A meatless twist on a take out classic, this Instant Pot Kung Pao Chickpeas recipe is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and spicy! The rice is made pot in pot so everything cooks together. Video down below.
Instant Pot Kung Pao Chickpeas Meal Prep
You asked – I answered! Hello my friends – recently I got an email in my inbox asking if I could do a meatless meal prep so here I am with a fun twist on a classic Chinese take-out recipe. It’s been pretty rainy and dreary in Toronto the last few days so cozying up to this yummy chickpea dish (instead of leaving the house for take out lol) is just about how I’d like to spend my evening. This recipe also makes for the perfect Instant Pot meal prep and time saver as I decided to use the Pot in Pot method on making this kung pao chickpeas recipe.
Note: Don’t forget – my inbox is always open to reader requests! If there’s something you want me to try to convert to the Instant Pot/lighten up/meal prep, let me know and I’ll try and make it possible :)
What is Pot-in-Pot Cooking
Instant Pot ‘Pot in Pot’ (PIP) is a cooking method that allows you to make multiple dishes at the same time. You are literally putting a pot inside the Instant Pot so that the multiple dishes you make do not mix together.
On Amazon, you can buy specific stackable inserts that allows you to make up to 3 different things at once or you can use a trivet to stack an over-safe bowl on top your ingredients in your liner.
Budget Friendly Kung Pao Chickpeas
I decided to use chickpeas for this recipe because chickpeas are quite budget-friendly. To cut down on costs a little bit more, you can always purchase dry chickpeas and cook them yourself.
In addition, traditional kung pao chicken uses Szechuan peppercorns and Chinese black vinegar, but I wanted to make sure that this recipe stayed true to its budget purpose and skipped them in favor of more accessible pantry staple items. I subbed in red chili flakes and balsamic vinegar for this kung pao chickpeas recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Instant Pot Kung Pao Chickpeas
- red onion (or regular if you prefer)
- red bell pepper — I prefer red but you can also use yellow or orange. I’d skip green bell peppers unless you prefer the less sweet flavor.
- garlic — the more, the better!
- cooked chickpeas — you can use canned chickpeas or make your own from dried! Here’s how I make chickpeas in the instant pot.
- soy sauce — I use low sodium soy sauce.
- balsamic vinegar
- maple syrup
- chili flakes
- water — I use water to cook the rice in. If you prefer, you can cook the rice in vegetable broth.
- rice — I use basmati rice. Avoid using a different rice such as brown rice as the cooking time will differ.
- cornstarch — or potato starch.
If you have szechuan peppercorns on hand, you can always add half to one tbsp of it!
How To Make Meatless Instant Pot Kung Pao Chicken
- In your Instant Pot, you’re going to layer in your chopped onions, then bell peppers, then garlic, and then chickpeas.
- Next, pour in soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, chili flakes, and water.
- Then on top of your layer of ingredients, place in a trivet and place an oven safe bowl of rice mixed with water on top of it.
- Seal the Instant Pot and let cook on high pressure for 4 minutes before letting it Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes.
- Quick Release the rest of the steam and carefully remove the rice and trivet.
- Mix together some cornstarch with water to make a slurry and add it to the chickpeas. Stir. You may have to use the sauté mode to get the sauce to cook down a little but the cornstarch slurry should thicken the sauce but the heat from the chickpeas and liquid should help mix in the slurry.
- Serve once the sauce as thickened to your preference.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Add in some sesame oil at the end for an extra layer of flavour. Too much sesame oil doesn’t agree with me so I tend to skip it.
- Top off with some roasted peanuts to add an extra crunch to the recipe.
- Stay tuned for the chicken version of this if you prefer chicken to chickpeas! Or if you want to combine the two :)
- To meal prep: store for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. For the picture down below, I used the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers. They are a lighter alternative to glass if weight is a concern for you. You can also store the rice and chickpeas separately or get a container with a divider if you are concerned about your rice getting soggy from the sauce.
- This recipe has only been testing in a 6 qt Instant Pot. Adjustments might have to be made with the mini or 8 qt.
Instant Pot Kung Pao Chickpeas with Rice
Ingredients
- ½ red onion, sliced
- ½ to 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 4 cups cooked chickpeas
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes, or more
- water, ⅓ cup for the chickpeas, 1 cup for the rice, 1 tablespoon for the cornstarch slurry
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In your Instant Pot, layer in the chopped onions then bell peppers then garlic and then chickpeas.
- Next, pour in soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, chili flakes, and 1/3 cup of water.
- Then on top of your layer of ingredients, place in a trivet and place an oven safe bowl with uncooked rice. Add 1 cup of water to the rice.
- Seal the Instant Pot and let cook on high pressure for 4 minutes before letting it Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes.
- Quick Release the rest of the steam and carefully remove the rice and trivet.
- Mix together the cornstarch with 1 tbsp water to make a slurry. Add it to the chickpeas. Stir.
- Optional: stir in 1-2 tsp of sesame oil before serving.
- Serve once the sauce as thickened to your preference. Use the sauté mode if necessary.
Nutrition Per Serving
More Plant-Based Recipes to Try
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Susanne says
Really easy to make, and my son and I liked it a lot. My husband not so much, but since I am the one to rate it: 5 Stars! Thank you for this recipe, it is going in my cook book!
Carmy says
I’m so happy that you and your son enjoyed the recipe! Maybe your husband might like the chicken version! https://carmyy.com/instant-pot-kung-pao-chicken-and-rice/