It’s rare that I stumble upon a recipe hole in the internet, but after repeated searching, I could not find what I considered to be a simple guide for how to cook Instant Pot Chicken.
I had a basic question: how many minutes does it take to cook chicken in an Instant Pot?
knew it would vary depending on if I was making Instant Pot chicken breasts or Instant Pot chicken thighs, if my chicken was frozen or fresh, and if it was bone-in or bone-out, but I wanted an easy answer.
You would think this kind of basic information (Instant Pot chicken!) would be easy to find. It wasn’t…until now.
- If you are wondering how long it takes to cook chicken in a pressure cooker, this is the post for you.
- Reference it anytime you are making Instant Pot chicken and want to know how long to cook it.
- I’ve included some bonus information if you’d like to take your Instant Pot chicken to the next level, such as tips for seasoning, but if all you need to know are the basics (how much water to add to the Instant Pot with the chicken and long to cook your chicken in the Instant Pot), you’ll find that information quickly and easily here.
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN IN THE INSTANT POT
STEP ONE: Grab Your Chicken and Your Instant Pot + Trivet
- You can start with any type of chicken, including frozen chicken: boneless or bone-in; fresh or frozen; breasts, or thighs.
- You’ll need your Instant Pot, the trivet insert that came with it, chicken, and water. I use this 6-quart Instant Pot for all of my recipes.
STEP TWO: Add Water
How Much Water to Add to the Instant Pot (Varies by Model)
- 6-quart Instant Pot: add 1 cup water
- 3-quart Instant Pot: add 3/4 cup water
- 8-quart Instant Pot: add 1 1/2 cups water
STEP THREE: Add the Trivet + Seasoning
- This step is not 100% mandatory, but it will help your chicken cook more evenly, so I recommend it.
- At this point, you can also season your chicken if you like, but it’s not mandatory. I keep it simple with salt and pepper.
STEP FOUR: Cook on HIGH (Manual) Pressure According to the Cook Times Below
- The cook time will remain the same whether you have a small amount of chicken or a lot, but the time the Instant Pot takes to come to pressure will increase the more chicken you have.
- The time it takes to come to pressure will also be longer if you’re cooking frozen chicken.
The below cook times are based upon average weights.
- If your chicken is smaller, decrease the cook time by 1 to 2 minutes depending upon the extent of the size variation.
- If your breasts or thighs are larger, increase the cook time by 1 to 2 minutes.
- When in doubt, error on the side of less time. You can always cook the chicken for longer, but once it’s overcooked (especially when it comes to boneless, skinless chicken breasts), you can’t reverse the process.
CHICKEN BREAST INSTANT POT COOK TIMES
BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS
Fresh Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 8 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 10-ounce boneless chicken breasts
Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 12 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 10-ounce boneless chicken breasts
BONE-IN CHICKEN BREASTS (WITH OR WITHOUT SKIN)
Fresh Bone-In Chicken Breasts (With or Without Skin)
- 10 minutes, natural release for 5 minutes
- Based on 12-ounce bone-in chicken breasts
Frozen Bone-In Chicken Breasts (With or Without Skin)
- 25 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 12-ounce bone-in chicken breasts
CHICKEN THIGH INSTANT POT COOK TIMES
BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS
Fresh Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 6 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 3-ounce boneless chicken thighs
Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 12 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 3-ounce boneless chicken thighs
BONE-IN CHICKEN THIGHS (WITH OR WITHOUT SKIN)
Fresh Bone-In Chicken Thighs (With or Without Skin)
- 10 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 6-ounce bone-in chicken thighs
Frozen Bone-In Chicken Thighs (With or Without Skin)
- 15 minutes, vent immediately to release any remaining pressure
- Based on 6-ounce bone-in chicken thighs
Does Cook Time Change if I Have a Smaller (3-Quart) or Larger (8-Quart) Instant Pot?
- No matter which size model Instant Pot you have, the number of minutes you select on the Instant Pot remains the same.
The capacity of each Instant Pot and the amount of time the differently sized pots take to come to pressure will vary, but you’ll always set it for the same number of minutes, regardless of its size.
If you have a different brand other than Instant Pot and are wondering how long to cook chicken in a pressure cooker, the times listed above should still be accurate for other electric pressure cooker models.
STEP FIVE: Shred, Slice, or Dice!
