Instant Pot Korean Spice Chicken (Pressure Cooker)

My family loves Korean food!  Two dishes that we regularly order at a Korean restaurant are Bibimbap, which is a rice bowl with sautéed vegetables, meat and Gochujang (chili pepper paste), and, Bulgogi, which is basically Korean grilled meat, served with rice or lettuce cups. This recipe for Instant Pot Korean Spice Chicken is my weeknight, and pressure cooker friendly combination of the two.

Simple recipe for Instant Pot Korean Spice Chicken

I start by marinating the chicken with ingredients that I use for making Bulgogi– some Gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste), ginger-garlic, honey, onion and ground or grated pear. The pear tenderizes the meat and provides a subtle sweet flavor, which balances the heat from the Gochujang really well.  Then I pressure cook the meat in my programmable pressure cooker, Instant Pot. Any pressure cooker would work great for this recipe. You can even do this in a skillet on the stove-top. Marinate the meat. Heat a heavy bottom skillet on medium high heat and dump everything in. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, remove lid and cook till chicken is tender and the sauce is thick to your liking.

Making Rice using PIP Method

My kids like having white rice with Korean Spice Chicken, so, I make it in the same pot using the pot-in-pot method. Since white rice and chicken have the same cook time of 6 minutes, it is very easy to turn this into a one-pot meal with just a trivet and an oven safe bowl. Check out the video to see how to make this meal using Pot-in-Pot technique. Here are some PIP recipes.

Low-Carb Variation

My husband and I like to have Korean Spice Chicken over lettuce cups.  The crisp lettuce contrasts really well with the spicy chicken.  I have to tell you, this is one of the tastiest low-carb meals we make at home. The pickled cucumbers really bring the meal together.

Pickled Condiments- Banchan

Korean food is almost incomplete without an assortment of side dishes called Banchan.  I make a few of them at home, including the Spicy Cucumber Salad called Oi Muchim. Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers work great for this dish. The fresh and crunchy cucumbers, marinated in Gochujang, salt, vinegar and sesame oil, are a perfect match for this chicken.  They bring this meal together beautifully! Try this recipe and let me know how it works for you by leaving a comment.

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Instant Pot Korean Spice Chicken

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Resting time

10 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Instant Pot Korean Spice Chicken is chicken marinated in Gochujang Korean spice paste, ginger, garlic, honey, onion and grated pear. Served with pickled cucumber. 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 353 kcal

Author: Spice Cravings

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breast halves
• 2 teaspoon olive oil for cooking
• 3/4 cup water adjust to cooker requirement

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Gochujang Korean chili paste
• 3 tablespoons Honey
• 1 tablespoon Garlic Paste
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste
• 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 pear or gala apple. Grated or blended
• 1/4 teaspoon salt optional. Adjust to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper crushed
• 1 medium onion sliced thin

Spicy Cucumber Salad- Oi Muchim

• 1 English cucumbers or 3-4 Persian / Pickling Cucumbers
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Gochujang Korean chili paste(adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar adjust to taste

Rice

• 1 cup long grain jasmine rice rinsed 2-3 times, till water runs clear
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Low Carb Serving Suggestion

• 1 Butter lettuce head for Lettuce Cups

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, or a gallon size ziplock (easy clean-up), prepare marinade by mixing together everything listed under "marinade". Add chicken and mix well. Refrigerate chicken for an hour.

2. Heat oil in instant pot on SAUTE mode. Add chicken along with marinade. Add very little water as the chicken and marinade would also release liquid while cooking. If you want to cook rice using pot-in-pot technique, place trivet on top of chicken. In an oven safe bowl, combine rice, water and salt. Place that on top of trivet. Close lid. Hit Cancel and press Manual or Pressure Cook for 6 minutes, vent set to sealing position.

3. Wait for 10 minutes and then manually release pressure by turning the knob to 'venting' position. Open lid after pin drops. Remove chicken for slicing. This is optional. If you want to thicken the sauce a little, turn on SAUTE for 2-3 minutes. Add sliced chicken back in the pot and coat with sauce.
4. Serve with pickled cucumber over rice, or, lettuce cups for a low-carb option.

Recipe Notes

If you are new to the Instant Pot, please read my FAQ on Instant Pot Terminology and Accessories to learn more.

 

Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates.  If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Korean Spice Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 353 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6g 9%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 107mg 36%

Sodium 1330mg 55%

Potassium 569mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates 46g 15%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 15g

Protein 26g 52%

Vitamin A 19.8%

Vitamin C 8.4%

Calcium 5%

Iron 11.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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