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
Want to save this recipe?
Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
Tag @thereciperebel
Elizabeth Zampogna says
We love your recipe! Including our geriatric dog, Boots.
It works every time. Very important not to have the chicken frozen together. I keep a Costco frozen chicken breast in our deep freezer so we always have it on hand. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Elizabeth!
https://restaurantthatdeliversnearme.website says
Thanks for the post about how to cook frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot.
James says
Thanks for the recipe.
https://restaurantthatdeliversnearme.website
Steve G says
We like to make quick chicken enchiladas by dropping 4 frozen chicken breasts and a 28 oz. can of El Pato green enchilada sauce in the pot, setting it to high pressure, 10-12 minutes depending on the size of the chicken, and hitting the go button. Shred with a couple big serving forks, roll up into 50/50 flour/corn masa tortillas in a Pyrex pan, dump remaining sauce over everything, grate some cheese over the top and throw it into the oven to bake until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
Nothing easier, tastes like you actually cooked.
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a great idea!
Tony says
Does adding an extra cup of water or broth make any difference in taste or moisture?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t tried, but I can’t see it making a difference in taste and since the chicken is sitting in the liquid on the bottom of the Instant Pot, it should be plenty moist as is. You’re welcome to try it!
Laura says
I followed you perfectly until you said “just make sure none are stuck together”…how is that even possible if you haven’t thawed the chicken breasts??
Ashley Fehr says
I have boxes and boxes of frozen chicken breasts in my freezer at all times. Rarely are any stuck together. If they are, they can easily be broken apart by banging them on the counter, the floor, whatever you have.
K says
Well here goes! These huge chicken breasts are stuck together but I do have my meat probe so I’ll definitely check it. I advised hubs to not put the chicken breasts in the bag like that to avoid his later than usual dinner lol
Haley says
One time I followed this recipe and the bottom of the breasts came out burnt, my instant pot even warned me it was going to burn the food. But when I put the trivet in, it turned out much better. However I read your comments all say not to use the trivet. Why would mine burn when I didn’t use it then?
Ashley Fehr says
There is absolutely no way this recipe can burn if the valve is sealed. When the valve is sealed, moisture is not released. I would check your seal and ensure the valve is set to sealing and then proceed with the recipe as written.
lisa says
Did you remember the broth? I forgot it once, and well….
James Bond says
12 minutes and QR. With one cup of water.. Always turns out perfect and fork tender.
15 minutes and QR, rubbery and overcooked.
Just throw any root vegetables in there with it. Like carrots, beets, small potatoes if you like.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi James! I don’t recommend quick release for chicken in the Instant Pot. I’m glad you liked it!
Rhi says
Absolutely incredible!
I cooked chopped frozen chicken breast in the instant pot for 15 mins; allowed another 15 mins for NPR – WOW! My instant pot only arrived today, and I’m already so glad we bought it.
Thank you for this!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it!
EssEss EssEss says
We realized we had no idea what to make for dinner last night. We decided that we were going to be stuck with a frozen pizza because we had nothing thawed, and there was a blizzard so no chance of a grocery or restaurant delivery. I remembered that some of my instant pot recipes I’ve used before used frozen chicken so I tried googling to find some of them and this new-to-me recipe popped up first.
Bingo! I stole another commenter’s idea and tossed in a full head of garlic, the cup of chicken broth and cooked it up. After shredding the breasts, I poured on on a bottle of Korean bulgogi marinade that I had in the refrigerator and a few shakes of hot pepper flakes (I originally had no idea what to do with this remaining 1/2 bottle left over from a recipe a few days ago). Instant perfect dinner. It was terrific. This is going to be a go-to recipe to cook chicken and then pour on any remaining sauces sitting around (bbq, teriyaki, etc…)
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you loved it! That bulgogi marinade is a brilliant idea!
Tracey B says
I needed chicken for Buffalo chicken dip and was going to run over to grocery store for rotisserie chicken and I remembered I had plenty of boneless, skinless breasts in the freezer. Thankful I came across your tips and the chicken cooked up perfectly. I did 12 minutes and I did use trivet and 1 1/2 c broth and salt and pepper with a 10 minute natural release.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Tracey!
Beth says
This worked just perfect! I had six chickens in, and they were as frozen as frozen can be! It shredded perfect for my chicken and dumplings recipe. Honestly, I was shocked when I cut in the middle and they weren’t raw! The Instant Pot never ceases to amaze me!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked them!
Sunshine says
Thank you! Any tips on getting them unstuck from each other?
Ashley Fehr says
Honestly, I usually drop them on the cement floor or use a knife to pry them apart!
Lauri Martin says
You can break frozen chicken breasts apart by running them under warm water for a minute to break the “ice seal”.
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a great tip!
Jennifer says
Hey Ashley! I’m wanting to make a soup for tonight and my chicken is frozen. Can I put the chicken in frozen with all other ingredients? If so it says to cook it for 20 mins and that’s with thawed chicken breast should I add more time?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Jennifer! I would have to look at the soup recipe to know, but 20 minutes is a very long time to cook soup (unless there are certain grains that require a long cook time). I generally allow 10-12 minutes for frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, so 20 minutes should be fine, but I would be worried about the state of any vegetables after cooking for that long.
Lindsay says
I followed your instructions but my chicken came out quite raw in the middle and I only did two breasts. Was there some other button or setting I missed? I did NR too.
Ashley Fehr says
I would make sure that you pressure cooker on high and use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Can you tell me what the internal temperature was at? We’ve never had a problem with undercooked chicken.
Cass says
I had the same thing happy. Two frozen chicken breasts and they came out raw in the middle.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m not sure that they could be raw — I would recommend checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure that they need more time before cooking further.
xx says
Unless I missed it you didn’t include what pressure to set it to (low medium high) I was going to default to medium pressure but I see in the comments you are saying high pressure so maybe people are doing that too but who knows.
Ashley Fehr says
Sorry about that! The default is high pressure which is what you will want. I will add a note.
Angie says
I just did one frozen chicken breast on high pressure for 10 minutes and let it naturally release and the meat thermometer said it was only 100 degrees. I figured with one breast I could go with the lower time in your time frame but I guess next time I’ll try 12 minutes. I Just put it back in for another few minutes to see if that’ll get it up to 165.
Lynda says
Make sure your broth is not hot. I usually “make” broth with water and Better than Bullion. If the broth is hot then the timing could be off as the recipe incorporates the partial cooking while it is coming to pressure, then counting more cooking with the 10 min under pressure. If it comes to pressure too quickly it is not “cooking” the time you set. Also don’t shorten the time with fewer breasts.
Jack says
This worked great! I used a pound of frozen chicken tenders, 1 cup veggie stock, 1 thickly sliced onion and 2 whole garlic heads. Cooked for 10 minutes, 8 minutes NR. The tenders are so juicy and tender. I then used the remaining liquid & did some baby Yukon gold potatoes with it (1/2 lb of potatoes halved for 3 minutes). Used both in a chicken stew. Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
That sounds great! Thanks Jack!
Tonja says
I just did it with 3 for 11 mins and it was perfect.
Ashlie says
Hi!!
I’ve tried this twice but hadn’t let it NR and every time they came out slightly raw. I realize my mistake and will be trying again tomorrow! Do you keep the setting on high when doing manual pressure? Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes I pressure cook everything on high, and they do keep cooking during the pressure release time!
Serena Christine Espinoza says
The reason why everyone’s chicken comes out raw is possibly these reasons:
Using a trivet
Not enough liquid
Oversized thick chicken frozen together.
If you nix those things, the chicken will come right everytime !
Ashley Fehr says
The liquid in the recipe is sufficient, although the minimum liquid requirement for an 8 quart is 1.5 cups. And yes, the trivet should not be used and chicken should not be stuck together (as the recipe states). Thanks for your thoughts!
Angie says
Ahhhhhh no trivet! This was probably my issue with it only coming out to 100 degrees! Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
No problem!
Marc Taubman says
I literally filled out the return form on Amazon for my Instant Pot as I was striking out with every recipe I tried (about 10 in all) and was on the verge of resigning myself back to the “tried and true” ways of cooking. Then I found this recipe via Yummly. I used partially frozen chicken breasts, the spices you suggested, and BOOM! Six out of six (including me) LOVED what became shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches on either Sourdough or Brioche rolls with pickles.
My wife doesn’t even like sandwiches much and my youngest is picky as heck. Has a thing about textures…don’t ask. Anyhoo we had total success with all family members, tastes, appetites, and texture aversions.
My confidence is buoyed and it’s back to tackling this “learning curve” starting with some aspects of Thanksgiving dinner.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Marc! I’m so happy to hear it turned out well!
Telecia says
I set my time for 15 minutes and it has been much longer , Why is it not shutting off? Help
Ashley Fehr says
You will have to give a bit more detail about what is happening before we can help