Instant Pot frozen chicken breast is a quick-cooking hack for cooking chicken breast. This recipe shows you how to cook tender chicken breasts and shreddable chicken. It’s the best way for weekly meal prep throughout the week!
Let me clue you in on how I make easy weeknight meals even simpler. If you’re new to pressure cooking, this is a great way to begin as an easy Instant Pot recipe.
I put frozen chicken breast in the Instant Pot and it comes out with delicious flavorful tender chicken breasts or shredded chicken, depending on how long I cook it.
That’s the kind of magic that I like to see!
It gives all the great taste of a rotisserie chicken or slow cooker chicken, but the amount of time is much quicker.
I prepare as many chicken breasts as will fit into my Instant Pot because there are a gazillion recipes that I can cook with chicken breast and shredded chicken. I have many of them listed below!
Ingredients for Frozen Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth, or water
- Seasoning Salt
- Black Pepper
How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot
All you need for this Instant Pot chicken breast recipe is frozen boneless chicken breasts, chicken broth, and some basic seasoning.
I use a 6-quart electric pressure cooker to take all of the guesswork out of cooking chicken breast.
Depending on if you are cooking large chicken breast and using a different size Instant Pot, cook times may vary.
- Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot. Stir and place the chicken in the broth.
- Close the lid and set the vent to seal. Use the Manual setting and set the timer to 12 minutes on high pressure for tender cooked chicken. For shreddable chicken, set it to a 25-minute cook time.
- Once the timer goes off, quick pressure release the vent and remove the lid.
- For shredded chicken, use two forks, bear claws, or a mixer to shred.
How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
The exact timing will depend on the brand and size of the Instant Pot that you have.
After a little trial and error, I found that 12 minutes is perfect for juicy chicken breast and 25 minutes if you want to shred it. More on how to shred frozen chicken breast later.
You can check whether the chicken is done by using an internal temperature gauge. It should read 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t let it go over because it will dry out quickly.
Seasoning
While you don’t need to marinate or dry rub the chicken beforehand, extra seasoning makes for more flavorful chicken. It would be hard to marinate or dry rub frozen chicken either way, but if it was done prior to freezing that’s certainly okay.
I generally stick to just salt and pepper for the seasoning so that I have more freedom in adapting the chicken for other recipes.
Adding barbecue sauce to make BBQ pulled chicken or adding taco seasoning for tacos afterward are my favorite way to use them.
How Much Chicken Per Person
For a meal where the chicken breast is the star, I like to serve 1 whole chicken breast, or 6 to 8 ounces, per person. However, for recipes that call for cutting up the chicken breast, you usually need less.
As a general rule, 2 diced chicken breasts (4 to 6 ounces per person) for 3 people is about right for most recipes.
Less is often needed for shredded chicken (2 to 4 ounces per person) because it’s not typically eaten alone. When it’s prepared in a taco, for example, it’s mixed with other condiments and a taco shell only holds so much meat.
Of course, if you have a household of big eaters they’ll want more.
How to Shred Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast
Let the chicken breast sit inside the Instant Pot for a little longer and it will become super soft – perfect for freshly shredded chicken. The method could not be easier.
I place the chicken breast on a stable cutting board and just go at it with two forks. It’s sort of a poke-and-slide movement – very satisfying and therapeutic.
You can also use bear claws if you want to be a little bit more efficient. It also helps that you look extra cool doing it.
How to Shred Chicken with a Mixer
Want to do a little less manual labor? You can also make shredded chicken with a mixer!
Both a hand mixer and a stand mixer work, whichever you have handy.
Just be aware that you might send little pieces of chicken flying around the kitchen if you use a hand mixer. A stand electric mixer has a deep bowl and a handy guard that can keep the pieces inside.
To make it easier on your mixer, cut up the chicken breast into smaller pieces.
Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Okay, as promised, here are my favorite recipes that use this Instant Pot chicken as the base. I hope they give you lots of inspiration for what to make with shredded chicken.
- Chicken Noodle Soup: The most comforting meal that you can have. Perfect for those cold days, especially if you are feeling a little under the weather. For this recipe, you’ll use either diced or shredded chicken, egg noodles, diced carrots and celery, and a savory herb broth.
- Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas: Enchiladas are always a hit in my house and I’m sure they will be in yours, too. This recipe follows the Instant Pot shredded chicken cooking times and then finishes off in the oven to bake the filled enchiladas.
- One Pan Chicken Flauta: This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. They’re crispy fried tortilla shells filled with shredded chicken, sauteed onions, pico de gallo, or guacamole. Flautas go in a skillet which reduces your cooking time and it’s also a one-pan meal!
- Italian Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos: Okay, hear me out. We all love tacos and we all love Italian food. Why not blend the two together? This is the age of fusion cooking! These are made with shredded chicken and Italian seasoning and then topped with cherry tomatoes, alfredo sauce, basil pesto, and parmesan cheese.
- Instant Pot Chicken Salad: Don’t know what to put in your kids’ school lunch boxes? Then I have a treat for you. This chicken salad is rich, and creamy, and has a a lot of flavor from the red onions and Dijon mustard. I love it with a slice of rustic bread but your kids might like it in a wrap too.
How to Freeze Cooked Chicken Breast
I like keeping extra cooked chicken on hand to throw into meals for later. Especially shredded chicken because it can easily be put into any of the recipes listed above.
To freeze the chicken, whether it’s a chicken breast or shredded, place them into an airtight container or resealable freezer bag.
While properly stored chicken can last for a long time, it’s best to use it within 6 to 9 months of freezing for the best quality and flavor according to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).
Over time, the quality may deteriorate, although it will remain safe to eat if kept at a constant freezer temperature.
Shredded chicken is so incredibly versatile that I had to stop myself from making too much or the extras wouldn’t fit in my freezer.
Let me know what your favorite shredded chicken recipes are. And tell me, isn’t this even better than store-bought rotisserie chicken?
Recommended Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 cup Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth, or water
- 1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot. Stir and place the chicken in the broth.
- Close the lid and set the vent to seal. Use the Manual setting and set the timer to 12 minutes on high pressure for tender cooked chicken. For shreddable chicken, set it to a 25-minute cook time.
- Once the timer goes off, quick release the vent and remove the lid.
- For shredded chicken, use two forks, bear claws, or a mixer to shred.
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