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.
Peter
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 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
I am honored to have a spot 🙂 I hope you find more great tips and recipes here!
Mike
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?
Kristen Chidsey
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 🙂
Lisa
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!
Kristen Chidsey
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!
Traci
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!
Kristen Chidsey
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!
Traci
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!
Kristen Chidsey
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!)
Diane
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!!
Kristen Chidsey
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 🙂
Wes
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
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Wes
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?
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Sarah K
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!
Kristen Chidsey
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!
Jo
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!
Kristen Chidsey
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!
Wes
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?
Kristen Chidsey
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!
Wes
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!
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Ellen
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.
Kristen Chidsey
I agree Ellen, this makes dinner so much easier when you have this chicken on hand.
Suzy
So glad I found this!
Kristen Chidsey
Me too 😊
Lana
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?
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Nettie
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 😊
Kristen Chidsey
I am SO SO happy Nellie! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with this chicken recipe! YAY!!!
Laurie Higgins
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?
Kristen Chidsey
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 🙂
Shane
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..
Kristen Chidsey
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!
Shane
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
Kristen Chidsey
Okay Shane I hope that works out for you! And remember to be sure your IP valve is sealed.
Gayle
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.
Kristen Chidsey
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 🙂