Instant Pot Chicken Breasts: The BEST way to make chicken breasts in the pressure cooker–perfectly cooked, juicy chicken breast EVERY SINGLE TIME!
Can we all just admit that many nights cooking is HARD?!!!
Between working and shuffling kids to and from activities or shuffling yourself to and from meetings, life can get SO busy and dedicating time to cooking wholesome meals can go by the way side.
This does NOT have to be case!
With a few simple strategies, and the help of EASY Instant Pot Recipes, you can ALWAYS have time to get dinner on the table for your family.
Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Having a large batch of cooked chicken breast in the fridge or freezer is one of my BEST staples to getting quick meals on the table, as sliced or shredded chicken is the base for so many delicious recipes.
I love to make Rotisserie Chickens or Roasted Chicken Breast in large quantities, but if I am 100% honest, I may not always plan ahead and it is 5 o’clock and my family is in meltdown mode because we are HANGRY! Or we are pulling in our driveway after a long day.
This is when I pull out my trusty Instant Pot.
I view this piece of equipment as my secret weapon. Within minutes, I can have rice, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, or beans all cooked to perfection.
But what about IP Chicken?
Chicken Breast can always be a bit more tricky to cook to juicy perfection.
After 20 something tries, I have perfected perfectly cooked chicken breast in the pressure cooker!
Perfect Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
There is a secret to my IP Chicken Breast that makes it SO much better than any other recipe for pressure cooker chicken breast.
PINEAPPLE JUICE!
Pineapple juice adds just the right sweetness to the chicken and paired with some garlic and salt and pepper, this chicken is truly tasty and perfect even in savory dishes like my Creamy Cheesy Chicken and Rice. Of course you can use chicken stock if you don’t have pineapple juice!
Pressure Cooking Frozen Chicken Breasts
For Frozen Chicken Breasts
- Place frozen chicken breasts in inner pot of instant pot.
- Add in 1 cup pineapple juice or chicken stock.
- Season with salt and garlic powder.
- Set pressure cooker to 10 minutes on high pressure and turn the valve to seal in the steam.
- It will take longer for your pressure cooker to reach pressure due to meat being frozen, but it should not be longer than 12 minutes.
- Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, and do a quick release.
- Remove the meat from the liquid and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
If your chicken breasts are frozen together, I suggest placing them in a bowl of cold water until you can break them apart into individual breasts. If you try to cook in one hunk, you will end up with over-cooked and under-cooked chicken.
Pressure Cooking Fresh Chicken Breasts
For Fresh Chicken Breasts (or Thawed Chicken Breast)
- Place chicken breasts in inner pot of instant pot.
- Add in 1 cup pineapple juice or chicken stock.
- Season with salt and garlic powder.
- Set pressure cooker to 6 minutes on high pressure and turn the valve to seal in the steam.
- It will take less than 10 minutes for your pressure cooker to reach pressure.
- Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, and do a quick release.
- Remove the meat from the liquid and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
What if Chicken Breast is Not Cooked?
Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees before safe to consume. Once your cook time has elapsed and pressure has been released, chicken the internal temperature of your chicken breast. If less than 160 degrees, place lid back on pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes on high pressure.
If 160 degrees, your chicken breast will reach 165 degrees as it rests.
Size Matters
You determine cook time based on size of individual breasts, not total pounds. This recipe was developed using organic chicken breasts which tend to run smaller than conventional chicken breasts.
- 6 ounce chicken breasts 6 minutes on high pressure for fresh/ 10 minutes on high pressure for frozen
- 8 ounce chicken breasts 7 minutes on high pressure for fresh/11 minutes on high pressure for frozen
- 10 ounce chicken breasts 8 minutes on high pressure for fresh/12 minutes on high pressure for frozen
As for how to determine size, 1 pound is 16 ounces. So if you had a pound and a half package that is a total of 24 ounces. If there are 4 chicken breasts, you would divide 24 by 4. This tells you each breast would weight about 6 ounces each.
How to Serve Instant Pot Chicken Breast
You have three options for preparing your chicken breast for serving.
- Serve as a whole chicken breast.
- Slice up the chicken breast, as you would poached chicken.
- Shred Chicken Breast
Freeze Cooked IP Chicken
- Cook according to directions.
- Shred or slice chicken breasts as desired.
- Freeze in 1-2 cup portions to use as needed.
- Frozen cooked chicken breast will keep in fridge for 3-6 months.
- Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
For Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
My preferred method for Instant Pot Chicken Breast, is to shred the chicken once cooked. This makes it perfect for sandwiches, salads, casseroles, etc.
To Shred Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Cook chicken as recipe directs.
- Once cook time has elapsed remove chicken breast from instant pot and drain off all but 1/2 cooking liquid.
- Add chicken and reserved liquid back into inner pot of pressure cooker and shred with a hand held mixer on medium speed. This trick works perfectly to shred chicken breasts in no time!
Recipes using Shredded Chicken
- Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice
- Chicken Pot Pie
- One Pot Healthy Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole
- Creamy Parmesan Chicken Casserole
No Poultry Button on Pressure Cooker?
You do not need a Poultry Function on your Instant Pot to cook Chicken. In fact, I don’t recommend using it EVEN if you have it.
The poultry button is a PRE-Determined time based on AVERAGE chicken. Not chicken breast, not chicken thighs–just chicken. You need to control the time you cook your chicken breast yourself!
