How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot

Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 4 servings

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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!

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frozen chicken breasts in instant pot ready to cook

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!).

cooked chicken breasts in instant pot with seasonings and fresh herbs on top

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!).

chicken breasts on cutting board being sliced in front of the instant pot

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 🙂

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How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker)

4.85 from 251 votes
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.
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Calories 128cal

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

Calories: 128cal | Protein: 23g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 418mg | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Shannon says

    10 mins. Natural release. On high.
    Rubbery. Kept it warm for me but didn’t shred at all, like physically could not shred the meat, had to cut it. 2 medium plus sized frozen breasts with a jar of salsa.
    First time using pressure verses slow cook

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Shannon! Sometimes it is the quality of the meat that is responsible, as I have purchased from different locations and had varying results. The chicken should not be rubbery — I would make sure your valve is sealed and if needed, you can also add a couple of extra minutes.

  2. Barbara says

    I cook mine in the same Food Saver bags I froze them in. NO cleanup for the IP. Then I shred, make pre-cook freezer meals, save one for dinner, then freeze the rest. 😄

  3. Elizabeth Bohon says

    I made this last night in an 8 qt instant pot. 3 breasts on a trivet with 1 c water. The breasts were individually frozen, but not flat. I did 10 min pressure with about 8 min natural release. The center breast was a little raw in the very center, but I was putting it in a casserole that was cooking longer anyway, so I knew it would cook the rest of the way in the oven. The breasts were so tender and juicy and flavorful. I will just cook them a little linger next time. Thank you for the instructions.

  4. Lesley says

    Hi! I’m trying to decide if I should purchase an InstantPot, & in Googling recipes, I found you! I HATE dealing with raw meat, so I like to cook up a bunch all at once & freeze for use later. Being able to cook from frozen sounds right up my alley!
    For this recipe, could I add in some onion & garlic cloves, to give the meat extra flavor?
    That’s probably a really dumb question, but I have zero experience with an InstantPot, and don’t know anyone who has one. So, my knowledge on this subject is very basic.

  5. Andrea says

    I have 1lb of pre-marinated honey ginger frozen chicken breasts. I’m nervous about putting them in liquid to cook in case it washes away the marinade. What’s the best way to prevent this?

  6. Rena Michaud says

    I used this recipe (2 lg breasts-10 min cook, 10 min NR) with my 4qt. instant pot and it turned out perfect. But I traded the 4qt. for an 8qt. with my MIL and did all the same thing and they came out rubbery. Do you know if there are changes that need to be made with the larger Instant pot?

    • Ashley Fehr says

      I know that the 8 quart requires a bit more liquid, but other than that I haven’t found any cook time differences. Could it be a difference in the chicken itself? I know I have tried a couple varieties and they can vary quite a bit

  7. Robert Heatley says

    I just tried this with four different sized pieces of frozen, boneless skinless chicken breast and followed your instructions with the addition of adding fresh thyme , and it came out amazing! So juicy and full of flavor, I then used the instant pot with a lil of the juice and sautéed some asparagus with butter and garlic and made a delicious meal. Thank you!!

  8. Stacey says

    I did this tonight. 3 breast all different sizes it was the end of a bag. Cooked them for 10 minutes and natural released for 10. They were perfect and fork tender. My family loved them.

  9. Randy says

    I tried today on 12 minutes with 3 frozen breasts. Came out like rubber. I didn’t let my instant read thermometer go all the way but it was on its way past 208 when I pulled it. I think I’m gonna go 8 minutes next time.

    • Mag says

      Hello,
      Natural release pressure is KEY for the texture of any meat with the instant pot. At least half of the time you cooked with high pressure but if i cook for 10 min, i will let it naturally the pressure for 10 too.

  10. Marcia says

    I tried this for the first time today and it turned out perfect. 3
    frozen chicken breasts, 12 minutes high pressure and 12 minutes NR. Thank you.

  11. Marya says

    Thank you for including the weight of your chicken. I’ve tried this before and always ended up w/pink. Now I know it’s because I’m using a recipe for 8 oz chicken, and mine is 15! Gotta extend it. Thanks!

  12. MS says

    I have the frozen chicken breasts all ready to cook. Wondering if it’s ok to use more than 1 cup of broth? I’d like to make some gravy. Also, my husband really likes baked breasts in Italian seasoning. Is it ok to add that to the broth? I’ll leave another comment after we have this, but I know it will be delicious!

  13. Christy says

    I followed the recipe exactly with two chicken breasts for 12 minutes and they came out pink in the middle. Ended up throwing them on the frying pan to finish cooking them. I don’t see how 10 minutes would be enough time for 4 of them!

    • Ashley Fehr says

      I have made this recipe over and over and at 10 minutes my chicken breasts are well over 165 degrees F. It will depend on the size of your chicken breasts slightly, and if they are frozen together they will need a considerable amount more time

  14. Joan says

    Just tried this, using frozen chicken, water, salt pepper, italian seasoning and garlic powder.

    After 12minutes they were falling apart tender and amazing. I’ll be making them again soon

  15. Eva Adams says

    Would this work with 6 chicken breasts? Each one is about half a pound. I would love to be able to cook more so we have leftovers!

  16. Ruth says

    I had one 12 oz and one 15 oz. breast. Cooked for 11 minutes with correct release. Took out the smaller breast and cooked the bigger one another 2 min. with quick release. It was so tough, I could hardly chew the meat! Help!

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Quick release is generally not recommended with meat in the Instant Pot, so if in doubt I would add a few extra minutes to the cook time to start, and avoid opening and restarting later.

  17. Clay Truitt says

    I had 3 large frozen breast and set them for 12 min. When it was done they were only half way done. I set them for another 6 min and they were still not done. They are on for another 6 min cook. Quick last minute lazy Sunday lunch is becoming as long as the oven method.

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Did you let the pressure naturally release? The chicken will continue cooking as the pressure releases, so if you did a quick release you would need to add more time. Also, if they are frozen together, you’d have to add additional cook time.

  18. Matt says

    Can you throw in vegetables on top? Will that impact cook time? Anything to avoid?

    I’d love to simply throw in vegetables, like broccoli or Brussels sprouts.

    • Ashley Fehr says

      You can, but they likely won’t be very appetizing. Broccoli would be overcooked in the amount of time it takes to cook the chicken. Carrots or potatoes would work much better, as they require a longer cook time

  19. Julie says

    I made it tonight and after 11 minutes it was still raw so had to cook it for another 9 mins and then still had a little pink in it! I don’t know what I did wrong.

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