by Jeffrey | 16 Comments
Disclosure: This recipe provides Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Chicken & Broccoli needs no introduction. After all, it’s a classic at every Chinese-American restaurant.
And seeing as I’m a Jewish boy from Long Island, I KNOW my Chinese-American cuisine (if I didn’t, my Bar Mitzvah card would be revoked).So I decided it was time to make the best possible Chicken & Broccoli that puts even most of the take-out places in NYC to shame. It’s the real deal with minimal effort in theInstant Pot! Now crack open that fortune cookie – because Confucius is about to predict some flavor in your life!
Here’s How I Made It!:

Start with a yellow onion…

…and dice it up.

Then take some scallions…

…and slice ’em up.

You’ll want some thin-cut chicken breasts for this dish as they work best (your butcher can do it for you or you can do it yourself if you get thick breasts)…

…because we’re going to cut them into bite-size pieces.

Now go to the Instant Pot, heat it up and add in some vegetable oil…

…some sesame oil…

…and Shaoxing cooking wine (or cooking sherry).

Once it begins to sizzle…

…add in the onions and scallions.

Stir for a moment until they soften.

Then add in some garlic…

..and stir for another moment.

Then add in all that chicken…

…and lightly cook for a minute until it becomes pinkish-white in color but no more.

Add in some hoisin sauce…

…and stir the chicken into it so it becomes nice and coated.

And then add in some beef broth…

…soy sauce…

…oyster sauce…

…and brown sugar.

Stir well until everything’s combined, secure the lid and cook at high pressure.

As the chicken’s cooking in the Instant Pot, take some heads of broccoli…

…reserve only the crowns and place in a microwave safe bowl with some water poured over it…

…and pop it in the microwave covered for a few minutes to steam(see the “Jeffrey Sez” section why we don’t pressure cook the broccoli with the chicken).

When done, we’ll look nice and steamed!

(Oh. Also, create a cornstarch slurry during this time.)

When done pressure cooking and when the lid comes off the Instant Pot, give it more heat and allow it bubble. When it does, immediately add in the slurry…

…and stir it into the sauce. It will thicken up a bit to the perfect consistency.

For the final step, add in the steamed broccoli, making sure it’s nice and combined with the sauce and chicken. Allow it to bubble in the sauce for a couple of minutes to slightly soften up a bit.

When done, transfer the Chicken & Broccoli to a serving dish, spooning over plenty of sauce…

(now doesn’t that look nice?)

Now, go on. Try it out.

See that fortune cookie?

It reads: “To no other mouth will a Chicken & Broccoli be this grand”
Enjoy this classic and wonderful dish with my famousHibachi Fried Rice(White RiceorBrown Rice) andEgg Drop SoupororSoup Dumplings!
Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli
Yield: 6
Chicken & Broccoli is a total staple in any Chinese-American restaurant. And if you make this recipe, this is one time you can turn your kitchen into a Chinese restaurant instead.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time23 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
- 1 tbsp of crushed garlic
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp of sesame oil
- 1 tbsp of Shaoxing rice wine (or cooking sherry if you don’t have this)
- 1.5-2 pounds of chicken breast, sliced thin and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup of low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup of beef broth (I used 1 cup of water + 1 tsp of Beef Better Than Bouillon)
- 2 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp of dark (or light) brown sugar
- 1-2 heads of fresh broccoli, with the florets separate from the stalk (which you’ll discard)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp of water to form a slurry
Instructions
- Add the vegetable, sesame oils and Shaoxing wine(which should NOT be cold but at room temperature) to theInstant Pot, hit“Sauté” and adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Allow it to heat up for 3 minutes
- Once heated, add in the onions and scallions and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute more
- Next, add the chicken and stir for a minute more until the edges become pinkish-white in color (it should not be fully cooked). Add in the hoisin sauce and stir to coat all the chicken with it
- Lastly, add in the beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar and stir well
- Secure the lid, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” High Pressure for 4 minutes. Quick release when done
- As the chicken is cooking, put the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water poured over it, cover loosely and microwave for 3-4 mins until it’s slightly tender, but still firm (see the “Jeffrey Sez” section why we don’t pressure cook the broccoli with the chicken). Also, create the cornstarch slurry during this time
- Once the quick release is done and the lid comes off the Instant Pot, hit“Keep Warm/Cancel” and thenhit“Sauté” again. When the sauce begin to bubble, add in the cornstarch slurry and stir immediately. Then, add in the steamed broccoli and stir it in so it’s nice and combined with the chicken and the sauce. Allow it to bubble for 1-2 minutes and then turn the Instant Pot off
- Enjoy! Goes GREAT with my famousHibachi Fried Rice(orWhite RiceorBrown Rice) andEgg Drop Soup,andSoup Dumplings!
Jeffrey's Tips
The reason I cook the broccoli separately from the chicken during the pressure cooking phase is because broccoli cooks insanely fast when pressure cooked. Like, it will become mush. If you’d rather have a mushy broccoli that falls apart, by all means, cook it with the chicken – BUT – if you want it crunchy and substantial, simply steam it in the microwave as suggested in the recipe 😉
Some people enjoy these with some cashews and/or sesame seeds added at the end. Feel free to top it off when serving in a bowl!
Want some spice? Add in some Sriracha or garlic chili sauce to taste!
Enjoy this classic and wonderful dish with my famousHibachi Fried Rice(White RiceorBrown Rice) andEgg Drop SoupororSoup Dumplings!