How Long To Cook Chicken Breasts In The Crock Pot
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Prepare yourself. What I am about to tell you is either going to crush your slow cooker dreams OR bring much enlightenment to your soul.
With the exception of larger recipes , It only takes 2.5-3.5 hours on LOW for boneless, skinless chicken breast to be fully cooked in the slow cooker.
I kid you not. While writing our cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, we have been methodically testing chicken breast recipes by taking the internal temperature with our trusted meat thermometer at different points during the cooking time.
Over and over AND OVER again, we have found that chicken breast registers at 165° F right around 3 hours on LOW. Sometimes less, sometimes more depending on the size of the breast or other ingredients in the slow cooker.
If you are cooking a larger recipe with chicken in it, we have found that it can take 4-6 hours. But thats it!
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast
The process for cooking frozen chicken is not much different than cooking thawed or fresh chicken breast. But there are 2 things to keep in mind.
- You will need to add 4 minutes to the cooking time.
- If your chicken breasts are frozen together, I suggest placing them in a bowl of cold water for a couple of minutes until you can break them apart into individual breasts. They need to be separated, not frozen together, or you will end up with chicken that is not cooked evenly.
How Long Do You Pressure Cook Fresh Chicken Breast
The best cook time for boneless skinless fresh chicken breast in the Instant Pot is 6 minutes, followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release.
Now again, if your fresh chicken breasts are on the smaller side, I would only do 5 minutes with a 10 minute NPR.
If they are larger than normal, then 7 minutes with a 10 minute NPR
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How To Thicken The Sauce In The Instant Pot
Instant Pot saute mode is one of my favorite features of this electric pressure cooker. After the chicken is done, remove it from the pot and turn your Instant Pot to saute mode. Make a cornstarch slurry by stirring together a mixture of cornstarch and water. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. This will take about 2 to 3 minutes.
It will take a few minutes for the heating element to cool down, so I recommend removing the inner pot from the Instant Pot base once the sauce is thickened. You can slice the chicken and stir it into the sauce, or drizzle the sauce on top for serving.
Cooking Tips For Instant Pot Frozen Chicken
- Be sure to add the 1 cup of liquid to the Instant Pot. Pressure cooking requires liquid to create steam and pressure in the pot, which cooks your food.
- If you plan to shred your cooked chicken, add some of the cooking liquid and follow my tips for how to shred chicken.
- It is not recommended that you freeze food more than once, so if you cook chicken breasts from frozen you should not re-freeze the cooked chicken.
- Cooked chicken will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Always be sure to turn the steam release valve to the sealing position when pressure cooking in your Instant Pot. Forgetting to do this is a common mistake.
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Placing The Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot
Ive seen some recipes for pressure cooking chicken where you put the chicken directly into the liquid on the bottom of the pot.
But I think the chicken is better when its cooked on the rack above the liquid. The seasoning sticks to the chicken and isnt washed away by the liquid. It looks more like roasted chicken when done, instead of being super white and bland looking.
Basic Not Boring Chicken Breast In The Instant Pot
There are a lot of ways to cook chicken in the electric pressure cooker, but this method is specifically for plain chicken breast that you can use as meal prep for building salads and grain bowls or for using in recipes that call for cooked chicken.
Yes, this recipe below is just chicken, salt, and chicken broth or water, but you can totally add your own flavors before cooking with dry spice rubs or citrus, or dress up the cooked chicken with sauces or salsas. Theres no need to adjust the cooking time when adding any of these for flavor.
It will take about 12 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to temperature and then another 10 to 15 minutes of cook time. Depending on how youd like your chicken cooked, youd add up to five minutes of natural release time. Your total cook time, including prep? Thirty minutes. See? Better, faster meal prep awaits!
Can I cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot?
Yes! This method works with frozen chicken as well. Just plan for frozen breasts to take longer to come to temperature about two to five minutes extra depending on the number of breasts. The cook time under pressure doesnt change, but it does extend the amount of time it takes the pot to come up to pressure to about 15 minutes.
