Instant Pot Lemongrass Chicken is a 30 minute meal with Vietnamese flavors that is easily made in a pressure cooker. This recipe can also be made in a slow cooker / crock pot.
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Several years ago I posted a dinner recipe for Slow Cooker Lemongrass Chicken. Today I am updating that recipe for the Instant Pot, my favorite kitchen device. I like the Instant Pot version even better. Using the Instant Pot makes chicken very tender, and it cooks super fast. I topped my Lemongrass Chicken with quick refrigerator pickles using this recipe-> Vietnamese Pickled Carrots & Daikon.
I LOVE Vietnamese flavors, especially lemongrass. For more 30th birthday {a few… years ago} my friends took me out for dinner at Le Colonial, a French Vietnamese restaurant, because they know how much I love lemongrass. When I was pregnant with C two years ago my major craving was for Vietnamese food. We ate a lot of Bahn mi sandwiches that summer!
Even though I love lemongrass flavors, I don’t cook with it very often. That’s going to change because I loved this dish and I’m looking forward to trying new ways to use lemongrass. Another important ingredient in this recipe is Chinese Five Spice. I purchased mine at Williams Sonoma, but you can also make your own at home.
The most important thing to learn when cooking with lemongrass is to peel the stalk properly. Trust me, if you do it wrong {which I have done} you will end up with crunchy pieces of lemongrass stalks that taste like wood instead of sweet, aromatic lemongrass. I suggest reading Food and Wine’s tutorial on how to trim lemongrass. Basically, you need to make sure you remove all of the outer layers from the lemongrass stalk and use only the small white bulb when cooking.
I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot recipe!
Instant Pot Lemongrass Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 stalks lemongrass {trimmed; use the bulbs}
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese Five Spice
- 4 garlic cloves {minced}
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
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Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot / pressure cooker - chicken breasts, lemongrass bulbs, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, fish sauce, Chinese Five Spice, minced garlic, grated ginger, salt and pepper.
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Close the lid to seal the instant pot. Make sure the pressure release valve is set to “sealing.”
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Select the "Poultry" setting.
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After the Instant Pot is done cooking, release the pressure. Once the pressure is released, open the Instant Pot and shred the chicken using a fork.
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Serve with rice and pickled vegetables.
Recipe Notes
Food and Wine has a great description of how to trim lemongrass stalks - make sure to read this to properly use lemongrass.
I’m Celia. I live in the Chicago area. I'm a mama of two, runner, business owner and former Iowan. My blog includes recipes, fitness and travel posts, and stories about Chicago.
