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Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.73 from 18 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 18 mins
Servings 4 servings

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The JUICIEST Instant Pot Chicken Breast! Made with an all purpose seasoning and one secret ingredient, this is the perfect pressure cooker chicken breast!

instant pot chicken breast sliced on grey plate on marble background

Table of Contents

  1. Reasons to love this Instant Pot Chicken Breast:
  2. How to make the juiciest Instant Pot Chicken Breasts:
  3. Instant Pot Chicken Breast Variations:
  4. What to serve with chicken breasts:
  5. Tools you’ll need to make this Instant Pot chicken recipe:
  6. Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe

Summer is getting nearer (do I say that in every post these days??), and I’m all about stocking the fridge with the essentials to make meals easy so we can enjoy the sunshine.

Ever since I started experimenting to perfect my Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe, I knew there needed to be a pressure cooker version.

And this right here? This is the perfect Instant Pot Chicken Breast.

I’m bringing my one secret ingredient over from my slow cooker chicken recipe, and let me tell you — it makes all the difference!

As much as we love these Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts, I love having a good database of simple, versatile protein recipes that can be made into a variety of different meals.

For that reason, these Instant Pot Chicken breasts are simply seasoned, and even though they are incredibly delicious as is, they can easily take on any flavor you want to add.

Need to cook right from frozen? Check out my tips on How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot!

instant pot chicken breast before cooking sprinkled with seasoning sitting in broth

Looking for more easy Instant Pot recipes? Check out my Instant Pot Whole Chicken, Instant Pot Spaghetti, Garlic Herb Instant Pot Potatoes or my Instant Pot Chicken Tacos.

Reasons to love this Instant Pot Chicken Breast:

  1. It’s easy to make — just dump, start and go! Let the pressure release naturally, pop open the lid and you have an amazing dinner or perfectly cooked chicken for salads and sandwiches throughout the week.
  2. It’s versatile — like I mentioned above, it’s great cold in sandwiches and salads, but it’s also awesome tossed into soup, pasta, or any casserole, and can be easily reheated with a sauce of your choosing to make it something new (we are big on reinventing leftovers here)
  3. It’s healthy — don’t get all worked up over the one dab of butter or margarine — our bodies need a little fat and this Instant Pot Chicken Breast is a high protein, relatively low fat and low calorie addition to any meal

How to make the juiciest Instant Pot Chicken Breasts:

The secret ingredient:

That little bit of butter goes a long way to making these chicken breasts incredibly moist and flavorful! It’s a simple addition that makes all the difference.

How long to cook Instant Pot Chicken Breast:

  • Don’t overcook — overcooked chicken breast is not anyone’s favorite thing, but is somewhat difficult to do in the Instant Pot because the steam provides such a moist environment for the chicken to cook in.
  • Don’t undercook — undercooked chicken breast is just plain dangerous! Be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken to ensure it’s at least 165 degrees F.
  • The exact cook time is going to depend on a variety of things, including the size and shape (how thick it is at the widest point), and also the model of Instant Pot you have, as some run hotter or cooler. My recipes are tested in the 6 quart model with Bluetooth. It’s important to take these these factors into consideration but I find a cook time of 8-10 minutes is always perfect and juicy for the chicken

Choose good quality meat:

  • Choose your chicken well — not all chicken, and not all grocery store meat departments, are created equally. If you’re having trouble making juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast, you may want to test out a couple different brands to see which turns out best.
instant pot chicken breast with pressure cooker sliced on grey plate

Instant Pot Chicken Breast Variations:

  • Chicken is one of my favorite proteins because it can take on a wide variety of spices, seasonings and sauces! Mix things up with your seasoning blend or use a bottled blend that you love for a new flair.
  • Slice and toss in barbecue sauce for easy Instant Pot BBQ Chicken.
  • Got frozen chicken? Check out how to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot here.
  • This seasoning blend and cooking method works just as well for a combination or breasts and thighs — if you have a chicken thigh lover, toss in some boneless, skinless chicken thighs with your breasts and everyone is happy!

What to serve with chicken breasts:

Tools you’ll need to make this Instant Pot chicken recipe:

  • My recipes are tested in my 6 quart Instant Pot — it’s an older version and for this reason the manual lists 1 cup of liquid as the minimum. I know that the 8 quarts and some of the newer ones list different requirements. For this recipe, you can easily change the liquid to match your manual’s suggestion.
  • There’s really not much else you’ll need! I know everyone has different thoughts on cooking meat on or off the trivet, but with chicken breasts I usually place them on the bottom in the liquid.
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Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast

written by Ashley Fehr

4.73 from 18 votes
The JUICIEST Instant Pot Chicken Breast! Made with an all purpose seasoning and one secret ingredient, this is the perfect pressure cooker chicken breast!
instant pot chicken breast sliced on grey plate
Review
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 8 mins
Total Time 18 mins
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Calories 170cal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth*
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

  • Pour chicken broth into the Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Add chicken breasts.
  • Combine Italian seasoning, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Sprinkle over chicken breasts in Instant Pot.
  • Top with butter (no need to melt it, just throw it in there!).
  • Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and select Pressure Cook or Manual for 8 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to build pressure and begin counting down. 
  • When the cook time is over, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes (or completely). Open the lid and remove the chicken. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  • If desired, you can make a corn starch slurry (equal parts corn starch and water, roughly 1-2 tablespoons each) and add it to the cooking juices to make a gravy to serve with the chicken. Just turn the Instant Pot to saute and cook until thickened.

Notes

*If your Instant Pot calls for more or less liquid, you can adjust this amount to your Instant Pot model. I often use only 1 cup of liquid in my 6 quart Instant Pot.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 170cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 494mg | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Keywords chicken breast recipe, instant pot chicken breast

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Published on May 27, 2019 / Last updated on May 27, 2020

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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

    • Kacie H says

      Yes. It’s butter. Seems silly to be so elusive about it….gets more clicks maybe?But I’m new to IP, so I read the WHOLE thing, therefore saw the secret ingredient.

      Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      You would want to make sure your vegetables won’t be overcooked in the time it takes to cook the chicken. Chopped vegetables generally cook in 2 minutes, so you would have to do quite large pieces or just not at all, and make a separate dish with vegetables.

      Reply

  4. Janis says

    My new favorite way to cook chicken. I add the cooking liquid to the pot when I make brown rice. I want to know what the ‘secret ingredient’ is?
    Thanks

    Reply

  7. Aileen Bluhm says

    This was a great recipe! I liked the spices used but my one piece of advice is to not let the instant pot release naturally for 10 minutes….maybe like 5 minutes. My chicken was a little too dry for my taste. 5 minutes of natural release would probably be perfect!

    Reply

  8. Julie says

    I don’t usually leave comments, but thought I should for this one. I made this for supper this week. My sixteen-year-old is notoriously picky. There are very few things that I make that ever get a full yes vote from him. His response after eating this? “Mom, that chicken was solid.” High praise from my teenage son! 😁 It will definitely be added to my recipe rotation. Thanks!

    Reply

  10. Erik J Schott says

    Hi, Ashley! I tried this recipe last night. I couldn’t ask for a simpler recipe. One recommendation, if I may … to make the gravy, put the cooker on saute with the liquid in the pot, bring to a boil, THEN add the corn starch and water slurry. Your gravy will thicken more quickly.

    Reply

  11. Jenni says

    Would this work with just a single chicken breast? I need to make chicken to shred, but don’t need more than one single chicken breast. Not sure if I’d need to adjust the time or if it just wouldn’t be enough meat to get the pressure right. I’m a IP newbie. 😫

    Reply

  12. Dusty Cufari says

    2 questions:

    For 5-6 pc of chicken do you increase cooking time?

    Can you add potatoes? If so just put on top and do you add more time?

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      You can add more chicken, I would just try not to stack them directly on top of each other. You can add potatoes, but I find that baby potatoes cook in about 3 minutes, so you may want to use larger pieces.

      Reply

  14. Brooke Ward says

    I am super new to Instant Pot recipes, but this was sooooooo simple and absolutely perfect. The chicken was juicy. I think I accidentally added too much black pepper simply because I misread the recipe, but it still turned out fantastic. After this was cooked, I grabbed frozen steamer broccoli and packaged brown rice with quinoa. Heated those up in a few minutes and added it all together for an awesome meal prep. I have 4 meals ready to go and leftover chicken for a go to wrap or high protein snack. Thank you so much! Love this recipe! WILL BE USING IT LIKE ALL THE TIME.

    Reply

  15. Richard Blake says

    Help! I’ve done boneless, skinless chicken breasts twice now in my Instapot and both times they came out moderately dry and somewhat chewy. NOT the moist, tender result I was looking for. I followed your recipe for 2 10 oz. breasts – warm up, 8 minutes on Pressure Cook then 10 minutes cool down. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Richard! I’m sorry to hear that. Have you tried chicken breasts of different brands or from different stores? I’ve found that there can be a big difference between them.

      Reply

    • Bo King says

      Richard,

      From my own experience, I’ve found that leaving meat in the pot for too long (either while releasing pressure or not removing the meat soon enough when venting is done) makes it chewy like you describe. I’ve gotten better results when I don’t let the pot spend that long depressurizing (5-7 minutes instead of 10) and remove the meat immediately afterward so it doesn’t keep cooking in the hot pot. I’m still figuring out the process, though.

      Reply

    • Jules says

      I followed this recipe with fairly large chicken breasts that always come out tender in the oven. 8 mins/w 10 min natural pressure release. They were tough and dry, and the temp was over 200 degrees. The times on this recipe didn’t work at all. I have the same model of IP as the recipe author.

      Reply

      • Ashley Fehr says

        Hi Jules! I’m sorry it didn’t meet your expectations! I don’t think the chicken could possibly be dry if the pressure cooker was properly sealed and the chicken is sitting in the liquid. I would make sure your seal is properly in place.

        Reply

    • Jeanne says

      I’ve tried it twice, both times so dry! The 8 minutes with 10 minutes natural release works for frozen chicken but too long for fresh.

      Reply

  19. jacob ryan says

    very good! tender juicy and nice flavor! I added garlic salt instead of paprika as well because you can never have too much garlic lol

    Reply

  20. Grace Hufschmid says

    What does it mean to let the pressure release naturally? You don’t open the vent? Just let it sit for ten minutes and then open?

    Reply

  21. Jess says

    I used this recipe the very first time I used my instant pot! I enjoyed it! I think next time I may do a little longer than 8 minutes for easier shredded chicken! Thanks for sharing Ashley and well done!

    Reply

  22. Mary L Roser says

    i oticethatthesespicesare italian. Can you use/substitute others…such as indian mediteran or mexican?

    Reply

  24. Brad says

    Tried this with three breasts. Followed instructions carefully, dry. The only way I can get breast meat that is not dry is brine it. Trying to cut out so much salt so I tried this. Disappointing.

    Reply

  25. Ashley says

    I made this recipe still frozen and used the 8 minutes and cooked through I added smoked paprika instead of regular and it reminded me of thanksgiving

    Reply

  27. Rz says

    This was incredible – so quick and easy and the taste was amazing! We used it in chicken tacos and the meat was so tender it just fell apart.

    Reply

  29. Susan says

    I use cooked chicken breast in so many recipes, I was happy to find your Instant Pot direction for perfectly moist and great tasing chicken breast … every time! Thank you ?

    Reply

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