Cook tender, perfect chicken breasts in the Instant Pot every single time! Start with thawed or frozen to create the most delicious chicken you will ever make.
My Instant Pot and I are quickly becoming besties. I was reluctant to dive into this popular kitchen appliance for a long time because I didn’t understand the hype. Now that I have made a handful of perfect recipes (seriously perfect), I get it. It does everything in one little pot and keeps my counter from getting over-loaded with dishes. I decided to see how my pressure cooker do with something simple like chicken breasts! There are so many times when bare, uncooked chicken breasts stare at me when I open my fridge and quite honestly I get tired of baking them. So I threw a few of them into my Instant Pot with some chicken broth (water works great, too!) and guess what. THEY. WERE. PERFECT. Tender, juicy, delicious and my new favorite way to prepare chicken.
Check out this quick video to see how easy it is to cook chicken breasts in the Instant Pot!
Enjoy the step-by-step video tutorial we have created for this recipe! Our goal is to make your time in the kitchen as easy as possible and to ensure that your version of this recipe is a success. See our full collection of cooking and baking videos on YouTube!
How to cook chicken breasts in an Instant Pot
Cooking chicken in your pressure cooker is insanely easy. Ready? Plug in your Instant Pot and grab a few chicken breasts, then follow these easy instructions:
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and olive oil; mix well. Rub the mixture all over the surface of the chicken breasts. (Skip this step for an even simpler recipe.)
Place trivet in your Instant Pot and add chicken broth or water. Place the chicken in a single layer onto the trivet.
Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 5 minutes (for thawed breasts) or 10 minutes (for frozen breasts) on high pressure. It will take the IP around 10 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
When cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes then set to Quick Release. Let the float valve drop and remove the lid.
Remove chicken from the pot and serve! Pour liquid from the pot over the tops of the breasts, if desired, or shred and add back to liquid.
Can you cook frozen meat in an Instant Pot?
One of the perks of using a pressure cooker to cook meat is being able to throw it in straight out of the freezer. When you bake frozen meat, it can become dry. When frozen meat is cooked in an Instant Pot it comes out tender and juicy. To perfectly cook frozen chicken breasts, separate the pieces first then cook in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then set to quick release.
Making shredded chicken in the Instant Pot
When the chicken breasts are done cooking, remove them from the Instant Pot and place on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken and add the shredded meat back to the Instant Pot with the liquids. Stir and let the meat heat up for a few minutes. Serve on buns or as a taco or taco salad filling.
What else can you make in an Instant Pot?
The list of foods you can cook and the many ways you can cook food in an Instant Pot is endless! It can act as a slow cooker, skillet, steamer, rice maker, yogurt maker and pressure cooker. It can cook soup, chili, pasta, meat, potatoes, veggies, cake, beans and so much more. Here are a few of my favorite Instant Pot recipes:
Enjoy this super easy Instant Pot recipe that is certain to save you at least weekly. Stop back and let me know how it turned out for you!
Instant Pot Chicken (From Thawed or Frozen)
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts thawed or frozen
- 14.5 oz. can chicken broth or stock, or 2 cups water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and olive oil. Mix together and rub over the entire surface of the chicken breasts.
- Place a trivet into Instant Pot and pour the chicken broth into it. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer on top of the trivet.
- Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 5 minutes (for thawed breasts) or 10 minutes (for frozen breasts) on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 10 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
- When cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes then set to Quick Release. Let the float valve drop and remove the cover.
- Remove chicken from the pot and serve! Pour liquid from the pot over the tops, if desired, or shred and add back to liquid.
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