This recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Breast is the BEST way to cook chicken breast in the Instant Pot. Whether using fresh or frozen chicken breasts, this recipe yields perfectly cooked, juicy chicken every single time with ease!
The Instant Pot reigns supreme when it comes to cooking rice, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, and dried beans perfectly.
But cooking chicken breast so that it stays, juicy, tender and flavorful, can be a bit more tricky.
Thankfully, after 20 plus tries, I perfected the process! And while I have shared many Instant Pot recipes using chicken breasts over the years, THIS is the original recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Breast! It will likely become a staple in your house, just as it is mine!
Reasons to Love This Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe
- The Original Trusted Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe. Originally published in 2017, millions of happy readers have used this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Breast time and time again!
- Perfect Results. This basic recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Breast, along with Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Instant Pot Whole Chicken, uses a fool-proof method to ensure that your pressure-cooked chicken isn't ever tough, rubbery, or dried-out!
- Fresh or Frozen. Whether your chicken breast is fresh or frozen solid, you can use this recipe to safely cook juicy, tender chicken breasts.
- Perfected Timing. This recipe for instant pot chicken breast includes timing based on the size of the individual chicken breast, ensuring perfect customized results.
- Versatile. This is a basic recipe for chicken breast that can be used for for meal-prep, for shredded chicken, or used for recipes calling for cooked chicken.
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: This recipe works with fresh or frozen chicken breast. If your chicken breasts are frozen together, I suggest placing them in a bowl of cold water for a couple of minutes until you can break them apart into individual breasts. This will ensure they cook cook evenly.
- Pineapple Juice: The key ingredient to my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Breast that makes it SO much better than any other recipe is PINEAPPLE JUICE! The pineapple juice may sound like an odd addition for cooking savory chicken breast, but it adds a nice subtle flavor to the chicken and more importantly, the pineapple juice helps to tenderize the chicken. However, if you don't have pineapple juice on hand use store-bought chicken stock, homemade chicken stock, or Instant Pot chicken stock.
- Seasonings: Salt and minced garlic are the perfect complements to the chicken and pineapple. But you can use Seasoned Salt, Taco Seasoning, or any other combination of your favorite seasoning blends to amp up the flavor if desired.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Breast
The following steps and tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post or you can follow along as I make this dish in the video below.
- Place the chicken breasts into the inner pot of the instant pot and season the chicken with salt.
- Pour the pineapple juice, or chicken broth, over the chicken and top with minced garlic.
- Place the lid on the instant pot and be sure the vent knob is pointed towards sealed. Use the manual or pressure cook button, not the poultry button to set the cooking time.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release of pressure. Don't be tempted to do a quick release of pressure, natural pressure release is key to keeping your chicken breasts tender.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the liquid and let them rest for 5-10 minutes before serving or shredding. This also ensures they stay tender and juicy.
∗ How to Determine Cooking Time∗
You determine the cooking time for Instant Pot Chicken Breasts based on the size of individual breasts, not the total weight. Keep in mind it is best to cook chicken breasts that are approximately the same weight, so they all cook up evenly.
You don't need a kitchen scale to determine the weight of each chicken breast. Most organic chicken breasts will be about 6 ounces, most fresh chicken breasts you purchase at the grocery store are about 8 ounces, and bulk chicken breasts are typically about 10 ounces in size.
- For 6-ounce chicken breast:
- Fresh/Thawed: 6 minutes on high pressure
- Frozen: 10 minutes on high pressure
- For 8-ounce chicken breast:
- Fresh/Thawed: 7 minutes on high pressure
- Frozen: 11 minutes on high pressure
- For 10-ounce chicken breast:
- Fresh/Thawed: 8 minutes on high pressure
- Frozen: 12 minutes on high pressure
Serving Suggestions
While you can opt to serve Instant Pot Chicken Breast as the entree alongside Roasted Fingerling Potatoes or Cheesy Grits, I love using this recipe for meal-prep or in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken. Below are a few of my favorite suggestions.
- Slice the chicken breast and serve over a Greek salad or Caesar Salad for a light, yet hearty meal.
- Toss sliced or cubed chicken breast with BBQ sauce or Buffalo Sauce and use it to make a Buffalo Chicken Salad or BBQ Chicken Salad.
- Use cubed or shredded chicken to make a Chicken Salad Sandwich.
- Shred the chicken breast to use for Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Enchiladas, or Parmesan Chicken Casserole.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Once cooked and slightly cooled, store leftover cooked chicken breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Freeze the chicken breast whole, sliced, or shredded, in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
FAQs on Instant Pot Chicken Breast
No, do not use the Poultry Setting. The poultry button is a PRE-Determined time based on AVERAGE chicken. Not chicken breast, not chicken thighs, not a whole chicken--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 to adjust the cooking time yourself. Read more about Instant Pot Functions to know how to properly use your Instant Pot.
Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before being safe to consume. Once the cooking time has elapsed and pressure has been released, check the internal temperature of your chicken breast. If less than 162 degrees F, place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes on high pressure. If the chicken has reached 162 degrees F, it should reach 165 degrees F as it rests.
Pressure cook the chicken as recipe directs. Once the cooking time has elapsed and pressure has been released, remove the chicken breast from the instant pot and place it into a large mixing bowl along with ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken, using two forks, a handheld mixer at medium speed, or a stand mixer at low speed. Alternatively, you can shred the chicken right in the inner pot of your instant pot using 2 forks or a handheld mixer.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Wings
- Instant Pot Marry Me Chicken
If you enjoyed this Instant Pot Chicken Breast recipe, please be sure to take the time to leave a comment and a review.
Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 to 1½ cups pineapple juice or chicken broth see recipe notes
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Instructions
- Place the chicken breast into the inner pan of the Instant Pot. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with kosher salt. Pour the pineapple juice over the chicken breast and add the minced garlic. (Use 1 cup of liquid for a 3 or 6-quart Instant Pot and 1½ cups of liquid for an 8-quart Instant Pot.)
- Close the lid and turn the vent to the closed (sealed) position.
- Set the cooking time using the manual or pressure cook button BASED on the size of the individual chicken breast, not the TOTAL weight. For 6-ounce chicken breast: 6 minutes on high pressure for fresh/thawed or 10 minutes on high pressure for frozen. For 8-ounce chicken breast: 7 minutes on high pressure for fresh/thawed or 11 minutes on high pressure for frozen. For 10-ounce chicken breast: 8 minutes on high pressure for fresh/thawed or 12 minutes on high pressure for frozen.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally on its own for at least 10 minutes. Then do a quick release of pressure if needed.
- Remove the chicken from the liquid and rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve as desired.
Justin
This is the best recipe for instant pot chicken breasts. We use this recipe and drain them up for whatever flavor profile we want. Add fajita seasoning or Italian seasoning or Chinese seasonings or curry or whatever. The only thing I found off, for me, is that our grocery stores sell chicken breasts that are about a pound each. 5 lbs of chicken in 5 breasts. The recipe is easy enough to scale up, but 8 oz chicken breasts, from my experience, must be half breasts.
Mary
Not having pineapple juice on hand, I cooked my chicken breasts in chicken stock. Now I cannot get the chicken smell out of the lid's seal. Any suggestions?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mary! I would try to soak your seal in hot water mixed with 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1/4 cup of white vinegar. A denture cleaning tab works well too.
Heather Felkins
Will is be good with pineapple slices on top?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Heather! I think adding fresh (or canned) pineapple slices after pressure cooking would be delicous. To pressure cook the pineapple, it may have an undesired texture.
Christine
This is a great , easy recipe. I made it once, and I'm making it again tonight. The chicken was very moist.
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Christine.
Alicia
I've made this recipe three times so far. The chicken comes out so tender! I've just got a bit of a curiosity I'm hoping you can help with. The first (with my Butcher Box chicken 3-pack - about 3 lbs.) came out perfect at 7 minutes. The second two batches that I did (using Costco Organic 3-pack - about 5 lbs.) both refused to come to pressure until I took everything out and added the trivet. It wasn't a big deal as I was just meal prepping for freezer lunches, but I'm wondering if you have any insight. Both times when I unloaded it (after it refused to come to pressure) the bottom pieces of chicken were browned. Wondering if adding the broth (I was out of juice) first would have made a difference or if I need to increase the liquid for a higher quantity of chicken. Any thoughts?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Alicia! Was your Costco chicken frozen? 5 pounds of frozen meat would significantly cool the broth/juice and take longer to come to pressure, which may have been the issue. Also, did you increase the liquid? Or it could be that 5 pounds was too much for your Instant Pot (likely if you have a 6 quart) I hope that helps.
Jess
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I want to make 12 pounds of chicken breast in my 8 qt instant pot. Do I scale all the ingredients but keep the cook time still the same, even though I’m making so much?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jess! That is a lot of chicken 😊 I have never attempted to prepare quite that much myself, but typically you scale the ingredients and leave the cooking time the same. I would start there. If your chicken is not cooked after a FULL natural pressure release, cook for an additional minute with another NPR. It is better to have to cook again then have overcooked chicken.
Sarah
Should the chicken be covered with liquid all the way?
Kristen Chidsey
It does not have to be 🙂
Wil
Thanks for this tip!
Can the leftover liquid be used as a broth for other recipes?
Kristen Chidsey
Absolutely!
Suzanne Steffy
Wonderfu lRecipe!
Please do not shred anything in the Instant Pot with a metal object.. The pots are stainless steel and if you use metal objects to shred anything it will scratch the stainless steel. I use bamboo or silicon utensils in my inner pot.