How Do You Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot
This will quickly become one of your favorite chicken recipes when you will see how convenient it is. Therefore, the best part is that you dont have to thaw the meat! This is such a time saver, especially when you are in a rush!
Cooking time is reduced by a lot in comparison to grilling or baking it in the oven, especially if you still need to wait to defrost it.;The end result is flavorful and very juicy chicken breast that you can either enjoy right away or store and use as protein on salads. It makes meal prep so much easier.
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 Use Cooked Chicken
Instant Pot frozen chicken is so versatile and you can use it in many different ways! You can dice it, slice it, shred it, or serve in whole pieces.
Here are a few ideas for how to use cooked chicken:
- Prep for casseroles or other recipes that call for cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken
- Dice chicken for meal prep
- Chicken salad
- On top of a salad
- Shred chicken and mix with BBQ sauce for sandwiches
Read Also: What To Do If Your Instant Pot Says Burn
More About Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Recipes
HOW TO COOK FROZEN CHICKEN BREASTS IN THE INSTANT POT …
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the Instant Pot — it’s okay if they’re stacked, just make sure none are stuck together.
- Pour in the water or chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.
- Put the lid on and move the valve to sealing. Press Manual pressure and set the timer to 10-12 minutes high pressure . The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure and start counting down from 10.
- When the cook time is up, let pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure. Check that the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F — mine is always at least or higher.
INSTANT POT FROZEN CHICKEN BREAST – 40 APRONS
- Place trivet in Instant Pot. Pour in chicken broth. Place chicken breasts on trivet. Close lid and turn vent to sealed.
- Cook on Manual High Pressure for 10-15 minutes . After time is up, let naturally release 5 minutes then Quick Release remaining pressure.
INSTANT POT RECIPES FROZEN CHICKEN | INSTANT POT RECIPES …
INSTANT POT FROZEN CHICKEN RECIPES – MY CRAZY GOOD LIFE
COOKING FROZEN CHICKEN IN THE INSTANT POTWHAT YOU NEED TO …
25+ INSTANT POT FROZEN CHICKEN RECIPES – PROVERBIAL HOMEMAKER
20+ TASTY LAST-MINUTE INSTANT POT FROZEN CHICKEN RECIPES …
INSTANT POT RECIPES WITH FROZEN CHICKEN BREASTS – 365 DAYS …
INSTANT POT FROZEN CHICKEN RECIPES
THE EASIEST INSTANT POT CHICKEN TENDERS FROM FROZEN …
INSTANT POT BONE-IN CHICKEN BREASTS
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.
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Hoppin John In Instant Pot
Does Cook Time Change If I Have A Smaller Or Larger Instant Pot
- No matter which size model Instant Pot you have, the number of minutes you select on the Instant Pot remains the same.
The capacity of each Instant Pot and the amount of time the differently sized pots take to come to pressure will vary, but youll always set it for the same number of minutes, regardless of its size.
If you have a different brand other than Instant Pot and are wondering how long to cook chicken in a pressure cooker, the times listed above should still be accurate for other electric pressure cooker models.
How To Pressure Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts
As an Amazon affiliate, and affiliate with other businesses, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Im sure many of you are like me and when dinner time rolls around, I find myself wondering what to cook for dinner. Thats why I almost always have a big bag of frozen Costco chicken breasts in the freezer.
Chicken cooked from frozen is excellent in recipes that call for cooked chicken, to add protein to your salads, or just to freeze in ready-to-use portions.;
In my cookbook,;The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook,;I give lots of tips about pressure cooking meats from frozen.;I prefer not to cook large cuts of meat, like roasts, from frozen. Frozen meat doesnt brown well, doesnt cook as evenly, and doesnt absorb marinades.
However, this doesnt mean you have to scrap cooking and order takeout if youve forgotten to thaw your chicken in advance! Chicken is easy to cook from frozen, and youll get great results. Here are my go-to methods for getting tender, moist chicken cooked from frozen chicken breasts.
