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sliced cooked chicken cooked from frozen on a cutting board with a knife and lemon.
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5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast

A basic method of cooking juicy instant pot frozen chicken breast. A one-step, one-main ingredient recipe, ready in about 30 minutes. The flavorful chicken breasts are perfect for serving immediately or for meal prep
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
20 minutes
Course: Main Course, Poultry
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 131kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Instant pot

Ingredients

  • 4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts Note 1
  • 1 cup liquid water, chicken stock, or water and ¼ - ½ chicken stock cube crumbled into it
  • fine sea salt or Kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon oregano optional, Note 2
  • ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika optional
  • ½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika optional

Instructions

  • Arrange: Place the trivet into the inner pot. Add 1 cup water OR chicken stock OR water and a small piece of crumbled stock cube. Place the frozen chicken breasts on the trivet. Sprinkle them with salt, oregano, paprika, and black pepper (optional).
  • Cook: Turn the vent to sealed, choose Manual or Pressure Cook, and set the time to 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the breast pieces – See Note 3 (a guide regarding cooking times). The pot will need about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
  • Release the pressure naturally for 8 to 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure.
  • Check that the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature: 165°F/ 74°C). Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  1. Size of the chicken breasts: They can weigh between 6 and 12 oz/ 170-350 g, and the cooking time will change accordingly. Ensure that all four breasts you are cooking have about the same size. Otherwise, the smaller ones will dry out by the time the larger ones are cooked through.
  2. The spices are optional. You can leave them out, use those I used or use any other spices or seasoning mixtures you like. If using all-purpose seasoning, leave out the salt, as this seasoning is already salted.
  3. The cooking time depends on the size of the pieces; their thickness matters the most. 
6-8 oz/ 170-220 g - about 10-11 minutes + 10 minutes natural release
9-10 oz/ 250-280 g - about 12-13 minutes + 10 minutes natural release
11-12 oz/ 300-350 g – about 15-16 minutes + 10 minutes natural release

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken breast | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 433mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg