If you're in need of a quick and easy weeknight family meal, here's an Instant Pot Korean chicken and potatoes recipe that everyone, including babies, will enjoy! It's super straightforward with minimal ingredients, and it delivers the perfect balance of savory and sweet.
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What is Korean Chicken and Potatoes
One of my ultimate Korean comfort foods is chicken stew, otherwise known as dakdoritang "닭도리탕" or dakbokkeumtang "닭볶음탕." It reminds me of my mom's homecooking and always succeeds in soothing my soul.
There are two versions of this dish. The spicy version contains Korean chili paste and chili flakes as its main sauce ingredients, while the non-spicy version includes soy sauce.
I used to be a fan of the spicy version, but after I eliminated spicy food during my breastfeeding days, I totally became weak sauce. I'm working on building up my tolerance but still have a long ways to go!
The husband, on the other hand, grew up eating the non-spicy version most of the time and so it's what he's always preferred. It reminds him of growing up with 3 older siblings and fighting over who gets the most chicken. My siblings and I, on the other hand, always fought over the potatoes.
Now, because I'm always looking for ways to make baby-friendly versions of classic, beloved recipes, I'm presenting you today with the non-spicy, savory Instant Pot Korean Chicken and Potatoes!
Also try this Western Comfort Meal - Instant Pot Chicken and Noodles
Becoming Friends with My Instant Pot
I unexpectedly became an Instant pot owner last year, thanks to a Target MEGA sale. 6 months later and I'm still learning all the ins and outs. I'm finding that:
- There IS a learning curve contrary to what many people have told me. Perhaps it's because I'm such a creature of habit and find myself resorting to cooking things the way I've always done rather than trying to familiarize myself with this new equipment.
- It's not as quick as everyone claims. I mean add on the time it takes to come to pressure + cooking time + time to release pressure, I question how this is saving me time.
But I suppose it's quicker than a slow cooker and my hands are free to do other things, so I can see how it would save many parents' sanity. All this to say, I'm still at the "learning to love my Instant Pot" stage.
Step By Step Instructions
While the original stove-top method is not hard, it does require several steps and some babysitting. The beauty of this version is you can just dump all the ingredients into the pot and walk away!
- Cook the chicken using the saute function.
- Add vegetables, pour in the sauce. Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes! Easy Peasy!
What Makes this Baby-Friendly
I made every attempt to cut back on the sodium level without sacrificing the flavor too much. If you have older children, you can add more soy sauce (up to ⅓ cup) and include oyster sauce.
To achieve that balance of savory and sweet, I personally like to use honey. BUT when serving to your baby, most definitely use brown sugar. Remember, no honey before 1! Or if you're really set on no added sugar before 2, then you can try substituting sugar with pureed fruits (I recommend apple or pear), just like I did with my baby-friendly bulgogi recipe.
It's best to avoid sodium-rich condiments and added sugars as much as possible during the first year.
However, keep in mind that your baby is most likely only going to eat a small portion of this entire dish. And it's all about balance. The goal by the end of the first year is for your baby to eat the same foods that the rest of the family are enjoying with age-appropriate modifications.
Texture-wise, this dish is PERFECT for babies. The chicken gets super tender and moist and the vegetables are soft but won't get crushed by their clumsy little hands.
I first served a slow cooker version of this dish when my son was around 9 months old, and he absolutely LOVED it! Follow me on Instagram for more examples of the actual meals I served him when he was a baby.
Serving Suggestions
So without further ado, here's the recipe!
You can serve with this Instant Pot Multigrain rice. But to be quite honest, I must side with the hubs on this one. It tastes better with just plain white rice ;).
This will also be good with noodles or as a filling for burrito, quesadillas, etc.
Other Baby-Friendly Asian Dishes
- Bulgogi
- Teriyaki Glazed Salmon
- Moo Goo Gai Pan
- Chinese orange sesame chicken
- Sweet and Sour meatball stir-fry
- Asian turkey rice meatballs
- Japchae
- Instant Pot Peanut Chicken and Broccoli
Do you want to minimize picky eating and set a solid foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits?
