When you need a fast, flavor-packed dinner, this Instant Pot Honey Mustard Chicken delivers big taste with minimal effort. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, with tender, juicy chicken covered in a thick, honey mustard sauce that’s good enough to drizzle on everything.

instant pot honey mustard chicken on a plate with rice.

This one-pot recipe is ready in under 30 minutes and works with fresh or frozen chicken—no defrosting required. Instant pot recipes make it easy to get dinner on the table fast. It’s why I love Instant Pot salsa chicken and Instant Pot pot roast and potatoes too.

Serve it over rice, quinoa, or roasted veggies for a meal that’s as effortless as it is delicious.

Why You’ll Love this Instant Pot Honey Mustard Chicken

  • Dump & Go – Just throw everything in the Instant Pot and let it do the work!
  • Sweet & Tangy Perfection – The honey + mustard combo is next-level good.
  • Cooks from Frozen – No need to thaw the chicken first!One-Pot Meal – Less cleanup, more time to enjoy.
  • Versatile & Family-Friendly – Serve it with rice, veggies, or shredded in sandwiches. I recommend

What You Need

  • Honey: raw honey is best and gives this a sweet and thick sauce.
  • Chicken Broth or water: you need at least half a cup of liquid to bring the Instant Pot to pressure.
  • Mustard: we’ve tested this recipe with Dijon mustard and yellow mustard and love both!
  • Spices: a mix of Italian seasoning paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.
  • Chicken: use chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs, or bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. The cooking time will vary based on the type of chicken you use. Bone-in chicken thighs will take 2-3 minutes longer.
  • Cornstarch or tapioca starch: this thickens the sauce at the end, similar to Instant Pot mongolian beef.

How to Make Instant Pot Honey Mustard Chicken

  1. Combine & Dissolve Honey: Add honey and water to the Instant Pot bowl. Set to Sauté mode and stir for about 5 minutes, until the honey is fully dissolved.
  2. Mix the Sauce: Add mustard, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, stirring to combine.
  3. Add the Chicken: Place the steam rack inside the Instant Pot and lay the chicken breasts on top, coating them with the honey mustard sauce.
  4. Pressure Cook: Seal the lid and turn the steam valve to sealing position. Set to Manual/Pressure Cook, High Pressure:
    • 8 minutes for medium-sized (6-8 oz) chicken breasts.
    • 12 minutes for frozen chicken breasts.
  5. Natural Pressure Build-Up: The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure, then start counting down the cook time—so expect 18 minutes total.
  6. Quick Release: Once the timer beeps, carefully quick release the pressure by turning the steam valve to venting using a long spoon handle.
  7. Thicken the Sauce: Remove the chicken and set it aside. Whisk together 1 teaspoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch with 1 tablespoon of water to create a slurry. Add it to the sauce in the Instant Pot, turn on Sauté mode, and let it boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until thickened.
honey mustard chicken recipe in the instant pot.

How long does it take to cook frozen chicken in the instant pot?

You can definitely cook frozen chicken in the instant pot and do so without worrying about thawing the chicken. Follow the steps for the instant pot honey mustard chicken recipe, but instead cook it 4 minutes longer.

It takes about 10 minutes for the pressure cooker to heat and build pressure then it takes about 12 minutes for the frozen chicken to cook through for a total of about 22 minutes for a medium 6-8 ounce frozen chicken breast.

What to Serve with Honey Mustard Chicken

🍚 Rice or QuinoaCoconut rice is perfect for soaking up the sauce.
🥦 Steamed Broccoli or Roasted VeggiesRoasted broccoli and carrots keeps it fresh and healthy.
🥔 Mashed or Roasted Potatoes – Because sauce + boursin mashed potatoes = magic.
🥪 Shredded in a Sandwich or Wrap – Add it to a toasted bun or cottage cheese flatbread with lettuce!
🥗Salad – Alongside brussels sprout salad.

spooning honey mustard sauce over cooked chicken breasts.

If you love this recipe, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with @what_mollymade so I can see it and feature you.

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4.51 from 116 votes

Instant Pot Honey Mustard Chicken

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Total: 23 minutes
This instant pot honey mustard chicken is an easy, healthy weeknight dinner! You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs, and the sweet and tangy marinade smothers the chicken for a delicious and simple meal.

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Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 cup water or chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup yellow mustard or Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 (4-6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch

Instructions 

  • Combine honey and water in the bowl of the instant pot. Next, turn the instant pot to saute and leaving the lid off, stir together until the honey dissolves, about 5 minutes. Next, add the mustard, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and stir to combine.
    1/2 cup honey, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup yellow mustard, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Add the chicken breasts to the Instant Pot and turn to coat with the honey mustard sauce.
    4 (4-6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Seal the lid and turn the steam valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook (manual cook) on high for 10 minutes. It will take some time to come to pressure then start counting down. When it's done, quick release the remaining steam by turning the valve to the venting position.
  • Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate. Mix the cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon of water to create a slurry. Add to the honey mustard sauce in the instant pot and turn on saute. Allow to simmer and thicken for 2-3 minutes. Place the chicken back in the sauce and turn to coat.
    1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
  • Serve with rice, vegetables or quinoa. Pour extra sauce from the bottom of the Instant Pot over the chicken and enjoy.
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Notes

Burn notice: honey can burn quickly because of its sugar content. Be sure to dissolve it well and add enough liquid to the instant Pot. Turn the chicken to coat it in the sauce. If you still see a burn notice, quick release the vent with a wooden spoon, add a splash of water or broth to the pan and deglaze it then continue cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken breast | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.6g | Protein: 27.5g | Fat: 2.8g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 432mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.51 from 116 votes (112 ratings without comment)

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17 Comments

  1. Heather says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Best recipe for honey mustard chicken I have tried so far. Do extra and freeze for wraps!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      Thanks, Heather!

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