Instant Pot Orange Teriyaki Chicken {Freezer Meal!}

Tender chicken, savory orange and teriyaki flavors hit all the bells with this Instant Pot Orange Teriyaki Chicken Dinner. It’s so delicious, you’ll be craving it on a weekly basis!

Making this Instant Pot Orange Teriyaki Chicken!!

This instant pot orange teriyaki chicken meal is awesome for a few reasons. The chicken is tender, the teriyaki sauce and the orange flavor go together like besties!

Below you’ll find instructions on how to cook this meal in the instant pot from fresh, how to package it up for a future freezer meal, how to cook it from frozen in the instant pot, as well as in a slow cooker! Woohoo, let’s get on it with it!

What Kinds Of Chicken Should I Use For This Dish?

So,  there will be some cuts of chicken that work better with this dish than others.  You could use cuts such as: 

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (which I used today)
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs 

What wouldn’t work that well:  

• chicken wings
• chicken legs
• backs and necks – but who’d use those anyway? lol

A combination of this teriyaki sauce with orange flavors, paired with wings and legs would be tasty together, but in a different dish for sure, and with different cooking methods.

Directions On How To Assemble The Instant Pot Orange Teriyaki Chicken Freezer Meal: 

1. In a large bowl, combine the cubed chicken, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

2. Add the orange zest and orange juice to the chicken. Add the teriyaki sauce and mix everything well. Transfer to an 8 x 7-inch freezer bag, sealing the bag and removing as much air as possible.

3. Place the cut onions into another 8 x 7 freezer bag. Seal the bag. 

4. Group all the two smaller freezer bags and place into a larger gallon-sized freezer bag. 

5. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

To save you time and energy, print the recipe, and add it directly inside the large freezer bag. Then you will know precisely what is in the bags and how to cook it. It’s convenient and a lot easier than looking it up every time.   

Directions for Cooking The Teriyaki & Orange Chicken From Fresh

Add the chicken and onions with 1 tbsp of oil to the Instant Pot. Press saute and sear the chicken pieces and cook the onions till translucent.

Add the cooking liquid with the orange juice and orange zest. Place the lid on the top and move the toggle switch to “sealing”.

Cook on manual, high pressure for 5 minutes. When cooking time is up, do a quick release to remove all the internal steam.

Carefully, with two oven mitts, remove the pot insert and drain the cooking liquids.

Replace the cooking insert into the instant pot. Add the teriyaki sauce. Press saute and bring the sauce to a boil. (Internal temperature of safely cooked chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit)

As soon as the sauce comes to a boil,*(Add the cornstarch slurry if you wish to thicken at this point.). Turn the appliance off and add the mandarin oranges then carefully mix the whole dish.

Serve and enjoy!

Directions for Cooking Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Dinner from Frozen

Remove all the bags from the larger bag. Take the chicken out of the bag and place in the instant pot cooking insert with the cooking liquid.

Place the lid on the pot and toggle to the sealed position.

Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. 

*** Whenever you cook frozen food, the Instant Pot won’t come to pressure as quickly. Please account for extra cooking time.

Do a quick release when the cooking time is up,  and then remove the lid. Break up the chicken pieces. Don’t be alarmed if they are not fully cooked. 

Carefully, with two oven mitts, remove the pot insert and drain liquids. Replace the cooking insert back into the instant pot.

Add the frozen peppers, onions and sauce. 

 Press ‘saute’ and while the sauce comes to a boil, add the cornstarch slurry if you wish to thicken. (Internal temperature of safely cooked chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit)

Turn the appliance off and add the mandarin orange segments and carefully mix the whole dish.

Directions for Cooking This Orange Teriyaki Chicken In The Slow Cooker

Thaw the bags of ingredients in the fridge the night before.

Add the chicken, onions, and 1 tbsp of oil to a frying pan. Sear the chicken and cook the onions until they are soft and translucent. 

Add orange juice and zest along with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquids to the bowl. Do not add the mandarin orange segments. 

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6. (Internal temperature of safely cooked chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit) 

Drain the cooking liquid and then add the sauce. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes. *Add the cornstarch slurry if you wish to thicken at this point. Mix well, add the orange segments and serve.

How Long Will This Chicken Dish Be Good For In The Freezer Meal Bags?

All of the ingredients for this freezer meal should last up to 3 months if they are properly stored in freezer bags! Remove as much air as possible in the bags when sealing.

What Else Can I Use As The Pressure Cooking Liquid For This Instant Pot Chicken Dish?

You could use chicken broth, veggie broth, but water works well too. Do not use beef broth because the flavor will be too strong for the chicken.

Tips and Tricks For Making Orange & Teriyaki Chicken Dinner Family Favorite:

Try doubling the recipe ingredients and make TWO freezer meals at one time, or freeze one meal and make the other for dinner that night!
Adding extra ingredients such as pea pods, baby corn cobs, carrots, and celery will help to stretch the dish, saving you money!
If you prefer a bit of a kick, consider adding a dash of dried chili flakes to the sauce!
If you can’t find a storebought Teriyaki sauce, you could try making your own with this homemade recipe from The Kitchen Magpie.

Can I Refreeze The Cooked Leftovers?

Absolutely! (However, the orange segments might not hold up too well, but the flavors will still be there! I would recommend using fresh mandarin orange segments on reheating). Up to a month in the freezer would be fine.  Please use freezer appropriate storage containers, and remember, this only applies to cooked leftovers. Please do not thaw the RAW frozen meal, and then refreeze. 

This Instant Pot Orange Teriyaki Chicken dish is one in a series of  10 Instant Pot Freezer Meals that I made with the time-saving, freezer meal applications in mind. Some of the other recipes in this freezer meal series are:

IP Honey Sriracha Pork
Instant Pot Hearty Beef Stew
Instant Pot BBQ Pork 

Also, if you are new to using the magical Instant Pot and are a little shy about all its operations, take a peek at this Instant Pot For Beginners guide. It should help you feel a bit more comfy around using it!

I sincerely hope you find this recipe for Teriyaki Orange Chicken Dinner as delicious as I did, and if you made any changes, additions, subtractions, etc,  to the recipe or directions, I’d LOVE to hear about them! Thanks so much for stopping by The Salty Pot today and I hope you have an awesome day!

**DON’T FORGET TO PIN THIS INSTANT POT ORANGE TERIYAKI CHICKEN RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD TO USE FOR LATER!!**