Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken Recipe

I am so excited to share this Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken Recipe.

Every time that I go to a Chinese restaurant, I try to convince myself to order something new.

However, I always go back to my favorite menu item, General Tso’s Chicken.

There is just something about that sweet and tangy sauce that coats breaded pieces of chicken that I absolutely love!

Add in a little broccoli and rice, and I have a delicious and filling meal. Well to be honest, I usually take home just as much as I eat so it really counts as two meals.

However, because the chicken is breaded and deep-fried, it isn’t the healthiest meal on the menu.

So I have begun to order my General Tso’s chicken stir-fried instead.

Bits of sliced chicken breasts are coated in the sauce and served along side a huge scoop of rice.

A much healthier alternative than the original version.

But when we moved away from our favorite Chinese restaurant I began to crave it more and more.

I think the thought of not having the ability to drive one mile down the road to pick up General Tso’s made me want it even more.

That is when I knew that I would have to find a way to replicate it at home.

And because we had success with Instant Pot Orange Chicken, we thought what we would make General Tso’s Chicken in the Instant Pot 6 quart Duo as well.

Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken

So I grabbed a few chicken breasts and went to work. You can either slice the chicken in thin slices or cut it in small chunks.

Then turn your Instant Pot on the Saute mode until the display reads HOT. This is the time to add the oil and chicken pieces.

Remember, do not add the oil while the pot is heating up. By the time you add your chicken, the oil will have settled to the sides and the center pieces of chicken will stick to the bottom of the pot.

Lightly brown the chicken pieces on all sides, working in batches if needed. Then remove the chicken and place them in a bowl.

If you have any stuck pieces of chicken on the bottom of the Instant Pot, now is the time to scrape them off.

Add the rice vinegar to the pot and scrape the bottom with a wooden spatula.

Once the pot is clean, it is time to add the remaining General Tso’s sauce ingredients.

Simply mix everything together and add the chicken pieces back into the pot. Coat the chicken with the sauce and it is time to cook your Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken!

Cook Time and Method

Lock your lid in place and turn the valve to the Sealing position.

Depending on the model that you have, push Pressure Cook or Manual and set your cook time to 10 minutes.

Remember, your pot will need time to come to pressure before the actual cook time begins.

Once the cook time is up, allow your pot to Natural Pressure Release for at least 5 minutes.

If you have more time, let it complete a full Natural Pressure release. However, typically I am in a hurry and it is all I can do to wait for the 5 minutes to go by before releasing the remaining pressure.

Thicken the General Tso’s sauce with a slurry of cornstarch (or arrowroot) powder and cold water. Continue to saute the mixture until you get the desired consistency.

Serve with rice. And if you want easy to cook, fail-proof Instant Pot rice, check out our recipe: Instant Pot White Rice.

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