Cook on manual setting on high pressure (that is the default setting for Poultry anyways!).
Read more about Instant Pot Functions to know how to properly use your Instant Pot.
A Few Notes on Perfectly Cooked Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- I use organic chicken breasts which tend to be much smaller than traditional chicken. If you use non-organic, just increase the cooking time by 2-3 minutes depending on how large your chicken breasts are.
- You ALWAYS need at least 1 cup of liquid in pressure cooker. This is what allows the Instant Pot to build pressure. It does not matter if you are cooking 1 chicken breast or 6.
- Be sure to seal your vent on your pressure cooker for the correct amount of pressure to build.
- It is best to allow a natural release for 5 minutes, but a quick release can be done if really in a rush.
- The pineapple juice adds so much flavor so don’t overlook that secret ingredient. But chicken stock and water both work in a pinch.
- If your chicken breasts are frozen together, I suggest placing them in a bowl of cold water until you can break them apart into individual breasts. If you try to cook in one hunk, you will end up with over-cooked and under-cooked chicken all together.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
- How to Make a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken Stock
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (Frozen & Fresh)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken breasts***
- 1 cup pineapple juice or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon if using chicken stock
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in pressure cooker.
- Close lid and turn vent to sealed.
- For Frozen Chicken, cook on poultry setting on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- For Fresh Chicken, cook on poultry setting on high pressure for 6 minutes.
- Allow to release naturally for 5 minutes, and then do a quick release if needed.
- Remove chicken from liquid and rest chicken for 5-10 minutes.
- Slice and serve or shred with 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
- Keeps in fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
My Must Have Instant Pot Accessories
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(And in case you misplace your Floating Valve, you can get an extra to fit your model on this here.)
Thanks. That’s very helpful information.
YAY!!! I love when I can help people out!
This was that first recipe I ever made on the Instapot. I followed your instructions exactly and made perfect, juicy and very yummy shredded chicken! Thank you!
YAY! I am so glad you enjoyed Erica!
After 10 minutes and 15 cooldown it was still raw inside. Yes only one. I am now cooking for another 10. 🙁
Hi Deana! I am sorry about that, Was your chicken breast large, frozen? If you give me those details I can further help you 🙂
Hello we have the Lux pot and no bean button how would i know the times for beans ?
Hi Caitlin! Here is all you need to know about cooking beans in the Instant pot. But just like you don’t need the chicken button on an instant pot, you don’t need a bean button. You just need to cook on high and adjust the time manually. https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-beans/ Hope that helps Caitlin! Reach out with any additional quetions.
Hello, I have the LUX and saw it said that you don’t need the poultry the poultry button. What should I use?
Hi Ellen! You absolutely don’t need the poultry button. You simply hit manual and then adjust the time using the plus and/or minus button. This cooks the chicken on high pressure (which is exactly what the poultry function does.
I just tried this recipe. I had let the frozen organic chicken breast thaw on the counter for an hour prior to putting in the pot. I set it on high pressure for 10 minutes. When I checked the temp, it was around 135. I cooked it for another 7 minutes and it was around 145. I had to put it back in for another 10 minutes to get it to 165.
The recipes all say that Insta Pot is very quick, but I have not found that to be the case. Also, the time given doesn’t factor in the time it takes for the Insta Pot to warm up. I recommend setting aside at least 30 minutes for this recipe.
I like the idea for pineapple juice though!
Hi David! I am sorry you had so many issues. There is NO way that cooking frozen chicken breasts should take that long to cook! A whole chicken doesn’t take 27 minutes total cooking time. So a few things: When you put the chicken breasts on the counter, did you place in cold water? Sometimes, I have found that actually freezes the chicken breasts together as the cold water hits the chicken and freezes it more in the center. So if your chicken breasts were frozen in a solid lump–that WILL take significantly longer and result in uneven cooking. The other thought is that you may have pushed low pressure instead of high pressure. My mom has done that SEVERAL times–it is easy to do. And the last thought is that your thermometer may be off. As far as the total time for the pressure cooker–this was an older recipe of mine, I have updated all new recipes to state pressure time. This recipe will take 10 minutes to come to pressure for fresh chicken and about 15 for frozen. Add in 5-10 minutes NPR, it is about 30 minutes total time.
What many people don’t realize is that the when the IP is coming up to pressure, it’s already cooking the food. That pressurization time is factored in when people write their recipes correctly. And often, it’s the user’s lack of patience and the fact that they think the Instant Pot is a “miracle pot”.
I only need to cook two 5 ounce chicken breasts that are frozen. How would I adjust the recipe?
I would cut the pineapple juice to just 1/4 cup and 1/2 teaspoon garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. The time should be the same.
can I cook rice with it at the same time so that I have something to go with it? If so how would I do it?
Hi Tonya! If you want to cook rice at the same time, you will only be able to use white rice and then place 1 cup liquid, 1 cup rice and nestle chicken breasts into the rice mixture and season with salt and pepper, etc. Cook on High for 6 minutes.
Thank you 🙂 🙂
Hi there! I was thinking about doing some rice with it too! Would you do an extra cup of of liquid? Or would this be the liquid (juice or broth) that’s already part of the receipe?
