If you are like me, sometimes you forget to put the chicken out to thaw hours in advance of making a meal. Well, now you don’t have to worry, this is a quick and easy option for those who own an Instant Pot.
This is my very first dish cooked in my new Instant Pot, and I’m happy to say it was a success!
After reading all of the Instant Pot directions, I still wondered if cooking completely frozen chicken would really and truly taste as good as a thawed, traditionally-cooked version of the same recipe. Well, there is only one way to find out, so I started cooking.
First, I browned some onion with the sauté setting, followed by a lot of minced garlic. Then I added a completely frozen solid block of about 8 chicken thighs! I seasoned the frozen chicken brick generously with salt, pepper, and garlic salt (yes, on top of the minced garlic). Finally, I added the honey, soy sauce, orange juice, a splash of sesame oil, and a few drops of sriracha.
I closed the lid, making sure the steam pressure valve was turned to the “sealing” position, and pressure-cooked for 25 minutes.
After the 25 minutes was up, I did a “quick release” of the steam, and DONE! The chicken that started less than half an hour earlier as a frozen block was now soft, tender, flavorful and delicious! I served it over cauliflower rice and the pairing was perfect.
After breaking down the prices for this recipe it turned out to be around $1.89 – $2.53 per serving depending on how much you like to eat. The price I spent on the chicken might be a little high because I use organic. Keep in mind prices can vary according to the area you live in. Use this as an average/estimate.
Enjoy!
ORANGE SOY CHICKEN THIGHS (ON THE INSTANT POT)
PRICE PER RECIPE: $15.18
PRICE PER SERVING: $2.53 if serving 6 people. $1.89 if serving 8 people.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs (can be frozen) $ 11.98
- 1/4 diced red onion $ .30
- 3 cloves of garlic $ .25
- 1/4 cup honey $ .90
- 1/3 cup soy sauce $ .65
- 2/3 cup orange juice $ .78
- 1 tsp sesame oil (or more to taste) $ .07
- sriracha optional
- garlic powder to taste $ .05
- salt to taste $ .05
- pepper to taste $ .05
Instructions
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Turn your Instant Pot’s sauté setting on for about 3-5 minutes.
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Add the diced onions and sauté while stirring until translucent.
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Add the frozen chicken thighs, then generously season on both sides with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Add with the honey, soy sauce, orange juice, sesame oil, minced garlic cloves, and sriracha.
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Lock the lid and make sure the steam release handle is in the sealing position.
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Pressure cook for 25 minutes.
