While writing The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook , I learned a lot about cooking fresh chicken in the electric pressure cooker. If you haven’t tried it yet, chicken can develop a weird, rubbery texture when pressure-cooked.
And, unlike oven-baked chicken breasts , which you can check on as you go, the pressure cooker requires an educated guess when it comes to the cooking time. It’s easy to overcook the chicken if you’re not careful, which can result in tough meat.
I’ll show you the secret for getting better results every time. (Hint: it involves the trivet that comes with your machine!) We’ll also cover cooking frozen chicken in the Instant Pot, which is a handy option for meal prep.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review “You just saved me from storing my Instant Pot on the top shelf! I have not enjoyed the texture of meat in the instant pot at all. I’d gone back to using my Crock Pot. Thanks for figuring out the perfect timing!” – Julie
Instant Pot Chicken Breast Ingredients
- Chicken. This recipe assumes you’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It’s best if they are all roughly the same size and thickness, so they will finish cooking at the same time. You can use a meat mallet to pound the chicken into an even thickness, if needed.
- Spices. I use a combination of paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt for everyday chicken seasoning. Use smoked paprika for a slightly deeper flavor. (My kids don’t notice when I do this, so it’s not overwhelming.) If you prefer to use taco or Italian seasoning, it’s easy to customize.
Since you’re cooking the chicken in a pressure cooker, you won’t even need olive oil for cooking!
How to Cook Chicken Breast in an Instant Pot
Step 1:
Start with chicken breasts that are roughly 8 to 10 ounces in weight and around 1 inch thick. This means you’ll get approximately 3 chicken breasts in a 1.5-pound package, give or take.
If you buy thinly sliced chicken breasts or tenders, the cooking time will be shorter. Huge chicken breasts from Costco may require a few extra minutes to cook.
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Arrange the chicken breasts on a plate and sprinkle half of the seasoning mix evenly over the tops. Flip the chicken breasts over and sprinkle the remaining seasoning evenly over the other side.
Step 2:
Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot bowl. Arrange a trivet over that (I’m using the trivet that came with my 6-quart Instant Pot), then place the seasoned chicken breasts in a single layer on top of that.
Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to the “sealing” position. Use the Manual or Pressure Cook button to cook at high pressure for 8 minutes. It will take 8 to 10 minutes for the pot to pressurize.
Step 3:
Once the pot beeps to indicate that the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes.
When the screen reads L0:05, move the steam release valve to “venting” to release any remaining pressure. (There shouldn’t be much pressure left at this point.)
When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to remove the lid. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the chicken’s temperature in the thickest spot of the breast.
Serving + Storage Tips
Use tongs to carefully transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest for an additional 5 minutes. Then, it’s ready to slice and serve! If you plan to use it for meal prep this week, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Save the remaining liquid in the pot as “chicken broth” you can use for cooking this week. It’s the perfect addition to soups and can also be turned into a quick gravy using the saute button on your machine.
Want to make shredded chicken?
Drain the liquid from the pot (and save it for another use), then add the chicken breasts back into the bowl. Use an electric hand mixer fitted with two beaters to beat the chicken breasts until they start to shred. They should be done in about 60 seconds, so it’s faster than using 2 forks! This is perfect for chicken tacos, chicken salad, and a variety of other dishes.
How To Use Pressure Cooker Chicken Breasts
- Serve it over a Thai Peanut Salad .
- Enjoy with a side of oven-roasted potatoes .
- Try it over a quinoa bowl with pesto dressing .
- Shred and add to a gingery Asian slaw .
- Add it to a high-protein meal prep salad .
Practically anywhere you need to add protein, this chicken will be a great addition.
IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x
- 1 cup water
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (roughly 8-10 ounces each/~1-inch thick)
Instructions
- Pour the water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and arrange the handled trivet over that. (Use the trivet that comes with your pressure cooker.)
- In a small bowl, stir together the salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Sprinkle half of the mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, then flip them over and season the other side. (Or use any other seasoning you prefer.)
- Arrange the seasoned chicken breasts on top of the trivet in a single layer. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing . Select Manual or Pressure Cook (depending on your machine) and cook at high pressure for 8 minutes. If your chicken breasts are sliced thinly, they might not require as much time, and larger breasts might require up to 10 minutes. The pressure cooker requires an educated guess since you can’t easily take the temperature as it cooks.
- When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure by moving the steam release valve to Venting. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to remove the lid. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of each chicken breast. The internal temp should reach at least 160ºF, and as it rests it will continue to cook and reach a safe internal temperature of 165ºF. If it’s below 160ºF when you test it, secure the lid and cook for another minute or two with a quick release.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing to help it retain its juices. Use the chicken right away, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Lentil Soup
- Dairy-free Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Pinto Beans
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Perfect Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (roughly 8-10 ounces each/~1-inch thick)
Instructions
- Pour the water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and arrange the handled trivet over that. (Use the trivet that comes with your pressure cooker.)
- In a small bowl, stir together the salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Sprinkle half of the mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, then flip them over and season the other side. (Or use any other seasoning you prefer.)
- Arrange the seasoned chicken breasts on top of the trivet in a single layer. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing . Select Manual or Pressure Cook (depending on your machine) and cook at high pressure for 8 minutes. If your chicken breasts are sliced thinly, they might not require as much time, and larger breasts might require up to 10 minutes. The pressure cooker requires an educated guess since you can’t easily take the temperature as it cooks.
- When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure by moving the steam release valve to Venting. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to remove the lid. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of each chicken breast. The internal temp should reach at least 160ºF, and as it rests it will continue to cook and reach a safe internal temperature of 165ºF. If it’s below 160ºF when you test it, secure the lid and cook for another minute or two with a quick release.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing to help it retain its juices. Use the chicken right away, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
