The Best, Basic Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe
Versatile and simple, this Instant Pot chicken breast recipe results in super tender, moist and flavorful chicken breasts in just about 20 minutes! You can use the lightly seasoned chicken breasts as the base of a super straightforward, healthy meal—sometimes a simple, spartan dinner of chicken breast and salad is exactly what the doctor ordered. Or, treat this recipe as a no-brainer do-every-week chicken breast recipe for your weekend meal prep session (if you’re one of those brilliant people who has one of those). The cooked chicken breasts will keep beautifully in the fridge for about 4 days, which means you’ll have plenty of time to use them to bulk up lunch salads, as the foundation of some easy dinners, or even in sandwiches throughout the week ahead. Grab your Instant Pot and let’s cook some chicken!
Simple Ingredients For A Fast, Simple Chicken Breast Recipe
Nothing too fancy here. Actually, nothing fancy AT ALL. Just some really basic ingredients for making the best, basic Instant Pot chicken recipe ever. The herbs you use can be any mix of simple dried herbs that you have in the cupboard and that you love. We think Italian seasoning is especially nice, because with herbs like marjoram and parsley in the mix, it’s got a little extra oomph. But if all you’ve got is some dried oregano, that’s OK too! The Instant Pot will still work its chicken-cooking magic, and you’ll still be blown away by how easy it is to cook chicken breasts this way.
- Chicken stock
- Boneless, skinless, chicken breast
- Italian seasoning, oregano, basil or thyme
- Garlic powder
- Brown sugar
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
Pssst—Yes, You Can Use Frozen Chicken Breasts
Yep! One of the best things about this Instant Pot chicken breast recipe is that it works just as well with frozen chicken breasts as it does with thawed. It’s an ultra speedy way to get dinner going, or get a good jump on your weekly meal prep. Just be sure to separate the chicken breasts before you season them, and know that with frozen chicken breasts, the pot may take longer to come to pressure. Otherwise, you’re good to go!
How to Cook Chicken in the Instant Pot
Instant Pot chicken breast—another reason to love the Instant Pot! Here’s how to make it:
- Put the trivet insert in the Instant Pot (or skip it if you don't have one) and pour in some chicken stock.
- Season chicken breasts with all of the spices and herbs.
- Put the chicken into the pot! Close the lid and put the vent in the closed position.
- Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes (for fresh) or 15 minutes (for frozen).
- Next, you can wait for the pressure to release naturally or *carefully* move the vent a little at a time for a quick release.
- To confirm doneness, use an instant-read thermometer to check the chicken breast internal temperature. If it reads 165°, you’re done!
Tools You’ll Need
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes We Love
Instant Pot plus chicken equals the most basic, no-brainer dinner ever and we’re SO HERE for that. Sometimes it’s just got to be that way, right? Here are three of our absolute go-to weeknight Instant Pot chicken recipes:
Sometimes Basic Is a Beautiful Thing
Try this perfect, basic Instant Pot chicken breast recipe, and let us know how you like it, OK? Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
