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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.
Table of Contents
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 1/3 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)
- 1/4 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.Â
- 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.Â
I made this dish, it is so flavorful and delicious! I added Korean sweet potatoes and japchae noodles!
Ooh! Love the addition of japchae noodles :).
Absolutely Delicious, and super quick! Mom, Dad, & Baby (12 mo) loved it. Next time, I plan to make an extra bit of sauce, and add chili to it, just to pour on top. Thank you for this!
So happy to hear that!!
An absolute winner of a recipe for our family!
Yay! Makes me so happy to hear that!
Hi Min, thank you so much for this recipe! I am constantly trying to find baby/kid friendly asian food recipes and instant pot recipes to cut down on time spent watching the stove, so this is a win win! I have used your website ever since I started baby led weaning and turn to it almost every day. I really appreciate all the details you put into your recipes such as info on nutrition, substitutes, and various cooking and storage methods. Your infographics on a well-balance plate for introduction to baby led weaning are very useful and I still have it on my fridge to remind myself of the different iron, high energy, and fruit/vegetable needs!
Unfortunately my instant pot does not have the poultry setting, just the original “pressure cook” setting. For the “Pressure Cook” setting, can we also set it for 6 minutes? I tried it for 8 minutes just in case, and everything was tender, but was wondering if 6 is enough.
Thank you!!
Hi Annie! Thank you SO much for leaving such a kind, encouraging comment! Really warmed my heart and motivates me to keep sharing! You can try at 6 minutes next time!
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).
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!
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)
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 🙂
Hi Erica! Ooh I will have to try with applesauce next time! Thanks for sharing!