Tender and Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

4.65 from 34 votes

How to cook deliciously seasoned, perfectly tender and juicy chicken breasts in the Instant Pot!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Resting Time5

Total Time20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken breast dinner, easy chicken breast recipe, instant pot chicken recipe

Servings: Serves

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.

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.

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.