This Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken with pineapple is a one pot rice dish with a 5-ingredient sauce – it tastes just like takeout!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Canola oil – or another neutral cooking oil such as olive oil.
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders would also work.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Diced pineapple – you can use fresh, frozen or drained canned pineapple for this recipe.
- Rice vinegar – apple cider or white wine vinegar will provide a similar flavour.
- Honey – maple syrup or agave can be used instead.
- Ketchup – tomato paste with brown sugar would be a good substitute here.
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best soy sauce alternatives.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Chicken broth – use vegetable broth instead.
- Jasmine rice – swap out for another rice of your choice like brown rice, just keep in mind that the cooking time will vary. Find tips for cooking each type in my Instant Pot rice guide.
- Bell pepper – use any colour bell pepper of your choice.
- Scallions – green onions would also be good or you can leave these off altogether.
- Sesame seeds – black or white sesame seeds are good for garnishing.
How to make sweet and sour chicken in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Cook on high pressure.
Add everything but the bell peppers to the Instant Pot in order. Pat the rice down lightly into the liquid (do not stir). Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add in the bell peppers.
Do a quick release of the pressure, then stir in the bell peppers. Add the lid back on and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Stir well to combine.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
Garnish with scallion seeds and sesame seeds, then serve and enjoy!
What to serve with sweet and sour chicken
This dish is typically just served over rice since it already contains meat and vegetables. However, it’s easy to pair it with noodles or additional veggies. You could also make one or two other Asian-inspired entrees for your very own takeout buffet!
Here are some easy side dishes that will go with your sweet and sour chicken:
- Chow mein or lo mein noodles
- Steamed vegetables
- Green beans
- Egg rolls
- Summer rolls
Frequently Asked Questions
As long as you don’t go over the maximum line on your Instant Pot, you should be able to double this recipe. The cooking time will remain the same.
The sauce for this recipe will cook alongside the rest of the ingredients, and is already super thick. If you want it to be a bit thicker, add in a little more honey.
This Instant Pot sweet and sour chicken is already gluten-free without any substitutions needed.
You could try making this recipe using shrimp or beef, but since the cooking times vary, I’d recommend cooking the protein separately then stirring it in after the rice and sauce are done cooking.
Storing and reheating
Transfer any leftovers to a sealed container or divide the entire dish between individual meal prep containers. The dish will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. I suggest sprinkling some water over top before reheating so the rice and chicken don’t dry out!
Freezing this recipe
Allow the chicken to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. This prevents ice crystals from forming, which causes both freezer burn and watery sauce when defrosted.
Your sweet and sour chicken should last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating as normal following the instructions above.
More takeout-inspired Instant Pot recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this 30-Minute Sweet and Sour Chicken into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- Use these Ziploc bag holders if you’re marinating the chicken then freezing it.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 lb chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pinch salt & pepper
- 1 cup diced pineapple fresh, frozen or canned and drained
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup dry jasmine rice
- 1 each red, green and yellow bell pepper, diced into small pieces
- Scallions, to serve
- Sesame seeds, to serve
Instructions
- Add canola oil to bottom of Instant Pot, followed by chicken. Sprinkle salt & pepper over chicken. Add remaining ingredients in the order they are listed, except for bell peppers. Do not stir rice, just pat down lightly into liquid.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal. Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 5 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook for 5 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure on the Instant Pot by flicking the switch at the top with a spoon. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Stir in the bell peppers, then replace lid on the Instant Pot and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Serve in large bowls, topping with scallions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve and enjoy!
