This Instant Pot Chicken Breast recipe will show you how to cook the best, perfectly juicy, and flavorful chicken breast in the pressure cooker. The delicious gravy is a bonus!
In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders and Italian seasoning.
½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Sprinkle over each chicken breast, on each side.
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
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.
1 tablespoon olive oil
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.
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Add ¼ 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.
1 cup chicken stock
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.
1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
Serve chicken with gravy.
Notes
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 coarse sea salt if possible. It will make the gravy very rich. Use 1 and ½ 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.
Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.