I’m new to this… but loving the IP so far! Thanks 😊
Hi Jane!
Cooking chicken with rice together is a completely different method. Using the rice function, is low pressure on an Instant pot. So for your rice and chicken to cook harmoniously together, it can be tricky. I would put 1 1/2 cups jasmine white rice in Instant Pot with 2 cups chicken stock and FRESH chicken breasts. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, etc and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes and let naturally release. That should work!
Do you freeze the chicken breasts separately or as one massive hunk of chicken?
Hi Shannon! Great question–I freeze my chicken breasts on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper until frozen solid and then once frozen, place in a large ziplock bag and pull out one at a time. If you have them in one massive hunk, it can be really hard to use only what you need or to fit in your Instant Pot if they froze in an awkward clump 🙂
How can it possibly reach pressure in 3-5 minutes? What size Instant Pot are using? I have an 8qt. Almost everything I cook takes 15-20 minutes to reach pressure. This took 40 minutes. I preheated the juice using sauté. The pot was quite full, which I know takes longer, but still- 3-5 minutes?? Really??
Hi Angela!
I am so sorry you had such issues with your pressure cooker taking so long to come to pressue.
I have experimented many times with this recipe and have never had it take more than 10 minutes (and that was only one time) the rest of the times it took from 3-7 minutes.
I do have a 6 quart pressure cooker and have never pre-heated the pineapple juice.
My best guest is that you over-crowded your pot and since it was frozen chicken, it took extra long. It is best to only fill your pressure cooker 2/3rds of the way with frozen meat.
Best of luck next time. And again, I am sorry this took so long!
You have to add 5-7 min for frozen 🐔 to preheat
Hey Matthew, it can take an additional 5-7 minutes but it usually takes me about 7 minutes. But it will be dependant on how many chicken breasts you are trying to cook.
I’m new to ip cooking. This is my first attempt at frozen chicken. I am coming 3lb of frozen chicken beasts. The contents are below the max line. It took 21 minutes before starting the cooking count down. Am I doing something wrong or is the ip not working correctly?
Hi Geri,
Cooking in you IP the first time is completely OVERWHELMING! However, it would be normal for your pressure cooker to take that long to come to pressure with that volume of frozen meat. It typically takes 5-10 minutes to reach pressure for small volumes of food that are not frozen, but frozen foods (or large volumes of soup) can take up to 30 minutes–at times even 40. And while your ip is coming to pressure, the food is still being cooked–so it is safe 🙂
Hope that helps 🙂
If you are still worried about your IP not working correctly–try my water test method to trouble shoot.
If I want to season the meat (like make a Caribbean flavored chicken)…when do I put the seasoning in?
Hey Shannon-you can either season the pineapple juice and let the chicken cook in that seasoning, or make the chicken as directed and flavor however you like once cooked.
I have a Lux IP, so I don’t have the Poultry setting for chicken. Do I use the Manual setting for the same time for the frozen chicken breasts?
Thanks. I love your blog already.
Hi Patti! Thank you for the kind words!!
Yes, you would use the manual setting on high for the same time! Enjoy 🙂
Hi I just got my instant pot today, we made a chicken taco rice bowl recipe. It came out great. But I couldn’t figure out how to change the pressure on the manual function any tips? We have the IP-lux
Hey Dan! Read over my Instant Pot 101 to help you troubleshoot (but you should be able to just hit manual button and then use the plus or minus button to change the time, and hit pressure until it changes to low or high pressure–unless you have an old LUX then it is only high pressure) Hope that helps 🙂 https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-101/
Hi. I just got my instant pot for Christmas & haven’t used it yet. Can I just throw ingredients in & have it waiting for us when we get home from work? For example, I was thinking of throwing in some frozen chicken breasts with cream of chicken soup. Do I have to be here to release the pressure or can I set it & leave it? Most of the recipes I’m finding seem to be attended. I’d rather do my prep before work & have it ready when I get home.
Hey Terry! Congratulations on your new IP–you will love it! But it does take some getting used to, so I would not leave it the first time you use it. The IP will cook things and then hold them at warm, so you can leave it, but honestly for chicken breasts, the chicken will dry out quickly as it sits. I would have all your ingredients ready and then throw in IP when you get home. You will still have dinner ready in under 30 minutes. Also, be sure to add at least 1 cup liquid along with cream of chicken soup–you need that liquid for the IP to reach pressure. Best of luck 🙂
Kristen, thank you for this recipe. It’s my new favorite!!! I made just one breast and used the mixer to shred it in a little broth. What is your recipe for a bone-in chicken breast?
Hi Tempe!! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
I need to get a recipe for bone-in chicken breast in Instant Pot up on the blog. In the meantime, I would place 1 cup water in Instant pot and top with trivet. Add in chicken breasts onto trivet that you have seasoned with salt and pepper. Set to high pressure for 11 minutes (for fresh) and then let it naturally release for another 10 minutes. To crisp up the skin, I would brush with oil and broil for 2-3 minutes on high. Enjoy 🙂
When cooking all meats… do I have to add water or can you place meat in and turn on?
