This is the BEST way to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot! It is so easy and they turn out so well, I almost never take the time to thaw chicken before cooking it. Add seasonings, sauces, broth, or just water, salt and pepper and the result is always amazing.
If you’re wondering how to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you’re in luck. Because you’ll never be stuck at 5:00 with nothing to make for dinner again!
Cooking frozen chicken has never been quicker, easier, or more delicious! The Instant Pot has definitely saved my butt a time or two (or ten) 😉
If you’ve got pork tenderloin instead of chicken breasts? Check out my Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin from fresh or frozen!
We are back on the Instant Pot bandwagon today with one of my favourites, although, again, I’m not sure this actually qualifies as a “recipe” considering there are two ingredients and one is water or broth. But I promise you, if you learn how to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot you may never go back!
I will be totally honest and say that I am not utterly obsessed with the Instant Pot like millions of other people. I haven’t moved on to cheesecake and egg bites and other things that make more sense to bake in the oven (though, yes, I will try them yet and see if they’re worth all the hype!).
But there are a few things that I actually prefer to do in the Instant Pot, and chicken breasts is one of those things (these Instant Pot Baked Potatoes and this Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup are two more!)
And if you’re looking for more Instant Pot chicken recipes, try this Instant Pot Whole Chicken from fresh or frozen!).
There really is no match for how well boneless chicken breasts come out of that magic pot — especially straight from the freezer! I will even confess that I rarely take chicken out of the freezer to thaw before cooking, because why?!?
We cook chicken in the Instant Pot for tacos, sandwiches, salads, quesadillas, or just for dinner with some barbecue or other sauce, or a simple seasoning. Any way you want to do it up it turns out fabulously (you should see how crazy I get when I start dumping in random ingredients from the fridge!).
I know they don’t look that special, but they are SO moist, and not overcooked and weird like chicken can get in the slow cooker after a long period of time. This is one thing I definitely prefer to cook in the Instant Pot over the crock pot!
Here are some Tips and Tricks for Cooking Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot:
- The exact cook time will depend on how large the chicken breasts are, although for me 10-12 minutes has always been plenty. This means that when I open up the pot they are well over the safe 165 degrees F. But I’d rather be safe than have to go through the hassle of sealing it back up and letting it build the pressure back up.
- If you’re in a rush, you can simply add water or chicken broth and season with salt and pepper, but feel free to get a little crazy with your seasonings here. Barbecue sauce, soy sauce, honey, different herbs and spices will all be fantastic (I mean, as long as they taste good together 😉 )
- All of my Instant Pot recipes are tested in the 6 quart Instant Pot with Bluetooth. The bluetooth is an unnecessary but handy tool because I can control the pot from my phone while I’m out of the kitchen.
- If you want to jazz up your Instant Pot chicken breasts, try these Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts and serve them with the sauce over pasta — you won’t regret it!
- Looking for an easy side dish to go along with it? Try my Instant Pot Mac and Cheese — so easy and so quick!
How to make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breasts:
I’ve just added a new post on my favorite all purpose Instant Pot Shredded Chicken! You can find all my tips on seasoning, ratios, cook time and uses over there 🙂
How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker)
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (mine were about 7-8 ounces or 200g each frozen)
- 1 cup water or chicken broth
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the Instant Pot (no need to use the trivet!) — it’s okay if they’re stacked, just make sure none are stuck together.
- Pour in the water or chicken broth (or use another liquid like pineapple juice, apple juice, etc.) and season with salt and pepper.
- Put the lid on and move the valve to sealing. Press Manual pressure and set the timer to 10-12 minutes high pressure (I've found 10 is just right, and at the 12 minute mark they are 180 degrees F or more). The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure and start counting down from 10.
- When the cook time is up, let pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure. Check that the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F — mine is always at least or higher.
- Serve as is, chop, or add sauces as desired.
Nutrition Information
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Julia says
So what do you do if you bought fresh chicken and froze it and now it is all stuck together solid? I am in a rush for dinner tonight and don’t have time to thaw.
Ashley Fehr says
You can still cook them but it will take a little longer. I would add 5-10 minutes depending on how many there are.
Zachary says
Great recipe I will try it again , Thanks Ashley
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!
Liz says
I no longer even bother thawing my chicken. This is a great guide for novices like myself. Thanks Ashley!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!
Lori Guerin says
Great easy recipe. I will make it again and again. Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Lori!
James says
This did not work. I followed the time and temperature directions exactly as written. My breasts were raw in the center (I cooked two). I suspect you developed the recipe using smaller breasts than I cooked. I suspect this would have taken 12 – 14 minutes.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi James! The weight of my chicken breasts is listed in the recipe — if yours are significantly larger, then yes you will definitely want to add to the cook time.
Christina says
What a great idea! Just gave it a go. I’m always gifted chicken breast from our neighbors. It usually gets tossed it cause it gets so tough when I try to cook it. The family just doesn’t like it no matter how I dress it up. Followed your recipe. Such a game changer. I guess it’s all about texture. Thanks so much! Quick and easy, lemon squeezy!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that Christina!
Chris says
K
Fran says
I have tried this. Yoday im using pineapple juice and barbecue sauce. Ill shred the chicken when its done. Its going over waffle fries. Cant wait
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a great idea!
Kel says
First time visitor to your site, and it won’t be my last! We always forget to take meat out for dinner, and it ends up as a fast food run. Not good for the waistline. I tried this today with 2 huge solidly frozen chicken breasts, set it for 12 minutes and they were perfect! I will be using them for salad tonight and breakfast tomorrow. Thank you for the extremely clear instructions, I am a novice Instant Pot user!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Kel! And welcome!
Kathy R says
I was a bit hesitant and typically recipes call for 20 if thawed and 25 if frozen. However… I have had excellent results with pork tenderloin and turkey breast at a lower cooking time so I decided to give it a try.
It came out perfect! I had two large frozen chicken breasts. I used chicken broth instead of water (you mentioned either) and added my own favorite seasonings. I set it for 10 minutes. Oh my! It cooked perfectly. It was so tender and juicy. This is my new go-to recipe for chicken breasts.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kathy!
Sheryll $ Critters. says
Perfect ‘recipe’!
I’m 77 and grew up cooking with the old (and still wonderful), stovetop pressure cooker. I adore my Instant Pot, I’ve been using it for years now.
I live in Florida and use my Instant Pot at least every other day. I like that I am able to plug it in outside (under an outside roof) for long cooking times and not heat up my kitchen.
Besides saving electricity, you are able to use less expensive cuts of beef.
If someone leaves a low rating, it’s more than likely, user error.
Great and easy recipe!
Dra. Mariangel Mora says
Hey Ashley! I’m trying this for the first time, and I love how easy it is! When you mentioned using pineapple juice or apple juice, it gave me the idea to use the leftover scraps from my morning juicing – like the apple, carrot, ginger, and celery fiber. I patted dry my frozen chicken, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and then coated it with the scraps. I used homemade mushroom broth for the liquid and added some fresh julienne onions and garlic slices. I cooked it for 15 minutes because my chicken breasts were big and frozen solid (I know you mentioned it would be better if they weren’t, but the chicken had been thawing in the fridge for over 12 hours and was still frozen in the middle). 10 minutes of letting it rest and just about to uncover what happened here! Thank you for sharing!
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad it worked out for you!