If you’ve ever wondered how to cook chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, this is your recipe! These deliciously seasoned, perfectly tender, and juicy chicken breasts can be made with fresh or frozen chicken breasts.
Juicy Chicken Breasts Cooked In The Instant Pot
Chicken breasts are versatile and can be cooked in many ways, including in an Instant Pot. The Instant Pot is a popular electric pressure cooker that has revolutionized how people cook meals quickly and easily. Cooking chicken breasts in an Instant Pot is a great way to prepare a healthy and flavorful meal in no time.
Trust me, this chicken breast recipe loaded with flavor is your answer to bustling weeknight dinners. With the reliable Instant Pot at your side, dinner preparation becomes a breeze with this super easy recipe. The chicken breasts are irresistibly tender and moist, needing a mere 20 minutes from beginning to end.
Don’t have an Instant Pot, but still want juicy baked chicken breasts?! Grab my Easy Baked Chicken Breasts recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Follow: This recipe is simple and straightforward whether you’re new to using an Instant Pot or a seasoned pro.
- Versatile: This recipe works with fresh or frozen chicken breasts, making it adaptable to what you have on hand.
- Quick: Thanks to the efficiency of the Instant Pot, you’ll have a delicious meal ready in just about 20 minutes.
- Tender and Juicy Results: Cooking in an Instant Pot ensures your chicken breasts will turn out moist and tender every time.
- Ideal for Busy Families: This recipe is your stress-free answer to hectic weeknight dinners, making meal prep easy and quick.
- Healthy: Cooking chicken breasts in an Instant Pot provides a wholesome, protein-rich meal that’s as nutritious as it is delicious.
How To Cook Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot
- Season the chicken breasts: I use a combination of Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil to create a paste that I can rub all over the chicken breasts.
- Select the sauté mode on the Instant Pot and warm up the olive oil. Add seasoned chicken breasts to the pot and sear on both sides until browned. Remove chicken breasts.
- Pour pineapple juice (you can also use water or chicken broth) in the Instant Pot and scrape up the bits.
- Place the trivet inside the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken breasts on the trivet in a single layer. If you do not have a trivet, place 5 or 6 aluminum foil balls inside the pot; then arrange the chicken breasts over the foil balls.
- Close the pot, set the valve to sealing, select the manual or pressure cook button (this depends on your Instant Pot model), select high pressure, and set the timer to 5 minutes.
- When the 5 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes; then, release any remaining pressure. Remove the chicken breasts, let them rest for 5 to 8 minutes, and then cut and serve.
- Instant Pot Gravy: After removing the chicken breasts and trivet, consider making a delicious gravy for the chicken. Select the Saute mode and boil the liquid inside the pot. Make a slurry with water and cornstarch and add it to the pot; whisk it and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened to a desired consistency. Serve it with the chicken.
How To Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot
- First, separate the frozen chicken breasts; do not place them in the Instant Pot all glued together, but instead separate them and arrange them in one layer. Even when using fresh chicken, I advise you not to pile it up. One layer will ensure even cooking, keeping the chicken breasts moist.
- Cook frozen chicken breasts for 10 to 12 minutes at high pressure, and do a 10 minutes natural release. You may need to increase the cooking time to 14 minutes for large chicken breasts.
- Also, for frozen chicken breasts, note that it will take longer for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot; about 15 minutes. It takes 8 to 10 minutes for fresh chicken breasts.
Tips for Cooking Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Use a meat thermometer: To ensure that the chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat, use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should register at 165°F.
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Overcooking chicken breasts in an Instant Pot can result in dry and tough meat.
- Add flavor to the cooking liquid: Adding seasonings or herbs to the cooking liquid can infuse the chicken breasts with more flavor. Try adding bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, or other herbs to the chicken broth or water.
- Salt and Pepper to taste: When a recipe instructs to add salt and pepper to taste, it means that you can add as much of that ingredient as you prefer. This does not imply a salty flavor. When adding salt, we want to eliminate blandness and bitterness and make the rest of the flavors pop.
- Sear the chicken before cooking: Searing the chicken breasts for a few minutes before pressure-cooking can help to brown and caramelize the exterior, resulting in more flavor and texture.
Side Dishes for Chicken
- Lemon Rice
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Vegetables
- Cheesy Bacon Potato Foil Packets
- Garlicky Lemon Parmesan Broccoli
- Garlic Butter Spinach Pasta
Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup
ENJOY!
Tender and Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
How to cook deliciously seasoned, perfectly tender and juicy chicken breasts in the Instant Pot!
Servings : 4 Serves
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup pineapple juice, chicken broth, white wine, or water
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken breasts and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl combine Italian Seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and fresh ground pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the seasonings and mix until thoroughly combined into a paste.
- Rub the paste all over the chicken breasts.
- Select the sauté mode on the Instant Pot and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts and brown on both sides; about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside.
- Add pineapple juice to the Instant Pot and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom.
- Place a trivet inside the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken breasts on the trivet in one single layer.
- Close the pot, set the valve to sealing, select the manual or pressure cook button (this depends on your Instant Pot model), select HIGH pressure, and set the timer to 5 minutes.
- When the 5 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes; then, release any remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken from pot and rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
For The Gravy
- After removing the chicken breasts and trivet from the Instant Pot, select the SAUTÉ mode and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Make a slurry. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch until combined, then whisk that into the liquid inside the pot; let cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened to a desired consistency.
- Pour the gravy over the chicken breasts and serve.
Video
Notes
- Trivet: If you don’t have a trivet, make several aluminum foil balls and arrange those on the bottom of the pot.
- Liquid: You can use pineapple juice, apple juice, chicken broth, or wine.
- Cooking Frozen Chicken Breasts: For frozen chicken breasts, you will need to increase the cooking time to 12 to 14 minutes and do a 10 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
- Use a meat thermometer: Check if the chicken is cooked using a thermometer. Chicken is done when its internal temperature registers at 165°F.
- Avoid overcooking: Overcooking will result in very dry chicken.
- Sear before cooking: A quick sear before pressure-cooking improves flavor and texture.
- Storing Leftover Chicken: Let the cooked chicken breasts cool completely; store them in an airtight container, or wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze Leftover Chicken: Wrap cooked chicken breasts tightly in plastic wrap. I also add a layer of aluminum foil over the plastic wrap. Place the wrapped chicken breasts in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Chicken Breast | Calories: 226 kcal | Carbohydrates: 8 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 10 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 72 mg | Sodium: 133 mg | Potassium: 496 mg | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 155 IU | Vitamin C: 7.3 mg | Calcium: 21 mg | Iron: 0.8 mg | Net Carbs: 8 g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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