How Long To Cook Chicken Breast In Instant Pot

Make Sure Frozen Breasts Are Separated

I cant stress enough how important it is to make sure your frozen chicken breasts are separated. Just like pictured below.

If you add a blob of frozen breasts stuck together, they will not cook inside and overcook outside.

• Tray with fresh breasts: Do not stick entire tray with fresh chicken breasts from the store in the freezer. Take a few minutes and line each breast with parchment paper and then freeze in a bag. To quickly remove paper, run under hot water before cooking.
• Freeze on a baking sheet: If you have room in the freezer, lay chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Once frozen, add to a Ziploc bag.
• Buy frozen: Frozen chicken breasts are already separated and are cheaper than fresh.

What Is The Deep Poaching Method

The Deep Poaching Method involves cooking food submerged in liquid at a relatively low temperature.

This method allows the proteins to denature without pulling too much moisture out of the food. Thats why poached food comes out so juicy and tender!

Therefore, poaching is most commonly used for cooking delicate or fragile food that might easily fall apart or dry out using other cooking methods, such as eggs, fish, or poultry.

How Long Does Natural Release Take

Natural Release time depends on:

• The size of your Instant Pot 3 quart, 6 quart or 8 quart.
• Whats inside what you are cooking.

8 quart Instant Pot has larger pot , so larger volume of pressure to build up inside. If it is meal type recipe, barely any liquid in final product like Instant Pot chicken breast or Instant Pot teriyaki chicken, Natural Release takes about 10 minutes. For Instant Pot lentil soup for example, it could take as much as 40 minutes for pressure to release fully because the pot is large, and all that hot liquid keeps the steam going.

6 quart Instant Pot takes less time to do Natural Release anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. Thats one of the features I like about smaller pressure cooker.

Wondering which size works for you? Check out my post on which Instant Pot to buy?!

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Instant Pot Chicken Ingredients:

To make this Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• Chicken: I tested this recipe using boneless chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs either fresh or frozen. You are welcome to use bone-in chicken, but the cooking time may vary slightly.
• Chicken broth : Which we will need to keep the chicken nice and moist, and also prevent a burn warning on the Instant Pot. I recommend using a cup of chicken or vegetable broth if you happen to have some on hand, to add extra flavor. Or if not, plain water will work just fine too.
• Seasonings: I typically use a simple mixture of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. But see below for alternatives.

How Much Instant Pot Chicken Can You Make

In general, I recommend making no more than four pounds at once, and definitely no more than five.

Five pounds of pressure cooker chicken breast was really pushing it, as it fills up the Instant Pot and it takes a long time to reach pressure. Besides, the chicken starts to cook unevenly if you put in too much, since the pieces sit on top of each other.

Stick with one to four pounds if possible, but if you really want to make five, that will still work just consider it the limit.

When you arrange the chicken in the Instant Pot, try to do so in one layer if possible. If youre making a lot of pressure cooker shredded chicken and cant get the raw chicken in one layer, just disperse it as evenly as you can. This will help it cook more evenly.

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How Long To Pressure Cook Chicken Breast By Weight

Its easy to scale the pressure cooker shredded chicken breast recipe. You can change the number of servings on the recipe card as follows:

• 1 lb chicken enter 5 servings
• 2 lb chicken enter 10 servings
• 3 lb chicken enter 15 servings
• 4 lb chicken enter 20 servings
• 5 lb chicken enter 25 servings

This will scale the amount of all the ingredients you need. Basically, 1 pound of chicken will yield about 2 1/2 cup shredded chicken, or 5 1/2-cup servings.

Just one caveat do not adjust the amount of broth. You always need about 1 cup of chicken broth for this pressure cooker chicken recipe, whether youre making one pound, five pounds, or anything in between.

Im really excited to have this chart for Instant Pot chicken breast, and I hope you are, too. Its going to be so convenient to be able to make just the right amount of pressure cooker chicken. Yay!

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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Tools Youll Need To Make This Instant Pot Chicken Recipe:

• My recipes are tested in my 6 quart Instant Pot its an older version and for this reason the manual lists 1 cup of liquid as the minimum. I know that the 8 quarts and some of the newer ones list different requirements. For this recipe, you can easily change the liquid to match your manuals suggestion.
• Theres really not much else youll need! I know everyone has different thoughts on cooking meat on or off the trivet, but with chicken breasts I usually place them on the bottom in the liquid.

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How Long To Cook Whole Chicken In An Instant Pot

It might seem tricky if youre cooking a whole chicken in an instant pot for the first time. But the reverse is the case, as the recipe is pretty straightforward. Yes, you may be fond of oven-roasted and grilled whole chicken, but this method might become your nest favorite. And once you master the cooking duration, you wont have a lick of problem.

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Can You Overcook Chicken In An Instant Pot

Dont overcook overcooked chicken breast is not anyones favorite thing, but is somewhat difficult to do in the Instant Pot because the steam provides such a moist environment for the chicken to cook in. Be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken to ensure its at least 165 degrees F.

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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How Do You Cook Multiple Chicken Breasts In Instant Pot

Instructions Arrange the chicken, salt, and water in the electric pressure cooker. For perfectly juicy chicken breast: Cook the chicken on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes and quick release the pressure. For shredded chicken: Cook the chicken on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes and natural release for 5 minutes.

If Cooking Frozen Chicken Breasts In Instant Pot

If your chicken breasts are frozen, you dont have to defrost the chicken, the Instant Pot will do the work for you. The chicken cooks best if the chicken breasts arent in a block, but individually frozen instead.

