Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki

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A delicious homemade teriyaki recipe, this Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki is the perfect take-out fake-out with all of the sweet and salty, sticky teriyaki flavor that you crave – at a fraction of the cost of hitting up your favorite take-out spot.

This easy Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki recipe is sweet, savory and a less salty that take-out versions. It's perfect with a side of rice or noodles, or shredded and served on buns or as a salad topping.

Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

Friday night was always take-out night in my family growing up.

It was usually pizza, McDonald’s or fish n’chips. No vegetables or side salads in sight. And we’d often get to eat in the living room on TV tables.

I looked forward to Friday nights all week long!

When I had my own family, I kept up the take-out tradition, expanding our options to include sushi, authentic Chinese food, curries, etc, but after a couple of years of budget tracking, I realized the cost of having a night off of cooking wasn’t worth the money we were spending each month. Even just enjoying take-out once a week was adding up to nearly $2000 by the end of the year!

Instead, I like to make our own favorite take-out meals, like our Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets or our Mongolian Beef Stir Fry, for a fraction of the cost of take-out. The meals usually end up being healthier, too, and I can double or triple the recipe easily so I still end up getting a night off of cooking!

This easy Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki recipe is sweet, savory and a less salty that take-out versions. It’s perfect with a side of rice or noodles, or shredded and served on buns or as a salad topping.

I adapted my homemade teriyaki sauce for this recipe (which I describe below) but you can use a store-bought teriyaki sauce in place of the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic and minced ginger, if you prefer.

Can I freeze this recipe? Yes. Store in an airtight freezer bag or freezer container for up to three months. Allow to thaw before reheating. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.) I often will double or triple the batch of meatballs so that I can freeze them. You can freeze them uncooked or fully cooked.

Do I have to use cooked rice? No, I just always have either rice or cauliflower rice in my fridge because I pair it with everything. I also don’t like the texture of the rice when cooked with the rest of this recipe (it gets very soft), however you can use the Pot-in-Pot Instant Pot method for cooking the rice in a separate container (in the Instant Pot) while cooking the rest of the recipe. (You can find directions for that here.)

Can this Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken be made in the crockpot? Yes, you would follow the same cooking method outlined below but increase the cooking time to 4-5 hours on low, or 1-2 hours on high.

Do I have to use chicken legs for this recipe? That’s just what I had on hand, but you can use chicken thighs, breasts, or even wings. This recipe is written for chicken breasts because I assume that’s what most people will have on hand. Legs can be cooked in just 8 minutes, while breasts or bone-in thighs should be cooked for the full 13 minutes.

If using frozen chicken, increase the cooking time to 18 minutes.

Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Check out our full collection here!

Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki Ingredients

Tip: swap in a store-bought teriyaki sauce in place of the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic and minced ginger, if you prefer.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

  • Instant Pot <– I’m so excited to upgrade to this one with air fryer capacities soon! (You can also just buy the lid which adds the air fryer capacity to your standard IP.)
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Sharp kitchen knife
  • Cutting board
  • Wooden spoon or spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.

How to Make Chicken Teriyaki in the Instant Pot

Combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.

Marinade the chicken legs overnight in the homemade teriyaki sauce, if possible.

Add the chicken legs, teriyaki sauce and broth into the Instant Pot.

Sprinkle in the peppers and secure the lid.

Select “manual” and increase time to 15 minutes. Quick release and serve chicken with the peppers, rice, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions.

Pin this Easy Instant Pot Teriyaki Recipe for the next time you are craving take-out:

How to make Chicken Teriyaki in the Instant Pot! This Instant Pot chicken recipe is better than take-out and can be used for chicken teriyaki salads, rice bowls, or meal prep

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Yield: 6 chicken legs

Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki

Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki

A quick and easy take on a take-out classic, this Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki can be made using chicken wings, chicken legs, breasts or thighs.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1/2 cup broth or water
  • 4-6 chicken legs
  • 2 sweet bell peppers, chopped
  • Rice, for serving
  • Sesame seeds, for serving
  • Green onions, for serving

Instructions

  1. Combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.
  2. Marinade the chicken legs overnight in the homemade teriyaki sauce, if possible.
  3. Add the chicken legs, teriyaki sauce and broth into the Instant Pot.
  4. Sprinkle in the peppers and secure the lid.
  5. Select "manual" and increase time to 15 minutes. Quick release and serve chicken with the peppers, rice, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

If using frozen chicken, cook on HIGH for 18 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 598Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 328mgSodium: 1455mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 66g

Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.

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This Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki recipe is the perfect way to satisfy your take-out cravings while sticking with your healthy eating or budget goals.

For more delicious copycat recipes, check out our Copycat Chick Fil A Chicken Sandwiches or our Copycat Chinois Salad recipe.

How to make Chicken Teriyaki in the Instant Pot! This Instant Pot chicken recipe is better than take-out and can be used for chicken teriyaki salads, rice bowls, or meal prep   This easy Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki recipe is sweet, savory and a less salty that take-out versions. It's perfect with a side of rice or noodles, or shredded and served on buns or as a salad topping.

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