Can I Cook Frozen Chicken In Instant Pot

Must Try

If Youre Wondering How To Cook Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot Or Pressure Cooker Here Are The Times You Need It Is Easy To Do And A Great Way To Make Chicken Sliders Or Shredded Chicken Meals For Dinner Tender Chicken Breasts Become Juicy In Less Than 15 Minutes Youll See

How to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot–Instant Pot Tips

I recently tackled the burning question of how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot today! Find over 100 more quick and easy Instant Pot recipes and enjoy!

To be quite honest I dont buy a lot of frozen chicken breasts, but occasionally if I find a large pack on sale I will use a few and freeze the rest.;

If you cook a lot of frozen meat in Instant Potbecause you tend to be forgetful were here to help. If you need easy Ninja Foodi recipes, you can use that pot instead.

Lets start with a few basic tips:

For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have and use for all recipe creations.

These pressure cooker cook times are handy when youve forgotten to defrost your meat or want to cook an Instant Pot frozen whole chicken!

  • Yesall of this is possible yall!

How To Cook Frozen Chicken Thighs In The Instant Pot

Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot insert . Add the trivet or a steamer basket to the insert. Put the chicken thighs on top of the trivet. Season them well with salt, pepper, and anything else that youd like.

Put the lid onto the Instant Pot and turn the valve to Sealing. Then set the Instant Pot to Pressure cook on high according; to the times given below.

Once the Instant Pot has finished pressure cooking, allow it to do a natural release for 5 minutes. This is so that the temperature inside the Instant Pot doesnt change too drastically all at once. A drastic change in heat has a tendency to toughen up meat and we dont want tough chicken thighs.

After the 5 minutes of natural release is done, turn the valve to Venting and allow the remaining steam to release. Then take off the lid and do a quick test that the thighs are at least 165°F in the middle. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature. The chicken thighs should all be at the correct temperature. If for some reason they arent, set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for an additional 2 minutes and do another 5 minute natural release.

Tips For Making Cooking From Frozen In Instant Pot

  • Save the broth after cooking. Make sure to strain the chicken broth after cooking the chicken in it. Whether you started with chicken broth, vegetable broth or water, the remaining liquid will be very flavorful to use in soups or to cook grains.
  • Dont skip the seasoning. It not only flavors the dish, but the salt will allow the chicken to hold on to moisture, meaning that every bite is extra juicy.
  • Let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure. This process allows the chicken to continue cooking. If you release it quickly, your chicken wont be cooked through and can be dry.
  • Use an instant read thermometer to check that your chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should register at 165F. If the chicken is not at this temperature, seal the Instant Pot and cook for an additional couple of minutes. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
  • Check out the complete guide on using an Instant Pot.It includes guidelines for pressure cooking, tips making the most of the features and even cooking times for the most common foods.
  • Don’t Miss: Should I Get An Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Chicken Wings With Buffalo Sauce

    Looking for a super fast and easy recipe for how to make Instant Pot frozen chicken wings, this is it! The wings thaw;quickly and cook in no time, and smothered in the delicious buttery hot Buffalo sauce, they are so delicious! Suitable to low-carb, gluten-free, and keto diets. This is a guest recipe from the cookbook From Freezer To Instant Pot by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough. Get recipe from Instant Pot Eats.

    For Sliceable Chicken Breast

    How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot ...

    We don’t recommend making more than 2 pounds of frozen chicken breast if you’d like your chicken breast to be sliceable. We found that over 2 pounds, the chicken cooks unevenly. You’ll wind up with raw chicken breast in the center and sliceable breast on the outside, and if you continue cooking the outside will shred while the inside is more of a sliceable consistency. So, if you have over 2 pounds of chicken, just cook it to a shreddable consistency, or defrost and bake it!

    As with shreddable chicken, youll simply place the frozen chicken in the Instant Pot along with a cup of water, and set it to cook for a set amount of time. Easy peasy!;

    You May Like: How To Pressure Cook In Instant Pot

    Determine Cook Time Using Thickness Or Weight

    One of the most important parts of cooking from frozen is determining the right cook time. This cook time will vary based on the size and thickness of the breasts, as well as whether you plan to slice or shred the finished chicken. When cooking from frozen, do your best to select chicken breasts that are similar in size and thickness.

    To determine a cook time by thickness, for sliceable chicken, Ive had good success using 5 to 6 minutes of cook time per inch at the thickest part of the breast.

    To determine a cook time by weight, use a food scale to determine how many ounces each breast is. For sliceable chicken, Im a big fan of the;Rich Lum method, which recommends adding 1 minute of cook time for each ounce of chicken. If youre cooking multiple breasts, use the average weight.

    For shredded chicken breasts, a good rule of thumb is add 3 to 4 minutes to the cook time above for shreddable chicken breasts.

    What If The Chicken Is Not Cooked

    Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before safe to consume.