Hi Andrea, for pressure cooking, all recipes must have at least 1/2 cup (more like 1 cup) liquid in order for pressure to build up. If you don’t want your chicken to be sumberged in liquid while cooking, you can place your liquid on the bottom of the pot, then add in the trivet and set your chicken on top of the trivet. I prefer to cook my chicken in the liquid as it helps get keep the chicken moist and juicy. If you want to use the trivet method see this tutorial for help 🙂 https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-ground-beef/
Happy Pressure Cooking 🙂
Thank you so much Kristen! I love your site!! It’s very helpful.
Aw, thanks so much Andrea <3
The ip I have doesn’t have the poultry setting what other setting would work
Hi Adam! The poultry setting on the IP is just a fancy pre-setting. You can cook this on high pressure using the same times I indicated. Happy pressure cooking 🙂
This was amazing! My first time using my IP Duo 8qt. I used a whole bag of frozen chicken thighs from Trader Joe’s (approx 3lbs). Seasoned & added water. Hit the poultry button & then “-” to bring it down to 10 min. I let it release naturally for 5 min like you said, then did a quick release which took a few more min. They were falling apart. Shredded so easily & taste amazing. I can’t wait to try it with pineapple juice! Thank you so much!
YAY!!! I am so happy that this worked out so well for you Kelly! Be sure to check out my other IP recipes to fall in love with your pressure cooker even more. https://amindfullmom.com/easy-healthy-instant-pot-recipes/
Mine turned out dry. Not sure what I did wrong. I cooked frozen chicken in broth and squeezed some orange in there. Sealed it and set it on “meat” for 10 min. Where did I go wrong? I’m new to this pressure cooking thing. Help!
First of all, I am sorry you had issues.
Let me help you trouble shoot this:
1. Did you let your IP naturally release for at least 10 minutes before releasing pressure? That will help your chicken stay moist.
2. Did you happen to use thin chicken breasts or cutlets or tenderloins? I tried these with about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick chicken breasts (at their thickest point) so if you had really thin (or thick) chicken breasts that will change the cooking time.
Hope that helps.
I have something important to say. Maybe someone already commented this and I missed it? But, what I want to say is, the pineapple juice “elixir” smells heavenly after you finish cooking the chicken. I cooked boneless, skinless chicken thighs in it and then removed and shredded the chicken. Then, it smelled so good and I needed rice for my lunches for the week, so I cooked my rice IN the cooked pineapple chicken juice elixir, on the Rice setting for 5 minutes. It is very tasty!!!
Oh so smart!!! I absolutely love making pineapple rice so using the leftover cooking liquid to do that is so smart!
We have frozen organic chicken delivered every few months andnit can be a challenge to remember to thaw it. I bought an instant pot to be able to cook it from frozen and had almost given up on It! Every frozen chicken recipe I tried ended up too dry, undercooked, or just plain strange-textured! I tried yours as a last resort and IT WAS PERFECT! I even got a bonus by your tip for using my hand mixer to shred it- that was an awesome hack:) Thanks so much!!!
WAHOO!!!! I am so glad you did NOT give up Christina and tried my recipe and that you loved it!! I am doing a happy dance with you right now 🙂
Hello! I am a newbie and received a mini instant pot for christmas and having trouble with my chicken coming out too tough and it is not easy to shred. Am I not cooking long enough or too short? I’ve tried various times with 1/2 cup of water and about a pound of chicken breasts. What we you recommend for times to get the nice, easy to shred chicken? Thanks! Ann Marie
Hi Ann Marie!
I am not sure which methods you have tried before–meaning what times, what pressure, natural release, etc. My recommendations for tender chicken is to use my directions and cook on high setting for 10 minutes, if frozen and for Fresh Chicken, cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. And you need 1 cup liquid. For chicken, I like to cook directly in the liquid, not on the rack and allow to naturally release for at least 5 minutes, but 15 minutes is best for tender meat. I hope these tips help you!
Thanks for the reply! I had fresh chicken (about 1.25 pounds) and cooked on high pressure (no rack) for 6 minutes with 1/2 cup of broth and then did natural release for 10 minutes and the chicken came out tough again 🙁
I am sorry, but I do believe you need the full cup of water, not a half cup–it will change the amount of time needed for pressure.
Cooked 3 lbs of frozen chicken breast for 10 min w/ chicken stock, after 5 min release there were still raw looking spots & temp of 118. What am I doing wrong with this thing. I keep followers recipes but my meat hardly ever turns out right!
I am so sorry you are having issues Alison. There are a few things I addressed in the tips of this post that may help. First, my chicken breasts were pretty thin as they were organic, if your chicken was conventional or thicker breasts, I recommend increasing the time 2-3 minutes. So that right there may be all you need to do. 3 minutes dosen’t sound like a lot of time, but in IP world it is.
Also, be sure to use cold pineapple juice and if your chicken breasts were frozen in one chunk, you may need to increase the time by 7-8 minutes. Hope these tips help! Once you learn the nuiances of pressure cooking, you will LOVE it!
My organic grocer packages chicken breast is 1lb packages. How much liquid / time for cooking only 1lb of frozen breasts. There is there is usually 2-3 breasts per 1lb package.
Thanks!
Hi Barb, 1 cup still works best for this recipe 🙂 I find that for ALL pressure cooking recipes at least 1 cup of liquid helps the chicken turn out perfectly.