Check out this 3 month mastering self-feeding program! It’s the closest thing to me being in your kitchen
Instant Pot Korean Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts, fat trimmed and cut into small pieces
- 1 pound (2 medium) white potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 1 medium onion, cut into large chunks
- 2 medium carrots, cut into large chunks
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos if there's a soy allergy)
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons honey (see note)
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil (or perilla oil if there's a sesame allergy)
Instructions
- Press saute function on your Instant Pot. When the pot gets hot, add oil and sear the chicken on both sides, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add veggies on top. Pour in the sauce and mix to evenly coat the chicken and vegetables. Press cancel to stop the saute function.
- Close the lid and make sure the pressure valve is in the sealing position. Press poultry and cook for 6 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure to build up and the timer to begin.
- Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure manually.
- Slow cooker option: Add all the ingredients to the pot. Cook for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high
- (Optional): If you’d like to reduce the sauce, remove the chicken and vegetables from the pot, and press saute. Don’t reduce too much though as you really want to keep some of the yummy liquid. Serve with rice or noodles and pour a generous amount of sauce on top.
Laura says
Question before I go on about how delicious this was…. You mentioned you grew up on a spicy version, how can I spice this up for the adults’ servings? (gochujang, Sambal, siracha, red pepper flake, cayenne?…) Oh! And I’d love to make this as a freezer meal for my friend (she’s due this summer). I am thinking I could keep everything the same for a freezer to crockpot meal but omit the potatoes (and just recommend she serve it with instant mashed potatoes for an easy meal?)— unless you have a different recommendation? 🙂
This was definitely a 5/5 in our book (we did incorporate about a tablespoon of oyster sauce and included the honey since our toddlers are old enough (at 2 and 4). My husband is part Japanese and said this dish had notes reminiscent of oyakodon (which is great because I don’t always have dashi on hand!). Lastly, I’ll mention that I made this with just Kikkoman aji-mirin but it was still surprisingly delicious (our preference for oyakodon is using a combo of Taka Mirin and Gekkeikan Sake but since moving we’ve only found Kikkoman).
Min says
Hi Laura! I actually have a recipe on my blog - look for Korean spicy chicken and potatoes! Your plan sounds good too! Oh now I'm craving oyakodon!
Laura says
Thank you! I’ll check it out. And yes, we did all thighs the first time we made this recipe. (With breasts it’s not as reminiscent of oyakodon)
Erica says
This recipe is such a hit with our whole family - adults, toddler, abs baby! I usually make the recipe as is, but as there's a new eater on the scene (9.5 months), I made it with unsweetened apple sauce instead of honey and it was just as delicious. It actually gave it a slightly apple-y undertone that I enjoyed. Looking forward to leftovers 🙂
Min says
Hi Erica! Ooh I will have to try with applesauce next time! Thanks for sharing!
Ana says
Amazing! The whole family enjoyed this one!
Min says
It's def one of my family's fav too! Thanks for taking the time to share!
Maureen C says
I love MJ's recipes, but this is my most-used... SO flavorful! The first time I made this, both my husband and baby inhaled it. Said baby is almost 3 and I have another baby I plan to feed this to (minus the honey) tonight. Sometimes it's hard to buy ingredients I consider "specialty" like mirin because I am just not super familiar with how to successfully use them. It's not an issue with mirin because I just LOVE making this. It's beautifully fragrant and flavorful, chock full of veggies (and I have added others before), flexible in using different parts of chicken (thighs tonight!), and can be served as is, with rice, or even noodles. This is a hearty meal that screams HOMEMADE and COMFORT. Give it a try!
Min says
What a lovely comment, Maureen! Thank you so so much! This is one of my family's FAVORITE dish too! If there are any dishes you'd like for me to makeover for a more nutritious, family-friendly meal, let me know!
Rachel says
This was a hit with the whole family, including our one year old! Thank you for your wonderful recipes. We used the slow cooker and chicken drumsticks since it's what we had. First time in a long time that baby girl ate veggies that weren't disguised in something else. The sauce makes everything so yummy!!
Min says
Aww this makes my heart sing! I'm so glad that you guys enjoyed this recipe so much. Thanks for sharing!
