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Apr 28 2016

Instant Pot Asian Sticky Ginger Chicken Thighs

Find the recipe card at the end of the post. Make sure to read the content as it contains chef tips, substitution options, and answers to FAQs to help you succeed the first time around!

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Packed with flavor, these thighs are done in minutes, thanks to the Instant Pot!

Sticky Ginger Sesame Thighs3

Asian Ginger Sesame Chicken Thighs Ingredients

This recipe is easy to make and perfect for a quick weeknight meal or meal prep. On their own, they are amazing, but paired with rice, grains, a salad, or in a wrap, they are next level!

  • Chicken Thighs: I prefer boneless and skinless
  • Liquids: stock, soy sauce, sriracha, honey, and sesame oil
  • Hoisin
  • Veggies: ginger, garlic, and green onions
  • Brown Sugar
Sticky Ginger Sesame Thighs6

Before you see this recipe, you might think, “Aw man, there she goes again with another pressure cooker recipe. What am I supposed to do if I don’t own one?” Fear not, loved family—read below for oven instructions, and I will also tell you how you can bake these!

Chicken thighs are one of those indulgences for me, as I don’t buy them often. They taste amazing, but then they should. Dark meat always has a better, richer taste, but that also means it is higher in fat and calories. 

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

I love making this recipe when thighs are on sale, as they are amazing for meal prep dishes! Using the Instant Pot makes it so easy!

  1. Dry the thighs and place them in the Instant Pot.
  2. Mix the stock, part of the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin, brown sugar and sriracha. Pour it over the thighs.
  3. Cook the thighs and then use a Quick Release when the time is up.
Sticky Ginger Sesame Thighs Collage
  1. While the thighs are cooking, make up the sauce using the rest of the ingredients until it thickens like BBQ sauce.
  2. Turn on the broiler, line a rimmed baking pan with foil, and place a cooling rack on top. Please lightly spray the pan to prevent the thighs from sticking.
  3. Transfer the cooked thighs to the tray and brush on the sauce.
Sticky Ginger Sesame Thighs1
  1. Broil the thighs for a few minutes, remove the pan from the oven, and apply more sauce. Broil for a few minutes more until the sauce is fully set.
what to serve

Shaved Brussels Sprouts salad – because at least you are eating healthy, right?!

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad3

and of course, you need herb roasted baby potatoes!

Herb Roasted Baby Potatoes5

When Mr. Fantabulous took that first bite… no, seriously, that FIRST BITE and tasted that sauce, his eyes lit up. 

Immediately, the fork and knife went into super ninja-slicing mode, and he devoured that chicken. He raved over and over about this chicken and the sauce. He could have cared less that it was thighs instead of white meat. He loved it so much that he asked for more—which he had never done with thighs.

Sticky Ginger Sesame Thighs4

Oven Instructions for Sticky Asian Hoisin Thighs

To make them in the oven, you won’t need all of the ingredients in the recipe (i.e., stock), so keep your measurements in mind.

  1. Preheat oven to 425F; rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with foil and top with a cooling rack. Spray the cooling rack with non-stick spray and set aside. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
  2. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup hoisin, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons Sriracha, and 4 tablespoons brown sugar and whisk.
  3. Bring the mixture to a slight boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until slightly thickened, like BBQ sauce, 10-15 minutes.
  4. Place the thighs on the cooling rack and brush on part of the sauce. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, brush with a bit more sauce,, and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165F.
  5. Remove from the oven, brush with more sauce, and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
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Instant Pot Hoisin Chicken Thighs Recipe

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 15 reviews

Packed with flavor these thighs are done in minutes thanks to the Instant Pot!

  • Author: Lori
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: ~4-6 servings
  • Category: asian chicken, boneless thighs, hoisin chicken, instant pot, meal prep chicken
  • Method: instant pot and oven
  • Cuisine: asian chicken, boneless thighs, hoisin chicken, instant pot, meal prep chicken

Ingredients

  • 2–3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thawed
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided
  • 3 teaspoons grated ginger, divided
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons hoisin, divided
  • 5 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
  • 4 tablespoons Sriracha, divided
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 3 green onions, white and green parts sliced

