thin and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup of low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 cup of beef broth (I used 1 cup of water + 1 tsp of Beef Better Than Bouillon)
  • 2 tbsp of oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp of dark (or light) brown sugar
  • 1-2 heads of fresh broccoli, with the florets separate from the stalk (which you’ll discard)
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp of water to form a slurry

Instructions

  1. Add the vegetable, sesame oils and Shaoxing wine (which should NOT be cold but at room temperature) to the Instant Pot, hit “Sauté” and adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Allow it to heat up for 3 minutes
  2. Once heated, add in the onions and scallions and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute more
  3. Next, add the chicken and stir for a minute more until the edges become pinkish-white in color (it should not be fully cooked). Add in the hoisin sauce and stir to coat all the chicken with it
  4. Lastly, add in the beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar and stir well
  5. Secure the lid, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” High Pressure for 4 minutes. Quick release when done
  6. As the chicken is cooking, put the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water poured over it, cover loosely and microwave for 3-4 mins until it’s slightly tender, but still firm (see the “Jeffrey Sez” section why we don’t pressure cook the broccoli with the chicken). Also, create the cornstarch slurry during this time
  7. Once the quick release is done and the lid comes off the Instant Pot, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Sauté” again. When the sauce begin to bubble, add in the cornstarch slurry and stir immediately. Then, add in the steamed broccoli and stir it in so it’s nice and combined with the chicken and the sauce. Allow it to bubble for 1-2 minutes and then turn the Instant Pot off
  8. Enjoy! Goes GREAT with my famous Hibachi Fried Rice (or White Rice or Brown Rice) and Egg Drop Soup, Hot & Sour Soup and Soup Dumplings!

Jeffrey's Tips

The reason I cook the broccoli separately from the chicken during the pressure cooking phase is because broccoli cooks insanely fast when pressure cooked. Like, it will become mush. If you’d rather have a mushy broccoli that falls apart, by all means, cook it with the chicken – BUT – if you want it crunchy and substantial, simply steam it in the microwave as suggested in the recipe 😉

Some people enjoy these with some cashews and/or sesame seeds added at the end. Feel free to top it off when serving in a bowl!

Want some spice? Add in some Sriracha or garlic chili sauce to taste!

Enjoy this classic and wonderful dish with my famous Hibachi Fried Rice (White Rice or Brown Rice) and Egg Drop Soup or Hot & Sour Soup or Soup Dumplings!