Recommended Reading: What Does L000 Mean On Instant Pot
How Long Does It Take To Cook Drumsticks In The Instant Pot
Chicken drumsticks cook in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes on high pressure with a quick release for fresh and 12 minutes with a quick release for frozen chicken.
I made some yesterday that I had thawed out for about a day and were still semi-frozen. I did them for 11 minutes and they turned out perfectly. A quick release doesnt dry these out, in my experience.
What Cooking Liquid To Use
To pressure cook in the Instant Pot, you will need one cup of liquid. You can use:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup broth
- 1 cup pineapple juice or apple juice
Which cooking liquid you want to use really depends on what you plan to do with the chicken and what kind of flavor profile you want. I typically use 1 cup chicken broth because that gives it a little bit of extra flavor.
Pineapple juice also is quite good if you like a slightly sweet taste.
In general, chicken broth goes well with almost anything. If you want your chicken to be completely plain, use 1 cup water.
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Chicken Tenders In Instant Pot
Instant Pot Butter Chicken From Frozen
When I wanted butter chicken, but my chicken was frozen, I used my favorite butter chicken recipe with some slight changes and pressure cooked it. I like serving this with naan or cooked rice.
Provided by thedailygourmet
6 tablespoons salted butter, divided |
3 cloves garlic, minced |
9 ounces frozen cubed chicken |
1 can tomato sauce |
¼ cup heavy whipping cream |
1 tablespoon tandoori seasoning |
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste |
Calories |
3.8 g |
Steps:
- Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker , select Saute function, and add butter. Add onion and garlic to melted butter; saute until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add frozen chicken, then pour tomato sauce on top. Hit Cancel.
- Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer’s instructions; set timer for 30 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
- Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer’s instructions, for 15 minutes. Then use the quick-release method to release remaining pressure, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid.
- Add whipping cream, tandoori seasoning, garam masala, and cayenne pepper; stir to combine. Serve immediately garnished with cilantro.
Perfect Instant Pot Chicken Breast
The Instant Pot reigns supreme when it comes to making meals quickly. Within minutes, I can have perfectly cooked rice, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, or;beans.
But chicken breast can be a bit more tricky to cook perfectly. Thankfully, after 20 plus tries, I have perfected cooking Instant Pot Chicken Breast. In fact, now I prefer preparing chicken breast in the Instant Pot over any other cooking method.
Whether fresh or frozen, I can whip up Instant Pot Chicken Breasts in record time and they turn out perfectly tender and juicy every single time.
Recommended Reading: Instant Pot Add Ons
How To Freeze Cooked Chicken
To freeze cooked chicken, you can place it in quart or gallon-sized plastic zip-top bags. Remove as much air as possible and freeze in flat sheets. This method works whether your chicken is shredded, sliced, or diced. You can keep cooked chicken in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw frozen cooked chicken in the refrigerator overnight before you plan to use it.
Ways To Serve Instant Pot Chicken

Now that you have a quick and easy method of cooking frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, you can make your meal prep even easier. Having big batches of chicken already prepared will cut down on the amount of time it takes you to make any meal.
You can easily add protein to your lunch dish.
Keep chicken cooked and ready for any of these meal ideas:
- Salads
- Chili
Recommended Reading: How Long To Steam Broccoli In Instant Pot
How Long Should You Cook Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot
My rule of thumb is about 10 minutes per pound.
- 3 lbs frozen whole chicken, 30 minutes.
- 4 lbs frozen whole chicken, 40 minutes.
- 5 lbs frozen whole chicken, 50 minutes.
Just be sure the chicken isnt too big to fit into your inner pot! You can also reheat frozen rotisserie chicken in the Instant Pot.
How To Cook Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot
Cooking times are based on 1-2 pounds of medium-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
We found that chicken breast is at a safe cooking temperature after about 7 minutes using a quick release method. We always use the manual function . If the chicken breast is a bit on the larger size, add another minute or two. If its on the smaller size, subtract a minute.
Tip: These 7 Chicken Marinade Recipes all have Instant Pot cooking instructions. Try them out!