How to Use a Mixer to Shred Chicken
Once your chicken is cooked and cool enough to handle, you can dice it up or shred it for use in your recipe.
- For easy shredding, you can place the chicken in a bowl (or even back in your Instant Pot—discard the liquid and remove the trivet first) and use a hand mixer like this one to shred the chicken. If you have a hand mixer or stand mixer, you need to try this trick!
- You can also shred the chicken with two forks by hand.
Here’s what the above looks like as a quick step-by-step.
Step-by-Step How to Cook Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Add 1 cup of water to the 6-quart Instant Pot. Insert the trivet. Add the chicken to the pot. If frozen, make sure the pieces are broken apart and not in a solid mass. (See above for the correct water amount if using a 3-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.)
- Season your chicken, if desired. (See blog post below for suggestions.)
- Set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for the number of minutes specified above, depending upon the type of chicken you’re cooking.
- After the cook time has finished, vent to release any remaining pressure. (If natural release is specified above for the type of chicken you’re cooking, let it natural release for 5 minutes and then vent any remaining pressure).
- Carefully open the lid and check the chicken’s internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken should register 165 degrees F at the thickest part, and the thermometer should not touch the bone. (See below for what to if the chicken isn’t done if your chicken is below 165 degrees F.)
- Once cool enough to handle, shred or dice as desired. (See the above mixer tip for a quick way to shred.)
What to Do If the Chicken Isn’t Done
- If your chicken doesn’t read 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer when you open up the Instant Pot but is pretty close (around 160 degrees F), close the lid and let it rest for another 5 minutes before checking the temperature again. Often this rest is enough to get the chicken up to a safe temperature.
- If it’s still not done, you can recover the Instant Pot and set for an additional 2 minutes of pressure (manual) cook time.
- Last, if you prefer, you can finish cooking the chicken in a 350 degree F oven.
How to Season Chicken in the Instant Pot
Here are a few flavor ideas to try! (Amounts listed for approximately 1 pound of chicken.)
Mexican Instant Pot Chicken
Check out Shredded Chicken Tacos too!
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Italian Instant Pot Chicken
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
All-Purpose Instant Pot Chicken
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Classic Salt and Pepper Instant Pot Chicken
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Why Does My Instant Pot Say Burn?
- A BURN warning on an Instant Pot occurs when the heat sensor reads a high temperature on the bottom of the pot, which can indicate scorching. This causes the pot to stop heating until it is resolved.
- Make sure you are using the required amount of water for your Instant Pot model. You shouldn’t have a problem with this if you follow the instructions here, because this method uses enough water to prevent the warning.
What If I Don’t Have an Instant Pot?
- Check out my guide for How to Cook Shredded Chicken on the stovetop, Baked Chicken Breast, or my Crock Pot Shredded Chicken!
How to Store Instant Pot Chicken
- Leftover cooked, shredded, or diced Instant Pot chicken can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight.
- Shredded Instant Pot Chicken is IDEAL for meal prep. Make a big batch at the beginning of the week, divide into individual containers, then use it all week long.
Recommended Tools to Cook Instant Pot Chicken
- Instant Pot
- Trivet (this also comes with the Instant Pot, but if you lose it, you can purchase a replacement online)
- Hand mixer (for easy shredding)
I hope this post is an easy-to-reference, helpful resource for you the next time you’re wondering how to cook Instant Pot chicken.
More questions, comments, or tips? Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
Instant Pot Chicken
How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken. Simple cook times for chicken breasts and chicken thighs, including fresh, frozen, bone-in, and boneless. Quick and easy!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts or chicken thighs fresh or frozen, bone-in or boneless, skin off or on
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus other seasonings as desired
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of water to the 6-quart Instant Pot. Insert the trivet. Add the chicken to the pot. If frozen, make sure the pieces are broken apart and not in a solid mass. (See blog post above for the correct water amount if using a 3-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.)
- Season your chicken, if desired. (See blog post above for suggestions.)
- Set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for the number of minutes specified in the blog post above/recipe notes below, depending upon the type of chicken you’re cooking (breasts or thighs, fresh or frozen, bone-in or boneless). The number of minutes won't change depending upon how much chicken you add (for example, 1 pound or 3 pounds) or your Instant Pot size; it will simply change the number of minutes it takes the pot takes to come to pressure and the countdown to begin.