If you have a larger block of chicken, allow for more cooking time .

see more: 25 Lightened-Up, Healthy Chicken Dinner Recipes

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How To Make Gravy

I actually love to make some gravy with the leftover liquid in the Instant Pot. Trust me there is a lot of flavor there and its wonderful over this chicken breast.

To make the gravy, simply make a slurry with 2 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Set the Instant Pot to the Saute setting and bring the leftover liquid to a boil. Add the cornstarch slurry and whisk well. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened. Thats all!

Instant Pot Chicken Breast For Convenience

The convenience of having shredded chicken on hand has had me making it at least once a month for a couple years now, previously in my slow cooker . I still use my Crock Pot all the time, but since I discovered this method, the only way I make pulled chicken is using this Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe.

I picked up my Instant Pot pressure cooker on a whim over the holidays last year. It sounded like such a great idea! I have a confession to make, though. For most of that year, it sat stored away without seeing the light of day. Learning to use a new appliance kept getting moved down on the priority list, considering I had plenty of other kitchen appliances I already knew how to use. This turned out to be a mistake.

Once I started using my Instant Pot more often, I fell in love with it. I wish I hadnt waited so long! It saves so much time. Dishes that take hours in the oven or slow cooker can be done in minutes using a pressure cooker.

This pressure cooker shredded chicken recipe has been no exception. I love that it takes me ten minutes to make all the shredded chicken I need for a whole month. I keep a couple cups at a time in the fridge, and freeze the rest in small batches using a vacuum sealer.

If you prefer to make a whole chicken, try this Instant Pot Whole Chicken recipe from Gluten-Free Pressure Cooker instead.

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Need Chicken Fast The Pressure Cooker Is The Way To Go This Method Is Fast Simple And Foolproof Keep The Seasoning Simple Or Mix It Up Depending On How You’re Serving The Chicken

It’s so convenient to have already-cooked chicken in the fridge. You can use it for salads, sandwiches, last-minute pasta dishes…or any time you are trying to round out a meal with a some protein, really!

And the easiest way method for cooking your chicken? In the Instant Pot, of course!

Here Are Some Tips And Tricks For Cooking Frozen Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot:

• The exact cook time will depend on how large the chicken breasts are, although for me 10-12 minutes has always been plenty. This means that when I open up the pot they are well over the safe 165 degrees F. But Id rather be safe than have to go through the hassle of sealing it back up and letting it build the pressure back up.
• If youre in a rush, you can simply add water or chicken broth and season with salt and pepper, but feel free to get a little crazy with your seasonings here. Barbecue sauce, soy sauce, honey, different herbs and spices will all be fantastic
• All of my Instant Pot recipes are tested in the 6 quart Instant Pot with Bluetooth. The bluetooth is an unnecessary but handy tool because I can control the pot from my phone while Im out of the kitchen.
• If you want to jazz up your Instant Pot chicken breasts, try these Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts and serve them with the sauce over pasta you wont regret it!
• Looking for an easy side dish to go along with it? Try my Instant Pot Mac and Cheese so easy and so quick!

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How Long To Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breast:

• Dont overcook overcooked chicken breast is not anyones favorite thing, but is somewhat difficult to do in the Instant Pot because the steam provides such a moist environment for the chicken to cook in.
• Dont undercook undercooked chicken breast is just plain dangerous! Be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken to ensure its at least 165 degrees F.
• The exact cook time is going to depend on a variety of things, including the size and shape , and also the model of Instant Pot you have, as some run hotter or cooler. My recipes are tested in the 6 quart model with Bluetooth. Its important to take these these factors into consideration but I find a cook time of 8-10 minutes is always perfect and juicy for the chicken

Why This Recipe Is So Good

• An Instant Pot makes cooking perfectly tender and seasoned chicken breast ridiculously easy. Just season your chicken, pour in some broth and cook.
• We love that this recipe uses frozen chicken breasts no thawing needed! Theres almost no prep when it comes to cooking your chicken breasts in an Instant Pot.
• This method is perfect for cooking chicken for dinner, but also for recipes that require cooked chicken. We love it for meal prep, too!

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Fresh Or Frozen Chicken Breast

You can use fresh or frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot! Believe it or not, chicken breasts turn out the same whether you use frozen or fresh chicken breasts.

The only difference is how you cook the chicken and what your cook time is.

Why would you ever use frozen chicken breast in the Instant Pot? Think of those nights when you get home and realize you havent planned dinner.

All you have to do is remove frozen chicken from its packaging and cook it on high pressure for 18-20 minutes. While the frozen chicken breast is cooking, you prepare a side and sauce for your chicken and BOOM. Minutes later your chicken is ready to be chunked or shredded!

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.

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Instant Pot Chicken Breast Variations:

• Chicken is one of my favorite proteins because it can take on a wide variety of spices, seasonings and sauces! Mix things up with your seasoning blend or use a bottled blend that you love for a new flair.
• Slice and toss in barbecue sauce for easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken.
• This seasoning blend and cooking method works just as well for a combination or breasts and thighs if you have a chicken thigh lover, toss in some boneless, skinless chicken thighs with your breasts and everyone is happy!

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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Ways To Use Cooked Chicken

The cooked chicken can be used in any recipe that calls for precooked chicken. Shred, slice, or cube it as needed, then use it however you like!

Tuck a few slices of chicken into a sourdough sandwich, or top a salad to make a light lunch. Toss cubed chicken into a soup or pasta dish. Mix shredded chicken with BBQ sauce or hot sauce for sliders or tacos.

The Best Instant Pot Chicken Breast + Video

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.

If youre looking for the best and easiest way to cook chicken breast in the Instant Pot, youre going to be soooo happy you landed on this post.

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen perfecting the PERFECT Instant Pot chicken breast recipe to share with all of you. I know perfect when I see it and

yeap, this is it.

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