I had rather large breasts, partially frozen so I did 12 minutes, natural release. I also cooked 6 of them. When I flipped one over, the top of one was still raw. I freaked because some of the others were around 165 degrees so I didn’t want to dry them out. But I turned the pot back on for 2 minutes anyways and then did a 5 minute NPR and they were SO amazing! Tender, not dry and not chewy. I’m sure my initial error was too much frozen meat.
And using the mixer to shred–life changing. I made chicken quesadillas and they were the best we’ve ever had. And a ton of meat to freeze. I am so excited!!
OH YAY!!! Amanda this makes me SO SO happy that you loved this chicken so much. That hand held mixer tip is pretty incredible–isn’t it 🙂 And yes, my guess is that your chicken was larger–but so glad you did NOT freak out and tried again with success. That confidence will help you make so many more thing in the Instant Pot.
I received my IP just after Christmas. I’m a new mom, at the time my son is only a month old. As I loved cooking also I love to spend more time with my baby. Most of the time I got frustrated if I can’t finish preparing the food before my husband arrive. But thanks to the IP, no more frustration I can set the timer in my IP and it will do the job for me while I can spend more time with my baby and serve delicious meal. With the IP is like I hired a helper and the good part is I don’t have to pay. So excited to explore more on IP.
YES!!! I am so so happy for you that the Instant Pot has allowed you to cook wholesome meals and still be present for your baby. It is quite a wonderful tool. I hope you follow along with me on my Instant Pot journey and I can help you fall more in love with you IP 🙂 Enjoy your sweet baby!
You can subscribe to stay up to date with just my IP recipes here: http://bit.ly/2GoRO5X
I HATE RAW MEAT WITH A PASSION, but I had 3 pounds of raw Costco organic chicken in the freezer. This recipe worked perfectly! I cooked it on 12 minutes on high. I skipped the salt, though, and regretted it. Don’t skip the salt! Thanks for posting!
I am so so glad this worked out for you Corrie. And yes, salt is needed 😉
This looks like it will be a healthy weeknight staple. I can’t wait to try this.
Since you have experimented so much, have you tried throwing in some frozen veges from a bag? I imagine some adjustments will need to be made. I plan on using thawed thawed breasts and dump some frozen veges in there with it. Have you tried that?
thank you for sharing this technique!
Hey Noah! So frozen veggies only need about 1-2 minutes to cook. So I would place your thawed chicken breast into your pressure cooker with the liquid and set to high pressure for 5 minutes (if really large chicken breasts, do 7 minutes). Do a quick release and add in frozen veggies. Set on high for 1 minute and let naturally release. That should work. Enjoy!
Had very large chicken breasts, frozen solid, cook time was perfect. Delicious flavoring. Thank you for the recipe.
You bet Marcia! So glad you enjoyed.
Delicious. Used two frozen Trader Joe’s boneless skinless breasts and one thigh same. 6 oz can Pineapple juice and 2 tsp garlic infused oil (low fodmap) S&P. Followed timing and settings exactly. Perfect. Had with brown rice and steamed broccoli juice over all. 5 stars.
Wonderful Karen! I love that you used garlic infused oil too. Low Foodmap can help a lot of people. Have a great day.
This worked really well for us! The chicken was cooked through after 10 min cook time. I had 4 large non-organic breasts that had been thawed in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes so they didn’t go in as one chunj. I don’t think the texture is as great as fresh chicken, but that could be related to microwave thawing, and it was still good. A small price to pay for frozen to dinner ready chicken in 28 minutes total!
Hi Savannah! So in the future, I would just put the frozen chicken breasts right into the Instant Pot and then if frozen solid into one clump increase the time by 2 minutes–and then test temperature to see if done after time has elapsed. If not cooked through, reseal, and set on manual for another 2-3 minutes. The texture will be completely different when you do any cooking/thawing in microwave 🙂
I can’t recall if I commented when I first made this or not, but this is awesome and super simple! After cooking was done I removed the chicken from the pot, shredded it and returned it to the pot with the pineapple juice. I then set the instant pot to saute and reduced the liquid down to concentrate the flavours. Delicious.
Oh Joanna, thank you for sharing!! I am so happy that you love this recipe. We used it all the time at my house 🙂
I tried to find in previous comments and failed. Any changes to use 5 lbs of half frozen chicken breast bone in or just follow your recipe and add 5 more minutes of cook time?
I there! For bone-in skin on, I would actually do 15 minutes on high pressure for frozen chicken breasts. And 5 minutes natural pressure release.
I just tried these chicken breasts and it didn’t work out so well so wondering what happened. I had 6 frozen breasts organic and I did poultry for 12 mins. Natural release for 5. 2 of the breasts needed more time – they had raw boots and the others were super over cooked. I will say that the pineapple juice was inspired. The flavor is fantastic but the texture is just so dry. Any suggestions? I used the 6qt IP.
Oh no Steph! I am sorry this recipe did not work for you. Were your chicken breasts frozen solid together? That sounds like the case to me, as then they would not cook evenly. I am sorry for your hassle though.
Ahh that makes sense. Thank you! I get them pre-frozen so can’t split them up. Any suggestions?
Hey Steph, Yes, if you can’t split your chicken breasts up, I would run them under cold water just long enough to pry them apart–this usually only takes a minute or two. And be sure to use cold water, so hot water doesn’t start to cook the chicken 🙂
This is the absolute best instant pot chicken breast recipe I’ve found. You have so much great info in this post. Thank you for including so many tips and tricks!
