Can You Cook Frozen Chicken In An Instant Pot

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How Do You Cook A Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot

How To Cook Frozen Chicken In An Instant Pot (Instapot)
  • I know that some people will say it doesnt take any longer to cook frozen meat in the Instant Pot than fresh, but that hasnt been my experience. I tested this recipe over and over again , from fresh and frozen, and it does require more time from frozen. The cook times I have found to be accurate are 8 minutes per pound fresh and 13 minutes per pound frozen. 12 minutes was close, but there were still undercooked spots.
  • If you know you want to freeze the chicken, I recommend seasoning, removing any giblets from the chicken and tying the legs before freezing, so that you can toss the chicken into the Instant Pot without worrying about any of that.

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How To Cook Frozen Chicken Breast In Instant Pot

Cook frozen chicken breasts just like fresh but:

  • For 15 minutes.
  • Make sure each breast is separated.

If you add a blob of frozen chicken breasts, you will end up with raw meat inside and overcooked chicken outside.

When you bring fresh chicken from the store, line each breast with small piece of parchment paper before adding to a bag and freezing. Thaw for 5 minutes or run under cold water for easy parchment paper removal.

Check out my Instant Pot frozen chicken breast recipe for detailed info.

Why Cook Chicken In An Instant Pot

  • Its fast and easy!
  • It keeps chicken moist instead of drying it out because its cooked with liquid .
  • Makes meal prep super easy so you can prepare lots of chicken for a week of meals.
  • Its a hand-off cooking method, so you dont have to constantly check if its done.
  • You can cook frozen chicken fast, no thawing required.
  • An easy way to cook chicken to prep for shredding or dicing.

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Will The Instant Pot Whole Chicken Have Crispy Skin

No it will absolutely not have crispy skin! In these pictures, the appearance of crispy skin is due to the fact that smoked paprika browns beautifully. This chicken has essentially been cooked using water power and has no chance of crisping.

If you really want crispy skin, you can place it in an oven safe pan and stick in under the broiler for a few minutes until it reaches your prefered level of crispiness.

How To Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot

Frozen Chicken in Instant Pot

See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

How to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot: This is the best way to cook frozen chicken! Read on for all of the tips and tricks you need to make perfectly juicy chicken breasts in your pressure cooker, every time.

Even the most organized person can forget to plan ahead. If you need to get dinner on the table fast but forgot to take your chicken out of the freezer, your Instant Pot is going to be your best friend.

You can safely cook frozen meat in an Instant Pot because pressure cooking cooks foods quickly. Unlike a slow cooker, in which frozen food may stay in a dangerous temperature range for too long, the Instant Pot can quickly bring frozen food to a safe temperature.

Before getting started, read my Instant Pot Guide for my tips on how to use an Instant Pot.

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Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

Need a super-quick, sweet and savory chicken breast recipe? Then youll love this honey garlic Instant Pot chicken breasts recipe.

Moist, tender, and flavorful, these chicken breasts cook up in minutes, whether fresh or frozen, in the Instant Pot. All youll need is some broth, soy sauce, honey, garlic, black pepper, cornstarch, and of course, boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Depending on the size of your chicken breasts and if they were frozen, youll cook them up for anywhere between 8 and 14 minutes. Be sure to give them a 10-minute natural release if theyre frozen.

The chicken comes out juicy and is ultra-delicious when coated with the honey garlic glaze.

Courtney Hamilton

Courtney Hamilton is a writer and editor with over seven years’ experience in journalism, blogging, communications, and other media. She has written for publications like PaleoHacks, PaleoPlan, The Center for American Progress, OC Weekly, and more.

Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

The best Instant Pot chicken recipes to make dinner quick, easy and delicious! From healthy Instant Pot chicken breast recipes and Instant Pot chicken thigh recipes, to how to cook frozen chicken in your Instant Pot, this list of Instant Pot chicken recipes has it all!

Your Instant Pot can cook the best moist, tender and juicy chicken breasts and chicken thighs.

You know how when you cook chicken breasts in your slow cooker they tend to fall apart and often have that slow cooker taste? That is not the case at all with Instant Pot chicken!

Chicken breasts cooked in an Instant Pot will hold their shape and are perfect for slicing. Unless you cook them for a really long time, of course. In that case you are making shredded chicken.

If you are looking for new ways to cook chicken in your Instant Pot, youre going to love the Instant Pot chicken recipes in this roundup! Ive included my favorite simple Instant Pot chicken thighs recipe and my most popular Instant Pot chicken breasts recipe. There are one pot casseroles and soups, plus recipes for the basics like shredded chicken for meal prep.

You are going to want to add so many of these delectable Instant Pot chicken recipes to your collection. Theyre simple, easy, and many of them are healthy.

