Instant Pot Chicken Breast – how to cook the best, perfectly juicy and flavorful chicken breast in the pressure cooker. The delicious gravy is a bonus!
You can cook a perfect whole chicken or amazing chicken thighs right in your Instant Pot! This chicken breast recipe is a must-have in the collection.
INSTANT POT CHICKEN BREAST
Did you know that you can make a juicy, tender and flavorful chicken breast in your Instant Pot? It only takes 5 minutes of pressure cooking time and 5 minutes of pressure release. A quick sear on each side ensures the chicken breast is juicy and the gravy is flavorful. I love serving the chicken with mashed potatoes and salad or roasted veggies. This Instant Pot Chicken Breast is a must-try recipe for beginners and pressure cooking fans!
What do you need to make this recipe (your shopping list):
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- chicken stock (or water)
- minced garlic
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- Italian seasoning
- black pepper
- onion powder
- garlic powder
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Breast?
- Start by mixing the seasoning in a small bowl and season chicken breasts on both sides.
- Heat up olive oil in the Instant Pot and brown each chicken breast on both sides for about 3 minutes. This is when you are creating the flavor for the chicken and the gravy so be patient.
- Remove chicken from the pressure cooker and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a little bit of the chicken stock. Scrape any cooked on bits, there is a ton of flavor there.
- Pour the rest of the chicken stock into the pot. Set trivet inside and arrange the chicken breasts on top.
- Close the lid and press manual or pressure cook setting.
- Set timer to 5 minutes (7 minutes for large chicken breasts).
- Once the timer is done, do not flip the pressure valve. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the IP and remove chicken and trivet.
- Mix cornstarch with water and add to liquid in the IP. You can cook it for a few minutes on the saute setting. It will thicken into a delicious gravy.
Can I use frozen chicken breast for this recipe?
I do not recommend using frozen chicken breast because frozen meat can’t be browned and you won’t have the delicious flavor on chicken and the gravy. If you want to cook frozen chicken breast and don’t care for the gravy, simply place frozen meat on a trivet, add chicken stock to the bottom of the pot and cook for 2 to 4 minutes longer than the fresh chicken breast. The Instant Pot will take longer to come to pressure (up to 12 minutes).
Can I use bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe?
Yes, chicken thighs are perfect cooked in the Instant Pot. Follow my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Thighs for full instructions.
Can I add potatoes and cook them with the chicken?
Yes, you can add cut up potatoes and arrange them in the liquid. Use a mix of water and stock. Once the cooking time is over, remove chicken and trivet and mash the potatoes right in the pot. You can also add baby potatoes, cut in half, around the chicken on a trivet and still make the gravy from the liquid.
What to serve with this Chicken Breast?
Since I always make a gravy with the liquid left from cooking the chicken breast, I love serving it with mashed potatoes and stuffing or salad. More side dishes to serve along with this chicken breast:
- Quick and Easy Broccoli Salad
- Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- The Best Roasted Broccoli
- Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Easy Mashed Cauliflower (for a perfect low-carb meal)
- Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
For more side dish recipes, feel free to browse our Side Dish Category.
You can serve it chopped or sliced on a salad:
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes:
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken (perfect for meal prep, tacos, enchiladas, etc.)
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Gravy
Instant Pot Whole Roasted Chicken
Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes.
New to Instant Pot? Make sure to check out our Instant Pot Guide for Beginners and browse our Instant Pot Category for more recipes.
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out! 😀
Learn how to cook perfect juicy and flavorful chicken breast in the pressure cooker. The delicious gravy is a bonus!
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders and Italian seasoning.
- Sprinkle over each chicken breast, on each side.
- Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot.
- Press "saute" setting and wait 2 minutes. Add olive oil to the Instant Pot.
- Place chicken breast in the pot and brown on each side for about 3 minutes. This is when you are creating the flavor so be patient.
- Remove chicken onto a plate and set aside.
- Add minced garlic to the Instant Pot and stir a few times. Let is brown slightly in the leftover oil. Press "cancel/off" button.
- Add 1/4 cup of the chicken stock to the Instant Pot and deglaze the bottom by scraping any cooked on bits with a wooden spoon. Add remaining stock to the pot.
- Place trivet in the Instant Pot and arrange all chicken breasts on top.
- Close the lid and set valve to "sealing" position. The newer models do it on their own.
- Make sure the Instant Pot is set to cook at HIGH pressure. Press "manual" setting and set timer to 5 minutes. The IP will beep after a few seconds and it will start coming to pressure. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Once the timer is done, press "cancel/off" button and do not flip the sealing valve. Let the Instant Pot release the pressure naturaly. It will take about 5 minutes. Carefully open the lid away from your face (there will be some steam left in the pot). Remove the chicken onto a plate and set aside. Remove trivet from Instant Pot.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Add to the liquid remaining in the pot. Whisk well. You can press "saute" setting and cook it for a minute or two until thickened.
- Serve chicken with gravy.
The 5 minutes of cooking time is perfect for chicken breast between 6 and 8 ounces. If your chicken breasts are larger (up to 12 ounces), add 2 more minutes of cooking time.
If you don't want to make gravy, you can use water for the liquid required for pressure cooking.
You can adjust seasoning to your liking, by adding your favorite spices. I recommend using coars sea salt if possible. It will make the gravy very rich. Use 1.5 teaspoon of sea salt, if possible.
We are using garlic twice: one to season the chicken and one to make a flavorful base for the gravy.
Julie says
June 20, 2019 at 11:11 pmI love making chicken in my instapot! This is so easy and delicious!
Sara Welch says
June 20, 2019 at 5:36 pmI love all the delicious recipes I can make with my Instant Pot and this is no exception! So much flavor and easy too! Yum!
Jessica says
June 20, 2019 at 3:27 pmEverybody needs to know this!
Anna says
June 20, 2019 at 11:45 pmThanks, Jessica!
Emily says
June 20, 2019 at 2:47 pmI was really skeptical of cooking chicken fast, but these were so tender and delicious!
Anna says
June 20, 2019 at 11:45 pmI am so glad they were a hit! Thanks, Emily!
Melissa says
June 20, 2019 at 1:19 pmGreat recipe! So easy to make!