These Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Meal Prep Bowls are a delicious make ahead lunch idea that comes together in one pot.
How to make this recipe
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Add ingredients to Instant Pot in the following order: olive oil, chicken, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic and water.
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Pressure cook for 4 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop according to package directions.
- Make a slurry with cornstarch and water.
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Stir cornstarch slurry into the Instant Pot until well mixed then add the cooked rice and the raw broccoli.
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Once combined, let sit with the lid on for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – use any other neutral oil in place of olive oil. Some neutral oils to use are sunflower oil, avocado oil or peanut oil.
- Chicken breasts – chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breast. It may alter the cook time but it is also a juicier cut of meat!
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are a great alternative to soy sauce.
- Honey – maple syrup, agave syrup or a brown sugar syrup can be used in place of honey.
- Rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar or plain white vinegar with sugar can be used instead of rice vinegar in a pinch.
- Garlic – use fresh or jarred minced garlic or garlic powder if you do not have fresh garlic available.
- Water – vegetable broth or chicken broth are great alternatives to water.
- Broccoli – feel free to switch out the broccoli for any veggies of choice.
Cornstarch slurry
- Cornstarch – flour, potato starch or tapioca are often used to replace cornstarch. Flour is the best option to make a slurry without cornstarch.
- Water
Rice
- White rice – use any variation of white rice that you prefer or opt out of the white rice and use brown rice instead. The rice you choose may alter cook times so keep that in mind.
- Water – using a vegetable or chicken broth can enhance the flavours of your rice.
- Butter – olive oil or another neutral oil can be used instead of butter. Leave out the butter entirely if you prefer not to use any.
- Salt (to taste)
Storing and reheating
For any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. This dish will keep well for up to five days, making it a great meal prep option!
When you’re ready to enjoy the bowl, reheat the leftovers one of three ways:
- Using the saute function on the Instant Pot: until fully warmed.
- On the stove in a pan for a few minutes.
- In the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Either way that you choose to reheat this dish, make sure to add water or chicken broth to add moisture to the dish and prevent the chicken or rice from drying out.
Freezing this recipe
This meal prep bowl freezes really well! All you need to do is transfer the contents to an airtight container and allow it to cool to room temperature before freezing. Allowing it to cool down before freezing will prevent freezer burn or the growth of any bacteria. Once frozen, it will keep well frozen for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy your bowl, thaw it in the fridge overnight then reheat using the instructions above and serve.
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More rice bowl recipes
Meal prep tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing the leftovers
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus 60
is the version I use in this recipe.
is the version I use in this recipe.
Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium-sized chicken breasts, diced
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 head Broccoli, chopped into very small florets
Cornstarch slurry
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Add olive oil, chicken, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic and 1/2 cup water to Instant Pot in that order. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes then do a quick release of the pressure. Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to preheat then pressure cook the 4 min.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop according to package directions. Mix the cornstarch with cold water to make the cornstarch slurry and set aside.
- Open lid of Instant Pot and stir in the cornstarch slurry until well mixed, then add the cooked rice and the raw broccoli. Mix together well then let sit with the lid on for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Jinah Choe says
I tried this recipe yesterday and it came out great! I want to try doubling/tripling the recipe as I’m trying to do weekly meal prep for 2. Would this change the instant pot cook time? Thanks in advance!
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Jinah! I don’t think it would change the cooking time, but you may want to add an extra minute for good measure. This way it shouldn’t overcook the chicken. Let me know how it turns out!