Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe

Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe delivers juicy, well-seasoned chicken with a light garlic-herb finish that stays tender every time. Busy home cooks and meal preppers will love it, and you can go from fridge to plate in about 25 minutes. I make this on repeat when my kid’s soccer practice runs late.

Why You Should Try This Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe

This Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe gives consistent results with minimal effort. The pressure cooker locks in moisture, so the chicken stays juicy and sliceable. You can season it a dozen ways, which makes weeknight dinners and meal prep feel easy.

The chicken turned out juicy and perfectly seasoned, and meal prep felt effortless ★★★★★

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: 4 pieces, 6 to 8 ounces each.
• Low-sodium chicken broth or water: 1 cup for a 6-quart, 1.5 cups for an 8-quart. Better Than Bouillon works great in water.
• Olive oil or avocado oil: 1 tablespoon, to help seasoning stick and add flavor.
• Kosher salt: 1 to 1.5 teaspoons, to taste.
• Black pepper: 1/2 teaspoon.
• Garlic powder: 1 teaspoon.
• Onion powder: 1 teaspoon.
• Paprika: 1 teaspoon (sweet or smoked).
• Optional add-ins: 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 2 lemon wedges, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, pinch of chili flakes, or chopped fresh herbs after cooking.

Pantry shortcuts and swaps:

• Use a favorite chicken seasoning blend if you want a shortcut. McCormick, Kinder’s, and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute all work.
• Use water if you run out of broth. The spices carry the flavor.
• Cooking from frozen works too. Separate the pieces before you start.

Equipment:

• Instant Pot 6-quart or 8-quart
• Trivet or steamer rack
• Tongs
• Instant-read thermometer

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe

Prep and Season

• Pat the chicken dry. Rub it with oil.
• Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Coat the chicken on all sides.

Add Liquid and Load the Pot

• Pour broth or water into the Instant Pot. Place the trivet inside.
• Arrange the chicken on the trivet in a single layer when possible. Slight overlap works, but avoid a tight stack.

Pressure Cook

• Lock the lid. Set to High Pressure.
• Cook 6 minutes for thin 6-ounce breasts, 8 minutes for average 8-ounce breasts, or 10 minutes for thick 10 to 12-ounce breasts.
• Cooking from frozen: set 10 to 12 minutes for 6 to 8-ounce pieces.

Natural Release

• Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Vent the rest manually.
• Cooking from frozen: use a 10-minute natural release.

Check Temp, Rest, and Serve

• Check the thickest part. Aim for 165°F. If it reads low, return the chicken, cook 1 to 2 more minutes, and recheck.
• Let the chicken rest 5 minutes on a cutting board. Slice, dice, or shred.
• Optional sauce move: set Sauté, whisk a pat of butter and a squeeze of lemon into the cooking liquid, simmer 2 to 3 minutes, and spoon over the chicken.

Tips & Tricks

• Use enough liquid: 1 cup for 6-quart, 1.5 cups for 8-quart.
• Thickness matters: 6 min thin, 8 min average, 10 min thick, always follow with a 5-minute natural release.
• Stack only if needed. Add 1 minute when you stack.
• Deglaze after any sauté step. Scrape up browned bits to prevent a burn notice.
• Season with confidence. Salt brings out flavor in pressure-cooked chicken.
• Keep pieces similar in size for even cooking.
• Save the cooking liquid. It makes great rice, quinoa, or a quick pan sauce.
• High altitude cooks: add 1 to 2 minutes.
• For shredded chicken, cook the breasts directly in the liquid and pull with two forks.

What to Serve with Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe

This pressure cooker chicken breast pairs well with garlic rice or quinoa and a quick veg like roasted green beans or steamed broccoli. Slice it over a Caesar or chopped Greek salad, or tuck it into tacos and burrito bowls with salsa and avocado. Toss chopped chicken with pesto pasta, or go saucy with barbecue, buffalo, chimichurri, or tzatziki. If you crave crunch, add toasted panko or crushed pita chips on top.

Make-Ahead and Storage

• Fridge: Cool the chicken, then store it in a container with a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid. Keep it 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer: Chill completely, portion into freezer bags with a bit of liquid, and freeze up to 3 months.
• Reheat: Warm gently in a skillet with a splash of broth until it reaches 165°F, or microwave covered in short bursts. Oven works too at 300°F, covered, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Thaw frozen portions overnight in the fridge, then reheat with a little liquid so the chicken stays juicy.

Ally Sanders

Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe

Instant Pot Chicken Breast delivers juicy, well-seasoned chicken with a light garlic-herb finish in about 25 minutes, perfect for busy home cooks and meal prep.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Lunch

Ingredients

  

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water (for 6-quart Instant Pot)
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water (for 8-quart Instant Pot)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, up to 1 1/2 teaspoons to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika (sweet or smoked)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 2 lemon wedges
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 pinch chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, for serving

Instructions

 

1. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and rub them all over with the oil.
2. In a small bowl, mix the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Coat the chicken on all sides with the seasoning blend.

1. Pour the chicken broth or water into the Instant Pot and place the trivet or steamer rack inside.
2. Arrange the seasoned chicken breasts on the trivet in a single layer when possible. A slight overlap is fine, but avoid tightly stacking the pieces.

1. Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to High Pressure. Cook for 6 minutes for thin 6-ounce breasts, 8 minutes for average 8-ounce breasts, or 10 minutes for thick 10 to 12-ounce breasts.
2. For frozen chicken breasts (separated pieces), cook 10 to 12 minutes for 6 to 8-ounce pieces.

1. When the cooking time is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully vent the remaining pressure manually.
2. For frozen chicken breasts, allow a 10-minute natural release before venting the rest of the pressure.

1. Open the lid and check the internal temperature of the thickest part of a breast; it should read 165°F. If it is low, return the chicken, cook for 1 to 2 more minutes at High Pressure, and recheck.
2. Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes. Slice, dice, or shred as desired.
3. For an optional quick sauce, set the Instant Pot to Sauté, whisk in the butter and lemon juice to the cooking liquid, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per serving (1 of 4, using 4 medium 7-ounce breasts, cooked in 1 cup low-sodium broth, 1 tablespoon oil, and basic seasonings): 235 calories; fat 8 g; saturated fat 2 g; carbohydrates 2 g; fiber 0 g; sugars 1 g; protein 38 g; sodium 520 mg. Values will vary based on exact chicken size, broth, salt amount, and optional add-ins like butter or lemon.