Instructions

  1. Pat the thighs dry and add them to the pressure cooker.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the stock, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons hoisin, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon Sriracha. Pour over the thighs.
  3. Lock the lid down and set the timer to High pressure for 10 minutes. If using a  Gas Pressure Cooker, place it over high heat. Once the pressure cooker is up to temperature, reduce the heat to low to maintain a high pressure and set the timer for 10 minutes. If using an Electric Pressure Cooker, set it to high with a timer of 10 minutes.
  4. While the thighs are cooking, place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, the remaining 2 teaspoons ginger, honey, 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, the remaining 1/2 cup hoisin, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons Sriracha, and the remaining 4 tablespoons brown sugar, and whisk.
  5. Bring the mixture to a slight boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until slightly thickened, like BBQ sauce, 10-15 minutes.
  6. When the 10 minutes are up, do a quick release on the pressure cooker. While the quick release relieves pressure, place the oven to broil with a rack in the middle.
  7. Line a rimmed pan with foil and place a cooling rack on top. Lightly spray the rack. Gently remove the thighs from the pressure cooker with tongs and place them on the rack; discard the cooking liquid. Place the thighs in the oven and broil for 5-7 minutes on each side.
  8. Remove the pan from the oven and slather on some sauce. Return to the broiler for 5 minutes.
  9. Flip the thighs over, cover with more sauce, and broil for 5 more minutes or until they are nicely charred. Place the sauce in a container for serving. Garnish with green onions. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

Equipment

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Instant Pot 8 qrt

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Instant Pot Duo Crisp Ultimate Lid

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Pairs Perfectly With:

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  • Ramen Cabbage Salad

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54 responses

  1. Matt B
    November 9, 2017

    Isn’t it crazy how cheap chicken thighs are? My supermarket regularly sells 6 of em per pack for like $2.xx?!? It’s just my wife and I, so that’s typically 3 different meals worth of protein! And I love thighs and dark meat, it’s where all the flavor is. Fat? Meh, there’s worse things than chicken fat. As a side note, thighs are great to make a chicken soup/broth with. Now that winter’s coming!

    Anywho, this is a great Asian bbq recipe! Hoisin sauce rules! I did them in the oven and they came out perfectly. I marinated the thighs first for a little extra flavor and did re-sauce a few times while cooking, finishing under a broiler for a bit more crispyness. Served with rice and green beans. Meh, healthy enough. lol.

    Thanks as always for the inspiration! 🙂

    (I know what you mean about taste cycles btw. And personally I’m always obsessed with sauces, gravies and condiments!)

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      November 12, 2017

      Hey Matt!

      I totally agree with you on using dark meat when making stock. That’s where the flavor is all at! And thank you so much on your kind words! I’m so happy you loved these as much as I did. HAHAHA yes, rice and beans gave it the healthy note! And I’m totally one that believes gravy/sauces/condiments are a food group unto it’s own!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  2. Lisa M
    September 14, 2017

    My ovens broiler is kaput. Could they just be baked or would it be better to grill them some?

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      September 15, 2017

      Oh no!!! Yes you can grill them to get a great char. Just don’t let them dry out. It should only take a few minutes.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  3. Tracy Mulroy
    July 26, 2017

    These are sooooo amazing! The first time I did it as called for in the directions for the Instant Pot and I found it to be time consuming. Would it work to throw all of the ingredients into the Instant Pot together or would the sauce not get thick enough? Thanks so much and thanks for this amazing recipe.

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      July 26, 2017

      Hi Tracy!

      Correct, if you threw everything in the pressure cooker at the same time, the sauce would not be thick enough. And I’m so happy you loved it!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  4. Gail
    June 24, 2017

    Made this tonight and it was easy and terrific. The instructions to use foil were especially helpful since the sauce becomes sticky in the broiler. Served over jasmine rice. One thing to keep in mind is that the boneless chicken thighs become fragile in pressure cooker.

    This recipe is a keeper!

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      June 26, 2017

      Hi Gail!

      Thank you so much! Yes the thighs are delicate. I tried reducing the cooking time by a minute but the chicken wasn’t fully done. You can use this same recipe with chicken breasts as well.

      So happy you loved it!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  5. Jessica
    May 15, 2017

    Hi there how much longer would I increase the time for bone in chicken thighs? I have the instant pot pressure cooker.

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      May 15, 2017

      Hi Jessica!

      It should still only be about 10 minutes. Bone-in meat tends to cook just slightly faster.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  6. Lynnore Bayless
    April 28, 2017

    Sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Also, you probably already know this, but there is a mistake in your recipe. At one point you say wings instead of thighs. Obviously it will work for either 🙂

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      April 29, 2017

      Hey Lynnore!