Recommended Reading: What To Do If Your Instant Pot Says Burn

How To Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot In 10 Minutes

I have been raving about how much I love my Instant Pot. Seriously, if I could only keep one of my kitchen gadgets I would choose my electric pressure cooker AKA my Instant Pot. I cook dry beans to perfection in 55 minutes, a whole chicken in 20, a whole frozen chicken in 40 minutes but what I use it for most is cooking up a few frozen boneless chicken breasts for a quick, easy, and delicious dinner in 10 minutes. Yes, you can totally cook frozen chicken breasts in 10 minutes using an Instant Pot!

When I first received my Instant Pot I was intimidated and unsure as to how to use it. The manual that came with it fell a bit short when giving cooking times, often I would follow the times that it provided and would end up with an under or overcooked dinnerno fun. I found the magic number for cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the Instant Pot and it is 10.

How To Cook Fresh Or Frozen Chicken Breast In The Instant Pot:

How to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot–Instant Pot Tips
  • Place inner pot into the instant pot and place the trivet in the bottom.
  • Add 1 cup of liquid to the instant pot .
  • Place chicken breasts on top of the trivet in a single layer.
  • Add salt and pepper or desired seasonings.
  • Secure lid and make sure the vent is set to sealed. Pressure cook on high for 8-10 minutes for fresh chicken breast, and 10-12 minutes for frozen chicken . Cook time stays the same no matter how much chicken you add to the pot the pot will just take longer to come to pressure.
  • Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then turn the valve to venting to release any remaining steam.

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Chicken Breast Instant Pot Cook Times

BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS

Fresh Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

  • 8 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
  • Based on 10-ounce boneless chicken breasts

Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

  • 12 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
  • Based on 10-ounce boneless chicken breasts

BONE-IN CHICKEN BREASTS

Fresh Bone-In Chicken Breasts

  • 10 minutes, natural release for 5 minutes
  • Based on 12-ounce bone-in chicken breasts

Frozen Bone-In Chicken Breasts

  • 25 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
  • Based on 12-ounce bone-in chicken breasts

How To Use An Instant Pot: What You Need To Know To Get Started With Instant Pot Cooking

There are a few basic things that you need to know when using an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. Once you use yours a few times, these will be like second nature. Depending on which Instant Pot model you own, the buttons may be labeled slightly differently. Consult the manual that came with your Instant Pot.

Minimum Liquid Required: As a general rule, you want to use at least 1 cup of liquid in your Instant Pot every time you cook with it. The Instant Pot uses steam and pressure to cook food, and you need liquid to create the steam and pressure. Some recipes may call for more or less liquid. I recommend following recipes from a trusted source while you are learning to use your Instant Pot.

Fill Level: Inside the Instant Pot inner pot, you will see a 1/2 and a 2/3 line marked. Never fill the Instant Pot higher than the 2/3 line with food or liquid . If you are cooking food that will expand during the cook time such as rice, quinoa or beans, do not fill the Instant Pot higher than the 1/2 line.

Pressure Cook or Manual Button: Depending on which Instant Pot model you own, the Pressure Cook button is sometimes labeled Manual and sometimes Pressure Cook. This is the button that you will press to start a pressure cooking cycle. Its your basic pressure cooking button.

+/- Buttons: Use these buttons to adjust the cook time.

Keep Warm/Cancel Button: Use this button to end a cooking program or turn on/off the keep warm function.

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How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Breast

  • Place chicken breasts in the inner pot of the instant pot and season with salt and pepper.
  • Add in 1 cup pineapple juice or chicken stock and season with minced garlic or garlic powder.
  • Place lid on instant pot and be sure vent knob is pointed towards sealed.
  • Set pressure cooker to the cooking time based on the size of chicken breasts. NOT how many chicken breasts you are cooking.
  • Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release of pressure. This is key to keeping your chicken breasts tender–don’t be tempted to do a quick release of pressure.
  • Remove the chicken breasts from the liquid and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving or shredding.

Will The Whole Chicken Fall Apart When I Remove It From The Instant Pot

Easy Instant Pot Whole Chicken (GF, LC, Paleo, Keto,Whole ...

If you are not using an Instant Pot Sling or a very large spatula to secure the bottom of the chicken, it will very likely begin falling apart when you remove it from the Instant Pot.

Ive only recently discovered the sling and have had more than my fair share of chicken break in half or lose a leg or wing on its way out of the Instant Pot. Its just that tender .

I personally think its fine if it begins to fall apart and I usually let it cool a bit on my cutting board and then use a fork, knife, and my fingers to remove the meat from the bones.

This is a very moist and tender chicken, so in all honesty, its unlikely youre going to be able to present a beautiful chicken on a platter and carve it in a traditional manner. Its much more like a rotisserie chicken than an oven-roasted chicken.

