Go Back
4.86 from 7 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Salad

Make Instant Pot Chicken Salad with our "Zero-Minute" method! Quick and easy way to cook tender and juiciest chicken for salad. Light, refreshing chicken salad makes a tasty appetizer or summer meal for lunch, dinners, parties, potlucks, or BBQ.
Servings 6 - 8
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 (2lbs or 885g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 cups (1L) cold running tap water
  • 2 teaspoons (14g) fine salt

Dressing & Seasoning

  • cup (82g) full fat mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) dijon mustard
  • 2 ribs (170g) celery , finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon (2.4g) parsley leaves , finely chopped
  • 1 ½ teaspoon (3g) dill , finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice from half lemon (67.5g)
  • ¼ teaspoon (0.78g) garlic powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Pressure Cook Chicken Breasts: Add 4 cups (1L) cold running tap water, 2 tsp (14g) fine salt, and 3 (885g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts in Instant Pot.
    Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 0 minutes (zero minutes), then 10 minutes Natural Release. 
    *Note: 0 minutes (zero minutes) is not a typo! We're using the heat from the "Pressurize" Stage and "Depressurize" Stage to cook the chicken.
  • Shred Chicken Breasts: Place chicken on a chopping board, then check internal temperature at its’ thickest part with an accurate food thermometer.
    With two forks, shred chicken, then let them cool to room temperature.
    *Note: The USDA recommends 165°F (74°C) as the safe internal temperature for cooked chicken. If the temperature is off by more than 10°F, quickly place the chicken back in the Instant Pot. Close the lid, then let the residual heat in Instant Pot cook the chicken for 1 to 2 more minutes. If not, let the chicken rest until it reaches 165°F (74°C). For reference, our chicken jumped to 165°F (74°C) after resting for 3 minutes.
  • Make Chicken Salad: Place shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add finely diced celery, 1 tbsp (15g) dijon mustard, and ⅓ cup (82g) full-fat mayonnaise to the shredded chicken. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add in ¼ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp (2.4g) finely chopped parsley leaves, 1½ tsp (3g) finely chopped dill, and 1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
  • Season & Serve: Taste & season chicken salad with salt and black pepper. For reference, we added 4 to 5 pinches of fine salt. You can serve this refreshing chicken salad at room temperature or chilled. Enjoy!~ :)

Notes

Setting Zero Minutes: If your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker doesn't let you set "Zero minutes", set it to "Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 1 minute". Then, press "Cancel" once it comes up to pressure.
For Frozen Chicken Breasts: Adjust the pressure cooking time to Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes, then Natural Release for 18 to 20 minutes.
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Author: Amy + Jacky
Calories: 196kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Protein: 24g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 445mg | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg