Instant Pot Chicken Breast (Fresh or Frozen)

This recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Breast is the BEST way to make chicken breasts in the pressure cooker–perfectly cooked, juicy chicken breast EVERY SINGLE TIME! 

While delicious to serve Instant Pot Chicken Breast as the entree for a family meal or sliced on top of a chicken salad, it also shreds beautifully and then is perfect to use for dishes like Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Enchiladas, or Creamy Parmesan Chicken Casserole.

Having a large batch of cooked chicken breast in the fridge or freezer is one of my BEST staples to get quick meals on the table, as sliced or shredded chicken is the base for so many delicious recipes.

I love to make Rotisserie Chickens and 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 hungry! I need something fast and I need a recipe that works regardless if I have fresh or frozen chicken on hand.

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 chicken breast can always be a bit more tricky to cook to juicy perfection. Thankfully, after 20 plus tries, I have perfected perfectly cooked Instant Pot Chicken Breast!

There is a secret to my instant pot chicken breast that makes it SO much better than any other recipe.

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. And not only does the pineapple juice add flavor to the chicken, but it also helps to tenderize the chicken breast. Of course, you can use chicken stock if you don’t have pineapple juice!

How to Cook Chicken Breast in Instant Pot

Size Matters

You determine the cook time based on the 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 the 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 weigh about 6 ounces each.

For Fresh Chicken Breasts (or Thawed Chicken Breast)

• Place chicken breasts in the inner pot of instant pot.
• Add in 1 cup pineapple juice or chicken stock.
• Season with salt and garlic powder.
• Place lid on instant pot and be sure vent knob is pointed towards sealed.
• Set pressure cooker to cook time based on the size of chicken breasts.
• 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 at least 5 minutes (10 minutes is best), and do a quick release.
• Remove the meat from the liquid and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

For Frozen Chicken Breasts

• Place frozen chicken breasts in the inner pot of instant pot.
• Add in 1 cup pineapple juice or chicken stock.
• Season with salt and garlic powder.
• Place lid on instant pot and be sure vent knob is pointed towards sealed.
• Set pressure cooker to cook time based on the size of chicken breasts.
• 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.

What if Chicken 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 the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes on high pressure.

If the chicken has reached 160 degrees, it will reach 165 degrees as it rests.

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 to use for sandwiches salads, casseroles, etc.

Directions for Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

• Cook chicken as recipe directs.
• Once cook time has elapsed remove the chicken breast from instant pot and drain off all but 1/2 cooking liquid.
• Add chicken and reserved liquid back into the inner pot of pressure cooker and shred with a handheld mixer on medium speed. This trick works perfectly to shred chicken breasts in no time!

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!

Instead, I always recommend cooking on high pressure using the manual or pressure cook setting and adjust the cook time yourself. Read more about Instant Pot Functions to know how to properly use your Instant Pot. 

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

• Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
• Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken
• Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
• Instant Pot Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot Chicken Stock
• Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

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–this easy Instant Pot Chicken Breast recipe is proof of that. 

Instant Pot Chicken Breast

Tried and true fail-proof way to cook both fresh or frozen chicken breast in the instant pot. Directions for instant pot shredded chicken as well.

4.72 from 136 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 pounds chicken breasts fresh or frozen, see notes on timing
• ▢ 1 cup pineapple juice or chicken stock
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon if using chicken stock

Instructions

• Place chicken into the inner pan of the Instant Pot. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and mince garlic. Pour the pineapple juice over the chicken.
• Close lid and turn vent to sealed.
• Set Cook Time BASED on Size of Chicken Breasts (The cook time is for what each chicken breast weighs--not what the TOTAL weight is)

  Small Chicken Breast (6-ounce chicken breasts) set time for 6 minutes on high pressure for fresh/ 10 minutes on high pressure for frozen

  Medium Chicken Breast (8-ounce chicken breasts) set time for 7 minutes on high pressure for fresh/11 minutes on high pressure for frozen

  Large Chicken Breast (10-ounce chicken breasts) set time for 8 minutes on high pressure for fresh/12 minutes on high pressure for frozen
• Allow to release naturally for 10 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.

To Shred Chicken

• Prepare chicken as recipe directs above. Once cook time has elapsed and pressure has released naturally for at least 10 minutes, remove the cooked chicken breast from instant pot and drain off all but 1/2 cooking liquid. Add chicken and reserved liquid back into the inner pot of pressure cooker and shred with a handheld mixer on medium speed.

Equipment Needed

• Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart)

Notes

***I use organic chicken breasts. Each breast is about 6-8 ounces. So if your chicken breasts are larger, you may want to increase time by 1-2 minutes. Just be sure to reach 165 degrees for doneness (It can come out of pressure cooker at 160-162 and will raise to 165 as it rests.) If the chicken is not cooked to at least 160 degrees, place lid back on the pressure cooker and set cook time for 1-3 minutes based on how many degrees it needs to raise.

You do NOT need to use the poultry setting, just high pressure. (Hit manual or pressure cook and adjust pressure to high and set time.)

To freeze, allow chicken to cool completely and then seal in freezer safe bags and freeze for future use.

Cooked Chicken Breast will keep in fridge for 2-4 days. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 519mg | Potassium: 446mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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