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
How To Make Meal Prep Chicken In The Instant Pot
I found a 4 lb tray of boneless chicken breasts on sale at Aldi which is why I decided to do this in the first place. So here is how you cook boneless chicken breasts in the Instant Pot or any pressure cooker.
- Cut up raw chicken breasts in to even sized cubes.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper .
- Place the cubes in the Instant Pot and then pour in some chicken broth.
- Hit the manual button to pressure cook for 8 minutes.
- Do a quick pressure release when done and let the chicken cool before freezing in ziplock bags. You want to do a quick release;instead of a natural pressure release because you dont want the chicken to continue cooking.
- PS Make sure to drain the liquid before freezing but save it for chicken broth which you can also freeze separately.
By the way, this is the Instant Pot that I use but you can use any kind of pressure cooker for this recipe.
As you can see below I got a big bowl full of chicken from this recipe. I also saved the liquid and used it for soup that day. You dont want to freeze the chicken with the broth though.
Instant Pot Chicken Variations:
Want to customize this recipe? Feel free to:
- Use different seasonings:;In place of the paprika/garlic powder blend, feel free to instead use a few teaspoons of:
- Taco Seasoning
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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Cook the chicken as the recipe directs.
- Once cook time has elapsed and pressure has been released, remove the chicken breast from the instant pot and place it into a large mixing bowl along with ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Shred the chicken, using two forks, a handheld mixer at medium speed, or a stand mixer at low speed. Alternatively, you can shred the chicken right in the inner pot of your instant pot using 2 forks or a handheld mixer.
Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Is A Meal Prep Staple

Its versatile recipe that you can enjoy in many different and tasty ways.;Salads, soups, stews & more!
Having cooked shredded chicken on hand makes weekday and weeknight cooking a breeze. Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is delicious, quick to make and can easily be added to soups, stews, salads,;stir-fries,;casseroles and the list goes on. It truly is one of my weekend meal prep staples and a recipe I include with almost every meal prep. In this post I show you exactly how to make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken with an easy to follow, step-by-step photo tutorial. So if youre one of those who are intimidated by your new Instant Pot and its been in the box ever since the day you purchased it , its time to dust it off and give it a try! For those of you thinking about purchasing on Instant, below is the one that I own and its is the perfect size for families up to 4-5 members.
How to Easy Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Full recipe below.
Place chicken breast in the Instant Pot with broth and a generous amount of seasonings of your choice. I like the Primal Palate Spice Blends such as Garlic & Herb or Adobo. For extra juicy shredded chicken, add a mix of boneless breasts and thighs.
Once the time is up, turn the Instant Pot to keep warm/cancel and turn the valve on the lid to venting. After the pressure is released entirely, remove the lid and transfer the chicken from the Instant Pot to a large pan.
Shred the chicken with whatever method you prefer. I use two forks.
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What Recipes Can I Make With Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
There are so many ways to use Instant Pot Chicken Breasts in a meal. You can also simply season the chicken breasts before or after cooking them in the Instant Pot for a quick meal. You can use your chicken breast and make:
- Loaded Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos either cube or shred your IP chicken and add it to sheet pan nachos!
- Chicken Tacos probably the easiest meal ever. Youll need to shred this chicken.
- Chicken Salad we have 4 super simple chicken salad recipes that call for shredded chicken.
- BBQ Chicken Pizza add shredded chicken to your bbq pizza and then add caramelized onions.
- Chicken Enchiladas instead of rotisserie chicken, use IP chicken.
There is a ton of chicken recipe inspiration on FFF, youre options are endless! Dont fret if youre stuck, we have seasonings, marinades, and more to help you make your Instant Pot chicken breast everything you want it to me.
Check it out!
Plain Instant Pot Chicken Breast
To make plain instant pot chicken breast for salads, sandwiches, wraps, and bowls, just skip the marinating in the sauce. To add more flavor to the chicken breast, you can flavor the chicken stock with aromatics like garlic, onion, leeks, or spices.
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Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
I love this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Breasts because;I can use fresh or frozen chicken, its completely hands off, and yields perfectly cooked chicken in about 25 minutes.
I love the ease of cooking chicken this way, and there are so many ways to enjoy it, like in chicken enchiladas, white chicken chili, or BBQ chicken pizza.
Have you tried cooking chicken breast in your Instant Pot yet? It is so easy and yields juicy chicken breast you can enjoy for dinner, meal prepping, or use in any recipes that call for cooked or shredded chicken. Once you try it, theres a good chance you wont go back!
For this recipe Ive simply seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper but you can add whatever seasonings or spices that will enhance the flavor of the dish you are preparing.
How To Make Juicy Boneless Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot
The key to getting perfectly juicy boneless chicken breasts is to cook them on a trivet, above the liquid. I find that this results in a better texture than cooking them on the bottom of the pot.
I also think their texture is best when you quickly release the pressure, rather than letting it naturally release.
Read Also: Instant Pot Chicken Strips Recipe
How To Cook Fresh Chicken Breast In Instant Pot
- Add 1 cup water and place trivet on top.
- Lay chicken breasts in a single layer, sprinkle with spices and rub onto each other.
- Press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 10 minutes under 2 thickness and 15 minutes over 2 thick breasts.
- Do Natural Release for 5 minutes and then turn pressure valve to Venting.
Ingredients For Pressure Cooker Chicken Breast
You really need only chicken breasts and water. Everything else is up to your taste and what meal idea you are planning to use with your cooked Instant Pot chicken breast recipe.
If you are adding cooked chicken breast to salads, quesadillas and tostadas, I would not worry about seasonings much.
If you are planning to eat cooked chicken breast alongside quinoa or brown rice and salad , I would pay attention to spices.
- Chicken breasts You can use fresh or frozen.
- Salt and pepper Simple seasonings so your chicken is a blank slate for recipes.
- Garlic powder If you wish, but not required.
- Dried herbs If you like, really it will depend on how you plan to use the chicken once it is ready.
Use one of these 5 chicken marinades to really ramp up the flavor of the chicken breast.
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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.
Cooking Boneless Chicken Breast In Instant Pot

