Learn how to cook an Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast that you can shred and put into tacos, salads, pasta, or soup. This is a great easy recipe for busy weeknights.

shredded chicken on a plate with the Instant Pot in the background

The Instant Pot is a pressure cooker. It uses heat and pressure inside the sealed pot to create steam that cooks food fast and efficiently. It can even transform frozen chicken cutlets into tender, cooked chicken in a very short amount of time.

Let me show you how! (If you’re brand new to using the Instant Pot, check out my informational post on how to use the Instant Pot).

frozen chicken breasts in their packaging

Recipe Steps

It is surprisingly easy and fast to cook frozen chicken cutlets in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. You don’t even need any olive oil. Just use water. Here are the steps.

Step One

Remove the chicken cutlets from their packaging and place them on the trivet on the bottom of a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot (I recommend this Instant Pot).

frozen chicken breasts on the bottom of an Instant Pot

Step Two

Add a cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot and lock on the lid. Set the timer to 16 minutes at high pressure and let it run.

Step Three

Once the cooking time is complete, you can let the Instant Pot pressure come down naturally for about 10 minutes, and then use the quick-release for the remaining pressure.

cooked instant pot chicken breasts

Step Four

Remove the lid and use tongs to transfer the cooked chicken cutlets to a cutting board. Use the tongs and a fork or knife to slice or shred the chicken. Serve warm or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

shredded chicken on a plate with a gold fork

Recipe Tips

  • You can cook about 3 large chicken cutlets at a time in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
  • You can add seasonings if you like, but my experience is that the spices usually end up in the cooking water.
  • If your chicken cutlets are more of a medium size, then reduce the cooking time to 16 minutes.
  • Check out this recipe for information on cooking frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot.

Serving Suggestions

Cooked chicken is so versatile. Here are some ways I like to use cooked shredded or cubed chicken:

  • As the base of my healthy and easy 5-ingredient Paleo Chicken Salad
  • In a wrap with lettuce, roasted red bell peppers, and hummus
  • On top of a salad with a vinaigrette, pistachios, and dried cranberries
  • In a warm broth with turmeric, potatoes, celery, and carrots
  • On top of corn tortillas with salsa, black beans, and guacamole
turmeric ginger chicken soup

Other Easy Instant Pot Chicken Recipes You Might Like

Or, you can see my entire round-up of healthy Instant Pot chicken recipes.

shredded chicken on a plate topped with fresh rosemary sprigs

Watch me make this recipe on my YouTube channel!

thumbnail for youtube video instant pot frozen chicken

Here is the printable recipe:

Print

Instant Pot Shredded Frozen Chicken Breast

shredded chicken on a plate with two gold forks

★★★★★

4.9 from 10 reviews

Learn how to cook an Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast that you can shred and put into tacos, salads, pasta, or soup. This is a great easy recipe for busy weeknights.

  • Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Total Time: 43 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 large frozen boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  1. Remove the chicken from the packaging. Lay the cutlets flat on the trivet inside a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.
  2. Add the water to the bottom of the pot.
  3. Lock on the lid and set the time to 18 minutes.
  4. Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down naturally for about 10 minutes. Release any additional pressure and carefully remove the lid.
  5. Use tongs to transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Use a fork and your tongs to shred the chicken. Or, you can use a knife to cut it into chunks.
  6. Serve immediately, or place the chicken in a glass bowl and cover with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

If your chicken cutlets are medium sized, then reduce the cooking time to 16 minutes.

If you chicken is defrosted or close to defrosted, you can reduce the cooking time to 8-10 minutes.

You can fit about 3 large chicken cutlets inside a 6-quart Instant Pot.

Keywords: instant pot shredded chicken, frozen chicken pressure cooker, instant pot frozen chicken breast

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