Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken
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A little sweet and a little spicy, this EASY Instant Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken recipe is BIG on flavor and takes just minutes. It’s a fan favorite and also freezer friendly!
Reasons You’ll Love Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken
1. Like most of our Instant Pot recipes, super simple to make.
Simply dump the ingredients in the Instant Pot and cook it for 7 minutes. After it’s done, you can quickly thicken up the sauce using what’s called a cornstarch slurry. It’s optional yet quite easy.
2. Bourbon Chicken is complex in flavor.
Thanks to ingredients like fresh ginger (just keep some in the freezer to have on hand), soy sauce (or substitute gluten-free coconut aminos), honey, green onions, and, of course, bourbon. (More on the bourbon in a minute.)
3. My kids love it!
It’s a little spicy, but you can always pull back on the spice if your family has a sensitive palate. Here are more kid-friendly recipe ideas if you’re on the hunt for some!
4. It’s been very well-tested.
Both of us, as well as our 500 person recipe-testing team for our cookbook! In fact, we spent nearly two years developing and refining the recipes in From Freezer to Cooker. It was quite a feat because every single recipe works in the slow cooker, the Instant Pot, and includes freezer meal instructions!
5. It’s naturally dairy-free and can be made gluten-free.
With our substitutions, this recipe will work for both dairy-free and gluten-free diets. (According to Beyond Celiac, most bourbon is gluten-free due to the distillation process.)
How Long Does Chicken Breast Cook in the Instant Pot?
Now here’s the key to delicious Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken: Do not overcook your chicken! If you follow our recipe, you’re good to go. But…be sure to download and print off our Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart that we spent two years developing for our cookbook. This guide will help you pressure cook both fresh and frozen meals perfectly! It’s our gift to you!
Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
After testing hundreds of Instant Pot recipes, we have honed in on the best timing and methods for cooking different types of meals in the Instant Pot.
Tips For Cooking Chicken in the Instant Pot
- In order for the 6 quart Instant Pot to work, it needs a minimum of 1 cup of liquid. If you have an 8 quart Instant Pot, it needs at least 1 1/2 cups of liquid.
- Because chicken breast is so easy to overcook, we always use the quick release method. Quick release is when you turn the pressure release valve to “open” or “venting” (depending on IP model) at the completion of the cooking cycle. This forces the steam to release from the Instant Pot quickly.
- Do not stack chicken when cooking in the Instant Pot. It will cook unevenly. This is especially true for frozen chicken. Try to spread it out evenly along the bottom as much as you can.
- Use a meat thermometer like the one we recommend here to determine doneness. All poultry must cook to the safe temperature of 165°F internally (or no more pink inside). You don’t want to cook it longer than that or it will get dried out.
- If cooking chicken from frozen, make sure to read our post about how to prepare and cook freezer meals in the Instant Pot. Seriously, don’t skip it.
- If you have more questions about the Instant Pot, swing by and browse Instant Pot 101.
What Should I Know About Cooking with Bourbon?
I personally don’t drink or enjoy the taste of bourbon. However, when used in cooking, I’ve found that the bourbon lends a smoky, caramel-like sweetness that’s hard to replicate with another ingredient.
If you have kids, don’t worry, the alcohol will almost entirely evaporate when the sauce is simmered at the end. Look for small bottles by the liquor counter, if you don’t have some at home in your cabinet.
Wondering what you can use as a replacement for bourbon? One of our readers said she used chicken stock as a replacement with good results.
How to Freeze Bourbon Chicken
Like most of our freezer meals, this freezer-friendly chicken dish is one you can easily double, eat one for dinner tonight, and freeze the other for later. Here’s how easy it is to make ahead and freeze:
Freeze for Later: Make the sauce. Place the sauce and chicken into a gallon-size freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze (if using a freezer bag, set it in a bowl or round container with a diameter similar to the Instant Pot so it will fit in the pot when frozen.) You can freeze with a bag of frozen rice and frozen stir fry veggies to make this a meal kit.