      Oh thank you for that! I just fixed that. And yep, it works for pretty much any part of the chicken!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  7. Catherine Margaronis
    January 26, 2017

    I made this dish last night–the first recipe i made in my new pressure cooker!! I didn’t have any fresh ginger so I substituted with two tsp of powdered ginger spice, and I prefer Tamari to soy sauce, so I did make that swap. Also, my Sriracha seems to have disappeared (?!?) so I just shook several shakes of Cholula into the thigh marinade and several into the BBQ sauce in the sauce pan, and I was really happy with the flavor. Poor hubs is a baby about anything with much zippiness, so I would’ve halved the amount of Sriracha had I had it.

    I’ll admit I was lazy as well as a bit short on prep time, so I didn’t baste the thighs and broil them in the oven. Instead I cooked them in my pressure cooker for about 13-14 minutes instead of the 10 minutes the recipe calls for. They came out perfect! I served the thighs over white rice, drizzled the homemade BBQ sauce over the thighs and rice, and liberally sprinkled lots of chopped green onions over the top of it all. Oh my stars…sooooo tasty! Hubs was super impressed and gobbled up a large serving. Just as something to share….I often serve a small bowl of cottage cheese with chilled canned mandarin oranges with Asian food and I did do that last night. It was a great pairing with this dish. I will definitely make this recipe again, thank you so much for sharing it!

    The only thing I might change is to marinate the thighs in the marinade for a few hours ahead of pressure cooking them. I think it would just add to the fabulous flavor.

    PS I have tried to click on the 5th star below to give this a 5 star rating but it won’t allow me to select any of the stars. It’s for sure a 5 star recipe!

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      January 26, 2017

      Hi Catherine,

      Thank you so much!!! You can most definitely marinate them as well for more flavor. Love the cottage cheese with mandarin oranges too! I’m so happy that you guys loved it! 🙂

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  8. KarenB
    January 8, 2017

    I am making these right now. Everything is going so fast. I’m used to throwing things in an oven or slow cooker and relaxing. Lol. I have rice in my rice cooker now, and will do asparagus on the side also. I got the InstantPot 7 in 1 from the Amazon Santa lol. I will have you know, this is the first recipe I am making in my pressure cooker! Now don’t you feel proud? Lol. Question, how come I have to discard this liquid the thighs are pressure cooking in, and why can’t I use that and thicken with cornstarch on top the stove? Is it bacteria filled? Also, I didn’t believe these thighs were done in 10 min so I took their temp. Lol. Yup. They were 165!

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      January 8, 2017

      Hi Karen,

      Amazon Santa rocks! That’s awesome you loved this1 Okay so you can totally keep the cooking liquid – just reduce it down and then thicken it with a slurry to get more of a gravy/sauce. I only have you discard it in this recipe as you’re making that sticky ginger sauce to glaze it with. However if you thicken the cooking liquid you could perhaps use that as a dipping sauce?

      Aren’t kitchen gadgets the best now?! And thank you so much for having my recipe be your first pressure cooker recipe! I’m so honored!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
      1. KarenB
        January 31, 2017

        Lori, do I HAVE to thaw my chicken thighs to make this? If I don’t HAVE to, would I need to increase the time? Also, can I leave the skin on? And then broil to make the skin crispy?

        Reply
        1. TKWAdmin
          February 1, 2017

          Hi Karen,

          Nope, just bump up the time by 2-3 minutes. And yes you can keep the skin on and broil those suckers to get the crispy skin.

          Best Kitchen Wishes!

          Reply
  9. Not easily confused
    December 15, 2016

    I’m a seasoned cooked – but this is super hard to follow . The ingredients list chicken broth but then don’t explain where to add. I’m assuming that’s part of the sauce ? Add in the beginning ? Or slowly once sauce has thickened ?

    Reply
  10. Shirley Randall
    August 23, 2016

    My husband just bought me a pressure cooker for my birthday. I’m so excited to learn how to use it and your site is amazing!

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      August 23, 2016

      Aw thank you so much Shirley! That really means so much to me! If you ever have any questions on pressure cooking, send me an email – lori@thekitchenwhisperer.net and I can help you. Plus if you ever find a recipe on here that doesn’t have pressure cooker instructions email me and I can walk you through how to cook it in the PC.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
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