Description
This recipe demonstrates how to cook frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts in an Instant Pot quickly and efficiently. It includes tips for seasoning, pressure cooking, and an option to sear the chicken afterward for a flavorful herbed finish. The result is tender, juicy chicken perfect for shredding, slicing, or serving as a main dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6–8 ounces each)
- 1 cup water or chicken broth
- 1/3 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
For Searing (Optional)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Fresh thyme for garnish
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Lemon slices for serving
Instructions
- Prep: Separate frozen chicken breasts to ensure they are not stuck together before cooking.
- Arrange: Place frozen chicken breasts into the Instant Pot. It’s fine if they overlap slightly.
- Combine Ingredients: Add water or chicken broth, white wine, minced garlic, unsalted butter, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Gently stir to combine. Add the bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs.
- Seal Instant Pot: Secure the Instant Pot lid by locking it in place and set the valve to sealing.
- Pressure Cook: Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes if the breasts are small or 10 minutes if medium-sized. The pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
- Release Pressure: After cooking completes and the Instant Pot beeps, allow a 10-minute natural pressure release, then open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Check Temperature: Confirm the chicken’s internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C) for safe consumption.
- Serve or Prepare Seared Herbed Chicken: You may chop or shred the chicken as desired for tacos or other dishes. To prepare seared herbed chicken, proceed with the following steps.
- Cover: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and place it on a plate; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Clean: Discard the cooking liquid, thyme, and bay leaves from the pot. Wipe the pot dry with paper towels.
- Sauté Mode: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode to preheat.
- Heat Oil: Add olive oil and heat for about 1 minute until hot.
- Sear Chicken: Add chicken breasts in a single layer (cook in batches if needed). Sprinkle with dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Allow the chicken to brown on each side without turning for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Baste: Transfer chicken to a cutting board and baste it with the remaining pot juices, topping with the browned herbs.
- Rest and Serve: Cover the chicken loosely with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve garnished with fresh thyme, chopped parsley, and lemon slices if desired.
Notes
- Ensure the chicken breasts are completely separated before placing in the Instant Pot to allow even cooking.
- If using larger chicken breasts, increase cooking time slightly to ensure thorough cooking.
- Natural pressure release is essential to avoid tough meat.
- You can skip the searing step for a simpler preparation or to save time.
- Use fresh herbs and lemon slices at serving for added brightness and flavor.
- White wine is optional and can be replaced with chicken broth for a non-alcoholic version.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Instant Pot chicken, frozen chicken breasts, pressure cooker chicken, easy chicken recipe, herbed chicken, quick chicken dinner
