Learn how to cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot in only 25 minutes. Perfectly tender and flavorful chicken ready to be used in a variety of dishes! Plus you will never be stuck wondering what is for dinner because you forgot to thaw chicken in the morning.
Got fresh chicken breasts? Make Instant Pot chicken breast, air fryer chicken breast or Instant Pot barbecue chicken.
Table of contents
Once you learn how to cook Instant Pot frozen chicken breasts with this easy step-by-step tutorial, it will change your weeknights!
The chicken breast comes out moist, juicy, tender and it simply melts in your mouth. I am 100% honest!
I hate to sound like a broken record but if you have been cooking my recipes for a while, you know I am obsessed with my Instant Pot. Cooking frozen chicken has never been easier! Now you can also cook frozen chicken breast in air fryer too!
Cooking meat from frozen is the best feature of this magic machine. You can even thaw Instant Pot frozen ground beef or any ground meat fast. It just works!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- No thawing required: Yes that is correct, cook from frozen! You will never wonder at 5 o’clock what is for dinner because you forgot to thaw chicken in the morning!
- Quick: Ready to use as is for dinner or in a recipe in less than 25 minutes.
- 2 ingredients: Only the frozen chicken and water, so easy.
- Juicy breasts: All the steam and moisture is locked in in the pressure cooker resulting in the most juicy chicken breast ever. If you follow the recipe of course, I promise!
- Perfect for meal prep: Use all week in a variety of healthy dishes!
Ingredients and Notes
To make Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts you will need just 2 simple ingredients and seasoning, if you wish.
- Frozen chicken breasts: Up to 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Water: 1 cup cold water. You can use chicken broth, pineapple juice or apple cider but it will mostly flavor the broth not the meat.
- Seasoning (optional): You can sprinkle chicken breasts with garlic powder, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, all purpose seasoning or just season with salt and pepper. Seasonings do not stick to frozen meat that well though and will end up at the bottom of the pot, making a flavorful broth.
How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot
Cooking frozen chicken breasts Instant Pot is one of the best features of the electric pressure cooker. It’s so easy, they’re moist and never overcooked.
Separate frozen chicken breasts: I can’t stress enough how important it is to make sure your frozen chicken breasts are separated. Just like pictured above.
If you add a blob of frozen breasts stuck together, they will not cook inside and overcook outside.
Add cup of liquid and trivet: Make sure to place meat on a trivet, it just comes out better this way.
However, you can still cook frozen chicken breasts in Instant Pot without a rack. Meat will come out more boiled.
Add frozen chicken breasts: You can fit as many chicken breasts as you can in a single layer. Do not double stack them. Usually it is 2-4 lbs depending on your pot’s size.
Close the lid, move pressure release valve to Sealing position.
Pressure cook frozen breasts: Cook the chicken for 15-18 minutes depending on thickness. Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a valve, then float valve will rise and countdown will begin.
After wait 5 minutes then Quick Release: When done cooking Instant Pot will beep and display will say off. Wait 5 minutes, then release by turning valve to Venting.
Open lid to reveal perfectly cooked chicken breasts: Your Instant Pot frozen chicken breasts are now ready! Remove the chicken onto a cutting board, let rest for a few minutes and slice or shred to enjoy or use in other recipes.
Tips to Remember
Follow these tips for perfectly moist chicken breast from frozen!
- Instant Pot size matters: I have tested these cook times in 6 quart LUX and 8 quart Duo Instant Pot. I recommend to add 3 minutes cook time to 3 quart models because it comes to pressure faster.
- Set time according to thickness not quantity: Whether you are cooking 1, 2, or 3 lbs of chicken breasts time is determined by the size of your chicken breasts not the number you are cooking. With 99% of all Instant Pot recipes it is not about the amount of food but rather its thickness.
- Don’t use the poultry button: This is a predetermined time setting which will not work for cooking these frozen chicken breasts. Follow the directions here on how to manually cook them for perfect results.
- Patience: You must wait 5 minutes after the Instant Pot beeps Done, then Quick Release. This allows the chicken to rest for juicy results. But watch the time, you do not want to Natural Release as that results in overcooked chicken.
- Steam during cooking: It is OK to see a bit of steam coming out from pressure valve in the beginning. It might have moved from Sealing position a bit. Move it slightly back with a long spoon.
Size Matters
Chicken breasts can range in size quite a bit! The actual time needed to cook your frozen chicken breast will depend on how large the breast is before you cook it.
The easiest way to determine the cooking time is by measuring the thickest part of the breast.
Frozen chicken breasts under 2.5″ thick in the thickest part need 15 minutes of cook time on High Pressure. Over 2.5″ thick add 3 minutes totalling 18 minutes of cooking time.
Contrary to popular belief, cooking frozen meat in Instant Pot does not need longer cooking time. Electric pressure cooker just takes longer to come to pressure because inside inner pot temperature is lower.
What If The Chicken is Not Cooked?
Sometimes it happens. Instant Pot is basically a computer. So, it is not perfect. Altitude, pressure cooker size and type could be the factors.
The best way to check is to poke the thickest part of the breast with a fork or insert an instant read thermometer. If juices are a bit pink or internal temperature reads below 165 degrees F, cook 2 more minutes.
This time Instant Pot will come to pressure much faster because its contents are hot. Also make sure valve is set to Sealing.
Serving Recommendations
Very often chicken breasts are used for meal prep and to be added to other dishes. The uses for Instant Pot frozen chicken breast are endless!
- Serve as the main protein for dinner. It’s delicious plain or with your favorite sauce.
- Slice it and turn your spinach salad into a main dish salad.
- Add to salads that call for cooked chicken such as healthy chicken salad.
- Cut into cubes and use in healthy chicken alfredo.
- Shred and use in healthy chicken pot pie or chicken enchiladas.
Storage
This Instant Pot frozen chicken breast recipe is perfect for meal prep. You can buy quite a few lbs of chicken breasts and cook them in 2-3 batches while prepping other ingredients or just relaxing.
The key is to let chicken cool first, then shred or slice, and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
I would not worry about any seasonings, especially for a meal prep, with this method of cooking frozen chicken. Simply because you will use meat in other dishes that have additional flavors.
More FAQs
Yes. Cooking any poultry on high heat (or high pressure) for a long period of time will break down the proteins/collagen making the meat more tender. And at same time “remove” more water out of the meat, making it more dry.
There are 2 possible reasons. They are either overcooked, for example, your chicken breasts are smaller and should have been cooked for shorter amount of time. Or it’s the brand of chicken.
I buy organic chicken breasts in Costco and never had an issue with tough meat. I understand it’s not in everyone’s budget, then I recommend to buy fresh meat. I found previously frozen store-bought chicken breasts come out tough often.
To fix tough chicken, shred or cube it and place back in a cooking liquid. It will absorb the broth and rehydrate the meat within 5 minutes.
Just add a few minutes to the cooking time.
Yes, but it won’t be crisp. You could cook in Instant Pot, transfer to oven safe pan and broil for a few minutes to get skin crispy.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot butter chicken
- Instant Pot chicken and rice
- Instant Pot whole chicken
- Instant Pot chicken and potatoes
- Instant Pot frozen whole chicken
- Instant Pot shredded chicken
- Instant Pot Italian chicken
- Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos
How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs boneless chicken breasts fresh or frozen*
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- To the Instant Pot, add water and place trivet inside.
- Lay frozen chicken breasts in a single layer. Make sure they are separated.
- Sprinkle with spices if using any. Toss to coat evenly with tongs or hands.
- Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High (Duo model) or Manual (LUX) for 15-18 minutes. I would say chicken breasts under 2.5" thick in the thickest part – 15 minutes. Over 2.5" – 18 minutes. Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a valve, then float valve will rise and countdown will begin.
- After 15 minutes your chicken is ready, Instant Pot will beep and display will say OFF. Wait 5 minutes to allow chicken to rest.
- Then 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 the stock at the bottom for soup.
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.
- Separate them: If you add a blob of frozen breasts stuck together, they will not cook inside and overcook outside.
- How long to cook 1 lb, 2 lbs, or 3 lbs for? The same amount of time! With 99% of all Instant Pot recipes it is not about the amount of food but rather its thickness.
- Seasonings are optional: Use what you like but seasonings will not stick to frozen meat well and will end up at the bottom of the pot, making a flavorful broth which then could be made into Instant Pot chicken stock or use in healthy soup recipes.
Worked or perfectly–thank you for the tips!
You are so welcome Jane!
Thank you Olena for the frozen chicken breast recipe. I love baking and cooking for my wonderful husband Greg. We live on a farm in Kentucky and my husband works in our town of Bowling Green. My Instant Pot is wonderful, as you stated for meal preparation. Tonight is chicken and dumplings night. I wasn’t sure if it was safe to pressure cook chicken in my machine….so you answered my question. Thank you. Best wishes to you and yours! Andrea
You are so welcome Andrea 🙂
Excellent recipe. I sprinkled some garlic powder, dill weed and oregano on two frozen breasts stuck together. After looking at the comments, I decided to put it on for about 19, since they were on the larger side. They came out very flavorful. I love this recipe because it eliminates the thawing process and the 40 minute plus time in the oven. *****
Yay! Gotta love the instant pot for that!
Can I use chicken broth instead of water?
Sure!
Thank you for getting back so quickly and for this easy recipe for frozen chicken.
You are welcome, Brittney. 🙂
I only had a frozen bone-in breast, 2 1/2” thick, and I did 15 min, then 3 min, then 5 min, then 5 min, and 5 min more before my meat thermometer read 165 degrees. What do you suggest next time as I have two more of these suckers?
I would do 20 mins. When you open and close IP, steam escapes so total cook time isn’t addition of all those times. 20 mins should do!
Great and simple recipe. 1 cup of water, 6 small frozen chicken breasts, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Manual setting for 15 minutes, and quick pressure release after 5 minutes. Used the water to make rice.
Great way to use chicken breasts quickly.
Awesome you liked it, Maria!
It was not even close to the proper temp coming out. I had to put it back in for 5 min–still not done. 5 more, still not done. Another 5, finally to temp. I realize I only let it sit for 2-3 minutes after the beep but that shouldn’t affect it so much it needs to cook another 15 minutes!
I have an 8 at instantpot and will start with more time next time. No idea why it didn’t work for me, super disappointed because everything else got cold waiting for chicken.
It could be the altitude. Also make sure breast are separated and do let pressure come down for 5 mins before venting. Increase cooking time by 5 mins only as more will result in rubbery meat. IP doesn’t work this way like stove if you recluse and add cook time then that’s your new cook time. Extra 15 mins is too much.
Altitude should not effect cooking times. The pressure is contained in the pot.
Next time if you are pressed for time in getting your meal on the table, begin with thawed breast. Also you pre-heat your liquid and bring your pot up to pressure faster.
Altitude, or atmospheric pressure, will affect the initial pressure the pot starts out at. Altitude will definitely play a part, that being said, cooking times should get shorter instead of longer the higher the altitude.
It works!
Very good.