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How To Cook A Whole Chicken In An Instant Pot

See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

How to cook a whole chicken in an Instant Pot. This rotisserie-style Instant Pot whole chicken recipe is easy to make, even if you are a beginner with using your pressure cooker. Its perfect for Sunday dinner or to make ahead for quick meals throughout the week! Cook from fresh or frozen.

Out of all of the recipes that Ive cooked in my Instant Pot, this whole roast chicken might be my favorite. Its become a part of my weekly routine to make an Instant Pot whole chicken for dinner. Then I use the leftover chicken to make the best quick meals throughout the week! You can use your leftover chicken in salads, pastas, casseroles or sandwiches.

Cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot is fast, simple and budget-friendly. Instead of buying a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken at the store, you can make this Instant Pot whole chicken recipe with just minutes of prep time. Your homemade chicken will taste so much better than store-bought, and you can control the ingredients that you use.

This pressure cooker chicken recipe makes the best tender, moist and juicy chicken. Cooking the whole bird gives you both white and dark meat, so everyone in the family can have what they enjoy. Just wait until you try the homemade rotisserie rub in this recipe it is the best!

Tips And Tricks For Making This Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken And Rice:

  • I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for a lean, healthy meal, but boneless, skinless chicken thighs would work great, too! You dont need to add any extra cook time.
  • If you want to make this a vegetarian meal, simply omit the chicken and bump up the veg.
  • If you want to make this a gluten-free meal, simply read all of your ingredients carefully to be sure there are no issues, as all of the ingredients themselves are gluten-free.
  • I dont recommend using any other rice for this recipe, as they all require different amounts of liquid and cook time. This recipe was originally written using brown rice, but I have since updated it to use long grain white rice as it cooks in the same amount of time as the chicken and is more foolproof!

Recommended Reading: How To Cook Frozen Hamburger Meat In The Instant Pot

Instant Pot Chicken Legs From Fresh Or Frozen

Frozen or semi-frozen Chicken Drumsticks or Chicken legs are even better than large chicken breasts because they are smaller, thus they cook more evenly. Stack the frozen chicken legs in the Instant Pot on top of the trivet, taking care to try and put the meat part on top the bone of the drumstick next to it for maximum airflow. Recipe from Tried Tested and True.

How To Store Instant Pot Whole Chicken Leftovers

Can You Cook Frozen Meat in the Instant Pot? — Frozen Pot Roast, Pork Chops & Chicken

Any leftovers can safely be stashed in the refrigerator for 5-6 days in a tightly-covered container. You can also put the leftover chicken meat in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I dont let any part of this chicken go to waste. Once my family is done eating the meat , I throw the carcass back in the Instant Pot to make chicken broth.

If your family doesnt eat quite as much chicken, the leftovers make great shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches. Add it to Easy Chicken Noodle Soup or make chicken salad.

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How To Make Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks In The Instant Pot

  • Add 1 cup water and the trivet to the Instant Pot
  • Stack fresh or frozen chicken drumsticks/legs on top of trivet
  • Lock the lid, turn the knob to sealing, and cook on manual high pressure for 10-12 minutes
  • Turn the broiler or grill on high
  • Do a quick release, then remove the chicken legs to a broiler pan, cookie sheet with rack, cookie sheet with foil, or grill.
  • Baste the Instant Pot chicken legs with your favorite teriyaki sauce. I usually make my own, but I also love Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce or from Mo Bettahs if youre local to Utah.
  • Broil for 3-5 minutes, then remove from the oven. Flip them over, repeat. Baste with extra sauce after the second broil .

How To Store Instant Pot Chicken

  • Leftover cooked, shredded, or diced Instant Pot chicken can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight.
  • Shredded Instant Pot Chicken is IDEAL for meal prep. Make a big batch at the beginning of the week, divide into individual containers, then use it all week long.

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Burrito Bowls With Frozen Chicken

This easy Instant Pot Burrito Bowl with frozen chicken is delicious Mexican recipe! Cooked with dry brown rice and dry black beans, these healthy bowls come together perfectly in the electric pressure cooker. Excellent for the nights when you forgot to thaw the chicken or soak the black beans. Recipe from My Crazy Good Life.

How Long Do You Cook Frozen Chicken In An Instant Pot

How to Cook a Whole Chicken in an Instant Pot

Press the poultry setting and set it to high pressure for 10 minutes. If you have more than two chicken breasts, let the pressure release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.

For two chicken breasts, do a quick release 1-2 minutes after its done.

If for some reason your chicken is not cooked all the way through, place the lid back onto the Instant Pot and set to warm. After a few more minutes, it should be cooked completely.

After removing the chicken from the liquid, let settle for 3-5 minutes before shredding or slicing.

Its really that easy, scroll down to print this recipe!

> Have you made this chicken? If so, how it turned out for you!

Read Also: How To Cook Frozen Hamburger Meat In The Instant Pot

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