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 freezer 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 high pressure for 10 minutes.
- For Fresh Chicken, cook 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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Kristen Chidsey
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Your recipe was my first attempt with the Instapot. The chicken came out better than I have ever made in the oven or stove top. It was moist, tender, flavorful and crazy easy! Thank you for explaining all the details like the weight of the chicken per breast vrs the entire package. I will be using more of your recipes. You now have a new and devoted follower.
Vickie, I am SO happy you had such success with my recipe and took the time to let me know! I look forward to you trying out some more recipes 🙂
Hi there!
I’ve used this recipe on smaller bunches of chicken breast (frozen and thawed), but I was planning on stepping my meal prep game up and I wanted to make sure I was on the right track.
I picked up 5lbs of fresh (Not frozen) chicken breast from my local grocery store, and I want to cook it all at once in my 8qt. Normally when I do bunches of chicken, I can just toss it all in there, add the broth and go, but I’m worried about doing that with 5lbs.
Do you recommend separating the chicken breasts with trivets or something or am I good to just plop them in there and set it to cook?
Would 5lbs affect the cook time at all? I believe they are 8 oz chicken breasts (I haven’t weighed them yet).
Thanks again for a great recipe and a great site!
Hi Eric! I am so glad you found my site.
I have made 4 pounds of chicken breasts at once with no change in cook time–it just takes longer to come to pressure because the instant pot is so full. I would think you would have success with this for 5 pounds as well. BUT you will want to add at least 2 cups liquid and more seasonings, just to ensure your chicken is flavorful 🙂 I would also let pressure release naturally for 10-15 minutes.
I hope that helps! And enjoy that chicken–batch cooking makes the week so much easier!
just perfect
Wonderful to hear!
I made this tonight and after cooking from frozen I added mushrooms and Marsala sauce, it was awesome! Love the pineapple juice! Even my picky husband loved it. Thank you!
I am so glad you all enjoyed it Centhea!
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 🙂
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.