Juicy, flavorful and tender Instant Pot Chicken Breast ready in 30 minutes from start to finish, with simple ingredients and no searing required.
Instant Pot Italian chicken breast and Instant Pot BBQ chicken breast are my other go-to on a busy weeknight or a weekend!
This Instant Pot chicken breast recipe is easy, simple and forgiving!
I have been making slow cooker chicken breast for years. It’s a great recipe, the only downside is that you have to remove cooked chicken right away to avoid it being dry. So, this Instant Pot chicken recipe solves the problem because chicken breast is done in 25 minutes or so.
I just love Instant Pot! It makes the best Instant Pot frozen chicken breast or the best rotisserie style Instant Pot frozen whole chicken if you forgot to thaw the meat.
And if you are not a blessed electric pressure cooker owner, check out my baked chicken breast or air fryer chicken breast.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick: All you have to do is rub chicken breasts with spices and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. With pressure build up and bringing it down, you are in for a maximum of 30 minutes of total pressure cooking time.
- Easy: You don’t even have to saute your chicken but you can, if you wish.
- Tender, juicy and flavorful: I can guarantee you will end up with the best chicken breasts ever because the pressure cooker locks in all the moisture inside the meat.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Breast
To make chicken breast in Instant Pot you really only need chicken breasts and water. Everything else is up to your taste and what you are planning to serve it with.
- Chicken breasts: You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts of any size. Best to cook similar size pieces together for even cooking.
- Salt and pepper: Simple seasonings so your chicken is a blank slate for other recipes.
- Garlic powder: If you wish, but not required.
Seasoning Tip
If you are adding cooked chicken breast to salads, quesadillas or tostadas, I would not worry about seasonings much. If you are planning to eat it alongside grains and veggies, I would pay attention to spices. Rub chicken breasts with some dried oregano, Italian seasoning, chili powder, smoked paprika, all purpose seasoning or taco seasoning. Or this turkey breast rub would be delicious on chicken as well!
How to Cook Chicken Breast in Instant Pot
- Add water: Add 1 cup of cold water and place trivet inside the pot. You want to use cold water so warm water doesn’t reduce the cook time. Some readers like to use chicken stock or chicken broth instead, especially if cooking without a trivet.
- Add chicken: Lay chicken breasts in a single layer, sprinkle with spices and rub onto each other right inside the pot. You can also do so on a separate plate but I find it isn’t necessary.
- Pressure cook: Depending on the model of your Instant Pot, you will have to press either Pressure Cook on High pressure or Manual button. Set timer for 10 minutes – for breasts under 2 inch thickness, 15 minutes – for over 2 inch thick breasts.
- Release the pressure: Now you want to wait 5 minutes aka do Natural Release for 5 minutes. Then turn the pressure valve to Venting position to release remaining pressure. I find you do not have to rest this meat.
Searing Tip
If you would like to sear your seasoned chicken breasts, press Saute and wait until it says Hot. Swirl a bit of olive oil and sear chicken for about 2 minutes per side. You might have to do so in batches. After when you add water, make sure to scrape away all browned bits because they can trigger the Burn notice. Cook seared breasts less than 2 inches thick – for 7 minutes, and over 2 inches thick – for 10 minutes.
How Long to Cook Chicken Breasts in Instant Pot?
I have put together this cooking time chart for your quick reference:
| Chicken breast thickness | Cooking time | Natural pressure release |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2″ thick | 10 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Over 2″ thick | 15 minutes | 5 minutes |
Cooking Tip
As per USDA guidelines, your chicken breast is ready when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F. Check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast.
Tips for Best Results
- If you don’t have a trivet: It’s OK to place chicken breasts in water and cook without a trivet. I have tried it many times and it makes them even more juicy. I never got a Burn notice.
- Don’t use Poultry button: Poultry setting has preset time that is not customizable to the size of your chicken breasts. Also poultry is a very large concept ranging from chicken tenders to bone-in whole chicken.
- Don’t do Quick Release: If you release pressure right away after cooking, it will make your chicken breast dry. I recommend to wait 5 minutes and then turn valve to Venting.
- Don’t throw away the liquid: It is basically Instant Pot chicken broth and is perfect for making soup recipes and Instant Pot soup recipes.
- Size of Instant Pot you can use: Any size of Instant Pot works. It comes in 3 quart, 5 quart, 6 quart or 8 quart. Same recipe, same cooking time and same water amount. Just make sure chicken breasts fit in a single layer.
- If your Instant Pot is small: If you want to cook large amount of chicken breasts in 3 quart pot, do so in a few batches. Piling up chicken in a few layers will result in undercooked chicken.
- Bone-in and skin-on chicken breasts: Cooking time remains the same. You do not need to cook them longer because 10-15 minutes of cook time along with about 10 minutes of pressure build up time, is enough to cook through thin chicken bones.
Serving Suggestions
It sure is a welcome addition to a variety of recipes like salads, enchiladas, casseroles and sandwiches.