    Once your cook time has elapsed and pressure has been released, check the internal temperature of your chicken breast. If less than 160 degrees, place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes on high pressure.

    If the chicken has reached 160 degrees, it will reach 165 degrees as it rests.

    You May Like: How To Cook Ribs In An Instant Pot

    Tips For Making Easy Instant Pot Chicken And Rice

    • Be sure to rinse the rice well before cooking.
    • When you add the broth to the pot, be sure to scrape up any bits stuck to bottom of your Instant Pot with a spatula before adding the chicken. This will ensure that you dont get a burn warning during the pressure cooking time.
    • Its helpful to have your ingredients all ready before you start to saute your vegetables, as the recipe moves quickly from that point.
    • If you want more veggies, try adding a chopped bell pepper along with the carrots. If youd like to add broccoli, stir in some steamed chopped broccoli after pressure cooking. The broccoli will get too mushy if you pressure cook it along with everything else.

    Try these other delicious Instant Pot recipes:

    Do You Need To Double The Cook Time For A Double Recipe

    How To Cook Frozen Chicken In An Instant Pot (Instapot)

    If you would like to double an Instant Pot recipe, you may double the ingredients . You do not need to double the cook time.

    However, you may need to adjust the cook time based on the size/width of meat and vegetables. For example, a small 8 ounce chicken breast will cook faster than a large 12 ounce chicken breast and a small sweet potato will cook faster than a large sweet potato. Read all recipes and directions carefully to determine how long to cook your food.

    Recommended Reading: How To Cook Hoppin John In Instant Pot

    How To Cook Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot

    The Instant Pot continues to amaze! Today, Ill teach you how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot in minutes, compared to hours. You will not believe how simple it is to cook chicken that is moist and fork tender in the Instant Pot in just a few minutes.

    How many recipes do you use regularly that require chicken? ;The beauty of the Instant Pot is the time saver aspect! I love being able to cook frozen chicken in just a few minutes, and get a fork-tender result.

    Before I owned the Instant Pot, I had to plan ahead to cook chicken for hours if I wanted it to shred easily, now its about a 30 minutes process. All you need is chicken liquid, seasoning and the Instant Pot!

    Experiments with time

    The first ;few times I cooked frozen chicken in the Instant Pot, I was concerned the chicken would not cook completely, as a result, ;I overcooked it. Whenever I cook chicken in the oven and start out with frozen chicken, it takes about 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees depending on the thickness of the frozen chicken breast.

    Knowing the Instant Pot usually cooks in a fraction of the time of ;traditional ;cooking methods I guessed;20-30 minutes would be the perfect amount of cook time. Wrong! ;The chicken was almost dried out ; when cooked for 30 minutes. The next time, I tried 10 minutes.

    Weighty matters

    I used chicken breasts of a medium to thick size, ;anywhere from 9-12 oz each . I buy chicken at the grocery and also from Costco.

    Big crowd cooking

    Instant Pot love

    How To Freeze Chicken Thighs For Cooking From Frozen

    Previously, I have told you that you have to freeze the chicken thighs individually in order to later cook them from frozen. This means that you get your chicken thighs home from the store and you take them out of the packaging and put them into a ziptop bag. You then freeze the bag flat such that none of the chicken thighs are touching each other. Once they are frozen, you can give them a toss and then they dont have to stay flat anymore.

    However, I have experimented and found out how to cook frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot even if theyre frozen in a clump. How amazing is that?

    So below I am giving instructions for how to cook chicken thighs whether they were individually frozen or were frozen in a clump.

    As to chicken thighs frozen in a clump, you can do at most 10 chicken thighs like this. More that that and the clump is too big and things will not cook evenly.

    It is best if the clump is still fairly flat. That is, the chicken thighs are touching on each others sides and not stacked. The less contact between the thighs, the better.

    Finally, you must remove any styrofoam or absorbent pads, or any packaging before putting the chicken thighs into the Instant Pot. If you froze the chicken thighs with packaging and if the thighs are stuck to the packaging, then you need to defrost the thighs a little bit so that you can remove the packaging. Head over here to learn different ways to thaw chicken thighs.

    Recommended Reading: How To Cook Brown Rice In Instant Pot

    How To Cook A Frozen Whole Chicken In The Instant Pot

    Updated: August 13, 2021 | | This post may contain affiliate links. for our full disclosure.

    Cooking a frozen whole chicken in the Instant Pot in under an hour is one of my absolute favourite Instant Pot uses!

    Its 4 pm and the whole chicken you planned on using for dinner is still in the freezer. Do you panic? Get takeout? Whip up a hasty spaghetti sauce instead ?

    Nope, because thanks to your Instant Pot youve totally got this. Throw that solidly frozen whole chicken in the Instant Pot and youve got dinner in less than an hour. Whip up some sour cream mashed potatoes to go with it and dinner is in the bag.

    Or, Instant Pot, we should say.

    P.S. This entire post may or may not be autobiographical in nature.

