Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken (豉油雞) – 0 Minutes Super Easy Chinatown Classic

Introduction

I love making instant pot soy sauce chicken. Soy sauce chicken is a cherished childhood memory and a quintessential Chinatown classic. Its tantalizing aroma and savory, glossy glaze evoke a sense of nostalgia, transporting me back to bustling Chinatown streets filled with the sights and sounds of my youth.

This dish, with its tender, succulent chicken soaked in a rich soy sauce-based marinade, embodies the essence of my cultural heritage and serves as a delicious reminder of the vibrant flavors that shaped my culinary palate from an early age.

In today’s fast-paced world, we all crave delicious meals that are quick and easy to prepare. If you’re a fan of Asian cuisine and are looking for a mouthwatering dish that fits the bill, you’re in for a treat. Our Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken Recipe is the answer to your culinary desires. This article will guide you through the steps to create this delectable dish that’s not only rich in flavor but also incredibly convenient to make.

---

The Magic of Instant Pot Cooking

The Instant Pot has gained immense popularity for its versatility and efficiency. It’s a multi-functional kitchen appliance that combines several cooking methods into one, such as pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing, and more.

This makes it an ideal choice for our Soy Sauce Chicken recipe, as it can infuse flavors and tenderize the meat in a fraction of the time compared to traditional cooking methods.

We will essentially use the instant pot to poach the chicken in the sauce.

Trust me, you won’t believe it is that easy!!

---

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Very few ingredients (you could also substitute chicken parts for the whole chicken).
• It’s a “dump and go” recipe. You set it and forget it.
• Needs almost no preparation time.
• One pot meal.
• Kids approved.

---

Ingredients You’ll Need for Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 bottle of soy sauce chicken marinate
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced
• 3-4 small pieces of rock sugar (optional – for the purpose of tenderizing the chicken)

---

Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Clean the Chicken

When you buy chicken whole, depending on the store you bought it from, there might be various steps you’ll need to do to clean and prepare the chicken before it’s ready to be cooked.

• If it comes with the head attached, remove it if desired.
• If it comes with a pouch of internal organs, remove it.
• Cut off any excess fat, usually found towards the bottom opening.

Step 2: Mixing the Sauce Ratio

• The pre-made sauce from the store for soy sauce chicken is a concentrate and should be diluted with water. Follow package instructions.

Step 3: Put Chicken Into Instant Pot (Breast Side Down)

• Put the cleaned chicken into the instant pot inner pot.
• Put the breast side down.

Step 4: Adding Sauce

• Pour in the sauce, based on the instructions and sauce to water ratio, into the pot.
• Be sure the sauce covers most, if not all, of your chicken.

Step 5: Adding Other Ingredients

• Add the prepared ginger and garlic to the pot.

Step 6: Pressure Cook

• Secure the lid and make sure the pressure nob is in the sealing (not venting) position.
• Set to manually cooking time on high pressure for 0 minutes. (Yes, 0 minutes, since the chicken will start cooking when the cooking is coming up to pressure!)

Step 7: Natural Release

• The natural release time will depend on the weight of the chicken. Natural release time ranges from 18 to 22 minutes.
• 3 lbs chicken – natural release for 18 minutes.
• 4 lbs chicken – natural release for 20 minutes.
• 5 lbs chicken – natural release for 22 minutes.

Step 8: Quick Release

After the natural release, if the instant pot still has pressure left, do a quick release.

Step 9: Serving

• Open the lid and use a meat thermometer to check if the thickest part of the chicken (thighs) is at 165 degrees. If not, then close the lid and let it sit for an additional 5 minutes.
• If the chicken is at temperature, remove the chicken from the instant pot. PRO TIP: there will be a lot of hot liquid inside the chicken carcass. Be careful not to burn yourself. Use multiple tongs if needed.
• When the chicken first comes out, it will be very soft and tender and will not be easy to cut or carve. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, until it’s cool enough to handle.
• Carve chicken into parts or cut it up into pieces.
• Serve it over steamed cooked white or brown rice, garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

---

What To Do With The Leftover Sauce?

Once the sauce is cooled, you could either put the sauce in the fridge overnight or use it as a sauce for any dish. Or freeze it in the freezer and re-use it next time you make this recipe!

---

You Could Substitute Any Chicken Parts with this Awesome Chicken Recipe

• Chicken Drumsticks
• Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Breast or Frozen Chicken Breast
• Chicken Legs
• Chicken Wings
• Chicken Leg Quarters

---

---

Check Out Other Simple Recipes Here

• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Weeknight Fried Rice
• Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
• Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp
• Instant Pot Chinese Beef Stew

---

Conclusion

This is one of my favorite recipes and it’s always in my dinner rotation. My go-to recipe when I run out of dinner ideas.

There you have it – a mouthwatering Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken Recipe that’s both quick and incredibly flavorful. The Instant Pot’s magic transforms this dish into a culinary delight and gives you the most tender chicken you could possibly have. Impress your family and friends with this easy-to-make, restaurant-quality, and perfectly cooked meal.

---

If you would like more inspiration on what to cook in your instant pot, you might want to check out this Facebook group. It’s not my group but I love browsing through it to see people’s creations.

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)