From Frozen: Note: Have cornstarch, and (optional) cooked rice and stir-fried veggies on hand to complete this meal. Set the Instant Pot to “Saute.” Transfer the frozen meal to the pot and cook for 5 minutes to release some liquid. Press “Cancel.”
Lock, seal the lid, and cook at high pressure for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Then, thicken the sauce using a cornstarch slurry in Step 3 of the recipe. Serve over rice and with stir-fried veggies.
Can I Make Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken in the Slow Cooker?
You bet! In fact, we have a whole post walking you through how to make Bourbon Chicken in the Slow Cooker.
How to Serve Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken
Round out this spicy-sweet chicken and sauce by serving it on top of some brown rice (or quinoa or cauliflower rice) and stir-fried veggies.
To save time, buy pre-made brown rice at the store and use the frozen stir-fry vegetable mix.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
If you’re on the prowl for more easy Instant Pot recipes that you can freeze, here are some others that we love in our homes…
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken
A little sweet and a little spicy, this EASY Instant Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken recipe is BIG on flavor and takes just minutes. It’s a fan favorite and also freezer friendly!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (For Gluten-Free: Use coconut aminos or GF Tamari soy sauce.)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup organic or all-natural ketchup
- 1/4 cup bourbon or other whiskey (For Gluten-Free: Omit or use chicken stock/broth instead.)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (decrease to 1/8 teaspoon, if sensitive to heat)
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions, plus more for garnish
- 1 1/2 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless medium chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Cooked basmati rice or brown rice, for serving
- Stir-fried vegetables, for serving
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
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Combine Ingredients: In the Instant Pot, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, ketchup, bourbon, oil, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and green onions. Add the chicken and stir to coat. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
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Pressure Cook: Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, then quick release the pressure. (The chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and/or registers 165ÅãF internally.)
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Dice Chicken: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, dice or shred the meat, and set aside.
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Thicken Sauce: Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté.” In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Stir this cornstarch mixture into the sauce and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Press “Cancel.”
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Serve: Stir the chicken back into the sauce to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve over basmati or brown rice. Garnish with green onions and serve with stir-fried vegetables, if desired.
Freeze For Later:
Follow Step 1. Pour the sauce and chicken into a gallon-size freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze (if using a freezer bag, set it in a bowl or round container with a diameter similar to the Instant Pot so it will fit in the pot when frozen).
Prepare From Frozen:
Note: Have cornstarch and (optional) cooked rice and stir-fried veggies on hand to complete this meal. Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté.” Transfer the frozen meal to the pot and cook for 5 minutes to release some liquid. Press “Cancel.” Follow step 2, but cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Follow steps 3 through 5.
Want More Instant Pot Freezer Meals?
We’ve got you covered. Hop over to this post highlighting 20+ Best of the Best Freezer Meals for the Instant Pot. It includes freezer meal instructions for EVERY recipe plus tons of pro tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years.
Made this for family tonight. They loved it, even the kids. Thank you!
★★★★★
Glad to hear it was enjoyed by all Shannon! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Honey Bourbon chicken is a staple in our house! It’s the best dump and go recipe. No cooking before hand really helps prep. It’s my favorite to bring to a freezer swap. We just get frozen stir fry and minute rice and it’s an easy after school recipe for this teacher. It is so yummy and delicious! Maybe one of the fastest preps on the whole website!
★★★★★
Good recipe. As we are a dry house, I omitted the bourbon. I have made it with chicken broth and just plain water in place of the bourbon. Still a good tasting dish!
★★★★
Well that’s great to know you had good results without the bourbon. Thank you so much for that feedback.
Loved this recipe! The chicken was so flavorful! The whole
Family loved it. I added 1tbsp brown sugar to the sauce and also added Asian blend steamable veggies at the end. Definitely will be making this again!
★★★★★
Thanks for the review and suggestions, Brittany. So happy to hear it was a win for you!
This one was a winner with my whole crew tonight! Printing it off so I can make again! I found your recipe via your weekly meal plans on IG— thank you for doing those!!!
★★★★★
This is a fave in our house, too. So glad it work for you all, Jessica. Thanks for the review!