Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast

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Last Updated on January 4, 2020

It’s 5 pm and you forgot to defrost chicken for dinner. No problem! Learn how to cook an Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast in just about 40 minutes.

How the Instant Pot Cooks Frozen Chicken

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).

How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot

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 1: Remove the chicken breasts 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).

Step 2: 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 3: 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.

Step 4: 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.

Variations of this Instant Pot Chicken Recipe

• 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 14 minutes.
• Check out this recipe for information on cooking frozen chicken thighs in the Instant Pot.

How to Use Instant Pot Chicken

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

You might also like these easy and healthy Instant Pot recipes (all gluten free and dairy free):

• Instant Pot Chicken & Sweet Potato dinner 
• Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Rice
• Instant Pot Coconut Chicken 
• Instant Pot Noodles with Chicken 

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Here is the printable recipe for this pressure cooker frozen chicken:

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast

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★★★★★ 4.9 from 10 reviews

• Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 16 minutes
• Total Time: 41 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Main dish
• Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
• Cuisine: Paleo, gluten free, healthy

Print Recipe

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Description

Learn how to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. 

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Ingredients

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

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Instructions

1. Remove the chicken breasts from the packaging. Lay them 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 16 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 breasts are medium sized, then reduce the cooking time to 14 minutes.

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

Be sure to pin this Instant Pot recipe to save it for later!

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