    Whole Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot For Real

    instant

    The Instant Pot can cook a whole chicken thats frozen solid in less than an hour. Its a dadgum miracle, I tell you. And this recipe is super handy since I typically make a whole chicken every week so Im stocked up on homemade bone broth.

    Not only is this recipe a time saver, its delicious to boot. The fact its healthy and full of protein, nourishing fats, and joint, hair, and nail supporting collagen is icing on the cake.

    Youll also find high amounts of selenium, B vitamins, zinc, phosphorous, and vitamin A.

    Also Check: How Long Chuck Roast In Instant Pot

    How To Cook Chicken Breast In The Instant Pot

    The first thing I suggest making in your brand new electric pressure cooker is hard-cooked eggs . The second? Basic chicken breast! This dinner staple cooks up perfectly every time in the Instant Pot. You can aim for firm but juicy chicken for cubing, or let it cook a little bit longer for tender shredded chicken.

    Instant Pot chicken breast is also as ingenious for meal prep as it is for weeknight dinners. You can even cook frozen chicken breast this way while you figure out the rest of dinner. Ready for the simple steamed chicken breast technique youll use over and over again?

    The Best Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe From Recipes From A Pantry

    Looking for the best Instant Pot chicken breast recipe? Youve found it. This method produces flavourful, tender, perfect chicken breasts using fresh or frozen chicken. Excellent for meal prep and make-ahead meal solutions. Suitable for Whole 30, Paleo, and Keto dieters.;Recipe also includes Weight Watchers points and a video tutorial.

    You May Like: How To Make Corned Beef In An Instant Pot

    How Do You Cook Fresh Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot

    If your chicken is not frozen, you will use the same cook times and method described above. The only difference is that you will do a quick pressure release instead of a 10 minute natural release. The quick pressure release will stop the cooking process faster than a natural release.

    To do a quick pressure release, as soon as the cook time ends, use the handle of a long spoon to carefully turn the steam release valve to the venting position. Once steam stops coming out and the float valve drops down, open the Instant Pot lid. Use an instant read thermometer to check that the chicken is cooked through to a safe 165 degrees F.

    Instant Pot Water Test

    How to cook a WHOLE FROZEN Chicken in 1 hour! Instant Pot Creations!!

    Before you use your Instant Pot for the first time, you should perform a water test. The Instant Pot water test is like an initial test run for your Instant Pot.

    The water test will both ensure that your Instant Pot is working properly and will familiarize you with using your Instant Pot.

    One of the Instant Pots that I purchased was defective. A water test helped me to determine that the Instant Pot wasnt working properly. I was able to contact Instant Pot support and get a replacement.

    Note: If you have the Instant Pot Ultra, you will use the dial to select cooking programs and change the cook time and then press start. Instead of a steam release valve that you turn, the Instant Pot Ultra has a steam release button that you will press if you want to manually release the pressure. The steam release valve will seal automatically on the Ultra, whereas on other models you turn the valve between a venting and a sealing position.

    You May Like: What Is Sous Vide Instant Pot

    How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot

    The cook time for boneless, skinless chicken breasts depends on the weight and thickness of the chicken breasts. Bone-in chicken will take longer to cook. Always cook chicken at high pressure.

    The Instant Pot will take longer to reach pressure when you are cooking frozen foods as compared to non-frozen foods. When the contents of the pot are cold it takes longer to heat up and pressurize. So frozen chicken gets a few extra minutes of cook time while the pot comes to pressure.

    When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook during this time.

    Here are the estimated cook times for different sized pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

    Instant Pot Cooking Times for Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

    • small frozen chicken breasts cook 11-12 minutes at high pressure, plus 10 minutes natural release
    • medium frozen chicken breasts cook 13-14 minutes at high pressure, plus 10 minutes natural release
    • large frozen chicken breasts cook 16 minutes at high pressure, plus 10 minutes natural release

    It is always good practice to use an instant read thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken has reached a safe 165 degrees F.

    Can I Refrigerate Chicken After Cooking

    Allow the;chicken to completely cool and store in airtight containers or freezer bags free from air. Make sure to use it up within two days to be safe and to maintain the best flavor and texture.

    I hope we answered the question: Can you put frozen meat in an Instant Pot for you here!!

    To be completely honest, it is BEST to use thawed fresh meats but these tips are great when youre in a bind.

    • If youre making something like a soup or our VERY well known Instant Pot chili you probably wouldnt know the difference. Fresh or defrosted hamburger using this method work great. Frozen ground sausage works too with this technique.

    Want to see a few of my favorite things you might want to write on your Christmas list this year??!! Take a peek and see how many you might already havetwinsies!

    Then sign up for my free newsletter, and !

    ***** If you LOVED this recipe give it 5 Stars below and let everyone know what you thought about it.

    I hope this helps you make a lot more new InstaPot recipes.

    Don’t Miss: Can You Make Jelly In An Instant Pot

    Latest Recipes

    More Recipes Like This