Add the water or chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, and black pepper to the Instant Pot. Whisk until the honey is completely dissolved and no streaks remain.

Place the chicken breasts directly into the sauce in a single layer. No trivet needed.

Seal the lid and move the steam valve to the sealing position. Set to Pressure Cook on high pressure. Cook for 8 minutes for small breasts (7 to 8 oz each), 10 minutes for medium (10 oz each), or 11 minutes for large (12 oz each). The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the countdown begins.

For frozen chicken breasts, add 3 extra minutes to the cook times above. Ensure breasts are fully separated before cooking.

When the timer ends, carefully quick release the pressure by moving the steam valve to venting using a long spoon handle. Keep hands and face away from steam. For frozen chicken, allow a 10-minute natural release before venting. Wait for all steam to escape and the float valve pin to fully drop before opening the lid.

Use an instant-read thermometer to confirm the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If not, use the saute function to finish cooking.

Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board or plate and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Turn the Instant Pot to saute mode. Stir the slurry into the sauce remaining in the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Turn off the Instant Pot and remove the inner pot from the base to stop cooking.

Slice the chicken, drizzle the honey garlic sauce generously on top, and serve immediately over rice with your favorite vegetables.