Thank you so much Krissy! I really try to make my posts as informative as possible.
Thanks so much for putting these tips together, because I couldn’t decide how long to cook chicken breast for the first time. I was a bit of a loss after seeing a few approaches online. Yours worked well for as a simple chicken breast recipe to try in my Instant Pot mini with some frozen (slightly thawed) chicken I had on hand. Thanks again!!
I’m new to IP. I have an 8 qt Duo model. My instructions say you must always have 500 mL of liquid (that’s approx 2 cups). But I frequently see recipes (including this one) that only have 1 cup of liquid. Do I need more liquid since I have an 8 qt?
No, you do not need a full 2 cups of liquid. 1 cup will work in most instances, but I find 1.5 cups is best for an 8 quart.
The pineapple juice is magic! Frozen chicken breasts were cooked perfectly, and were so flavorful. Thank you for this recipe!
You are SO SO welcome! I am so glad you enjoyed the pineapple juice as much as we do here.
I was wondering what the effects of leaving out the salt. I will be using the shredded chicken in a recipe where I will be adding soy sauce to and don’t want dish to be too salty.
I wouldn’t add much salt then either. BUT if you don’t start with seasonings, it can be hard for the meat to be flavorful. I would use just a small sprinkle of salt and then use reduced sodium soy sauce if you can 🙂
Please Help 🙁
I just got my instant pot and tried cooking 4 medium size chicken breast at room temp for 18 min and some of them were still raw.. My pot is a Duo Plus on Normal and High..What did I do wrong..
Hey Shane.
18 minutes is WAY too long to cook chicken breasts. I take it since you said room temperature, they were not frozen together, right?! My other guess is that you did not have the vent knob sealed or you did not use enough liquid to cook your chicken or that you accidentally hit low pressure.
Here is a great place to start with the IP https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-101/
Best of luck!
Yes they were thawed out..I used one cup of water and placed the chicken on the trivet but 1 piece of chicken was stacked on the other three..I am gonna try again today this time just placing the chicken in broth and weigh all the breast and try your cooking times.
Thanks
Okay Shane I hope that works out for you! And remember to be sure your IP valve is sealed.
We just tried your recipe with two large boneless chicken breasts about 6 oz. each. We did it with 1 cup chicken broth (made from powder). My husband did mix the broth with hot water so it would dissolve and then we set it for 11 minutes. It was very dry and tough. What did we do wrong?
Hi Laurie! I am sorry your chicken was dry. There are 2 things you did that you want to avoid in the future, one fresh chicken should only be cooked for max 8 minutes for REALLY large chicken breasts. So you want to decrease your cook time. I always start with 6 minutes, then test with internal thermometer. If not at 165 degrees, I will cook for 1 minute longer on high pressure (it does not take long to reach pressure again). You can start with 7 or 8 minutes if you feel more comfortable with that. Secondly, don’t ever use hot water in pressure cooker as it will change the way pressure is reached, changing the final product. I would in future use 1/2 cup hot water to dissolve the broth packet and then add in 1/2 cup cold water, or ice to cool it down. Those tips will really help you have tender chicken! Enjoy Laurie 🙂
I made this using frozen chicken breasts of all sorts of shapes and sizes – 2.5 lbs in total. I cooked them without the juice, using unsalted chicken stock instead. As there was already injected broth with salt in the breasts, I only added 1 tsp salt, which was perfect. I cooked on high pressure for 10 minutes and released the steam manually after 5 minutes natural release. They weren’t at temperature, so I added 2 minutes further cooking, 5 minutes natural release, and then five minutes resting after removing from the stock. I then added the stock back as instructed and used my hand mixer to shred (something I was a little dubious about to be honest). I shouldn’t have been – I ended up with the best shredded and juiciest chicken ever. This recipe blew my socks off! Thanks for posting 😊
I am SO SO happy Nellie! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with this chicken recipe! YAY!!!
LOve this ! Works every time! One question. Can you list how to deal with chicken tenders? I’ve been using six minutes. Just curious if you’ve done chicken tenders instead of breasts?
Hi Lana! Thank you so much for sharing that you love this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken, I appreciate hearing that so much. For chicken tenders, if they are thick, 6 minutes is best. If they are thinner, 4 minutes works perfectly.
So glad I found this!
Me too 😊
So great to have cooked chicken on hand. Perfect for bbq chicken sandwiches, adding to salads, tacos and more! An instant pot makes it so easy.
I agree Ellen, this makes dinner so much easier when you have this chicken on hand.
So for frozen chicken, does this mean it takes 22 total minutes then? 12 minutes to heat up all the way, and then an additional 10 minutes cook time? How many total chicken breasts do you put in at once? I’m not seeing that info anywhere, unless I missed it. Also, do you put the little metal rack in the pot first, or do you not use it?
Hi Wes! For this recipe, you can use as many as 1 frozen chicken breast to 3 pounds if they will fit in your pressure cooker. I also do not use the metal rack for this recipe, as the chicken being submerged in the pineapple juice helps add a lot of flavor and keeps the chicken juicy. As for total time, it is approximately 12 minutes to pressure and then 10 minutes cook time. Set your timer to 10 minutes on high pressure and let the pressure cooker do the rest. Enjoy!
