Defrost Frozen Chicken Chunks for Stir Fry in Instant Pot

Instant Pot Stir Fry with fresh or frozen chicken, frozen vegetables and healthy easy teriyaki sauce. Do you need to be saved at the end of the work day? Then this Costco dinner with 5 minutes prep is for you!

On busy weeknights, pressure cooker meals like Instant Pot teriyaki chicken and Instant Pot fried rice have been a saving grace.

Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry

Instant Pot stir fry is a dream come true for working moms. I make it when I'm super-super tired. Not lazy because I'm not a lazy person. Just tired. Sounds familiar?! Not that chicken and broccoli or beef stir fry are time consuming. But some nights it is easier to throw frozen chicken and veggies in one pot.

This Instant Pot chicken stir fry is literally frozen chicken breasts cooked in 5 ingredient healthy teriyaki sauce, which I "borrowed" from this chicken stir fry recipe and teriyaki salmon. Then shredded and mixed with frozen stir fry veggies. Requires literally 5 minutes of prep time from you. Leave the rest to a pressure cooker because it's here to simplify our lives, not to complicate them.

Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out my popular collection of healthy pressure cooker recipes.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Stir Fry

• Frozen or fresh chicken breasts/thighs: Always when cooking Instant Pot frozen chicken breasts or thighs pieces should be separated. Do not add frozen blob of chicken, meat will not cook through inside.
• Frozen stir fry vegetables: I really love this mix from Costco but any firm frozen veggies mix will work.
• Teriyaki sauce: Fresh garlic and ginger, soy sauce, maple syrup or honey, cornstarch.
• Quinoa or brown rice for serving.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry

If you are new to pressure cooking, check out my Instant Pot guide. It explains what happens, why and how to avoid failures. If you don't have an Instant Pot yet but are thinking about buying one, I explain which Instant Pot to buy in my humble opinion.

• Prep side dish on the stove: Start cooking quinoa or brown rice as per package instructions. So it is ready, when your stir fry is.
• Place all ingredients in Instant Pot: 1 cup cold water, soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, ginger and place chicken breasts on top. No need to stir.
• Cook on high pressure: Press Pressure Cook on High or Manual, depending which model you have, fresh chicken – 10 minutes, frozen chicken – 15 minutes.
• Release pressure and shred: Wait for 10 minutes and then release remaining pressure. Shred chicken coarsely with 2 forks right in the pot. This is the quickest method.
• To thicken the sauce: Press Saute and while mixture is heating up, in a small bowl whisk cold water with cornstarch. Add to the pot right away, stir and cook until thickened.
• Add frozen vegetables: Keep cooking on Saute until veggies are heated through, stirring every few minutes. Be gentle and don't stir too often, veggies will thaw with hot stir fry sauce.

More Tips

• Can I use fresh vegetables? I do not recommend so because fresh veggies will take quite a long time to cook. On the other hand, frozen vegetables are already parboiled and we just need to gently thaw them with hot stir fry sauce.
• Do not over shred chicken: When you stir frozen veggies to cook through, chicken pieces will become even smaller.
• Frozen meat should be separated: Very important tip. If you buy frozen chicken pieces, they are individual. When freezing fresh chicken breasts, separate them with parchment paper, then thaw for 10 minutes and run under warm water, if necessary, and meat comes apart easily.
• If you prefer bigger chicken chunks: Remove chicken after cooking, shred on a plate and return to the pot after vegetables are cooked. Or dice chicken and return after – I do so with pressure cooker butter chicken.
• Using dried ginger: To replace fresh ginger, use 1 tsp of dried ginger.
• 3 quart Instant Pot: Cut ingredients in half but keep same cook time.

Storing and Reheating

Storing and reheating: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, simply simmer stir fry in a pot while covered on low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Can also reheat side dish same way. I usually add a splash of water or broth to create a steaming effect inside the pto and prevent food from burning.

Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 6 hours.

More Favorite Recipes

• Instant Pot rice and beans
• Beef and broccoli
• Instant Pot jambalaya
• Teriyaki chicken and cauliflower stir fry
• Shrimp stir fry
• Instant Pot barbecue chicken

COOKING MODE Prevent your screen from going dark

• 2 lbs (2 large) chicken breasts fresh or frozen
• 1 cup + 4 tbsp cold water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce I used Bragg's liquid aminos
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
• 2 large garlic cloves grated
• 2 inch ginger grated
• 5 tbsp cornstarch
• 12 cups stir fry vegetables frozen
• Green onion and sesame seeds for garnish
• Brown rice or quinoa for serving

• Start by cooking rice or quinoa on the stove or second Instant Pot as per package instructions.

• In Instant Pot, add 1 cup water, soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, ginger and place chicken breasts on top.

  

• Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual: fresh chicken - 10 minutes, frozen chicken - 15 minutes.

  

• When display says OFF, let Instant Pot bring pressure down on its own for 10 minutes and then turn steam release valve to Venting position until the float valve drops down (if it hasn't dropped down already).

• Open the lid and using 2 forks, shred chicken breasts coarsely right in the pot. Alternatively, you can remove the meat, dice and return to Instant Pot.

  

• Press Saute on Instant Pot. In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tbsp of cold water with cornstarch. Add immediately to the pot, stir and cook until thickened.

• Add frozen vegetables and keep cooking on Sauté until veggies are heated through, stirring every few minutes minute. Will take about 7-10 minutes.

  

• Serve stir fry hot over quinoa or brown rice, garnished with sesame seeds and green onion.

  

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 6 hours.

Reheat: Simmer in a pot while covered on low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.

• Chicken thighs: You can use fresh or frozen chicken thighs.
• Frozen meat should be separated: Very important tip. If you buy frozen chicken pieces, they are individual. When freezing fresh chicken breasts, separate them with parchment paper, then thaw for 10 minutes and run under warm water, if necessary, and meat comes apart easily.
• Can I use fresh vegetables? I do not recommend so because they will take quite a long time to cook. On the other hand, frozen vegetables are already parboiled and we just need to gently thaw them with hot stir fry sauce.
• Do not over shred chicken: When you stir frozen veggies to cook through, chicken pieces will become even smaller.
• If you prefer bigger chicken chunks: Remove chicken after cooking, shred on a plate and return to the pot after vegetables are cooked. Or dice chicken and return after.
• Using dried ginger: To replace fresh ginger, use 1 tsp of dried ginger.
• 3 quart Instant Pot: Cut ingredients in half but keep same cook time.

Serving: 1.5 cups | Calories: 569 kcal | Carbohydrates: 87 g | Protein: 49 g | Fat: 6 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 97 mg | Sodium: 872 mg | Potassium: 1608 mg | Fiber: 19 g | Sugar: 16 g | Vitamin A: 24073 IU | Vitamin C: 51 mg | Calcium: 130 mg | Iron: 5 mg

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Defrost Frozen Chicken Chunks for Stir Fry in Instant Pot

Source: https://ifoodreal.com/instant-pot-stir-fry/

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