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How Many Chicken Breasts Can You Put In An Instant Pot
I usually cook 3 breasts at a time for my little family, who make about 6 cups of minced chicken. To cook multiple chicken breasts at the same time, cover the chicken next to each other when frozen or stack when fresh. Add 1 cup of water plus kosher salt and black peppercorns. Set the cook time to just 10 minutes.
My Chicken Breast Is Undercooked Should I Pressure Cook It Again
Unless the chicken breast is severely undercooked, We will not recommend pressure cooking it again. If the chicken breast is below 160°F, quickly place the chicken breast back in the pressure cooker. Close the lid and let the residual heat cooks it for an additional 2 5 minutes. Do check the temperature often to avoid overcooking.
If the pressure cooker has completely cooled down, you can heat it up before placing the chicken breast back in. Remember to turn off the heat before you place the chicken breast back in to avoid overcooking the exterior!
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Fresh Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Cook Time> High Pressure > 8-12 minutes > Quick Release.
When preparing raw, fresh chicken breast in the Instant Pot, there are a few things to keep in mind before you begin.
- The bigger the chicken breast, the longer the cook time will be.
- Be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken breast before eating it. If its not done, cook it for a few more minutes in the Instant Pot.
- Dont skip using the metal trivet and water. If you skip these steps you will most likely end up with a burn notice!
- If you want a little extra flavor use the sauté function of your Instant Pot, add olive oil, and brown the outside of your chicken before you pressure cook.
- For a faster pressure cook time, sauté your chicken first!
Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.
These Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts are always moist, tender and flavorful! These pressure cooker chicken breasts cook perfectly in minutes from fresh or frozen. Serve your honey garlic instant pot chicken breast with rice or quinoa and veggies for a complete, quick dinner!
The Instant Pot is a dream come true for getting quick, healthy dinners on your table. Once you set your Instant Pot to pressure cook, you can focus on preparing other parts of your meal or taking care of your kids.
You can saute ingredients and thicken sauces, all right in the Instant Pot. You can even safely cook chicken from frozen.
Are you new to Instant Pot cooking? Read my How to Use an Instant Pot beginners guide to get started today!
Instant Pot chicken breasts cook up perfectly and hold their shape for slicing and serving. This honey garlic instant pot chicken breast is great for quick dinners or for meal prep lunches.
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How Do You Cook Frozen Boneless Chicken Breast In The Instant Pot
For Frozen Chicken Breasts
What To Do If Your Chicken Is Not Cooked
If your chicken is less than 165 degrees F when you check it after cooking, cook it for another 1-2 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will come to pressure much more quickly the second time since it is already hot. Remember to close the lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
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Instant Pot Chicken Breasts Ingredients
I kept this Instant Pot chicken breast recipe super simple and didnt doctor up the meat with additional seasonings or sauces. I wanted you to have a basic Instant Pot chicken recipe so that you could easily use the cooked meat in any dish you desire.
With that said, heres what youll need to make pressure cooker chicken breasts:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Black peppercorns
How Long Do You Cook Chicken In The Instant Pot
It takes just 5 minutes of cook time for fresh chicken breast in an Instant Pot, allowing an extra 10 minutes for the cooker to come to pressure.A benefit to making Instant Pot chicken breast recipes is the juiciness of the cooked chicken.As the pressure builds inside of the cooker, moisture is pushed into the meat. When cooking chicken in an oven or even a slow cooker, there is no way to keep the meat from drying out. I guess The Magic Pot really is the perfect name for the Instant Pot!
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How Long To Cook Chicken In The Instant Pot
Boneless chicken breasts and thighs cook in the same amount of timejust 10 minutes at high pressure will do it! Just be sure to arrange the meat in a single, even layer in the pot, as it cooks more evenly that way. It should reach about halfway up the chicken.
This timing works for a 1 1/2 to 2 pound batch of boneless chicken. If youre cooking more meat , increase the cooking time to 15 minutes to ensure that it is cooked through. For a smaller amount of meat , decrease the cooking time to 8 minutes.
How To Make Bone In Instant Pot Chicken Breast
For bone in chicken breast, I would first remove the skin. This is simply because the skin will not get crispy during pressure cooking, it will just remain flabby, so I remove it.
