Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts
This Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts recipe has just three ingredients, cooks in mere minutes, and turns out perfect every single time.
No more panic mode when you realize you forgot to thaw chicken for dinner!
Cooking frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot
I love my instant pot and I use it nearly every day.
Whether it’s chicken breasts or a chuck roast, you can have meat fully cooked, tender, and downright delicious in about one-third of the conventional cooking time.
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This chicken breast recipe is one of my kitchen staples. I use it when bulk-cooking chicken for meal planning or just for a busy night.
Seasoning the chicken breasts with Lawry’s seasoned salt gives the meat added flavor and also some pretty color.
Talk about fantastic when you’re busy and on-the-go!
Ingredients
- Frozen chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this particular recipe
- Chicken broth or water: Chicken or vegetable broth adds flavor to the chicken as it cooks under pressure in the Instant Pot.
- Lawry’s seasoned salt: Use your favorite brand or type of seasoned salt; this adds both flavor and color to the chicken.
Recipe tips
- For added flavor, use chicken or vegetable broth for cooking chicken breasts in the Instant Pot.
- Always use a natural pressure release when cooking any kind of poultry or meat in the Instant Pot – this is very important if you want meat that is tender, juicy, and flavorful. A natural pressure release allows the meat to rest and relax as the pressure in the Instant Pot naturally comes down on it’s own, preventing the meat from being “rubbery” in texture.
How to cook frozen chicken breasts in Instant Pot
Season the chicken breasts with seasoned salt on both sides.
Add the chicken broth to the Instant Pot.
Place the frozen chicken breasts into the Instant Pot, stacking them if needed.
Lock the Instant Pot lid into place and turn the valve to the sealing position.
Choose manual pressure, setting the Instant Pot timer for 10-12 minutes on the high pressure setting.
I’ve found that 10 minutes typically works great in my Instant Pot, but sometimes this can vary somewhat with each pot.
When the timer sounds, use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes to allow the pressure to come down naturally.
If any remaining pressure remains at this point, perform a quick release to remove it from the Instant Pot.
Check the chicken breasts with an instant-read meat thermometer to be sure they are 160-165 degrees F. at the center.
You can also test to be sure they are fork-tender and falling apart when you twist the fork at the center.
Once the chicken breasts have cooled, slice, shred or chop.
Use the meat as desired for your favorite dishes and recipes.
How long to cook frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot?
If you’re cooking about 2 pounds of chicken breasts as in this recipe, you’ll need 10-12 minutes under pressure in the Instant Pot.
This does not include the 3-5 minutes that it will take to bring the Instant Pot up to full pressure.
If the 2 pounds worth of chicken breasts are smaller in size, they will likely cook perfectly fine in 10 minutes.
If the chicken breasts that make up the 2 pounds of poultry are larger, then I’d opt for cooking them under pressure for 12 minutes.
The safe internal temperature for a fully cooked chicken breast is 160-165 degrees F.
Can you cook frozen chicken breast in Instant pot?
Yes! It works great.
Just season the chicken breasts on all sides, stack them around the pot (it’s ok if they are on top of each other somewhat), add 1 cup broth or water, and then pressurize the Instant Pot, programming it to cook for about 10 minutes.
Soon you’ll have fully cooked chicken breasts!
How to cook 1 frozen chicken breast in an instant pot
Add enough chicken broth to cover the bottom of the Instant Pot, when using a 6-quart Instant Pot, this is about 1 cup of broth.
Add the single chicken breast to the broth, then lock the Instant Pot lid into place.
Choose the high pressure setting for 5 minutes; when the timer sounds, let the Instant Pot use a natural release to allow the pressure to come down on it’s own for 10 minutes.
If any pressure remains in the Instant Pot at this time, perform a quick release to remove; carefully unlock and remove the Instant Pot lid.
What to make with frozen chicken breast in instant pot?
Once you’ve cooked the frozen chicken breasts in your Instant Pot, you can make so many delicious dishes with the shredded meat!
Chicken tacos, Chicken Spaghetti, chicken fried rice, buffalo chicken sliders, chicken taco soup, chicken salad, bbq chicken sandwiches….the list goes on and on.
Can you overcook chicken breasts in a pressure cooker?
Yes, because chicken breasts have little fat content, you can overcook them using just about ANY cooking method.
Overcooking results in dry, tasteless chicken that is often tough to chew.
Why is my chicken breast rubbery in instant pot?
All meat can become “rubbery” in texture if you don’t use the natural release feature after the meat has cooked under pressure.
Using the natural release allows the pressure in the Instant Pot to slowly come down on it’s own, letting the meat inside rest and relax as it does so.
A natural release is SUCH an important step if you want to have tender, juicy meat.
Is it possible to overcook chicken in instant pot?
Yes. Just like with any other cooking method, you can overcook in Instant Pot.
Overcooked chicken will be rubbery and dry in texture.
Chicken should be cooked only to 160-165 degrees F. at the center, followed by resting time where the protein fibers can relax and juices can be drawn back into the meat.
How much liquid for instant pot frozen chicken?
Whether the chicken breasts are frozen or thawed when cooking them in the Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker), you need about 1 cup of liquid, whether water or broth.
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Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts, typically 3-4 breasts depending on size of each
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- Lawry’s seasoned salt to taste
Instructions
- Sprinkle the chicken breasts with seasoned salt on both sides.
- Add the chicken broth to the Instant Pot; place the frozen chicken breasts into the Instant Pot, stacking them, if needed.
- Lock the Instant Pot lid into place and turn the valve to the sealing position. Choose manual pressure, setting the Instant Pot timer for 10-12 minutes on the high pressure setting. (I've found that 10 minutes typically works great in my Instant Pot but sometimes this can vary somewhat depending on your pot.)
- When the timer sounds, use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes to allow the pressure to naturally come down on it’s own. If any remaining pressure remains at this point, perform a quick release to remove it from the Instant Pot.
- Check the chicken breasts with an instant-read meat thermometer to be sure they are 160-165 degrees F. at the center, or test to be sure they are fork-tender and falling apart at the center.