Easy Instant Pot Honey Chicken

This is not your traditional slow cooker chicken recipe. This Easy Instant Pot Honey Chicken is oh so much more. Butter, honey, curry and even lemon pepper make the flavor incredible!

Sometimes it seems like we are all for dinnertime. I’ve got my meals planned, grocery shopping is done and I totally slayed this whole dinner thing. Other days, (much like last night when we had popcorn and green smoothie protein shakes) dinner is nothing but a hassle. Unless you make our easy instant pot honey chicken that is…

Easy Instant Pot Honey Chicken

There’s something so good and easy about shredded chicken recipes, huh. Whether you’re a busy mom or dad or just trying to make it through college it’s a great way to make one thing into a billion others like, chicken burrito bowls, casseroles, soups, or anything else. We like to eat this easy instant pot honey chicken over rice  or quinoa or as a burrito bowl with grilled or sautéed veggies.

Curry for Chicken

Now don’t panic. This recipe has curry in it, but even if you don’t like curry you’ll love this recipe. It has a little dijon mustard, honey and even lemon pepper so once everything is all combined it creates a whole new flavor that you’ll definitely love!

Where to Buy Curry Powder

You can buy curry powder at any local grocery store in the seasoning section. Don’t worry about buying any specialty curry powders, just stick with the original especially with a dish like this easy instant pot honey chicken.

Crock Pot Freezer Meal

When you’re looking to make freezer meals we think crock pot freezer meals (or slow cooker freezer meals if that’s what you say) as well as instant pot freezer meal recipes are best. You want something for convenience so a set and forget method will work out best.

Remember that whatever you put in the freezer bag needs to do well in a slow cooker so try to avoid things that need thickening or creams as those won’t do as well in the freezer, being defrosted and cooked in one pot. Chicken in an instant pot is one of our favorites for freezer meal prep which is why we love this easy instant pot honey chicken recipe.

How Many Freezer Meals Before a Baby

By our second I knew that I wanted a few things in the freezer so that once my mom went home and meals stopped coming in from our Relief Society (our women in our church are part of the largest organization of women where we watch over and care for one another) which is always a sad day, haha. In fact, how do I get those meals to come in this week as I’m not really in a cooking mood…

Anyway! While some people are going to say far more, I actually think 5-7 meals in the freezer is best. Getting back into a schedule and a routine is the best thing you can do for your family and your mental health as well as getting life back to normal which is what you want. Too many meals and you’re just making things harder. Too few and you are standing in the shower crying.

With 5-7 meals you can serve each one as leftovers the next night and nothing is taking up all the space in your freezer.

How to Make Chicken Freezer Meal

To make this honey chicken into an easy freezer meal, you’ll want to make sure that you make the sauce ahead of time and then set it aside to come to room temperature. When you cool the sauce in the fridge it become extra thick which makes it hard to cover all of the chicken when you pour it into the freezer bag. Just set it aside on the counter instead.

Once you’re ready to assemble, take the chicken and place it in a freezer bag, or we prefer to use a food saver bag. Pour the sauce into the bag, aiming to cover all of the chicken. Give the bag a couple of squishes to evenly coat the chicken.

Press out all of the air, or as stated above, we much prefer to use a food saver which will suck out all of the air and seal it so that you can keep it in the freezer for 4-6 months before using. I know you all think we are obsessed with that thing, and it’s true. It’s life changing.

How to Make Slow Cooker Honey Chicken

This is a really great recipe for the slow cooker. When you make slow cooker chicken you can just add the defrosted chicken breasts first, not frozen. I know many people like to use frozen but it adds extra liquid and changes the sauce in my opinion.

Next, dump in all of the  sauce ingredients and every now and again open the lid and stir everything until well combined. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. If you have more then 4 chicken breasts I tend to go 6 hours. We don’t prefer chicken cooked on high in a crockpot but if you must, it’s about 3 hours.

How to Make Instant Pot Honey Chicken

To make this instant pot honey chicken recipe you’ll want to start opposite of a slow cooker or crock pot chicken recipe. Start by turning the instant pot to saute and add in the butter. Once it has melted down a bit, add the remaining ingredients, stirring until combined.

Turn the instant pot to meat and set the time to 8 minutes. You can also use high pressure on manual. Once it’s done, let a natural release occur for 10 minutes, remove the chicken and shred it on a cutting board. Place the chicken back in the sauce, stirring to coat.

Looking for a quick and easy guide for preparing all the basics in the Instant Pot? Check out our Instant Pot Cheat Sheet!

What to Serve with Honey Chicken

We really like to serve rice or mashed potatoes under the honey chicken but it’s also good with pasta, in casseroles with veggies, over quinoa or even served in tacos!

Easy Instant Pot Honey Chicken

Recommended Products

Easy Honey Baked Chicken 

Check out our easy honey baked chicken if you don’t have an instant pot or just want to bake the chicken.