In a medium mixing bowl, combine the orange zest, freshly squeezed orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want a bit of heat. Whisk everything together until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended into a flavorful, slightly tangy sauce.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, about one inch in size, so that it cooks quickly and evenly in the Instant Pot.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot and activate the sauté function. Once the pot is hot, add the chicken pieces and cook them for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the chicken won’t get deeply browned due to the moisture inside the pot, this step builds flavor. Once done, press Cancel to stop the sauté mode.

Pour the prepared orange sauce into the Instant Pot, stirring well to coat the chicken. Use a spoon or spatula to scrape up any flavorful bits stuck to the bottom, which helps prevent a burn warning and adds depth to the sauce.

If you're cooking rice using the pot-in-pot method, place a 2.5-inch trivet on top of the chicken and sauce inside the Instant Pot. In a 7-inch oven-safe bowl, combine the rice with 1 cup of water and place it on the trivet. If you don’t have a pot that fits inside, cook the rice separately according to package directions.

Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set the steam release valve to the sealing position.

Use the Manual or Pressure Cook function and set the timer for 4 minutes at high pressure. It will take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to build pressure before the cooking time starts.

After the 4-minute cook time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then, carefully turn the steam release valve to venting to release any remaining pressure. Once the float valve drops, press Cancel to turn off the warm setting and open the lid.

If you cooked the rice pot-in-pot, use oven mitts to carefully lift out the bowl of rice and set it aside. Then remove the trivet from the Instant Pot.

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water to make a slurry. Turn the Instant Pot back on to sauté mode and stir the slurry into the chicken and sauce. Continue stirring for a minute or two until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency. As soon as it thickens, press Cancel and remove the inner pot to prevent overcooking.

Spoon the saucy orange chicken over the cooked rice and top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds if you like a bit of added flavor and texture. Serve warm and enjoy.