Here are a few ways to turn it into a meal:
- Instant Pot shredded chicken: Shred meat with 2 forks, refrigerate and use to make healthy chicken salad or healthy white chicken chili.
- Diced chicken breast: Chop it up to add protein to cottage cheese pasta, vegetable soup or borscht.
- Low carb meal: Make my favorite ratatouille recipe to have with chicken for a complete meal.
- With sauce: Combine shredded chicken with healthy barbecue sauce or teriyaki sauce.
- With salad: Serve with spinach avocado salad.
How to Store
Store: Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container or resealable freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge or on a counter.
FAQs
Many recipes online ask you to saute chicken breast before pressure cooking in an effort “to lock in most of juices”. I can assure you I have cooked chicken breast in Instant Pot over 20 times and it comes out juicy if you follow my recipe.
But you can saute it if you wish, of course. See notes above how to do so.
No. You can cook as many or as little chicken breasts as you need, as long as they fit into a single layer. If you stack them, your chicken will end up with uncooked spots.
Because the Instant Pot steam provides a moist environment for your chicken breast, this is difficult to do. If you are worried, be sure to measure your chicken breast’s thickness at its widest point so you know exactly how long to cook it.
If your Instant Pot chicken breast came out tough it could be due to the breast itself. Find the brand you like and use it. To fix tough chicken, shred it with two forks and mix with some cooking liquid from the bottom of the pot.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot chicken and rice
- Instant Pot chicken and potatoes
- Instant Pot white chicken chili
- Instant Pot chicken pasta
- Instant Pot stir fry
Also be sure to browse 45 other healthy Instant Pot recipes and our entire category of Instant Pot recipes.
Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup cold water
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- To the Instant Pot, add cold water and place trivet inside.
- Lay chicken breasts in a single layer and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly with tongs or hands.
- Close the lid and set pressure vent to Sealing. Press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 10 minutes – breasts under 2" thickness or 15 minutes – breasts over 2" thick.
- After, wait 5 minutes and do Quick Release by turning sealing valve to Venting position.
- Open the lid and your chicken breasts are ready for meal prep, casseroles, salads etc. Shred or cube, and save broth at the bottom for soup.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container or resealable freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in a fridge or on a counter.
- Feel free to use chicken broth instead of water.
Olena, what if all I have is in bone-in breasts? How can I cook those in the InstantPot?
Thanks!
Anne from Oregon
Hi Anne. Bone-in and skin-on chicken breasts: Cooking time remains the same. You do not need to cook them longer because 10-15 minutes of cook time along with about 10 minutes of pressure build up time, is enough to cook through thin chicken bones.
Shred chicken by chucking the whole thing in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Set it to low and be amazed.
Great idea!
Delicious! My whole family loved it.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I had three large — almost industrial size — frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts that wouldn’t lay flat without piling one on top of another and I saw your caution against that. Then I remembered a recipe for baby back ribs and they were placed on edge around the circumference of the Instant Pot. I figured if it worked for ribs, it might work for chicken. They came out great! Every time I use my Instant Pot I like it more. I sorta wish I had the eight quart instead of the six, but it’s working okay.
So glad to hear it worked out!
Hello! I wanted to thank you for this method, because not only am I new to instant pot (life changer!), I also have just started eating meat after 20 years, and this was the first (and so far only way) I cooked it. I love how clear you were with the instructions and I learned a lot! This is my fourth time cooking it, and this time it was actually for my cat Charlie, so I didnโt season it at all. I put in a boneless chicken breast and two drumsticks with skin on, and cooked it for 15 min, and the meat fell right off the bone, while the breast is still tender. Weโll be sharing the chicken for a week, me adding it to my soup, and Charlie snacking on it while sipping his bone broth Iโve made before. Thank you!
So glad you found it helpful and are enjoying the recipe! (Charlie too ๐ )
Hi Olena,
How about chicken tenderloins from frozen? Does anything change?
Thank you,
Mary
You will need a shorter cook time (6-8 minutes) unless they are thick, then refer to the frozen chicken breast information. Still wait for 5 minutes, then release pressure.
I make this chicken all the time…it’s my go to receipe. Thank you, Joyce
So happy you enjoy it Joyce!
Did my own seasoning but the instructions were perfectly clear and easy to follow! My chicken came out so moist and delicious. The stock was amazing and I decided to freeze it. Used the chicken in a chicken philly casserole dish. Very easy to shred too. So good I pinned it on Pinterest so I could come back to it.
So glad you it came out so great Kita! It’s so great for meal prep, agreed!
Thank you! I had frozen breasts I needed to shred for my sick pup. Your instructions are so easy. ะัะบัั From Vienna, Austria.
So glad you found it helpful and hope the sick pup is feeling better soon!
Just perfect! Love how easy and thorough your recipe is. Thank you so much! I’m totally loving my instant pot and I look forward to trying out more of your instant pot recipes.
So glad to hear Diana!
So easy and it came out perfect. Thank you!!
So happy to hear Corinna!