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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These orange chicken lettuce wraps do double duty as a self-serve appetizer or as a healthy main meal that's quick to make and fun to eat.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Asian,
Keyword instant pot, orange chicken
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

For the orange chicken:

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • cup water
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

  • 1 or 2 small heads of Bibb butter, leafy green, or romaine lettuce leaves
  • Cooked white rice
  • Thinly sliced cucumbers carrots, red bell pepper, carrot, water chestnuts
  • Fresh herbs like Thai basil cilantro, mint and watercress

Instructions

  • Toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch in a bowl to coat evenly.
  • Select Sauté on the Instant Pot or pressure cooker and warm the canola oil. Cook the chicken in batches, turning as every minute or so so the chicken doesn't stick to the pan, until all sides are golden brown, about 5-6 minutes for each batch.
  • Add the water, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, chile-garlic sauce, and ½ cup of the orange juice and stir to mix well.
  • Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to Sealing. Press the keep Warm/Cancel button to reset the program, then press the Poultry button and set the cook time for 7 minutes at high pressure.
  • Let the steam release naturally for about 10 minutes, then turn the valve to Venting to release any residual steam.
  • Carefully remove the lid and transfer about ¼ cup of the sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to the bowl and stir to dissolve. Return the mixture to the pot and stir well.
  • Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button to reset the program, then press the Sauté button ad cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the remaining ½ cup orange juice and the orange zest and season with salt and pepper.
  • Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large serving platter with the sliced garnishes and herbs, and serve aside the cooked rice, green onion, and sauce. Scoop the chicken, rice and garnishes into the lettuce leaves and and serve.

Notes

Serve the lettuce leaves, chicken, rice, and garnishes at the table and encourage everyone to concoct their own lettuce leave creations with extra chile-garlic sauce for dipping and lime wedges on the side.