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–+ servings

Instant Pot Bourbon Butternut Chicken

Gourmet Done Skinny
Delicious Instant Pot Bourbon Butternut Chicken. Creamy, salty with a little sweet- perfection in your mouth! Serve it over rice or cauliflower rice. Garnish with green onions, black sesame seeds and toasted cashews.
Weight Watchers Points: 8 Smart Points if using breasts ; Green: 10 Smart Points; Purple: 10 Smart Points if using Boneless/skinless chicken thighs
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 470 kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts cut into small bite-sized pieces (if you use chicken thighs, add 3 smart points to the individual total smart point count)
  • olive oil spray I like to use my Olive Oil Mister
  • 2 t.sesame oil
  • 3 c. butternut squash cubed about 1 small butternut squash or you can use frozen
  • 1/2 t. kosher salt or to taste
  • dash of pepper or to taste
  • 3/4 c. onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2/3 c. light soy sauce use light soy sauce or the dish will be too salty
  • 1/4 c. ketchup
  • 1/4 c. bourbon
  • 2 T. apple cider vinegar or Shaohsing Wine if you have it
  • 1/4 c. honey
  • 1 T. brown sugar
  • 1/8-1/4 cayenne pepper depending on how you like it
  • 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
  • 2 T. cornstarch
  • 2 t. fresh ginger minced (don't forget this, it's important, see note at bottom)
  • 1 bunch green onions finely chopped (for garnish if desired)
  • toasted sesame seeds for garnish if desired, pinch over each serving

Instructions
 

  • Spray the Instant Pot liner with oil from your Olive Oil Mister.  Add sesame oil.  Turn Instant Pot to saute.
  • While waiting for Instant Pot to heat up, in a small bowl or glass measuring cup, mix soy sauce, ketchup, bourbon, vinegar/Shaohsing wine, honey, brown sugar, cayenne and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
  • Add onions and garlic to the Instant Pot. Brown for a few minutes, use more of your Olive Oil Mister if you need to keep the onions from sticking and burning.
  • Add chicken, salt and pepper, and soy sauce mixture. Cook for about 3 minutes so the alcohol in the bourbon burns off. Turn off Instant Pot.
  • Add butternut squash. Place lid on Instant Pot. Set knob to sealing.  Press "Manual," or on some models, "Pressure Cook," and decrease time to 3 minutes (yes, really 3 minutes!).
  • When the timer beeps, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, then do pressure release.
  • In a small bowl or cup add cornstarch and 3 T. water. Mix thoroughly then add to Instant Pot mixture.
  • Add in fresh ginger.
  • Turn Instant Pot to saute and cook until sauce is thickened usually only a few minutes.
  • Serve over rice or cauliflower rice in bowls and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired. It's also great with a little cashews crushed over the top (if you have enough points).

Notes

Don't leave out the fresh ginger! It makes a big difference. When testing this recipe, I forgot it on the second take. I couldn't figure out what was missing until I tasted the first batch again. Ginger! It's that important to this dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cCalories: 470kcalCarbohydrates: 58.6gProtein: 41.6gFat: 6.1gSaturated Fat: 1.2gCholesterol: 110.3mgSodium: 1182.6mgFiber: 3.6gSugar: 23.2gVitamin A: 412.2IUVitamin C: 38.7mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!