Hi Kristen! I tried this tonight. It definitely cooked, but maybe it was even overcooked? The chicken breasts (3, frozen) shrunk to like half their original size, and they was fairly tough to cut. The inside temp of the chicken reached about 180 degrees. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks!
Hi Wes! It does sound like the chicken was overcooked a bit and it also sounds like you may have done a quick release (causing the meat to seize up and become smaller and tougher) In the future, be sure to let rest for at least 5-10 minutes (10 minutes best) and if cooking small, thin chicken breasts, decrease time by 1 minute and see if that helps get perfectly cooked.
When I cook fresh boneless chicken breast in instant pot, the parts that are stacked on each other are still raw even though my temp in center of breasts is above 165. Would that “cook” while it’s resting? Forgive my ignorance. I freak out when I see the raw spots!
Thanks!
Hi Jo! I understand about freaking out–it is NEVER a good idea to eat undercooked chicken. If your chicken is at all frozen together, that would explain why you are seeing those raw spots. In the future, be sure your chicken breasts are all about the same size and not frozen together. That should help.
Your chicken should continue to cook up to 5-10 degrees. So if your chicken was at 160 degrees, you can feel confident it will continue to cook to a safe temperature while resting. If lower than 160 degrees, I would put lid back on pressure cooker and set to cook for 2-3 minutes longer. Hope that helps!
I made your fresh whole chicken recipe 2 nights ago and it turned out to perfection! Having gone so well I decided to give the frozen breast recipe a go last night. Unfortunately it wasn’t as much of a homerun as the 10 minutes + 5 minutes did not give me fully cooked chicken and I had to re-pressurize for another 10. I did follow the instructions about running under cold water to separate the breasts so as to avoid a big frozen clump so I’m not sure why the suggested time wasn’t enough? I cooked 5 breasts but I think the recipe says it’s the same time whether you’re making one or several. Anyways the end product once cooked was alright but I think part of my lack of enthusiasm for this recipe really boils down to how much better the whole fresh chicken turned out in comparison! It could just be that when cooking from frozen it’s never going to be as good as cooking from fresh. I will try just the breasts from fresh next time to see if it goes better. Thanks for continuing to post great recipes and IP ideas!
Oh Sarah, I am sorry this was not as successful for you as the whole chicken. It may have been that your individual chicken breasts weighed more (thicker in the middle) if you read all my tips it stated that if using larger than 5-6 ounce chicken you may need an additional 2 minutes. Hope that helps in the future. I really want every recipe here to be a homerun for you!
Hi Kristen,
I made this the other day. It definitely cooked the three frozen chicken breasts I put in there, but I might have overcooked. They shrunk to about half the size they started with. That’s not normal, is it? They felt sort of dense and rubbery too. The internal temp was about 180 degrees when I took them out. Should I use less time or low pressure instead of high?
Thanks
Hi Wes! It does sound like the chicken was overcooked a bit and it also sounds like you may have done a quick release (causing the meat to seize up and become smaller and tougher) In the future, be sure to let rest for at least 5-10 minutes (10 minutes best) and if cooking small, thin chicken breasts, decrease time by 1 minute and see if that helps get perfectly cooked.
Also, can I ask how long you cooked the chicken? It should only be for 10 minutes for normal size chicken breasts. Hope that helps.
Hi Kristen,
I did set the cook timer for 10 minutes. I’m not sure what quick release or normal release means? I think what I did when the timer beeped, was I opened the valve to let the steam out and let it sit for another 5 minutes before opening the lid. Is that not right?
Hey Wes! So actually, that is exactly the issue. Once the timer goes off, you want to let the chicken set in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes and THEN open the valve. Opening the vent knob too soon, will in fact cause the meat to seize up. Here is my Instant Pot 101 that may help you understand quick release, natural pressure release, etc. Hope that helps.
I tried this today in my Ninja Foodi following your directions. I used chicken stock and garlic, with Chili Lime seasoning from Trader Joe’s. I weighed my frozen chicken that I buy at sams and ended up pressure cooking for 11 minutes and then natural release at 5 as you said. SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!! I will definitely be pinning this!! Thank you so much for the recipe and method!!
Oh you are so welcome Diane! I love that Chili Lime Seasoning myself and that would even be great with the pineapple juice! I hope you use this recipe over and over 🙂
Kristin,
I didn’t know who you were before I tried this recipe and now I think you’re a veritable God! Thank you so much for going through all of your trial and error for my benefit! I did as you said, only I used a bit of salsa and seasonings on the chicken and it turned out perfectly! You are WONDERFUL! Thank you very much!
Oh you are so sweet Traci! I love to make recipes people love! Thank you for taking the time to share with me your success!
Kristin, I’m going to do your breakfast casserole in the morning and I’ll keep you posted! I’ll probably wind up making the beef stew really soon as well, because we’re expecting rain and quite frankly, beef stew is a godsend when it’s stormy outside! I literally check your site daily for inspiration and I have yet to fail with your recipes. Kristin, you really are the Kitchen God and I worship you! Keep up the great posts please, you’re the best!
Oh you are so sweet Traci! I truly feel blessed to inspire others! Have the best day (and enjoy that Beef Stew–it is incredible!)
