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Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (Fresh or Frozen)

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Instant Pot Chicken Breasts: The BEST way to make chicken breasts in the pressure cooker–perfectly cooked, juicy chicken breast EVERY SINGLE TIME! 

Shredded Chicken in Instant Pot

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.

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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’oclock and my family is in melt down 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!

Instant pot with text overlay saying let's rock your instant pot with step by step recipes, troubleshooting advice, and pressure cooker tips with button to subsribe to get cooking

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.

Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot

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.

 

Cooked Chicken Breasts in Instant Pot

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!

Shredded Chicken in Pressure Cooker

Recipes using Shredded Chicken

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 Breast Recipe

Shredded Chicken in Instant Pot
4.74 from 34 votes
Print Review

Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (Frozen & Fresh)

Tried and true fail proof way to cook chicken breasts in the pressure cooker.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Instant Pot Chicken Breast, Instant Pot Chicken Breasts, Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 141 kcal
Author A Mind Full Mom

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

  1. Place all ingredients in pressure cooker.
  2. Close lid and turn vent to sealed.
  3. For Frozen Chicken, cook on poultry setting on high pressure for 10 minutes.
  4. For Fresh Chicken, cook on poultry setting on high pressure for 6 minutes.
  5. Allow to release naturally for 5 minutes, and then do a quick release if needed.
  6. Remove chicken from liquid and rest chicken for 5-10 minutes.
  7. Slice and serve or shred with 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
  8. Keeps in fridge for 3-4 days.

Recipe 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.)

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 Facts
Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (Frozen & Fresh)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 141 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Cholesterol 72mg 24%
Sodium 519mg 22%
Potassium 446mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 2g 1%
Sugars 2g
Protein 24g 48%
Vitamin A 0.7%
Vitamin C 4.4%
Calcium 1%
Iron 2.7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Comments

    • 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.

      Reply

      • 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 😊

        Reply

        • 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!

          Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  5. 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??

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

      • 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?

        Reply

        • 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.

          Reply

  7. 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.

    Reply

  8. 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.

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  9. 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?

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  12. 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!

    Reply

  13. 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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  14. 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!!!

    Reply

  15. 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!!!

    Reply

  16. 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

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

      • 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 🙁

        Reply

  17. 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!

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  18. 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!

    Reply

  19. 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!!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  20. 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.

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  21. 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!

    Reply

  22. 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!

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  23. Had very large chicken breasts, frozen solid, cook time was perfect. Delicious flavoring. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

  24. 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.

    Reply

  25. 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!

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  26. 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.

    Reply

  27. 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?

    Reply

  28. 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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

        • 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 🙂

          Reply

  29. 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!

    Reply

  30. 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!!

    Reply

  31. 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?

    Reply

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