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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.
If you’re like me and want an easy, versatile way to add protein, try my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe — it’s perfect for tossing into this peanut butter one-pot meal or using in so many other dishes!
And if you’re in the mood for something cozy and nourishing, check out this Chicken Rice Porridge too.
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. Refer to this guide on finger foods for babies.
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 Korean 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
Video
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.
- 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.
Amazing! The whole family enjoyed this one!
It’s def one of my family’s fav too! Thanks for taking the time to share!
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!
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!
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!!
Aww this makes my heart sing! I’m so glad that you guys enjoyed this recipe so much. Thanks for sharing!
Can I half the recipe? If yes, what adjustments should I make to the instant pot timing?
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!
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.
So glad it was a hit!! And yes it’s super versatile 😉
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!
Yay!! Love that your entire family enjoyed this!
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.
I’m soo glad!! This is one of our go-to meals too!
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.
Doing the happy dance with you 😉
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!
Love it!! Thanks for sharing, Maureen!
Hi Maureen! What adjustments did you make to the recipe to cook on the stove? I’m currently traveling and don’t have access to an instant pot but I wanted to make this recipe for my 18 month old because it’s his FAVORITE! Thank you so much!!
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.
Love the additions!