How To Cook Frozen Chicken In An Instant Pot

Last Updated on 2nd February 2022 by

The Instant Pot works like pressure cooker that cooks food very fast. Anyone who has tried to cook frozen chicken before knows that it takes a long time not to just thaw but also to cook all the way through.

Using the Instant Pot speeds things up considerably, and I’ll show you how to cook frozen chicken in Instant Pot so that it’s thoroughly cooked without much work on your part.

This is probably the simplest method for making chicken, with very little mess to clean up.

Even if you’re not an experienced cook, using the Instant Pot is really easy, especially for something like cooking a simple meat dish.

How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken in Instant Pot?

Let’s talk first about how long it’s going to take to cook frozen chicken breast this way. The actual cooking time is only about 12 minutes, which is incredible considering we’re talking about frozen chicken being cooked all the way through.

There’s a little prep time involved as well, but it’s a much faster way to cook your chicken than using the oven or cooking on the stovetop.

One and a half pounds of chicken can cook in 11 to 12 minutes in the Instant Pot, and there’s no need to thaw out the chicken. You may have cooked chicken in the oven before and seen it take about an hour for about the same amount of chicken.

That’s a huge difference in cooking time when compared to how long to cook frozen chicken breast in Instant Pot.

How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot

Let’s walk through the steps you need to take to cook your chicken this way. I will be providing a very basic recipe for you that uses just some simple, minimal seasonings.

You can add more and change up the seasonings how you like, just using this recipe as a base to work from.

I really don’t think there’s a better way to cook frozen chicken breast, because you’re saving so much time on the defrosting and on the overall cooking time when you use the Instant Pot.

Plus, the chicken comes out really juicy and tender without any real risk that it’s going to burn or be dry, so long as you follow the directions carefully.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of frozen boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of water or chicken broth

Directions:

Put your frozen chicken breasts into the Instant Pot’s interior pot.
Then, pour in the broth on top of that and add your salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you would like. (For a really flavorful chicken, you can use seasoning cubes.)
Close the lid on the Instant Pot and set the steam release valve to its “Sealing” position.
Set to pressure cook and adjust the cook time for 11 to 12 minutes. If you’re cooking more than 8 ounces of chicken breasts, you’ll want to increase the cook time. 10 ounces will take around 13 or 14 minutes, and 12 ounces will take about 16 minutes.
When the Instant Pot is done cooking, it will beep, and you can use the natural pressure release. Then, set it to “Venting” and allow the steam to leave the pot before you take off the lid.

The chicken should reach internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit if it is done cooking. It should be allowed to rest for five minutes before you cut it or serve it.

One thing to keep in mind about cooking frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot is that if they’re stuck together, they will not cook properly.

You may want to place them under cool running water to deice them enough to separate the breasts.

How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken Thighs in Instant Pot

You have to make some adjustments if you’re cooking chicken thighs or other cuts of meat in the Instant Pot.

The breast meat is typically the thickest part of the chicken, though boneless, skinless chicken breasts tend to be relatively thin and cook rather quickly.

Let’s talk about the adjustments you’ll need to make if you’re cooking thighs in the Instant Pot. I’ll make it easy for you by giving you step-by-step directions once more.

Season your frozen chicken thighs with salt and pepper and every other seasoning you want to use.
Pour your cup of chicken broth or water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and place the trivet inside.
Set the frozen, seasoned chicken thighs onto the trivet and then seal the Instant Pot.
Set the Instant Pot the high pressure in the time for 13 minutes. You’ll need to adjust for boneless chicken thighs with a reduce cooking time (about 8 minutes).
Allow the pressure to release naturally and then put the chicken thighs onto a baking sheet.
Pat them down dry and cook them in the broiler for about 5 to 10 minutes. The chicken thighs need to be placed about 10 inches away from the heat. They’re done cooking when their skin starts to turn golden brown.

The reason I use the broiler in addition to cooking in the Instant Pot is that this ensures the thighs are cooked all the way through.

Thighs with the bone still in can take a while to cook, and this is the best way to do it so that they’re fully cooked, juicy and tasty, and not dried out or overcooked.

Even using this two-part cooking process, it’s still faster to cook your frozen chicken thighs this way rather than use the oven. The Instant Pot is definitely the fastest way to cook chicken, especially when it’s frozen. I love that I can skip the whole defrosting step.

If I forgot to thaw chicken in the fridge overnight, rather than running it under cold water to deice it or putting it to defrost in the microwave, I can use the Instant Pot.

I love how quick and convenient it is and how little cleanup there is to handle when I’m done.

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Pauline

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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!