This Low FODMAP Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry is an easy low FODMAP dinner recipe perfect for busy weeknights! Easily made in advance or on-the-spot, this low FODMAP stir fry features flavorful chicken and veggies covered in a low FODMAP stir fry sauce. This low FODMAP Instant Pot recipe is gluten-free and low carb. Also includes instructions for making pot-in-pot rice!
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Making Low FODMAP Dinners Easier
Readers have been telling me they're looking for more easy low FODMAP dinner recipes that can be quickly prepared on busy weeknights. In the land of low FODMAP and clean eating, this can be challenging. When you don't want to or can't use most premade store-bought dinners due to dietary issues, most clean eating, low FODMAP dinner recipes usually take a certain amount of prep.
I find using a marinade that can be quickly put together the night before or morning of cooking makes weeknight dinners a lot easier. With this Low FODMAP chicken stir fry recipe, throwing the chicken and marinade in a bag and chopping the veggies in advance allows for easily throwing everything into the Instant Pot later when you're tired and just want to eat.
Or, for those times when you forget to make the marinade, this low FODMAP stir fry is still delicious without it and can all be made the day-of cooking.
This recipe also includes instructions for making white rice at the same time as the stir fry in the Instant Pot, pot-in-pot. Having one Instant Pot to monitor instead of multiple pans and pots on the stove makes life way less complicated.
Necessary Equipment
The equipment I use to make this Low FODMAP Chicken Stir Fry in the Instant Pot includes:
- 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Chopping board and knife
- Grater (such as a microplane) and veggie peeler (if using fresh ginger)
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Small (quart-sized) zip top bag
- Fine mesh sieve
- Paper towels
- Tongs
- Instant read thermometer
- Stirring spoon
For optional pot-in-pot rice:
- Oven safe stainless steel or glass bowl around 7.25 x 7.25 x 3.75 inches in size (I use this one).
- Fine mesh sieve
- Trivet that comes with the Instant Pot
- Hot pads
- Small plate
- Fork
Low FODMAP Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry: Ingredients & Instructions
Low FODMAP Stir Fry Sauce
To make the low FODMAP stir fry sauce, I whisk the following ingredients to a small bowl (if making a marinade in advance) or the bottom of the Instant Pot:
- Low sodium tamari (if needing gluten-free) or soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Garlic-infused olive oil
- Sesame oil
- Fresh ginger, grated or minced, or ground ginger (for when you just don't want to mess with fresh ginger) - Money saving tip: freeze fresh ginger in a zip top bag until ready to use, then peel, and grate the desired quantity while it's still frozen. The grated ginger will thaw quickly. Stick unused ginger back into the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Red pepper flakes (optional) - although low FODMAP in small quantities, red pepper flakes also contain capsaicin, which gives them their spicy qualities and can be an additional symptom trigger for some people with IBS. Omit if you don’t tolerate or care for spicy food.
- Ground white pepper (or black pepper) - I use white pepper as it gives some extra bite, but regular ground black pepper is totally fine.
- Chinese 5-Spice Powder - a naturally low FODMAP spice blend that can be found in the spice aisle in many grocery stores in North America. If you don't want to buy a whole bottle just for a ¼ teaspoon - just skip it. It is sometimes used in Chinese-inspired recipes.
- Liquid stevia or sweetener of choice, to taste - I use stevia as it is sugar-free and low carb. Other sweeteners can be used to taste per your dietary requirements.
- Water - omit from the marinade and add to the pot when ready to cook.
Marinade vs. No Marinade
To make this recipe super easy and more flavorful, I include the option to marinade the chicken in advance. To do this:
Add the chicken thighs and stir fry sauce to a small zip top bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Once ready to cook, simply pour bag contents along with ¼ cup cold water into the bottom of an Instant Pot, spreading the thighs evenly in the bottom.
However, sometimes I forget to marinade the chicken in advance. That is not a deal-breaker for this recipe (however, it would be if making my Low FODMAP Instant Pot Butter Chicken, which heavily relies on the marinade to create its amazing flavor). This low FODMAP chicken stir fry is still incredibly delicious without the marinade.
If making the low FODMAP stir fry sauce the day of, I whisk together the stir fry ingredients (up to and including the ¼ cup of water) directly in the Instant Pot and lay the chicken thighs evenly in the bottom of the pot.
Pot-in-Pot Rice (Optional - not Low Carb)
If you're interested in making white long grain or basmati rice at the same time as the stir fry in the Instant Pot, you will need an oven safe stainless steel or glass bowl around 7.25 x 7.25 x 3.75 inches in size (I use this one).
Place trivet into the Instant Pot on top of chicken thighs and sauce.
Pour rice into a fine-mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Pour rice into an oven safe stainless steel or glass bowl with 1 cup of cold water and stir.
Place bowl on top of trivet in the Instant Pot.
Pressure Cook
Close the Instant Pot lid, set the pressure release valve to “Sealing,” press the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” button, and set the timer for 5 minutes. Once the cooking cycle has completed, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, and then manually release the remaining pressure. Open lid.
If you've made pot-in-pot-rice:
Open lid.
Remove pot-in-pot rice to a plate.
Remove trivet from the Instant Pot so that only the thighs and sauce remain.
If you have / haven't made rice:
Check the temperature of the thickest thigh using an instant read thermometer. Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165°F to be safely consumed. Using tongs, remove chicken thighs to a cutting board, leaving the liquid in the pot.