Recommended Reading: How Long To Pressure Cook Tamales
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.;
Related:
How To Make It Crispy:
Don’t Miss: How To Cook Frozen Ground Beef In Instant Pot Without Trivet
Frozen Chicken Thighs In Instant Pot
The ingredients for instant pot frozen chicken thighs, are simple everyday ingredients that you can source, without having to go grocery shopping.
- Frozen Chicken Thighs Direct from my freezer and loaded straight into the instant pot. You can use any size, though note our recipe today is for bone in and skin on.
- Seasoning This depends if you want your skin blackened or not. You can go with salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Then swap balsamic for honey for the blackened look.
- Steamer Basket The steamer basket is where I recommend you place your frozen chicken thighs. You can also use a trivet. I recommend you read through our best instant pot steamer baskets to make sure you have the right type for you.
Any electric pressure cooker will do a good job at instant pot frozen chicken thighs, though we are using our Instant Pot Duo 8 Quart.
Farmer Focus Is Building Partnerships With Farmers Through Their Innovative Farmer Focus Business Model
What I love about Farmer Focus is that they are a company that supports their farmer partners and they are working hard to do things right and truly raise and produce the highest quality chicken! Every Farmer Focus product includes a 4-letter Farm ID that traces your chicken to the farm that raised it. Buying meat from Farmer Focus also gives me peace of mind that I am supporting hard-working family farmers.
Farmer Focus chickens are humanely raised and fed a diet free from animal byproducts, pesticides, and antibiotics. On their website you can see where all of the farms are located, so you know just where your chicken was raised! How awesome is that?!
You can also use their easy store locator to find where you can get this amazing quality chicken near you.
Also Check: Instant Pot Yogurt Troubleshooting
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts
I love my Instant Potand have been using it several times a week for over a year, but I have never cooked frozen chicken breasts in one until now. Why I waited so long to do this, I will never know?
Youll want to make chicken in your pressure cooker all of the time after reading this recipe.
If you have been hesitating on adding those frozen chicken breasts into to your Instant Pot, wait no longer! Today, Im sharing how I like to cook my frozen chicken breasts, along with some easy recipe ideas for the wonderful juicy chicken that comes out of the Instant Pot.
I hope you enjoy this easy way tocook frozen chicken breasts in a pressure cooker.
Get delicious chicken breasts in minutes with no thawing needed, plus some of my favorite chicken recipes for a quick dinner!
How To Shred Chicken:

There are a couple ways to shred the chicken once it is cooked. Chicken breasts coming out of your pressure cooker are pretty much falling apart without you having to do anything, so you dont need to get fancy.
I prefer to use two forks, because Im lazy and Im not into extra dishes. They do a fine job!
A lot of people will use a hand mixer or stand mixer to shred chicken, but I think its overkill. Who wants a huge stand mixer bowl to wash just for a few chicken breasts? Maybe if youre doing a few pounds at once, it would be worth it.
Be sure to shred the chicken breast in the liquid as it the chicken will reabsorb some of the broth and seasoning as you are pulling it, and it will give you the best results by far!
You May Like: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot
Defrosting Chicken In Your Pressure Cooker
This is my very favorite way to quickly take chicken breasts from frozen to recipe-readyI use this method at least once a week!
If your recipe calls for diced, thawed chicken, but you didnt defrost the chicken breasts in advance, theres an easy fix! Pour 1 cup water into your pressure cooking pot and place a trivet in the bottom. Balance the frozen chicken breasts on the trivet, stacking crosswise if necessary. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 1 minute cook time.
When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker and use a quick pressure release. Remove the chicken from the pot, dice it into small pieces, and continue with the recipe as directed.
Use an;instant-read thermometer;to verify each chicken breast is at least 165°F in the thickest part of the breast after cooking.
With this method, the chicken will cook a little bit on the outside, but the inside with be thawed, easy to dice, and ready to use in your favorite pressure cooker recipes.;You can also use this method to thaw your chicken breasts and then coat the breasts with your favorite barbecue sauce and grill them on the barbecue.
Use this technique with your favorite diced chicken recipes: