How Long To Cook Chicken In Instant Pot

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Can I Make This Recipe With Chicken Breasts

How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot – The Right Way!

Yes! We suggest doing a shredded honey garlic chicken breast with this recipe. Instead of sauteing the chicken, just add it to your pressure cooker and then top it with the sauce.

Mix to combine. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high for 8 minutes. Do a quick release and then shred the chicken breasts. Thicken the sauce as directed.

Check out our Instant Pot Chicken Breast recipe.

Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth Vs Stock

I know many wonder if what they are making is instant pot chicken bone broth or instant pot chicken stock.

I find the best way of describing the two is to say that traditional bone broth will be jelly like texture, is made with the bones, is always cooked for longer than stock and has a much stronger texture and flavour.

For example, this is our traditional instant pot chicken bone broth below:

Yet, this is our traditional lazy chicken stock below which is thin like a classic shop bought stock:

You make either one of them or cook with either of them in the instant pot. Its all about personal preference. Also, some will make a bone broth and call it stock and vice versa.

Cooking Time For Chicken Thighs In The Instant Pot

Depending on what type of chicken thighs youre using, heres how long you need to pressure cook the chicken thighs for:

  • Bone-in skin-on: 10 minutes high pressure, then 5 minutes natural release.
  • Bone-in skinless: 10 minutes high pressure, then 5 minutes natural release.
  • Boneless skinless: 8 minutes high pressure, then 5 minutes natural release.
  • Frozen chicken thighs, frozen individually: 14 minutes high pressure, then 5 minutes natural release.

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Expect It To Take 10 To 15 Minutes For The Instant Pot To Come To Pressure

In addition to the cook time, dont forget to factor the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. The exact time will vary depending on the several factors, including the volume of food in the pot and whether it was frozen. On average, though, most chicken recipes will take 10 to 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.

Tips For Making Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

Instant Pot Chicken

Like any pressure cooker recipe, allow extra time for the pressure cooker to come up to temperature. This typically takes about 5 to 7 minutes, but depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts and how many you stack in the insert, it could take longer. I dont have the exact time for this since each of you are different, so you will have to play with it.

With this Instant Pot chicken breast recipe using 3 boneless chicken breasts, theres no need for any additional time needed for the instant pot to natural release the steam.

Also note that you can make chicken stock in an Instant Pot as well.

Stock from chicken cooked in the Instant Pot is incredibly delicious, especially when using bone-in chicken breasts for all that rich flavor that comes from bones. If youre interested in making homemade chicken broth in an Instant Pot instead of just chicken breasts, follow the directions in my recipe for the Best Chicken Stock ever.

Use the stock to make gravy or use as a soup base, by adding these additional ingredients:

  • chicken boullion cubes
  • root vegetables such as parsnip or turnips
  • garni of herbs like parsley, thyme, bay leaves
  • 5-6whole peppercorns

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How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

I tend to cook skinless boneless breasts most often, simply for the ease of it. And my method is so simple its scary:

  • Remove the chicken breast from the fridge or freezer and add to the Instant Pot insert. Use a metal rack with handles if youd like, or you can skip the rack if you prefer.
  • I typically cook 3 breasts at at time for my little family, which yields about 6 cups of shredded chicken. To cook more chicken breasts at once, layer the chicken side by side if frozen or stacked if fresh.
  • Add 1 cup of water plus kosher salt and black peppercorns.
  • Set the cooking time for just 10 minutes.
  • Be sure your chicken has an internal temperature of 165° F to be cooked through.
  • BOOM! You instantly have cooked chicken breast that is juicy and tender and ready to eat as is or use as a base for so many more recipes.
  • Once the pressure cooker has finished the 10 minutes cooking time, simply flick the quick release the lever , allow the steam to escape, and use tongs to pull the chicken straight from the pot to a cutting board to shred, slice or dice for whatever means youre it preparing for.

    How To Cook Frozen Chicken Thighs In An Instant Pot

    To cook frozen chicken thighs in your Instant Pot, first make sure that the chicken thigh pieces are separate and not frozen together. This will ensure that the chicken cooks evenly.

    Skip the step of browning the chicken on sauté mode. Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot and place the metal trivet in the inner pot. Put the chicken thighs on top of the trivet.

    Since the spice rub wont stick well to frozen chicken, I recommend sprinkling half of it on the top of the chicken thighs after you place them on the trivet. After cooking you can add a little more seasoning and then brown the meat if you wish.

    Cook frozen chicken thighs on high pressure for 15 minutes and then do 5 minutes of natural pressure release. You may want to brown the cooked chicken thighs under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes. Or, you can pour the water out of the Instant Pot and brown the cooked chicken thighs on sauté mode for a few minutes.

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    Allot More Time And Use Extra Cooking Liquid When Starting With Frozen Chicken

    Cooking chicken from frozen is not all that different than cooking fresh chicken. The most important things to remember are that it will require some more time and cooking liquid. It will take a few extra minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure as well as about a 50 percent increase in cook time. You should also use enough cooking liquid to fully submerge the chicken, which ensures quick transfer of heat into the meat and, most importantly, even cooking.

    Our Favorite Chicken Recipes in the Instant Pot

    For Shreddable Chicken Breast

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

    Shreddable chicken is the easiest to achieve in the Instant Pot, and thats because if you cook chicken for long enough in the Instant Pot, it *is* going to end up in a shreddable state .

    For shreddable chicken, youll simply add the chicken + water to the Instant Pot, and set it to cook on high pressure for an amount of time . Shreddable chicken does take a little bit longer in the Instant Pot than sliceable chicken, but still significantly less time than it would to slow cook chicken .

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    Step Four: Cook On High Pressure According To The Cook Times Below

    • The cook time will remain the same whether you have a small amount of chicken or a lot, but the time the Instant Pot takes to come to pressure will increase the more chicken you have. The time it takes to come to pressure will also be longer if youre cooking frozen chicken.

    The below cook times are based upon average weights. If your chicken is smaller, decrease the cook time by 1 to 2 minutes depending upon the extent of the size variation. If they are larger, increase the cook time by 1 to 2 minutes. When in doubt, error on the side of less time. You can always cook the chicken for longer, but once its overcooked , you cant reverse the process.

    How To Make Chicken Thighs In Instant Pot

    Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

  • Season the chicken thighs with some salt and pepper and set aside.
  • Set the Instant Pot to the sauté mode. Add in the olive oil and butter, allow butter to melt before browning the meat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the Instant Pot and set aside.
  • Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the cream and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan and scrape up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom. Return the chicken to the pot and seal.
  • Cook for 9 minutes at high pressure followed by a natural release of pressure.
  • Stir in the cream before serving.
  • Instant Pot Cooking Tip: The cooking time does not include the time that it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure and doesnt account for the time required for a natural pressure release.

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    Fresh Vs Frozen Chicken Thighs In The Instant Pot

    One of the great advantages of Instant Pot cooking is you can cook straight from frozen, no thawing required. To cook chicken thighs of any kind from frozen, you’ll want to up the cooking time to about 14 minutes . See below for exact cooking times.

    Related: Cooking Frozen Chicken in the Instant PotWhat You Need to Know

    Cooking Tips For The Best Instant Pot Roast Chicken

    How to cook a whole chicken in an Instant Pot. One of the ...
    • Use a dry rub to season the chicken before cooking, and try to get some of the rub under the skin on the chicken breasts. The spice rub in this whole chicken recipe is a simple blend of seasonings and it is so good! My kids cannot get enough of it! You can easily use your favorite seasonings if you prefer.
    • Sear the chicken before pressure cooking. You can do this right in your Instant Pot using sauté mode! Browning the chicken adds so much flavor!
    • The easiest way to flip the chicken. Turning the chicken over in the Instant Pot after browning it on the first side can be a little tricky. Heres what Ive found works best: stick a long handled spoon or tongs into the cavity and then use another long spoon to turn the chicken first onto its side and then flip it over. The smaller your chicken, the easier it will be to flip over in the pot. The chicken in the photos in this post was 5.5 pounds and it just barely fit in my Instant Pot. Flipping it was not easy but I got it done!
    • Flavor from the inside out. After searing the chicken, fill the cavity with half of a fresh lemon, half an onion, and fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme. While this is optional, it will infuse your chicken with extra flavor as it cooks!
    • Broil for crispy skin. You can put your chicken under the broiler in your oven for 4-5 minutes after it is done cooking to crisp up the skin. Honestly, I dont bother with this because we dont eat the skin but it is up to you!