All you need to make this easy instant pot poached chicken is:
- Chicken breast
- Garlic;
- Ginger
The combination of onion, garlic and ginger will give a great flavor to the chicken and makes it very tasty. You can also add other ingredients which we will talk about in this article. Using your instant pot is way easier than you might think and once you try this pressure cooker chicken breast recipe, you’ll be making in regularly because it’s that good!;
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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:
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.
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Instant Pot Chicken Breast how to cook the best, perfectly juicy and flavorful chicken breast in the pressure cooker. The delicious gravy is a bonus!
You can cook a perfect whole chicken or amazing chicken thighs right in your Instant Pot! This chicken breast recipe is a must-have in the collection.
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Perfect Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
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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.
Cooking Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot
Using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot to cook any ingredientespecially when youre meal prepping nutritious meals is a time saving game changer.
Using a pressure cooker shaves off valuable hands-on cooking time, and unlike cooking on the stove top, theres no monitoring with a watchful eye for liquids boiling over, or turning the temp down, or even stirringinstead, cooking can be a completely hands-off affair.
But the real beauty of cooking chicken breasts in the Instant Pot is you can use either fresh or still frozen chicken breasts and literally toss them into the Instant Pot with no defrosting needed.
Thats why this method has been my whats for dinner meal saver more than once.
see more:;20 Healthy Dinners to Make In the Instant Pot
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What To Use Shredded Chicken For
The possibilities are truly endless, yall. Shredded chicken can be used in *so* many different ways, and having pre-cooked shredded chicken on hand makes mealtime incredibly easy! Weve listed several different recipes to make great use of your shredded chicken below, and in each of them, youll simply skip the step that calls for cooking the chicken, and sub in your already cooked chicken instead!
Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot
If you have an Instant Pot, then you probably already know that it is the little machine that can. It has literally transformed the way that so many of us cook , but I think that my favorite thing about the Instant Pot to date is the fact that it can cook meat from frozen.
Being able to cook a protein from frozen means that if I forget to move my frozen chicken from the freezer to the fridge to start thawing before I leave for work , dinner doesnt have to be completely scrapped for takeout! Instead, I can come home, pop that frozen chicken right into my Instant Pot, and continue on with my dinner plan.
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Tips For Making Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Use an instant read thermometer to check that your chicken is cooked to at least 165 degrees F.
- If your chicken isnt cooked through after the pressure cook time finishes, turn your Instant Pot to saute mode to finish cooking the chicken.
- After stirring in the cornstarch mixture, you can add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables to the Instant Pot. They will cook while the sauce thickens.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce.
If you make this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment below and tag a photo on Instagram . I love to see what you are cooking!
How Long Do You Cook Frozen Chicken Breast In The Instant Pot

Add between 2-4 minutes to the cook times listed above if your chicken breasts are frozen. I find that adding 3 extra minutes is usually perfect for frozen chicken breasts. You will also want to do a 10 minute natural release instead of a quick release for frozen chicken.
Learn more about how to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot.
Make sure that your frozen chicken breasts are not all stuck together in one mass, as this will increase the cook time needed. I recommend freezing chicken breasts in a flat layer so that they are easy to separate when adding to your Instant Pot.
You can prep the ingredients for this honey garlic chicken, freeze and then transfer to your Instant Pot frozen. I recommend thawing just slightly in cool water so that you can easily pour the sauce from the freezer bag. You will need the sauce to be liquid for Instant Pot pressure cooking.
This photo shows how I prep this as a chicken freezer meal, using one of these freezer bag holders to easily add ingredients to the freezer bag.
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