Instant Pot Chicken Breast from Frozen

Being able to cook chicken from frozen is a game changer when it comes to getting dinner on the table.  Now add the convenience and speed of an Instant Pot and you have chicken breasts that are tender and juicy in less than 20 minutes.

Why Use the Instant Pot?

I was a little skeptical of the Instant Pot until I started using it. And then I was sold. It has become a great help in the kitchen when I am under pressure to get dinner on the table. Cooking times are reduced significantly and once you set the cooking time, you can turn your attention to other more important things that may be happening.

One time-saving hack that I have used in the past and written about is cooking chicken from frozen including this recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu From Frozen. It has been a real supper saver for me. And now, with the help of my Instant Pot, it has become even easier and quicker.

Cooking Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot

This recipe is very simple and will give you the basics for cooking chicken breasts from frozen. I like to use a simple salt, pepper, and garlic powder mixture to season the chicken breasts. You can use either water or chicken broth as your liquid. Then, follow the instructions below and you’ve got delicious chicken from the freezer to your plate in under 20 minutes!

Once you have the basics down, modify the seasoning mixture or add a sauce over the chicken like my Instant Pot Gravy.

Make It A Meal

Now that you know how to cook chicken breasts from frozen in the Instant Pot, you can start trying other things to the mix to make a full meal all in that one amazing pot. Try out this Instant Meal that starts with frozen chicken breasts, uncooked rice, and uncooked carrots to have a delicious dinner in under 30 minutes! For that one, everything is in the Instant Pot together and the rice gets creamy like risotto.

Another thing you can try is to make chicken and rice together in the Instant Pot but keep them separate. You use a cake pan with uncooked rice and water set above the chicken. This allows you to flavor the chicken and the rice differently, like in this recipe where you have coconut rice and orange-ginger chicken.

Instant Pot Chicken Breast from Frozen

• Author: Christine Pittman
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 9 minutes
• Total Time: 14 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Entrée
• Method: Instant Pot
• Cuisine: American

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DESCRIPTION

Being able to cook chicken from frozen is a game changer when it comes to getting dinner on the table.  Now add the convenience and speed of an Instant Pot and you have chicken breasts that are tender and juicy in less than 20 minutes.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen
• 1 cup unsalted chicken broth or water

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Place chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
3. Pour the chicken broth or water over the chicken. Season the chicken breasts with the salt mixture.
4. Cover pot, lock the lid in place, and set the steam release valve to Sealing
5. Select the Meat/Stew or Pressure Cook button and set the cook time to 9 minutes.
6. When the cooking cycle has finished, turn the steam release handle to the Venting position. Allow all steam to escape before opening.
7. Remove the chicken breasts and serve, or chop to use in a chicken salad like this one, or top with your favorite sauce.

This post originally appeared in July 2018 and was revised and republished in March 2020.