Stop thawing your frozen chicken breasts in the microwave! With your trusty Instant Pot, you can cook the chicken straight from the freezer in less than 30 minutes. In no time, you'll have tender, juicy chicken ready to shred for using on pizza, salads, tacos—you name it!
This chicken works perfectly in my Baked Chicken Quesadillas recipe!
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Convenient – No more last-minute thawing or waiting for your chicken to defrost in the microwave! With your Instant Pot, you can go straight from frozen to fabulous in under 30 minutes.
- Juicy & Tender – The Instant Pot traps all the moisture, giving you that perfect, tender chicken every time. Say goodbye to dry, overcooked chicken!
- Versatile – Use the shredded chicken in salads, tacos, soups, pasta, and more. It's a meal prep lifesaver!
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Cooking frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot is honestly a total game-changer. I use this method all the time—seriously, I can’t remember the last time I watched frozen chicken rotating in the microwave. And the best part? You’re guaranteed juicy, tender chicken every single time. Thank goodness! In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have chicken that’s perfect for shredding, slicing, or dicing, making it easy to toss on salads, in tacos, or even mix into pasta. It's my go-to hack when I need dinner yesterday—because who has time for defrosting anyway?
Another awesome thing? The versatility of this recipe. You can season the chicken however you want—keep it basic with salt and pepper, use broth or juice for added flavor, or throw in some marinades for a twist. The Instant Pot seals in all that goodness, so you won’t have to worry about dry, rubbery chicken (we’ve all been there). This recipe is fast, easy, and foolproof, and will make you wonder why you ever relied on that microwave defrost button in the first place!
🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken breasts - fresh or frozen
- Liquid - water, chicken broth, apple juice, pineapple juice, etc.
- Seasonings - salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder, etc.
*Make sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe card, which includes the full list of ingredients and quantities.
🔪 Instructions
- Add Liquid: Pour your liquid of choice into the Instant Pot.
- Add Chicken: Place the frozen chicken breasts, in a single layer, into the Instant Pot.
- Add Seasonings: Add your seasonings of choice.
- Cook the Chicken: Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual on High for 10-12 minutes (larger breasts will need more time to cook.)
- Natural Release: Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- Check Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temp reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Rest & Shred: Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before shredding.
🌟 Pro Tip
You can cook more chicken than the recipe calls for, just make sure it fits in a single layer at the bottom of the Instant Pot. The cooking time and liquid amount will still stay the same, but if you’re cooking more than the Instant Pot can handle in one go, feel free to cook it in batches.
🧂 Serving Ideas
- Shred and toss with taco seasoning for easy chicken tacos or burritos.
- Use in lettuce wraps.
- Add to a Caesar salad or a Greek salad with feta and olives.
- Add to a grain bowl with quinoa and roasted veggies.
- Toss with buffalo sauce and serve over a chopped salad with ranch dressing.
- Stir into alfredo or marinara sauce and serve over pasta.
- Mix with fried rice for an easy chicken stir-fry.
- Add to soups like chicken noodle or tortilla soup.
- Use as a topping for a chicken pizza.
- Use in chicken gyros.
- Make chicken quesadillas.
- Turn it into chicken enchiladas.
🍴Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store your cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Whether it's left whole or shredded, you’ll have ready-to-go chicken for all your meal prep needs.
Freezer: Let the chicken cool completely before freezing. Store it in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. For easy use, freeze it in individual portions or shred it first, so you can grab just what you need.
Reheat: Instant Pot: Use the Sauté function with a bit of liquid to reheat evenly. Microwave: Heat in 30-second intervals with a splash of broth to keep it moist. Stovetop: Warm it up in a pan over medium-low heat with a little broth or butter.
🌟 Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the natural release! Letting the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes helps lock in the moisture and keeps the chicken nice and juicy.
- Use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C). If it's still not done, seal it back up and cook for another 2-3 minutes on high pressure.
- Shredding the chicken? Do it while it’s warm! It’s so much easier. You can use two forks or even a stand mixer if you want to get it shredded in literally less than 30 seconds without any effort!
- Cooking the chicken in broth instead of water adds so much extra flavor. You can also add extras like bay leaves, fresh herbs, or a splash of lemon juice for more flavor.
- Don’t toss out that leftover liquid—it’s packed with flavor! Use it as a base for soups, stews, or even to keep the chicken moist when storing.
💭 FAQs
Yes, but bone-in chicken breasts will take longer to cook. You may need to increase the cook time to about 15-18 minutes for medium to large bone-in breasts, followed by a natural pressure release.
Absolutely! You’ll need to adjust the cook time for bone-in or boneless thighs: around 12 minutes for boneless and 15-18 minutes for bone-in.
If the chicken’s internal temperature is below 165°F (75°C), return it to the Instant Pot for an extra 2-3 minutes on high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally again.
🍗 More Chicken Recipes
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! I’d love it if you could add a star rating ★ and a comment below. Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!
📋 Recipe
How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts frozen
- 1 cup water or broth, juice
- seasonings of choice
Instructions
- Pour your liquid of choice into the Instant Pot.
- Place the frozen chicken breasts, in a single layer, into the Instant Pot.
- Add your seasonings of choice.
- Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual on High for 10-12 minutes (larger breasts will need more time to cook.)
- Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temp reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before shredding.
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