I’ve never felt the need to comment on anything before, but I am 54 years old and this recipe just changed my life!!! I followed your recipe exactly, and cooked 3 (twelve ounce each) chicken breasts for a total of 12 minutes. They came out perfectly and were the most flavorful, moist boneless/skinless chicken breasts I have ever made. And then to top it off, I shredded them with my hand mixer and turned a hated chore into a 1 -2 minute breeze! Never in my life would I have thought to shred with a hand mixer! I’m sharing your recipe with all of my Instant Pot friends and family!
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for taking the comment. I am so glad this recipe was such a success for you. And, I LOVE shredding chicken that way myself. All the best!
Hi Kristen,
I tried this recipe today. However, the chicken came out a bit tough and hard to shread. I got the fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts from Sprouts that are about a pound each. Since they’re so big I tried 18 minutes high pressure with 5 minutes of NPR. I probably overcooked it but given the size of these chicken breasts, how long would you cook it for?
Hi Mike! I think 18 minutes was too long.For every 2 ounces past 6 ounces, I add about 1 minute–so for 16 ounce chicken breasts, I would have done 12 minutes MAX. You also want to make sure you let your pressure completely release so that your meat will be tender and not tough. Hope that helps 🙂
Found this site looking for an IP shredded chic breast idea for sesame noodles; this one worked well. Using the hand mixer is genius, and blew my wife’s mind! You have earned a spot in our kitchen hall of fame 🙂
I am honored to have a spot 🙂 I hope you find more great tips and recipes here!
I found this site when I was thinking about what liquid to use to IP some frozen chicken and we had some cans of pineapple juice in the pantry. This gave me the confidence to go for it. It cooked great, and I shredded it and served it over rice. My son told me if he had 5 hands he’d give 5 thumbs up. Needless to say, we’re doing it again!
I love it when the whole family enjoys a recipe! Thank you so much for trying this out and for sharing your success!! I hope you find more recipes here to enjoy 🙂
Hi, cooked 1 piece of a thick frozen chicken breast piece. I added 1 cup of water, some salt and ranch seasoning – since I wanted to make shredded buffalo chicken. The end result (after 5 minutes NPR) was undercooked chicken on the inside and overcooked chicken on the outside. One thing I didn’t do was to let it rest. I started shredding it immediately in the pot, since I was nervous that it would overcook. So, I cut up the pieces, and put it back on saute mode for 3-4 mins to cook the chicken pieces through and then everything was chewy. Can you help?
Hi Nikita! It sounds like your chicken breast may have been thick in middle but really thin on sides. In future, if your chicken is not done, I would add more liquid and cook for an additional 2 minutes on high pressure AND then let rest and shred. Shredding your chicken and then recooking would make it pretty tough. Sorry that happened.
But then wouldn’t the edges become more tough? If I am cooking for additional 2 mins? They already felt overcooked. Thanks for helping out 🙂
In the future, if your chicken breasts are really uneven, I would submerge the chicken fully in stock/pineapple juice and then let rest fully after cook time. It may be over cooked on edges, but that is still better than cutting up and trying to cook afterwards. If your chicken is thawed, I would also suggest pounding to an even consistency. Hope that helps 🙂
Well, TL:DR…. never saw boneless or bone-in specified… pictures look like boneless though. Somewhat unhelpful….
Hi Eddie, I should have specified in the recipe card for those that don’t read full post. Sorry about that.
Wonderful recipe that I’ve used multiple times. Would anything need to change if I mixed breasts and boneless thighs? Thanks for any response.
ecz
I am so glad you love this recipe! If you want to cook boneless, skinless chicken thighs and boneless, skinless chicken breasts together the timing will be the same.
I needed to meal prep today but I was feeling really low energy and only had frozen chicken breasts on hand. I googled frozen chicken breast shredded instant pot and found this recipe. I had never known the trick to shredding the chicken with a mixer! (I don’t have a hand mixer but it worked well with the whisk attachment on my stand mixer at the lowest speed). I had vegetable broth on hand so I used that but I’ll try the pineapple juice next time. Veggie broth worked well for me but I’m excited to try the other way too. I’m so very grateful for this recipe, it was a real game changer on a day when I had been feeling really blah.
I am so glad this recipe could make your day brighter! I hope you give it a try with the pineapple juice and enjoy!
Hey, I followed the directions for fresh chickens breast, and it was cooked thoroughly (I used meat thermometer), but the 3 chicken breasts came out very tough and chewy. Any ideas how to prevent this in the future?
To avoid tough and chewy meat, but sure you use natural release for at least 10 minutes. That should help resolve that issue.
You have mentioned doing a natural release of both 5 and 10 minutes. Which is correct for for bone-in chicken breasts?
Hi Anni, This recipe is for boneless skinless chicken breasts. For bone in, you will want to increase the time by 1 minute. As for time for pressure to release, at a minimum 5 minutes, but 10 minutes is ideal.
How long should I cook fresh chicken breasts if I saute both sides first with seasoning on them?
If you have seasoned first and seared, I would remove cook the chicken on the rack with 1 cup cold water on bottom (1.5 cups for 8 quart Instant Pot). Cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. If your chicken breasts are REALLY thick, you may need 6-7 minutes. Enjoy!
I’ve used this recipe a number of times now and it is always wonderful. Thank you so much for your great research and information.
I am so glad you have had such great success with this recipe 🙂