Helen says
Can I half the recipe? If yes, what adjustments should I make to the instant pot timing?
Min says
I haven't tried so can't say for certain, but if you are worried about not being able to finish the leftovers, you can freeze!
Amy says
I just made this and it was a hit! You could really add any kind of leftover veggies you have in the fridge, I think. I added half the sugar and it still tasted great.
Min says
So glad it was a hit!! And yes it's super versatile 😉
Ana says
I just made this for us parents and the 11mo old and we all loved it! I made some substitutions (water and a bay leaf for chicken broth, a grated apple and a teaspoon of sake for the sugar/mirin) and it was so savory and homey. We've enjoyed all your baby friendly Korean recipes - thank you for the resource!
Min says
Yay!! Love that your entire family enjoyed this!
Christina says
Tried this recipe yesterday and it was so delicious! The potatoes were perfectly cooked - soaked up all the flavor and was perfect texture not a mush. Chicken thighs were tender and perfect for my 13mo. Will definitely make it again and again.
Min says
I'm soo glad!! This is one of our go-to meals too!
Soo Kim says
I made this for my son today. It was a hit! He ate EVERYTHING on his plate (first time eating non-ground meat). The meat was so tender and perfect texture for the baby. My husband and I ate the spicy version of this dish (my absolute favorite) and hope to introduce him to the spicy version one day.
Min says
Doing the happy dance with you 😉
Maureen Couch says
My family LOVES this recipe. It is so simple, but the flavor is just unreal. Also, I don't own a Instant Pot so I made this on the stove and had no problem adapting it - it cooked just as quickly! We've made this twice and now that we are going into the cold weather again, I suspect we'll have it again before the holidays 🙂 Thank you for this, MJ!
Min says
Love it!! Thanks for sharing, Maureen!
Kathleen Ellis says
This is a favourite in my family. The potatoes and vegetables go nice and soft for my daughter to eat. I also add parsnip and mushrooms if we have them in.
Min says
Love the additions!
Dayna says
My son has had feeding issues, and this recipe has been a game changer. He’s eating like a champ now, and LOVES this recipe. It’s perfect. I made it in my slow cooker, but I do have an instant pot. What size is your instant pot? I have an 8-quart pot and wondered if I need to double the liquid to make sure it comes to pressure? I read that 8-quart pots need at least 2 cups liquid to come to pressure.
Min says
So great to hear! Thank you for sharing! I have the 8 quart as well! No need to double the liquid 😉
Dayna says
Wonderful! Thanks so much. I just made another batch today in my slow cooker but will use my instant pot next time!
ashley says
just made it
SO GOOD!!
Min says
YAY! so glad to hear!
Joy says
Can i omit mirin? Or do you have any recommendation for a baby friendly alternative?
Min says
You can leave it out!
Anastasia says
Could you freeze this?
Min says
yes!
Tu says
Hi, which method do you prefer, slow cooking or high pressure. I have both options to choose. Thanks
Min says
Both are equally good in my opinion. I do find that the flavor develops a bit more with the slow cooker, but when I'm pressed for time, Instant Pot def saves the day!
Maddie says
If increasing the soy sauce and including oyster sauce as you mentioned, how much oyster sauce do you recommend?
Min says
I wouldn't do more than a tablespoon of oyster sauce
Dorothy says
Can I use canola oil instead of the avocado oil?
Min says
Sure!
Natalie says
Hi! This recipe looks great! 🙂 wondering a few things: have you tried this recipe with frozen chicken? And would all thighs work fine? Thank you!
Min says
I haven't tried with frozen chicken but all thighs will most def work!
Stephanie says
Hi! My son was diagnosed with a sesame allergy. Will the sauce be ok if I just omit the sesame oil?
Thank you!
Min says
I wouldn't omit entirely but perhaps try perilla oil (can find it at an Asian grocery store).
Dayna says
Hi! This sounds delicious. Is it as good with just chicken breast or do you need the chicken thighs for added flavor?
Min says
you can use just the breast but yes, will be much more flavorful with the thighs
Jenny says
Is the slow cooker method similar to this recipe?? We don’t have an Instant Pot. Thanks!
Min says
Yes! Just added the instructions