Instant Pot Stir Fry
The easiest stir fry is "dump and forget" Instant Pot Stir Fry with frozen or fresh chicken breasts, simple teriyaki sauce and frozen stir fry vegetable mix. Healthy dinner in 5 mins prep time, serve over brown rice or quinoa.
The easiest stir fry is "dump and forget" Instant Pot Stir Fry with frozen or fresh chicken breasts, simple teriyaki sauce and frozen stir fry vegetable mix. Healthy dinner in 5 mins prep time, serve over brown rice or quinoa.
- Carbohydrate 11.7442059171615 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0318927424751907 g
- Fiber 0.0524161831712473 g
- Protein 0.0765556840114238 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00573001927173856 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (168g)
- Sodium 1.60146435560338 mg
- Sugar 11.6917897339902 g
- Trans Fat 0.00161183044315992 g
- Calories 47 calories
Step-by-step
- 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 Cooking on High for 15 minutes. Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 5-7 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a release valve, then float valve will rise and countdown from 15 minutes will begin.
- 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. Press Saute on Instant Pot, and in a small bowl whisk together 4 tbsp of 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 minute. Serve with quinoa or brown rice.
Swapping maple syrup for honey alters the finished viscosity because monosaccharides caramelize at different thresholds than complex sugars, yielding a glossier sauce when combined with cornstarch. Pressure cooking breaks down dense proteins rapidly, yet managing moisture prevents the sauce from thinning out once the vegetables are added. When starting with solid frozen poultry, internal heat transfer requires a full fifteen minutes at high pressure followed by a ten-minute natural release to ensure the meat shreds easily without seizing up. Storing leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to three days preserves the texture of the vegetables, though reheating should be done gently on the stovetop rather than in a microwave to avoid rubbery proteins.
Sequence matters significantly when combining raw aromatics like garlic and ginger with high-heat liquids inside a sealed vessel. Grating these roots on a microplane rasp breaks open the cellular walls, releasing volatile oils that infuse the surrounding cooking liquid evenly during the pressurization cycle. If substituting fresh chicken breasts for the frozen cuts specified, reduce the initial high-pressure cooking duration to ten minutes to prevent overcooking the meat into a dry state. Whisking the cornstarch slurry thoroughly with cold water before introducing it to the active sauté mode prevents lumpy starches from forming on contact with boiling liquid.
Thickening starches require sustained heat to gelatinize fully, which is why activating the sauté function immediately after pressure release is critical for structural success. Stirring every sixty seconds prevents the bottom from scorching while the frozen vegetables release their residual moisture into the simmering sauce. Fresh vegetables will cook in half the time compared to frozen varieties, meaning fresh broccoli florets or snap peas should be folded in during the final thirty seconds of simmering to retain a vibrant green hue and crisp bite. Adjusting the sodium content by using tamari instead of standard soy sauce provides a deeper umami profile while keeping the sauce balanced against the sweetness of the syrup.
Maintaining proper liquid ratios ensures the pressure cooker reaches operating thresholds safely without triggering the burn notice common in electric models. Water must surround the solid ingredients adequately to generate steam before the internal temperature sensor peaks. Combining grains like quinoa or brown rice cooked separately provides a neutral base that absorbs excess sauce without competing with the garlic and ginger aromatics. Proper cooling of the final dish before refrigeration prevents bacterial growth in the center of dense protein masses.
