Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (fresh and frozen)

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The juiciest Instant Pot Chicken Breast ever! Whether you have fresh or frozen chicken, this is the perfect pressure cooker chicken breast recipe for weekly meal prep, a quick dinner, or to freeze ahead of time for all those recipes that call for chicken!

Chicken Breast can be used in a multitude of recipes from chicken salad to casseroles and beyond. Being able to cook ahead and store in the freezer or fridge can be a lifesaver for meal prep or for a go to recipe you need to make in a pinch.

So whether you are meal prepping or need to make a deliciously juicy chicken breast for dinner this one you will want in your recipe box!

And I will not mention that group of people (not me ever – hah) that ultimately forgets to thaw their chicken for dinner, only to come home and have that “Oh Darn” moment. This recipe will be a life saver for anyone that falls into that category 😉 !

This trusty way to make a multi purpose chicken breast is one of the many reasons I love the Instant Pot!!

Looking for more easy Instant Pot recipes? Check out my Instant Pot Garlic and Lemon Glazed Chicken, the oh so popular Instant Pot Beef Tips, or the most creamiest fail proof Instant Pot Mac and Cheese.

Pressure Cooking Fresh or Thawed Chicken Breasts

• Place chicken breast in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
• Add in 1 cup of liquid. Depending on the flavor you want to achieve use chicken stock, water, pineapple, apple, or orange juice.
• Season with salt, garlic powder, and pepper or desired seasonings.
• Set pressure cooker to high pressure for 6-8 minutes.
• Place lid to locked position and turn the valve to sealed position.
• Once cook time if done, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes and then do a quick release by opening the seal with a wooden spoon or set of tongs.
• Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Pressure Cooking Frozen Boneless Chicken Breasts

• Place chicken breast in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
• Add in 1 cup of liquid. Depending on the flavor you want to achieve use chicken stock, water, pineapple, apple, or orange juice.
• Season with salt, garlic powder, and pepper or desired seasonings.
• Set pressure cooker to high pressure for 10-12* minutes.
• Place lid to locked position and turn the valve to sealed position.
• Once cook time if done, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes and then do a quick release by opening the seal with a wooden spoon or set of tongs.
• Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Tip:  When cooking frozen chicken, make sure they are not all stuck together before putting them in the instant pot. I often purchase chicken in large value packs and freeze in individual freezer bags or wrapped with parchment or freezer paper individually and stored in a large freezer bag. But if you have a package that is frozen together, just sit it in a bowl of cold water until you can break them loose. Cooking them all frozen together will leave you with unevenly cooked chicken.

When is the Chicken Fully Cooked?

Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees before it is done or fully cooked and safe to eat. The best way to tell is to check with an instant read meat thermometer.

Place the thermometer into the center or thickest part of chicken breast.  If it reads 160 it will come to full temp as it rests. If it isn’t often you can place back into the IP and put the lid back on. The heat created when pressure cooking should be enough to get it to the right temperature.

If you do not have a thermometer make sure there isn’t any pink left in the breast and all juices run clear when slicing.

Do I need to adjust Cook Times for Different Size Chicken Breasts?

The answer is YES! If you are buying individually frozen or organic chicken breasts they are often about 6 ounces and now a days the conventionally packaged chicken breasts are much larger.. So the best way to determine is by figuring out about how many ounces each breast weighs. Just take the total weight of your package and divide by the number of breast in the package.

Cooking Time Rule of Thumb:

• 6 ounce breast: 6 minutes for fresh / 10 minutes for frozen
• 8 ounce breast: 7 minutes for fresh / 11 minutes for frozen
• 10 ounce breast: 8 minutes for fresh / 12 minutes for frozen

Each will need a 5 minute natural release time.

Ways to serve Instant Pot Chicken Breast

• Whole Breast – You can add various seasonings when cooking to get the desired taste you love.
• Sliced, Cube or Dice the Chicken – Use this as a topper for salads, sandwiches, meal prep for your protein, casseroles, or makes delicious chicken salad.
• Shredded – This is great for sandwiches, tacos, salads, dips, casseroles, etc.

Easy ways to Shred Chicken Breast

• Once cook time finished, remove lid and pour broth (cooking liquid) into a bowl or large measuring cup. Pour about 1/2 of the liquid back into the inner pot.
• Shred with a hand held mixer on medium speed inside inner pot or use two forks if you do not have a hand mixer. You can also pour into a stand mixer bowl (if you don’t have a hand held), if you desire and use the paddle attachment to shred.

If you want to freeze chicken for shredded chicken recipes. It is best to shred first and then freeze. It makes it a little easier.

Storing Cooked Instant Pot Chicken

• Cook as directed. Make sure to not overcook.
• Don’t skill resting time. This allows the juices to redistribute.
• Slice, cube, shred or leave whole as desired.
• Portion in individual or recipe specific serving sizes for easy use as needed. I find most recipes call for 1 to 2 cups of chicken.
• Cooked chicken can be refrigerated safely for 3 to 4 days.
• Frozen cooked chicken will keep in the freezer for 3 to 6 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.

Cooks Tip: Make sure to get good quality fresh chicken. Not all brands are alike. If you find that it turns out tough, test out another brand. Using frozen is okay just get a brand you trust and have success with.

Tools you’ll need

• My recipes are tested with a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo or Ultra. This is why 1 cup of liquid is needed. Make sure to check your brand requirements if using another brand or if you an 8 quart for your recipes.
• I don’t use my trivet for this recipe. I find they cook just perfectly in the liquids when placed directly in the insert.

Recipes Using Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

• Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Easy Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Baked Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

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Yield: 4

Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 13 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup chicken broth, water, or juice
• salt, pepper, garlic powder or seasoning to taste

Instructions

1. Place chicken breast in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
2. Add in 1 cup of liquid. Depending on the flavor you want to achieve use chicken stock, water, pineapple, apple, or orange juice.
3. Season with salt, garlic powder, and pepper or desired seasonings. 
4. Place lid to locked position and turn the valve to sealed position.
5. FRESH or THAWED - Cook 6 to 8 Minutes**
6. FROZEN - Cook 10 to 12 Minutes**
7. Once cook time if done, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes and then do a quick release by opening the seal with a wooden spoon or set of tongs.
8. Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
9. To shred- leave 1/2 of cooking liquid with the chicken and shred with two forks or a mixer.

Notes

Cooking Time Rule of Thumb:

6 ounce breast: 6 minutes for fresh / 10 minutes for frozen

8 ounce breast: 7 minutes for fresh / 11 minutes for frozen

10 ounce breast: 8 minutes for fresh / 12 minutes for frozen

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