Learn the Secrets on how to cook the Most Tender & Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast.ย Super Easy & Quick Game-Changing Method yields moist & sliceable pressure cooker chicken breasts for salad, taco, sandwiches and more!
Jump to: Recipe | Step by Step Cooking Guide
Weโre overwhelmed with your love & thrilled to hear your rave reviews for our Game-Changing Poaching Method to cookย Instant Pot Whole Chicken! Thank you~ ๐
Ever since weโve published our Whole Chicken Recipe, many of you have reached out to ask if the same method works for cooking chicken breasts in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.
So, our experiment goal is to create a very versatile basic Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe that yields juicy, tender, and moist chicken breasts for you to slice, shred, or dice.
Get ready for some Juicy Tender Chicken Breast in Instant Pot! ๐
You can serve this sliceable chicken breasts in a salad, or make shredded chicken for taco filling, chicken sandwiches,ย chicken enchiladas, wrapsโฆ
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Cooking Tipsย forย Instant Pot Chicken Breast
1.ย 4 cups (1L) of Water is not a typo!
For this recipe, weโre using theย deep poaching methodย in Instant Pot to cook the chicken breasts. So itโs critical to ensure all your chicken breasts are at least 95% submerged in the salted water.
What is Deep Poaching Method?
The Deep Poaching Method involves cooking food submerged in liquid at a relatively low temperature.
This method allows the proteins to denature without pulling out too much moisture out of the food.ย Thatโs why poached food comes outย soย moist and tender!
Poaching is most commonly used for cooking delicate or fragile food that might easily fall apart or dry out using other cooking methods, such as eggs, fish, or poultry.
2. Pressure Cook at High Pressure 0 Minute
Yes! You can โpressure cookโ at 0 (zero) minute! How can that be?!
Weโre setting the pressure cooking time toย 0 (zero) minuteย because weโre using the heat generated during the โbuilding pressureโ stage AND the โdepressurizingโ stage (i.e. when Instant Pot is natural releasing) to cook the whole chicken.
Ensure to measure your chickenโs internal temperature with a Food Thermometer, and the chicken breastโs internal thickest partย reachesย at least 165ยฐF (74ยฐC) after resting.
Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 - 4 (300g - 1200g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups (1L) cold water
- 1 teaspoon (0.8g) dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon (0.9g) dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon (1g) dried thyme
- 2 (0.5g) bay leaves
- 5 teaspoons (35g) fine sea salt
Instructions
- Add Spice & Salt: Add 5 tsp (35g) fine sea salt, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme, 1 tsp (0.9g) dried rosemary, and 1 tsp (0.8g) dried oregano to Instant Pot. (*Note: Don't worry! This amount of salt wonโt make the chicken breasts too salty. You can skip the salt & spice if you are dressing up the chicken breasts after pressure cooking). Pour in 4 cups (1L) cold water in Instant Pot.
- Pressure Cook Chicken Breasts: Add 1 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in Instant Pot. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 0 minute (zero minute), then 10 - 12 minutes Natural Release.
-For 1 Chicken Breast: Natural Release for 12 minutes-For 2 Chicken Breasts: Natural Release for 11 minutes
-For 4 Chicken Breasts: Natural Release for 9 minutes
*Note: 0 minute (zero minute) is not a typo! We're using the heat from the "Pressurize" Stage + "Depressurize" Stage to cook the chicken breast in Instant Pot. - Check Chicken Breasts' Internal Temperature: Place chicken breasts on a chopping board, then check internal temperature at its' thickest part with an accurate thermometer.ย
*Note: The USDA recommends 165ยฐF (74ยฐC) as the safe internal temperature for cooked chicken. If the temperature is off by more than 10ยฐF, quickly place the chicken breasts back in Instant Pot. Close the lid, then let the residual heat in Instant Pot cook the chicken breasts for 1 - 2 more minutes. If not, let the chicken breasts rest until it reaches 165ยฐF (74ยฐC). For Reference, our chicken breasts jumped to 165ยฐF (74ยฐC) after resting for 3 minutes. - Serve Chicken Breasts: Once the chicken breasts have reached 165ยฐF (74ยฐC), slice and serve immediately. You can also shred the chicken breasts, then serve them in sandwiches. Now you know the secrets to cook juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast! Enjoy!~ ๐
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Notes
Nutrition
Step-by-Step Instant Pot Chicken Breasts Guide
Here are the ingredients for cooking Chicken Breast in Instant Pot:
Add Spice & Salt
Add 5 tsp (35g) fine sea salt, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme, 1 tsp (0.9g) dried rosemary, and 1 tsp (0.8g) dried oregano to Instant Pot.
*Note: Donโt worry! This amount of salt will not make the chicken breasts too salty.
*Pro Tip: You can skip the salt & spice if you are planning to dress up the Instant Pot Chicken Breasts after pressure cooking.
Pour in 4 cups (1L) cold water in Instant Pot.
Pressure Cook Chicken Breasts
Add 1 โ 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in Instant Pot.
Close lid and turn Venting Knob to Sealing position.
Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 0 minuteย (zero minute), then 10 โ 12 minutes Natural Release
- For 1 Chicken Breast: Natural Release for 12 minutes
- For 2 Chicken Breasts: Natural Release for 11 minutes
- For 4 Chicken Breasts: Natural Release for 9 minutes
*Note: 0 minute (zero minute) is not a typo! Weโre using the heat from the โPressurizeโ Stage + โDepressurizeโ Stage to cook the chicken breast in Instant Pot.
Check Chicken Breastsโ Internal Temperature
Place chicken breasts on a chopping board, then check internal temperature at itsโ thickest part with an accurate food thermometer.
*Note: The USDA recommends 165ยฐF (74ยฐC) as the safe internal temperature for cooked chicken.
*Pro Tip: If the temperature is off by more than 10ยฐF, quickly place the chicken breasts back in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. Close the lid, then let the residual heat in Instant Pot cook the chicken breasts for 1 โ 2 more minutes.
Our single chicken breast (below photo) recorded at 157ยฐF (69ยฐC), then it jumped to 165ยฐF (74ยฐC) after resting for 3 minutes.
Our double batch of chicken breasts (below photo) recorded at 156ยฐF (69ยฐC), then jumped to 165ยฐF (74ยฐC) after resting for 3 minutes as well.
Serve Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Once the Instant Pot Chicken Breasts have reached 165ยฐF (74ยฐC), slice and serve immediately.
You can serve this sliceable instapot chicken breasts in a salad, or make shredded chicken for taco filling, chicken sandwiches,ย chicken enchiladas, wrapsโฆ
Now you know the secrets on how to cook juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts!
Enjoy your Juicy & Tender Instant Pot Chicken Breast!~ ๐
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