Cook Veggies
Then, I hit "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and add the following veggies to the pot:
- Broccoli heads, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- Carrot, chopped into matchsticks
- Canned sliced mushrooms, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- Canned water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
Prepare veggies. I usually do this while the chicken, sauce and rice are cooking, so they are ready to add once the cooking cycle has completed.
Add veggies to the sauce in the Instant Pot and simmer for 2 minutes or until broccoli is nearly fork tender.
While the veggies simmer, chop chicken into ½-inch wide strips. If you've made rice, fluff it with a fork.
Thicken Sauce (Optional)
If you prefer a thicker sauce, sprinkle xanthan gum over bubbling sauce and veggies and stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Hit the “Cancel” button.
Other thickeners (like tapioca flour and cornstarch) can be used - quantities will vary.
Serve
Add chicken strips to the pot and stir. Serve over rice of choice.
Low FODMAP Rice Alternatives
Other Low FODMAP rice options: can be prepared externally from the Instant Pot. Other alternatives include:
- Low FODMAP and Gluten-Free: Brown rice or jasmine rice (not an all-inclusive list)
- Low FODMAP, Gluten-Free, and Low Carb: hearts of palm rice or shirataki rice
Low FODMAP Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
Low FODMAP Stir Fry Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium tamari, or soy sauce if not needing gluten-free
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon fresh ginger, shredded or minced, or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional*
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, or black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese 5-Spice
- ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia or sweetener of choice, to taste (omit for Whole30)*
- ¼ cup water, omit from marinade - add to pot later
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, or thickener of choice (optional)*
Chicken and Veggies
- 1.75 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups broccoli heads, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup carrot, chopped into matchsticks (about 1 large carrot)
- 10 ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 8 ounce can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- ¼ cup scallion greens, thinly sliced on the diagonal, for garnish (optional)
For Pot-in-Pot Rice (Optional - not Low Carb)*
- 1 cup white long grain or basmati rice
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- Prepare marinade (optional - for best results): 2 hours prior to cooking or up to overnight, whisk together low FODMAP stir fry sauce ingredients except for water and xanthan gum in a small bowl. Pour sauce into a small (quart-sized) zip top bag. Add chicken thighs, seal, and refrigerate until ready to cook. Once ready to cook, pour ¼ cup of cold water and contents of the zip top bag into the Instant Pot, spreading thighs evenly in a single layer.
- If not using a marinade: Whisk together stir fry sauce ingredients (except the xanthan gum) in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place chicken thighs in a single layer in the sauce.
- If making pot-in-pot rice (optional): Place trivet into Instant Pot on top of chicken thighs and sauce. Pour rice into a fine-mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Pour rice into an oven safe stainless steel (I use this one) or glass bowl with 1 cup of cold water and stir. Place bowl on top of trivet in the Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook: Close the Instant Pot lid, set the pressure release valve to “Sealing,” press the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” button, and set the timer for 5 minutes. Once the cooking cycle has completed, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, and then manually release the remaining pressure.
- Open lid: If you’ve made rice, using hot pads, remove the bowl of rice to a plate. Check the temperature of the thickest thigh using an instant read thermometer. Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165°F to be safely consumed. Using tongs, remove chicken to a cutting board, leaving the liquid in the pot.
- Cook veggies: Hit “Sauté” on the Instant Pot and add the veggies to the pot: broccoli, carrot, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Simmer veggies until broccoli is nearly fork tender, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While veggies simmer, chop the chicken into ½-inch wide strips. If you’ve made rice, fluff with a fork.
- Thicken sauce (optional): If you prefer a thicker sauce, sprinkle xanthan gum over bubbling sauce and veggies and stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Hit the “Cancel” button.
- Serve: Add chicken strips to the Instant Pot and stir. Taste the stir fry and add salt as needed. Serve over rice (see below for more options).
Equipment
Notes
- Update 7/30/23: Removed coconut aminos from recipe ingredients as it has been recently tested for FODMAPs by Monash University. They list it in their low FODMAP Diet App as containing fructans and setting a low FODMAP serving at 1 teaspoon or 5 grams per serving. If you had no problems with fructans or coconut aminos in the past, this may not be an issue for you. Removing coconut aminos also makes this recipe no longer Paleo or Whole30 compliant.
- Tamari or soy sauce: use tamari if needing gluten-free.
- Red pepper flakes: Although low FODMAP in small quantities, red pepper flakes contain capsaicin, which can be an additional symptom trigger for some people with IBS. Omit if you don’t tolerate or care for spicy food.
- Liquid stevia: Other sweeteners can be used to taste based on your dietary needs.
- Xanthan gum: other thickeners such as a slurry of tapioca starch or cornstarch + cold water can be used; however, the quantity is subject to change.
- Pot-in-Pot Rice: this cooking time works with white long grain or basmati rice only.
- Other Low FODMAP rice options: can be prepared externally from the Instant Pot. Other alternatives include:
- Low FODMAP & Gluten-Free: White, brown, jasmine (not an all-inclusive list)
- Low FODMAP & Keto / Low Carb: hearts of palm rice or shirataki rice
- Servings: makes about 6 cups total, with each serving being 1.5 cups.
- Information in the nutrition card below does not include pot-in-pot rice.
Pamela Garfield says
This is easy and delicious and will be part of our meal rotation. My boyfriend doesn't like chicken thighs, so I make half the batch with chicken breasts. Thank you!
Gail says
Happy to hear you liked it and it will be part of your regular meal rotation! Thanks so much for taking the time to rate and review the recipe!