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    How Long Does It Take To Cook Thawed Chicken

    Slowly thaw frozen chicken in your refrigerator or thaw it faster by wrapping in waterproof foil or plastic bag and submerging it in cold tap water. Boil a 4 oz. Chicken breasts at 177°C for 25 to 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 74°C.

    How Do You Cook Frozen Chicken Breast In An Instant Pot

    How To Make Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts Season the chicken breasts on both sides with all-purpose seasoning or salt and pepper. Place the trivet in Instant Pot, then pour in the chicken broth. Cook on Manual High Pressure for 10-15 minutes. Serve as is or use in a recipe that calls for cooked chicken.

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    Frozen Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot

    Something magical happens when the frozen chicken breast is cooked in the Instant Pot because it comes out as the most tender, juicy, and flavorful chicken you will ever have. But, size matters because that determines the time needed in the Instant Pot. Weigh the largest one to determine the number of minutes needed. Recipe from Lexis Clean Kitchen.

    Four: Cook Chicken Thighs

    How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
    • Place lid on the pressure cooker and be sure your vent knob is pointed to sealed.
    • Set to high pressure for 8 minutes for bone-in chicken thighs. For boneless chicken thighs cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
    • Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to release for 5-10 minutes.
    • Manually release any remaining pressure and check the temperature on chicken thighs, with a digital meat thermometer. Your chicken should be between 162-165 degrees Fahrenheit. If your chicken thighs are below 162 degrees, do not panic. Simply place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for 1-2 minutes on high pressure. It will not take long for your Instant Pot to come to pressure a second time.
    • Remove chicken from Instant Pot and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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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.

    What Makes These Instant Pot Chicken Thighs So Good

    • Cooking your chicken thighs in the Instant Pot with just a couple ingredients makes dinner so incredibly easy, yet still SO tasty. This recipe is also perfect for meal prep or cooking your chicken to use in another recipe.
    • I literally gasped when I tried these chicken thighs for the first time and said out loud , Oh, mama! You know its good when you cant stop yourself from shouting for joy!
    • Forgot to thaw chicken for dinner? No problem! This recipe is meant for frozen chicken thighs.No more long waits or accidentally nuking your chicken in the microwave!

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    Instant Pot Soup Broth Setting

    The instant pot was manufactured so that if you wanted to make chicken stock from carcass, that you could just press the instant pot soup broth setting and it will automatically be preset to the 30 minutes you need for bone broth.

    Of course, you can just press the pressure cook button and then do the plus up to 30 minutes.

    Can You Use Chicken Broth In Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

    Yes, you can and best of all, is that you can load your frozen chicken broth ice cubes into the instant pot.

    For example, here I am making some beans and I have a frozen stock cube over the food.

    Then it will defrost as the instant pot goes to pressure and then become a flavour of the instant pot.

    In my opinion, its the best way to use the chicken stock that you have made with the instant pot. Then you have a freezer supply, have no food waste and then make fresh chicken stock in instant pot when you run out.

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    How To Make Chicken Gravy

  • Strain the drippings from the pot of your pressure cooker using a sieve into a saucepan then skim the excess fat using a spoon.
  • Add a sprig of each rosemary and thyme, then bring the drippings to a simmer.
  • Add a cornstarch slurry and whisk well. Mix up more of the slurry and add it a splash at a time, while whisking, until the desired thickness has been reached. The cornstarch needs heat to thicken up so make sure the gravy is bubbling.
  • Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a gravy boat.
  • How To Cook Chicken From Frozen In The Instant Pot

    Cooking times are based on 1-2 pounds of frozen medium-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

    We found frozen chicken breasts are at a safe cooking temperature at 15-20 minutes using a quick release method. We always use the manual function . When cooking food from frozen in the Instant Pot, we recommend starting at the shorter end of the time range and then adding more minutes if its not done.

    The only variation to this cooking time is when chicken is in a soup. We found that because it takes so much longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, the chicken takes LESS time to cook. Likely 5-6 minutes. It feels a bit counter intuitive since there is more in the pot when cooking a soup recipe but we consistently found that chicken was done quicker this way.

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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

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