Tender Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot
Here's how to cook tender, juicy chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. The process and cooking time is the same for frozen or fresh chicken breasts. The pressure cooker will take longer to come up to the proper temperature when using frozen meat, so expect an extra 5-10 minutes to the overall time when using frozen chicken.
Servings: 4
Calories: 136kcal
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 to 1 1/2 cup chicken stock, water, salsa or sauce
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Separate frozen chicken pieces. Either leave on counter for 15 minutes or place in cold water until pieces separate. Hint: When freezing chicken, freeze flat with a little space between pieces so they separate easily.
- Place chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) in bottom of Instant Pot. Trivet not required.
- Sprinkle seasoning or simply a little salt and pepper over chicken.
- Add 1 cup (6 quart cooker) or 1 1/2 cups (8 quart cooker) soup stock, water or tomato sauce to Instant Pot.
- Seal lid and turn valve to “Sealing”. Press “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” and set to cook at high pressure for 8-10 minutes depending on size of chicken breasts. - 8 minutes for small to medium (5-6 oz/150-170g) chicken breasts-10 minutes for large (7-9 oz/200-255g) chicken breasts
- When the cook time is finished, the Instant Pot will beep a few times. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. When the display reads L0:05 carefully turn the steam release valve to the venting position to release remaining steam and pressure. Wait for the float valve (pin) to drop then carefully open the lid so any steam rises away from you.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thickest chicken breast. The final temperature of your chicken should read 165°F/74°C on an internal thermometer.*
- Cover chicken and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing or shredding. This allows any juices to be absorbed by the chicken.
- If your chicken does not reach the final temperature before cutting, return it to the Instant Pot and cook an additional 2 minutes at pressure and use the quick release feature when time is up. Remember to let chicken rest again for five minutes before slicing.
Nutrition
Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 504mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Iron: 1mg