Making bone in chicken breast is really great because they are more juicy and flavorful, in my opinion.
For normal sized, fresh bone in chicken breast, I cook them for 13 minutes, followed by a 10 minute NPR.
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How To Use Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Congratulations! You’ve got tender, juicy chicken breast that’s ready to use in this week’s meals. Rub a little butter and salt on your whole chicken breasts and reheat for an easy weeknight meal . Use cubed chicken in Chef John’s top-rated Spicy Chicken Noodles. Shredded chicken makes Mexican night a breeze when used in this Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup or Baked Chicken and Rice Chimichanga. Browse our entire collection of chicken recipes for more inspiration.
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Do I Need To Use A Trivet
If you have the trivet that the instant pot comes with, it is best to cook the breasts in a layer on top of it. This will ensure the chicken is steamed and kept juicy instead of boiling in the liquid. But, if you are without a trivet, putting the chicken breasts directly into the liquid will work just fine, or you can make a rope of aluminum foil and use that as a make-shift rack on the bottom of the pot.
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Chili Lime Instant Pot Chicken
This shredded chicken is best served with a slice of cool avocado and a garnish of cilantro. Chili and lime are the perfect fresh and zingy blend to get you excited about leftovers. This would be tasty in grilled burritos, rice bowls, or over a big bed of shredded cabbage and carrots. Recipe from Our Best Bites.
Seasonings For Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Before you pop the chicken breast into the Instant Pot to cook, season the breasts with one of these three seasoning blends:
- Italian
- Chili Lime
- Ranch
Italian seasoned chicken is the perfect choice for pasta night! Serve the chicken with marinara or Alfredo sauce over some penne or rotini. SO good!
The Chili Lime is great for tacos or serving with stir-fried bell peppers and rice, and the Ranch chicken goes great with sheet pan veggies or even just a simple salad. There are so many ways to make great chicken breasts full of flavour in the Instant Pot!
Just dont be afraid to get creative with your seasonings!
Grab some glass meal prep bowls to store your Instant Pot Chicken Breasts and then use them in your weekly meal prep.
Heres an extra trivet for your Instant Pot in case you lost yours!
I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen so I can use them anytime!
5-Day Instant Pot Challenge!
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What To Do If Chicken Breasts Don’t Reach 165f Minimum Internal Temperature
Many factors can cause this to happen and it just comes with the territory of cooking chicken. This is why we always use a meat thermometer. If, for any reason, your pressure cooked chicken breasts don’t register 165°F on a meat thermometer inserted in the center, simply return chicken to the pot, close lid and pressure valve, and pressure cook on high for 1 minute, followed by a quick pressure release . Test the chicken again using a clean meat thermometer, If needed, repeat the process .
Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe
How many times have you come home and realized youve forgotten to pull the chicken from the freezer for tonights dinner? If youre like me, its way too many.
But since I discovered how to cook both frozen chicken breasts and/or fresh chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, those days are over.
It seems like all too often us recipe creators, aka food bloggers, get caught up in creating that totally unique recipe.
The recipe that intrigues.
The recipe that nobodys ever thought of before.
But the reality is, while those recipes are fun to bookmark and make every so often, its the basics for daily cooking that we really need. Like how to cook the basic boneless chicken breast, and how to cook it fast.
Ive shared my recipes for the Best Grilled Chicken Breast and the Best Baked Chicken Breasts and you guys love them. So when I received requests for an Instant Pot version, how could I not oblige?
And once I started cooking chicken breasts STRAIGHT FROM THE FREEZER in my Instant Pot, I realized I needed to share with you how you can do the same.
So lets talk basics.
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Perfect Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Today, Im going to show you how to make perfectly juicy boneless chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, to make the process as easy as possible. Theyre great to have on hand when you want to add protein to a salad or stir fry.
Since I cook so many vegetarian entrees, its nice to have pre-cooked chicken on hand when my husband wants some extra protein added to his portion.
If youre like me, and dont love handling raw meat, youll probably love the Instant Pot as much as do because you barely have to touch the chicken to cook it.
More Healthy Instant Pot Recipes
- How to Cook Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Sour Cream Pork Chops | THM S
- Low Carb Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
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