How to cook frozen chicken breast in a pressure cooker

Q: Can you cook from frozen in a pressure cooker?

Dos: Do Expect Cook Times to Vary: A frozen piece of meat will not only take longer to cook, but it will also take longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Because of this, be prepared to add a few extra minutes to your overall cook time.

Cooking frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot is just about the easiest way to get dinner on the table! This method results in super flavorful, juicy, and tender chicken breasts that you don’t even have to thaw. Perfect for quickly cooking chicken for another recipe, too. Check out my recipe for Instant Pot frozen chicken thighs, too!

Table of Contents Show

Why This Recipe Is So Good
How To Make It
Chef’s Tips
More Easy Recipes
Reader Interactions
How long does it take to cook frozen chicken in a pressure cooker?
Can you put frozen chicken in pressure cooker?
Can you cook from frozen in a pressure cooker?
How long does it take to cook a frozen chicken breast?

Why This Recipe Is So Good

An Instant Pot makes cooking perfectly tender and seasoned chicken breast ridiculously easy. Just season your chicken, pour in some broth and cook.
We love that this recipe uses frozen chicken breasts — no thawing needed! There’s almost no prep when it comes to cooking your chicken breasts in an Instant Pot.
This method is perfect for cooking chicken for dinner, but also for recipes that require cooked chicken. We love it for meal prep, too!

How To Make It

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with all-purpose seasoning or salt and pepper.
Place the trivet in Instant Pot, then pour in the chicken broth. Place the chicken breasts on the trivet, then close the lid. Turn the vent to sealed.
Cook on Manual High Pressure for 10-15 minutes. After the time is up, let naturally release 5 minutes then Quick Release remaining pressure.
Serve as is or use in a recipe that calls for cooked chicken.

Chef’s Tips

For 6-8 ounce breasts, about 10 minutes should make the chicken nice and tender. 11 minutes will make the chicken just a bit more firm. For a 9-10 ounce breast, cook for 13 minutes, and 15 minutes for 12 ounces.
If using all-purpose seasoning, don’t use salt, otherwise, your chicken will be too salty.

More Easy Recipes

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Air Fryer Tater Tots
3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
Instant Pot Dal
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Italian Dressing Chicken
Creamy Instant Pot Beef Pasta

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

▢ 4 chicken breasts
▢ 1 cup chicken broth or water
▢ 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning or salt and pepper to taste

Instant Pot

Season chicken breasts on both sides with seasoning or salt and pepper.
Place trivet in Instant Pot. Pour in chicken broth. Place chicken breasts on trivet. Close lid and turn vent to sealed.
Cook on Manual High Pressure for 10-15 minutes (see notes). After time is up, let naturally release 5 minutes then Quick Release remaining pressure.
Serve or use in a recipe that calls for cooked chicken.

Cook Times
- 6-8 ounce chicken breasts: Cook for 9-10 minutes.
- 9-10 ounce chicken breasts: Cook for 12 minutes.
- 12-ounce chicken breast: Cook for 14 minutes.

Serving: 8ounces, Calories: 132kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 2090mg, Potassium: 465mg, Vitamin A: 34IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg, Net Carbs: 1g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

Reader Interactions

How long does it take to cook frozen chicken in a pressure cooker?

Instant Pot Cooking Times for Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts.

small (6-8 ounce) frozen chicken breasts – cook 11-12 minutes at high pressure, plus 10 minutes natural release..

medium (9-10 ounce) frozen chicken breasts – cook 13-14 minutes at high pressure, plus 10 minutes natural release..

Can you put frozen chicken in pressure cooker?

Yes, you can take frozen chicken directly from the freezer and cook it in the pressure cooker! Just add some water, turn it on, and let it cook. Dinner is on the way.

Can you cook from frozen in a pressure cooker?

Do's: Do Expect Cook Times to Vary: A frozen piece of meat will not only take longer to cook, but it will also take longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Because of this, be prepared to add a few extra minutes to your overall cook time.