How long do you cook frozen chicken in the instant pot

Q: Is it safe to cook frozen chicken in an Instant Pot?

No thawing, no problem Theres no better proof of this than using it to safely cook chicken from frozen, no thawing necessary. Meat, like chicken or salmon, can go straight from the freezer into the Instant Pot.

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Table of Contents Show

Ingredients to Make Instant Pot Frozen Chicken
How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
Natural Pressure Release vs Quick Release on the Instant Pot
How to Store Leftovers
Alyssa Rivers
Is it safe to cook frozen chicken in an Instant Pot?
How long should you cook frozen chicken?
How much longer do you cook frozen meat in the Instant Pot?
Can you cook stuff from frozen in the Instant Pot?

No more panicking when you forget to thaw the chicken for dinner. The instant pot will transform your frozen chicken breasts into tender and juicy chicken in just minutes!

Isn’t the instant pot the best? You can cook so many things in it! Try some of my favorite dinner recipes like this instant pot lasagna, this meatloaf, or this delicious beef stroganoff! They are all delicious and your family will go crazy over them!

I cannot tell you how many times I have come home from a long day and forgot that we had nothing in our fridge to eat! All I have is a bag of frozen chicken in the freezer but it’s way too late to even think about using a crock pot. Along comes this recipe to save the day!

You will never go back to prepping for hours beforehand to get your chicken to taste just right. This chicken comes out juicy, and flavorful and the best part is that you can add it to any kind of meal! I love adding it to rice or pasta and then mixing in a few different veggies for sides! Stock up your freezer with some frozen chicken and you will never have to eat microwaved or fast food at the last minute again!

Ingredients to Make Instant Pot Frozen Chicken

You only need 4 things to make this chicken and I bet you already have them all in your kitchen. It’s SO easy! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Frozen Skinless Chicken Breasts: Just take these straight from your freezer, no need to thaw them beforehand!
Chicken Broth: If you don’t have chicken broth then you can use water as your liquid instead. The chicken broth adds a little bit of flavor.
Coarse Salt: Sprinkle on some salt to enhance all of the flavors.
Black Pepper: This adds some additional flavor to the chicken so that it’s not bland.

How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot

This instant pot chicken breasts recipe is so easy and you will want to make sure that you keep it on hand at all times. You can use it for just about everything and after you try it out, you will never need to buy fresh chicken again!

Add Broth: Pour the chicken broth into the instant pot.
Season Chicken: Place the frozen chicken breasts on top of the broth. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook: Close the lid, select seal, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. The cook time depends on how thick your chicken breasts are. I try to select thinner cut breasts when I cook them in the instant pot to ensure they cook evenly. You may need to cook the chicken longer if you use thicker breasts.
Natural Release: Once the steam is naturally released, open the lid and remove the chicken from the instant pot. Season with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you desire.
Slice: Slice the chicken and enjoy, or use as needed in other recipes

Natural Pressure Release vs Quick Release on the Instant Pot

Whenever you use your instant pot and it finishes cooking, your recipe will tell you one of two things. It will tell you to do a quick release of the pressure or a natural release of the pressure. A quick release is when manually releases the pressure by forcing the steam out of the pressure release valve. A natural release is just that. You wait for the pressure to go down on its own, naturally. Some recipes have you do this so that your food can continue cooking for a few minutes.

How to Store Leftovers

This instant pot frozen chicken recipe is great to cook quickly for dinner but then makes delicious leftovers too! I store mine in an airtight container in my fridge and then use it for meal prep with this amazing chicken salad recipe! The chicken will last 2-3 days in your refrigerator.

▢ 2 pounds frozen skinless chicken breasts
▢ 1 cup chicken broth (or water)
▢ 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Pour the chicken broth into the instant pot.
Place the frozen chicken breasts on top of the broth. Season with salt and pepper.
Close the lid, select seal, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. The cook time depends on how thick your chicken breasts are. I try to select thinner cut breasts when I cook them in the instant pot to ensure they cook evenly. You may need to cook the chicken longer if you use thicker breasts.
Once the steam is naturally released, open the lid and remove the chicken from the instant pot. Season with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you desire.
Slice the chicken and enjoy, or use as needed in other recipes.

Serves: 6

Serving4ozCalories175kcal (9%)Carbohydrates0.3gProtein32g (64%)Fat4g (6%)Saturated Fat1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat1gTrans Fat0.02gCholesterol98mg (33%)Sodium515mg (21%)Potassium569mg (16%)Fiber0.04gSugar0.2gVitamin A47IU (1%)Vitamin C2mg (2%)Calcium10mg (1%)Iron1mg (6%)

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword instant pot chicken, instant pot frozen chicken breasts

Alyssa Rivers

I am Alyssa and the blogger behind The Recipe Critic. I started my blog in June of 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family.

Is it safe to cook frozen chicken in an Instant Pot?

No thawing, no problem There's no better proof of this than using it to safely cook chicken from frozen, no thawing necessary. Meat, like chicken or salmon, can go straight from the freezer into the Instant Pot.

How long should you cook frozen chicken?

When cooking chicken straight from the freezer, you want to cook for 50 percent longer than you would with unfrozen. The average unfrozen chicken breast weighing 5-7 ounces usually takes 20-30 minutes at 350°F. So for a frozen chicken breast, you're looking at 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breast.

How much longer do you cook frozen meat in the Instant Pot?

Bargain for at least 10 extra minutes for the pot to come to pressure when using frozen meats. Sometimes up to 40 extra minutes, depending on what you are making.

Can you cook stuff from frozen in the Instant Pot?

Instead of picking up the phone and ordering take-out, grab your Instant Pot! There's a lot to love about the beloved gadget, but one of the best features is its ability to cook straight from frozen, no defrosting required, thanks to its “sauté” and “pressure cooker” functions.