How to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. Learn the best way to get delicious juicy Instant Pot chicken breasts in minutes with no thawing required!
Easy Instant Pot Chicken made in less than 25 minutes.
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts
I love my Instant Pot and have been using it several times a week for over a year, but the day I cooked frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, was the day my life changed forever!
You’ll want to make chicken in your pressure cooker all of the time after reading this recipe.
If you have been hesitating on adding those frozen chicken breasts into to your Instant Pot, wait no longer!
Today, I’m sharing how I like to cook my frozen chicken breasts, along with some easy recipe ideas for the wonderful juicy chicken that comes out of the Instant Pot.
I hope you enjoy this easy way to cook frozen chicken breasts in a pressure cooker.
Get delicious chicken breasts in minutes with no thawing needed, plus some of my favorite chicken recipes for a quick dinner!
Print my go-to recipe and detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
Why You’ll Love Cooking Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
- You’ll save time since there is no need to thaw chicken.
- Cooking chicken has never been made so easy!
- It’s an easy recipe idea for the Instant Pot.
- This is a healthy and quick way to a lot of chicken.
- A fix and forget it meal but way faster than a slow cooker.
How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
I love cooking chicken in my Instant Pot and frozen chicken is incredibly easy to make for a quick dinner. All you need to make the most delicious chicken is a few ingredients and a pressure cooker!
You can easily change this recipe up to your liking, but here is my favorite way to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot.
Start with these five ingredients to cook Instant Pot chicken:
- frozen chicken breasts
- butter
- minced garlic
- chicken broth
- salt & pepper
- Add ingredients to Instant Pot: such as butter, minced garlic and chicken broth into the pot.
- Place frozen chicken breasts over ingredients: sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pressure Cook: Close the lid and make sure the vent is sealed.
Instant Pot Products We Recommend
Tips for Cooking Instant Pot Frozen Chicken
- Press the poultry setting: Set it on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- For two chicken breasts: do a quick release 1-2 minutes after it’s done.
- For more than two chicken breasts: let the pressure release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
If for some reason your chicken is not cooked all the way through, place the lid back onto the Instant Pot and set to warm. After a few more minutes, it should be cooked completely.
After removing the chicken from the liquid, let settle for 3-5 minutes before shredding or slicing.
It’s really that easy, scroll down to print this recipe!
–> Have you made this chicken? If so, let me know in the comments below how it turned out for you!
How Do You Add Flavor to Your Instant Pot Chicken?
You might like to try something different in your Instant Pot to add more flavor to your chicken. If so, instead of chicken broth in the pressure cooker try using one of these liquids instead:
- white wine – I LOVE the flavor wine gives chicken.
- pineapple juice – This would be amazing with Teriyaki sauce, vegetables and rice.
- orange juice – Another great alternative if you don’t have pineapple juice in the fridge.
- apple juice – This is next on my list to try!
- tomato juice or V-8 – This would be great for shredded chicken added to Italian or tortilla soup.
If you try one of these alternatives, click here to let me know how you like it in the comments below!
What Recipes Can You Make with Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts?
Now that you have your cooked chicken, you can easily add it to salad, pasta, sandwiches, soup or dips. Here are a few simple chicken recipes you might like to try.
Low Carb Guacamole Chicken Enchiladas
Avocado Chicken Taco Salad
Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Cheese Chicken Muffins
Hot Wings Chicken Dip
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Get an Instant Pot on Amazon here.
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 frozen chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add butter, garlic and chicken broth into the pot.
- Place the frozen chicken breasts into the pressure cooker pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Close the lid and make sure the vent is sealed.
- Press the manual setting and set it to high pressure for 10 minutes.
- If you have extra thick chicken breasts, let the pressure release for an extra 5 minutes, then do a quick release. For two average sized chicken breasts, do a quick release 1-2 minutes after it’s done.
- Remove chicken from liquid and let sit for 3-5 minutes before shredding or slicing.
Notes
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Nutrition
You might also like these easy chicken recipes:
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
- Crispy Oven Baked Chicken
- Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Cheese Balls
- Avocado Chicken Tomato Sandwich
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
I like the fact that I can prepare the chicken starting from frozen, it good
The perfect recipe to learn how to cook chicken breasts when they’re frozen. They turned out perfectly. Thanks so much!
I love that I can make the chicken from rfrozen! Thanks for the helpful tips too!
This looks like such an easy recipe hack, I can’t wait to try it!!
I never really knew how to do this! Thanks for the easy tips and recipe
This method worked perfectly. I had been defrosting using the microwave but would always have overcooked areas. Thanks for the detailed instructions!!!
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What about frozen cubed chicken. I have a recipe that calls for 3 breasts.
Thanks so much for the info!
I did not know you could cook them frozen! Thanks for the tips
This looks so good! Can’t wait to try this out!
Wow. I just used generic Safeway frozen chicken and this turned out amazing !
I often use apple juice to cook chicken breasts in my Instantpot. I first sprinkle Herbs de Provence on the breasts, a little extra Tarragon, a little extra Thyme, a little Lavender and salt. I pour apple juice in the bottom and place the 2 breasts on a trivet. The best flavor!
Easy and delicious! This is so perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! Thanks so much Amy!
Hands down best recipe to cook frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot. I had two huge breasts which I used to make Chicken Divan. Husband loved it!
I put 3 good sized frozen chicken beasts in for 15 mins and it cooked through and was perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
The same thing happened to me. Two frozen breasts. A bit large so I cooked 10 minutes and then natural release for 5 min then QR. Still raw in the center ?
Thanks! So glad you tried this – you’ll love making chicken from now on! It’s so easy.
Followed directions perfectly. 3 split breasts turned out tender & amazing. Thank you!
I did this recipes because I forgot to thaw my chicken breast out. However, after the 15 minutes plus extra release time (my chicken was a little larger), it was still raw in the center ? So I put it back in for an extra 5-7 minutes to get it cooked through completely.
It is in the printable recipe lower on the page. 1 Cup.
Luv it! Thank you so much for posting.
When chicken done, we shreddwith fork, and sauté till warm with some salsa!
Best chicken soft tacos, ever!
Great idea. Thanks!
I cooked only one frozen chicken breast but perhaps the outcome was due to it being thicker. I did poultry 10 min high pressure. Then Released 2 minutes after. It was very raw in the center. So I put it back in for 5 minutes and then after 2 minutes quick release and it was no longer raw. Still juicy though! Not dry. So I would say stick to 15 minutes with thicker breasts.
Yes, the recipe says to add 1 cup of chicken broth.
In your recipe you don’t say how much chicken broth.
Thanks for the easy Instant Pot recipe ideas.
Love the idea of using oranges! Great tip. Thanks!
I throw in a bunch of frozen chicken thighs from Costco with a can of coconut milk, a can of manderine oranges and a few tablespoons of buttered chicken powder and cook it for 10 minutes with natural release and serve over rice. Literally one minute of dumping everything in and turning it on. My kids love it.
Cooked 4 frozen chicken breasts tonight in chicken broth and a little white wine. I am still learning how to use my instant pot so am very nervous about it. Was very easy and delicious!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
So happy you found this! It does make life a lot easier!
So glad I chose this particular recipe. Perfect flavor and texture, and makes meals calling for chicken super simple as I like to keep organic chicken breasts in the freezer for a variety of dishes. Thanks!
Glad to hear this! I make this weekly!
This is my second time making it, we loved it my partner is not that keen on chicken but this was a smash hit with him. Thanks
Same. Just did this now with two frozen pre-packaged boneless chicken breasts from Costco. They looked tender and moist, but I did a pre-plating check and cut into both. Still pink. Setting the timer again.
Frozen wings on the rack in the IP work at 15min. Should’ve trusted my instincts and set this one longer.
Would this recipe work with a rice, pot-in-pot method?
I tried to cook 2 (large) frozen chicken breasts with the above settings and my chicken was 50% raw. Thawed but raw. Not sure what went wrong as all of my other recipes have work awesome with this instant pot.
Thanks Lynn! Glad to hear this. 🙂
So simple to put together, but so delicious! You saved dinner in my house & I thank you. My husband & oldest son loved it; I did too!
No rack is needed.
Yay! It’s so easy! I’m glad your frozen chicken turned out delicious in your Instant Pot.
I had 3 frozen chicken breasts (4oz individually frozen) that had been hanging around too long and wanted to cook them up tonight. Of course, I hadn’t planned ahead – I found this recipe and used my multipot. I went ahead and used the 15 minute cook time with 5 minute natural release and they came out great and moist! Sort of like poached. I used my meat thermometer to be sure they were done and they registered at the right temperature. I let them rest another 5 minutes on a plate and then cut one up for my salad. Great dinner, and cleanup is easy! Thanks
with this recipe do I use the stand off rack or just throw the chicken into the broth?
Yay! Glad you are loving your Instant Pot as much as we do!
I just got my Instant Pot today and I found this recipe. I swapped the 2 breasts for 2 thighs and did water instead of broth…and did 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
YUMMY…verified this was a good purchase…and a great recipe!
You can print the recipe for cooking chicken in an instant pot which has the amounts, then instead of chicken broth replace with other suggestions I talk about in this article.
Did I miss something? I don’t see where you said how much of each ingredient to use.
I absolutely love this recipe. Very simple and makes delicious chicken perfectly every time. Thank for for sharing!
How many chicken breasts did you use? I make this at least once a week, but only use two boneless skinless chicken breasts. Similar in thickness to the ones in my photos. If I cooked mine more, they would be rubbery. It could be a difference in pressure cooker brands. I use the Instant Pot. Not sure what happened?
Followed your directions exactly but added an additional 5 minutes release. Chicken was completely raw inside. Have put it back in to pressure for another 8 minutes.
I had to cook the chicken 5 min longer, turned out awesome!
Getting ready to break in my pot, can’t wait to see what happens, Not sure if I have stock or not, but lemon juice , bbq sauce or wine might work out just right. I will have to see what I have.
mine turned out rubbery. Any idea why?
How much rice would you suggest if making the pineapple juice recipe? I’d probably cook 6-8 boneless skinless breasts. Thanks
Yay! So easy right? I’m going to try chicken thighs next.
So I used your recipe today with boneless skinless chicken thighs. AND IT WAS AWESOME! I had a 6 pack of thighs (aprox. 2.5 lbs) so I added 6 or so minutes to get them but it still awesome! Thank you for sharing!
The pressure cooker cooks the chicken, so if the other recipe calls for raw chicken, you would need to de-thaw the chicken and not use this recipe. If you did want to try using frozen chicken in your other recipe, it takes 6 minutes to cook raw chicken vs 10 minutes to cook frozen chicken.
What if I want to thaw these out to use in a (instant pot) recipe that calls for raw (but not frozen) chicken? Any suggestions?
I cooked 2 chicken breasts with half wine and half broth. Delicious! Thanks for the idea!
Great to hear! Thanks!
This was delicious! I had to cook them for 5 minutes longer because my pieces were huge! But it wasn’t dry at all!
Oh no! I just made this again tonight and mine came out perfect. I used two boneless skinless chicken breasts.
This recipe overcooked the outside while the middle was raw! Ugh