Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the chicken thighs, honey, soy sauce, and chili flakes in a bowl. Mix to coat the chicken well. Set aside. For more flavor, you can marinate the chicken for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Set your Instant Pot to the saute setting. Once hot, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Saute the sliced onion and garlic cloves until the onion softens and the garlic caramelizes slightly. Add the chicken stock paste and mix it with the onion and garlic.
- Add the chicken thighs to the Instant Pot, scraping in any leftover marinade from the bowl. Add the water and star anise. Mix well.
- Lock the Instant Pot lid, ensuring the vent is closed. Set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Perform a natural release for 5 minutes, then open the vent to release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and place them on a plate or a lined baking tray if you plan to caramelize them. Mash the softened garlic cloves in the cooking liquid with a spoon or fork.
- Set the Instant Pot back to saute. In a small bowl, whisk together 1-2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to create a smooth slurry.
- When the cooking liquid begins to simmer, add half of the cornstarch slurry and stir to thicken. Simmer for 1 minute. If you want a thicker sauce, add the remaining slurry and simmer for another minute. Once the sauce reaches your desired consistency, let it simmer for a few minutes and keep it warm.
- Taste the sauce and add salt if needed.
- Optional Caramelizing: While the sauce is thickening, you can caramelize the chicken for extra flavor. Line a baking tray with foil or parchment paper. Turn your oven's broiler (grill) to high or low. Using tongs, carefully place the chicken pieces on the lined tray. Spoon a little of the cooking liquid over each piece. Place the tray under the broiler and watch closely, turning the chicken every few minutes to prevent burning. Once slightly caramelized, remove from the oven and return the chicken to the Instant Pot with the thickened sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
- Top the chicken with sliced green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
This recipe is designed for a 6-quart Instant Pot. If using smaller chicken thighs, reduce the cook time to 6 minutes. For very tender chicken, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. For bone-in chicken thighs, increase the cook time to 11-12 minutes for large thighs or 9 minutes for smaller ones. If cooking only 4 pieces of chicken, the recipe can be followed as is in a 6-quart Instant Pot. To double the recipe, double the honey, soy sauce, garlic, chicken stock, chili flakes, and onion. Keep the star anise amount the same and you can omit the water as the marinade will provide enough liquid. You may need more cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.