Instructions

• Make the General Tso’s sauce: in a bowl whisk together 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 4 tablespoons granulated sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set the sauce aside.
• Reserve the thickening slurry ingredients: measure out the second 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water and keep them separate (you will mix these after pressure cooking to thicken the sauce).
• Choose a method: - Dump-and-start (no sauté): Place the 2 pounds cubed chicken thighs, the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional), and the full 1 cup General Tso’s sauce you made into the Instant Pot. Do NOT add either 2-tablespoon portion of cornstarch used for coating or the reserved slurry now. Go to step 7. - Sauté method (browned chicken): Continue to step 4.
• For the sauté method: put the 2 pounds cubed chicken in a bowl and toss with the first 2 tablespoons cornstarch until evenly coated.
• Press SAUTE (low) on the Instant Pot and heat the reserved 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the coated chicken in a single layer and brown lightly, working in batches to avoid crowding (about 2–3 minutes per batch). Transfer browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Still on SAUTE (low), pour approximately 1/4 cup of the General Tso’s sauce (or 1/4 cup of the water from the sauce if you prefer) into the pot and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula to loosen any browned bits. Do not burn the bits; scrape until the bottom is clean. Leave the scraped liquid in the pot.
• Add the 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional) to the pot and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the remaining General Tso’s sauce (so the pot contains a total of 1 cup of the sauce as listed) and return the browned chicken to the pot; stir to combine.
• Secure the lid, set the steam vent to SEALING, select PRESSURE COOK / MANUAL on HIGH, and set the timer for 4 minutes. The Instant Pot will take several minutes to come to pressure and then cook.
• When the 4-minute program ends, perform a quick release of the pressure (carefully turn the vent to VENTING). When the pin drops, open the lid and stir the chicken and sauce.
• Make the slurry now: in a small bowl whisk together the reserved 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until smooth. With the pot still hot, press SAUTE (low) and slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce. Whisk constantly; the sauce will thicken quickly. If it thickens too much, simmer gently (do not boil vigorously) until you reach the desired consistency.
• Taste and adjust if needed (the recipe ingredients are fixed as listed). Turn off the Instant Pot.
• Serve the General Tso’s chicken over cooked rice and garnish with 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds and 1/4 cup chopped green onion.