This flavorful Korean-inspired sauce is hard to resist. To be as efficient as possible, I cook the rice along with the chicken. This is called “pot-in-pot” cooking (see this page ). If you prefer a lower-carb option, skip the rice and serve the cooked chicken and vegetables over Easy Cauliflower “Rice”.
SERVES 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Pressurize: 6 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Natural Release: 10 minutes
Total: 38 minutes
⅓ cup soy sauce
(or tamari, to make it gluten-free)
5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (about ½-inch knob)
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup white rice, such as jasmine or basmati, rinsed
1 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons
1 red bell pepper
½ red onion
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
½ cup chopped green onions, tender white and green parts only (about 3 onions)
Sesame seeds, for garnish
1 Add the soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, Sriracha, and garlic to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Place the chicken on top of the sauce in a single layer. To cook the rice at the same time, position a 2.5-inch trivet over the chicken breasts and place a 7-inch oven-safe bowl on top. Add the rice and 1 cup water to the bowl, then secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing . Select Manual/Pressure Cook to cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.

2 While the chicken and rice are cooking, seed the red pepper and slice it thinly. Slice the onion thinly into half-moons, and chop the spinach.
3 When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid. Use oven mitts to lift the trivet and the bowl of cooked rice out of the pot. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest. Press Cancel to stop the cooking cycle.
4 Add the sliced bell pepper and onion to the sauce in the Instant Pot. Press Sauté and let the vegetables simmer in the sauce until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the arrowroot with the remaining 2 tablespoons water to create a slurry. While the vegetables are cooking, use two forks to shred the chicken, then add it back to the pot once the vegetables are tender. Stir in the baby spinach until it wilts, about 1 minute. Stir in the arrowroot slurry and continue stirring until the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes.
5 Serve the chicken and vegetables over the cooked rice with a sprinkling of green onions and sesame seeds over the top. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
MAKE IT VEGAN Omit the chicken and arrowroot slurry. Cook 1 cup green lentils with 1¼ cups water on high pressure for 5 minutes along with the rice. Add the sauce and vegetables to the cooked lentils, and simmer as directed.