Instant Pot Chicken Breasts are an easy protein to prep for your week ahead. Juicy chicken breasts cook with just the press of a button and are the perfect addition to practically any meal.
If you’ve ever tried cooking chicken in your Instant Pot before, you may have had rubbery, dry results. Because you can’t check on the chicken as it cooks (without waiting for the pot to de-pressurize, at least) the pressure cooker does require more of an educated guess when it comes to the cooking time.
It’s easy to overcook it if you’re not careful, which will result in chicken that’s not tender.
Because of this, I don’t recommend using your Instant Pot for cooking chicken breasts that you plan to serve to guests. Make oven-baked chicken breasts in that case, since you can check on those as you go.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe is for boneless skinless chicken breasts, so that’s the only ingredient you’ll need, along with your favorite seasonings. My go-to chicken seasoning includes salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
But you can use any other spices you prefer, like taco seasoning or Italian seasoning, depending on what you plan on serving this with. The flavor is up to you!
How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
Start with chicken breasts that are roughly 8 to 10 ounces in weight and around 1 inch thick. This means you’ll get roughly 3 chicken breasts in a 1.5-pound package, give or take.
If you buy thinly sliced chick breasts or tenders, the cooking time will be shorter.
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Arrange the chicken breasts on a plate and sprinkle half of the seasoning mix evenly over the tops. Flip the chicken breasts over and sprinkle the rest of the seasoning evenly over the other side.
Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot bowl. Arrange a trivet over that (I’m using the trivet that came with my 6-quart Instant Pot) then place the seasoned chicken breasts in a single layer on top of that.
Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to the “sealing” position. Use the Manual or Pressure Cook button to cook at high pressure for 8 minutes. It will take 8 to 10 minutes for the pot to pressurize.
Once the pot beeps to let you know the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes.
When the screen reads L0:05, move the steam release valve to “venting” to release any remaining pressure. (There shouldn’t be much pressure left at this point.)
When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to remove the lid. Use an instant read thermometer to check the chicken’s temperature in the thickest spot of the breast.
The FDA recommends chicken reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. If your thermometer reads at least 160ºF, the chicken should reach that safe temperature as it rests, thanks to carry-over cooking.
Use tongs to carefully transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest for 5 more minutes. Then it’s ready to slice and serve! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if you plan on using it for meal-prepping this week.
Save the remaining liquid in the pot as “chicken broth” you can use for cooking this week. It’s the perfect addition to soups and can also be turned into a quick gravy using the saute button on your machine.
Want to make shredded chicken?
Drain the liquid from the pot (and save it for another use) then add the chicken breasts back into the bowl. Use an electric hand mixer fitted with 2 beaters to beat the chicken breasts until they start to shred. They should be done in about 60 seconds, so it’s faster than using 2 forks! This is perfect for chicken tacos, chicken salad, and more.
Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Try Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Lentil Soup, or dairy-free Butter Chicken for more ideas.
Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (roughly 8-10 ounces each/~1-inch thick)
Seasoning Blend
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
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Pour the water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and arrange the handled trivet over that. (Use the trivet that comes with your pressure cooker.)
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In a small bowl, stir together the salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Sprinkle half of the mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, then flip them over and season the other side. (Or use any other seasoning you prefer here.)
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Arrange the seasoned chicken breasts on top of the trivet in a single layer. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Select Manual or Pressure Cook (depending on your machine) and cook at high pressure for 8 minutes. If your chicken breasts are sliced thinly, they might not require as much time, and larger breasts might require up to 10 minutes. The pressure cooker requires an educated guess since you can’t easily take the temperature as it cooks.
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When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure by moving the steam release valve to Venting. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to remove the lid.
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Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing to help it retain its juices. Use the chicken right away, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To Cook Frozen Instant Pot Chicken: Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pot and place the frozen breasts on top of that. (No trivet necessary.) Make sure the frozen breasts are not stuck together, as they won’t cook evenly otherwise. Cook at high pressure for 12 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release for at least 10 minutes before venting and removing the lid.
Update Note: This post was updated in September 2024 with a better cook time. The original recipe called for a 12-minute pressure cook cycle with a quick release, but that often resulted in chicken cooked over 170ºF. (Which makes the chicken too dry and chewy.) I hope you’ll enjoy this updated cooking time more.
Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 424mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.5mg
If you try these Instant Pot Chicken Breasts, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they turn out for you.
