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If you’re searching for the easiest way to make perfectly tender chicken breasts, whether fresh or frozen, this Instant Pot Chicken Breasts Recipe is your secret weapon. It’s quick, completely foolproof, and guarantees juicy, flavorful chicken every single time. You’ll be adding this one to your weekly meal rotation in no time!
I’ll be honest, between forgetting to grab a rotisserie chicken on my grocery haul and forgetting to thaw a package from the freezer, I forget something for dinner more often than I’d like to admit. One afternoon my son and I got home from school and he reminded me I’d promised him my Ritz Chicken Casserole for dinner, except the chicken was still a rock solid block in the freezer. I wasn’t about to break that promise, so straight from frozen it went into the Instant Pot.
That night is the reason this recipe lives on repeat in my kitchen now, frozen or not. Rotisserie chicken forgotten again? Freezer chicken frozen solid? Fresh chicken sitting right there in the fridge? It doesn’t matter. This is the recipe I reach for either way, and it has saved more promises and more last minute trips to the store than I can count. It’s also become one of my favorite meal prep tricks for the week ahead.
What You Will Love About This Instant Pot Chicken Breast
This recipe is here to make dinner one less thing to worry about! Here’s why it’s become a staple in my kitchen.
❥ It’s quick. From start to finish, you’re looking at dinner on the table in well under 30 minutes, even with the time it takes to come to pressure.
❥ It’s basically hands off. Once the lid is on, you can walk away and let the Instant Pot do all the work. No standing over a hot stove or checking a thermometer every few minutes!
❥ It’s endlessly adaptable. Swap the broth for apple, orange, or pineapple juice for a totally different flavor, or keep it simple with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Either way, it works.
❥ It cooks straight from frozen. Forgot to thaw your chicken again? No problem, this method works whether your chicken breasts are fresh, thawed, or frozen solid.
❥ It’s perfect for meal prep. Shred it, slice it, or serve it whole. This chicken is juicy and tender enough to use in tacos, salads, sandwiches, or alongside your favorite sides all week long.
NikkiTools You’ll Need for Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- 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 have 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.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Chicken Breast
Pressure Cooker Chicken Breast: Fresh or Thawed
- 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, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika or desired seasonings.
- Set pressure cooker to high pressure for 6-8 minutes.
- Place the lid in the locked position and turn the valve to a sealed position.
- Once cook time is 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.
Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot
- 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, pepper, garlic powder, and paprikaor desired seasonings.
- Set pressure cooker to high pressure for 10-12* minutes.
- Place the lid in a locked position and turn the valve to a sealed position.
- Once cook time is 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 the chicken breast. If it reads 160 it will come to full temp as it rests. If it isn’t often you can place it 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 nowadays the conventionally packaged chicken breasts are much larger. So the best way to determine is by figuring out how many ounces each breast weighs. Just take the total weight of your package and divide it by the number of breasts 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.
Serving Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- 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 a delicious chicken salad.
- Shredded – This is great for sandwiches, tacos, salads, dips, casseroles, etc.
Tips for Shredding Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Once cook time is finished, remove the 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 handheld mixer on medium speed inside an 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 handheld), 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.
How to Store Pressure Cooker Chicken Breast
- Cook as directed. Make sure to not overcook.
- Don’t skip 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 the 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.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Breasts FAQs
This recipe is written and tested for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, so that’s what I’d recommend sticking with for the best results. Bone-in breasts need more cook time and I’d suggest using a trivet with them, so the timing here won’t translate directly. If you want to try bone-in, plan on adding several extra minutes of pressure cooking time and always check that the chicken has reached a safe internal temperature before serving.
Yes, and I’d definitely encourage it! I like to keep mine simple with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, but feel free to use whatever seasonings you love. Since the chicken cooks in liquid, you can also change up the flavor by swapping the broth for something like apple, orange, or pineapple juice.
I recommend a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo or Ultra for this recipe. The 1 cup of liquid called for is specifically measured for that size, so if you’re using a different size pot you may need to adjust your liquid amount accordingly.
Nope! I don’t use a trivet for this recipe. I find the chicken cooks perfectly when placed directly in the liquid in the insert, no extra equipment needed.
You sure can, and it’s one of my favorite things about this method! Just add a few extra minutes of cook time compared to fresh or thawed chicken. The only thing to watch for is making sure the frozen breasts aren’t all stuck together in one big clump before they go in, so they cook evenly.
Recipes Using Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
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Instapot Chicken Breast
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Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless - skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup chicken broth - water, or juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt - or to taste
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper - or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder - or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon paprika - or to taste
Instructions
- 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, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika or desired seasonings.
- Place lid to locked position and turn the valve to sealed position.
- FRESH or THAWED – Cook 6 to 8 Minutes**
- FROZEN – Cook 10 to 12 Minutes**
- 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.
- 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 frozenWant to Save this Recipe?
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Do you put the chicken breasts on a trivet? Or directly into the broth?
I place it directly in the inner pot without the trivet.