Last Updated on 27th January 2022 by
The advantage to using the pressure cooker to cook chicken is that you can just put all your ingredients in there and set the timer and not have to worry about it.
You don’t have to keep checking on the chicken to see if it’s cooking properly. When you cook chicken in pressure cooker, it makes things a lot simpler on you.
You can put an entire chicken into the pressure cooker or cook it in smaller pieces. I want to share with you some easy recipes you can use the next time you want to make chicken and utilize your pressure cooker.
There’s no fuss and little mess to clean up, making these great cooking methods to use throughout the week to minimize the work you have to do.
How Long to Pressure Cook Chicken
I know some of you like to get an idea of how long it takes to cook something before you give it a try. You’ll want to know how much prep time you’ll need and how long the entire cooking process will take, so you know if it’ll fit into your schedule for that day.
How long to pressure cook chicken breast will depend on the method you’re using, but typically, it takes about 30 minutes. The whole chicken may take longer in the pressure cooker, because it has to cook all the way through and it’s a denser food item to work with than cut up pieces of chicken.
What if you’re working with frozen chicken? How long to pressure cook frozen chicken for? That will depend on what size of pieces you’re working with. The whole frozen chicken will take longer to cook in the instant pot or pressure cooker than some smaller pieces.
So, if we’re talking about pressure cooking frozen boneless chicken breast, that should take about 15 minutes on high. Bone-in breasts may take 25 to 30 minutes. Wings can take about 20 minutes on high, whereas drumsticks can take about 25 minutes on high.
How long to pressure cook chicken thighs from frozen? Boneless skinless thighs from frozen will take about 20 minutes on high, whereas the bone-in thighs with the skin on will take 25 to 30 minutes.
So, your cooking times change based on whether the chicken is frozen or not, whether it’s a whole chicken or pieces of chicken, whether you’re dealing with smaller pieces or larger pieces, and whether there is bone in or not.
Leaving the bone in the chicken means that the chicken will be denser and take longer to cook through all the way.
How to Cook Whole Chicken in a Pressure Cooker
A whole chicken can take about 40 minutes to finish in the pressure cooker. I’ll give you a quick run through of how to make whole chicken this way.
Start by mixing up your butter mixture. You want to mix together some salt, pepper, butter, garlic, and maybe some herbs and lemon juice as well. Then, push the butter under the skin in a few areas around the chicken.
You can tie the leg ends together to make sure the chicken cooks properly and doesn’t take up too much space. Butcher’s twine works really well for this.
To pressure cook your whole chicken, pour one cup of chicken broth into the pressure cooker pot. Set the chicken on the wire rack that rests inside the pot and then brush your butter mixture (whatever is still remaining of it) over the chicken as it sits in the pot.
Close up your pressure cooker and set for 15 minutes on the pressure setting. Allow it to release naturally for five minutes and then use quick release for the remainder of the time.
You can then air fry the chicken to give it a brown look into finish cooking it. Set the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit on the air crisp function, and brush butter over the chicken. Cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes so that the chicken browns properly.
How to Cook Chicken in Pressure Cooker
What if you want to work with smaller pieces rather than a whole chicken? I have you covered with these simple instructions for pressure cooking chicken pieces.
Start by pouring a cup of chicken broth into your pressure cooker/Instant Pot. then, you can add the chicken breast at the bottom of the pot and whatever seasonings you are going to use.
I would recommend trying a combination of pepper, salt, garlic powder and paprika, using about 1/4 teaspoon of each to go with 4 chicken breasts. Sprinkle your seasoning evenly over the breasts, and keep in mind that larger chicken breast pieces will need more seasoning. Add a tablespoon of butter- it doesn’t have to be melted, as it will cook in the pressure cooker.
Then, seal the pressure cooker, in set to pressure cook for 8 minutes. You may need to cook it for longer if you have larger chicken breast pieces. These instructions are for chicken breast pieces that are around 8 ounces each
. Give yourself enough time to make this chicken in Instant Pot, as it takes about 10 minutes to the pressure in the pressure cooker before it starts to count down the time.
When the chicken is done cooking, you can allow the pressure to release naturally. This should take about 10 minutes. Once you take out the chicken, allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before you cut it. You can take any remaining liquid in the bottom of the pot and pour it over the chicken.
This is just one method for how to pressure cook chicken, but it gives you an idea of the process you’ll need to go through, how long it will take, and how you can season your chicken so that it’s tender, juicy, and flavorful.
You’ll find some pressure cooker recipes change things up a little bit, and there are tons of different ways you can cook your chicken with the pressure cooker, but this one works well as a starter recipe.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!