- After the cook time has finished, either vent immediately OR let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. (Reference the release directions listed in the blog post above/notes below for the type of chicken you are using.)
- Carefully open the lid and check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer at the thickest part of the chicken. If your chicken is bone-in, make sure the thermometer doesn’t touch the bone. The chicken should register 165 degrees F. If it is below 160 degrees F, reseal and cook a few additional minutes. If the chicken is at 160 but not yet 165, you can simply set the lid on top and let it rest for 5 additional minutes, or until it hits the magic 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Let cool until easy to handle.
- Once cool enough to handle, shred or dice as desired. Alternatively, you can remove the trivet and excess liquid from the Instant Pot, return the chicken to the pot, then use a hand mixer to shred it quickly and easily. Use as desired.
Video
Notes
- Leftover cooked, shredded, or diced chicken can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (10 ounces each): 8 minutes (for fresh) or 12 minutes (for frozen) + immediate release
- Bone-In Chicken Breast (12 ounces each): 10 minutes + 5 minutes natural release (for fresh); 25 minutes + immediate release (for frozen)
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs (3 ounces each): 6 minutes (for fresh) or 12 minutes (for frozen + immediate release
- Bone-In Chicken Thighs (6 ounces each): 10 minutes (for fresh) or 15 minutes (for frozen) + immediate release
Nutrition
Serving: 4ounces shredded boneless, skinless chicken breastCalories: 187kcalProtein: 35gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 96mg
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If one wants to cook more than 3 as shown above, can the chicken be layered in the pot?
Hi Susan, yes, you can have chicken layered in the pot, as long as the chicken isn’t frozen together in a big block. Note that it will likely take longer to come to pressure.
I have also been searching for this information for chicken! Chicken is my favorite meat and we have it often. The newer cooking equipment changes the “how to” part. Thank you so much. I have chicken thighs that I must cook today, lots of them for soups and salads. Now, I know how to shred it.
You really knew exactly what to write for me today. Thank you so much.
Marilyn
P.S. I have the same mixer as you do, mine is even red!
Hi Marilyn, what excellent timing! I hope this is helpful for you. Enjoy!
Hallelujah! I’ve also had a hard time finding this information through many Pinterest and Google searches. I will be keeping this one handy for reference from now on, so thank you! Plus IP recipes are my favorite, so it’s always a good day when you post one of these. :)
I hope it’s handy, Allison!
Thanks so much! This will a come in very handy! I have both a stovetop pressure cooker
for my RV and an Cuisinart electric at home. I believe I’ve read that a stovetop cooker brings the pressure to 15 whereas the electric ones only come to 10 lb of pressure. If si, how much should I cut back the times on my stovetop? By several minutes for each type of chicken I’m cooking?
Lastly I can’t imagine how much chicken you “enjoyed” as a result of your very thorough research! Whew! You “took one for the team!”
Hi Rhonda, I do not have experience with a stovetop pressure cooker, so I’m afraid I don’t have any specific advice to offer regarding adjusting the timing. I’m guessing there are some helpful resources if you do an online search!
this is a wonderful guide that i will be referring to all the time!
I was wondering could you cook the chicken in say a BBQ sauce instead of water? The idea of using a mixer to shred the meat is brilliant. Thank you.
Hi Carol, I recommend sticking with water—if using the trivet, the chicken isn’t actually in the water, and I think using barbecue sauce would be more likely to trigger the burn warning. You may be able to find other methods for that with an online search, but this is the method I can vouch for, and I find it easy to mix the shredded chicken with barbecue sauce after cooking.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve stopped even trying to cook chicken in my IP because I’m never happy with the results. Saving this post for sure!
I hope it works well for you, Michelle!
I made this tonight! I love the mixer for shredding I never would have thought of that!! Genius!!
Hooray! I’m glad it worked out well for you, Trish!
Thank you for this precious information. Do you intend to have quite a few tips and recipes in your new cookbook in relation with IP? A good book is hard to find.
Hi Lily-Rose, it’s going to have a mix of everything, from classic stovetop, to baked, to sheet pan, to slow cooker, to yes, Instant Pot!
I’ve never used the hand mixer to shred chicken before, thanks for the tip!
It really is a good trick!
Thank for the info. I plan on printing so I can use it for reference guide.
Nora, I hope it’s a helpful resource for you!
Any chance of making a printable version of this?
Hi Patricia, there’s a “Print” button on the right side of the recipe card at the bottom of the blog post!
This compilation is fantastic! I have to ask though, did chicken legs fall off the list? ? (Could you add them please?)
Hi, Natalie! Since legs don’t contain a significant amount of meat, I find that they’re more difficult to use for shredding. Thank you for sharing this suggestion though, and I will certainly keep it in mind!
This recipe was fantastic!!! My husband loved it-moist, tender, and perfectly timed… Thank you.
Hooray! I’m glad it was a success. Thanks for reporting back, Denise!
Fantastic! Have used this with both boneless and bone in chicken breasts. I love having the info in 1 place.
Hi Susan, thanks for taking the time to report back! I’m glad it’s a helpful resource for you!
Unbelievable! I’m a relatively new Insta pot user. I’ve been searching all over for basic information on how to cook chicken. And I stumbled across yours! Thank you thank you thank you for easy step-by-step instructions to get started.
I’m glad it’s helpful, MJ! Thanks for taking the time to report back.
Thanks for the help! My chicken cooked perfectly.
Hooray! Thanks for reporting back, Jess.
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but I tried this 3 times. Once with chicken tenders and twice with skinless, boneless breasts. All three times the chicken was way over cooked and inedible.
Hi Elizabeth! Can you share the weight of your chicken, cut (breasts vs. tenders) and how long you cooked it? I haven’t run into this before! The directions above have yielded nicely cooked chicken for me and for many readers. Also did you vent right away?
Hi, I was wondering, do you need to use the poultry setting or manual setting? Also could you use chicken broth in place of the water? Intrigued to try this!
Hi Sarah, I use the manual setting! You could use chicken broth, but as the chicken is on the trivet above the water and it’s usually being mixed in with other things later, I don’t find it necessary. I hope you enjoy!
Can you use chicken broth in place of some of the water?
Hi Sue, you could use chicken broth, but as the chicken is on the trivet above the water and it’s usually being mixed in with other things later, I don’t find it necessary. I hope you enjoy!
These look absolutely delicious! You have amazing food photography too :] As much as I know my girl’s will love these, I know I will too!
So glad to hear it Maria, thank you!
Thank you for this! I was also having a hard time finding simple instructions for my instant pot. I’ve subscribed to your emails and look forward to more easy to follow recipes!
I’m so happy these have been helpful for you, Jennifer! Thank you for sharing!
You’re right about the helpfulness of this information but I can’t find out how long to cook in-bone chicken part way to be an addition to soup. Most soup recipes start with cooked chicken and I prefer fresh thighs.
Hi Alice, I’m sorry you couldn’t find the information you were looking for! You could try a soup like this Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, which uses raw, bone-in chicken breasts or thighs, so you wouldn’t have to partially cook them. I hope this is helpful!
This is exactly what I am needing! The words “Thank you” are not enough. I recently bought an Instant Pot and I am really wanting to master the whole freezer meal idea. You answered all of my chicken questions in one easy to read post. You are amazing. Thank you!
I’m SO happy to hear this was helpful, Nanette! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this incredibly kind review!
What a wealth of information! Thank you! I still have 1 question. We have 8 people for dinner and I’m trying to figure out if I can cook that much chicken in my 6 qt Instapot. I’m thinking whole breasts and legs here. Could be skinless and/or boneless, if that matters.
Any thoughts?
Thank you!
Hi Cissy! I can’t say for sure, but I do recommend only filling your Instant Pot to the “fill line” that is stamped on the inside and ensuring that you have enough liquid for the amount of meat. I hope this helps!
What do you mean by “manual” setting? Should I be using the “meat” setting or “pressure cook”? I’m new to the Instant Pot, so “manual” doesn’t mean anything to me when there is not an actual “manual” button on the cooker.
Hi Dale, on older models there is a button that says “manual”. If you have a newer model, you will select the “pressure cook” button and then use the “+” or “-” buttons to set the time. I hope this helps!
What an incredibly helpful resource finding this page was. Thank you so much! I’m not the most confident cook when it comes to chicken, but I love my instant pot, and I had 2lb of fresh chicken breast to cook (close to expiration date). There were three big pieces and I cooked for 9 minutes (figured add a minute as you advise because they were likely a bit larger than 10oz each) with 1.5 cup water. I didn’t even have the trivet and they turned out perfectly cooked. Thank you SO much for this terrific guidance!!!
I’m SO happy to hear this, Beth! Thank you for taking the time to leave this kind review!
I’ve used this “recipe” several times now to cook chicken breasts for chicken salad. I tried shredded the chicken with a handmixer in the Instant Pot and it scratched up the bottom. Not a huge deal but considering my Instant Pot is fairly new I wasn’t too thrilled to see all the tiny scratches so soon after getting it. It was also somewhat tedious because the chicken got all caught up in the beaters. I’ve found that it’s quicker and much easier to shred chicken in my mini food processor. I cut the chicken into smaller chunks, hit the chop button for just 2 or 3 seconds and it shreds beautifully! I have a Cuisinart Mini Prep Food Processor that I use all the time.
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Judy! I’m so happy the instructions have been useful for you!
Hi, I’d like to cook a whole chicken in the instant pot. Could you give the times required for fresh whole chickens please? I normally cook a 1.7kg chicken. Many thanks
Hi Natalie! Unfortunately, I don’t have the times for cooking a whole chicken. However, this page offers some great advice that you could use: https://amindfullmom.com/how-to-make-a-whole-chicken-in-the-instant-pot/. I hope this helps!
Hi Erin…Oh my I just cooked my frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts in my 6 qt IP using 1 cup water for 13 minutes and seasoned with Italian Seasoning….they were perfect and juicy! I will be using the others for taco and burrito’s too. Thank you so much for a one stop website tha has all the information needed to cook chicken.
YAY! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Dianna! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
THANK YOU! I have often had the same question – how the heck do you cook chicken in the instant pot. Some posts cook for 20 minutes which totally dries out the chicken. This little guide is money, so thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that this was helpful for you, Katie! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
This is the third time I’ve used my 3qt Instant Pot, the first two were cheese cake. Turned out great can add whatever seasoning you want, I did Italian with a lot of cayenne. Thanks a lot! As a single guy who only cooks for myself I was looking for something like this! There aren’t a whole lot of just 3qt instant pot recipes out there compared to others.
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Tyler! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
Thank you for putting it all together! Just got mine for Christmas, now I need to figure out what to cook!!
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Karen! I hope you enjoy the recipes you try!
superb and amazing this your recipe. looking the slices chicken so tasty. tonight i’m going to try this. thanks for posting this great recipe with us.
So glad it’s helpful! Enjoy!
Fantastic recipe for chicken breast. Very moist and tender.
I have tried several others with poor results .
Thank you very much
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Robert! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Please cook chicken and rice together in the Instant Pot 2-13-20
How much water & cooking time Thanks
Hi Sherry, I’m not sure I understand your question. Are you asking how long to cook the chicken with rice also? This recipe is for chicken only, but I do have a delicious Golden Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe that includes both chicken and rice. I hope this helps!
What is the benefit of putting chicken on the trivet vs just in the liquid?
Hi Michelle! I think it helps the chicken cook more evenly, but you can omit it if you prefer. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Finally, someone who said that it does not matter how much chicken you cook, the time will be the same. Thank you! I appreciate this information more than you know. I tried so many different places to get this information and could not find it until I found you. Again, thanks so much, I will try this tonight. I only want to cook 1 chicken breast. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Thank you for sharing this kind comment, Arlene! I hope you love the recipe!
Thanks for taking the time to figure this out for all of us! I’ve printed this out to keep as a reference. This is going to be so helpful!!
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Susan! I hope this is helpful for you!
Thank you so much for these guidelines! I have boneless skinless thighs that I would like to brown first for a couple minutes per side on sauté mode. Can you make a recommendation for how much to adjust the time under pressure accordingly? Thanks!
Hi Tiffany! I have only tested this chicken as is. I’ve not tested it browning it first, so it would be hard for me to know how to adjust the time. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
So if the cook time is 10 mins and it takes 10 mins or so to come to pressure, then I’m setting timer to 20 mins or 10 total?
Hi Michelle! You should set the timer to 10 minutes. I hope this helps!
Thank you for including a note about different pot sizes and water amounts! I have an 8qt and no one ever includes this distinction. I also appreciated the 8 minute cook time! Other recipes I saw said 10-20 minutes. The instructions with my IP say 6-8.
I’m so happy that this was helpful for you, Monica! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Erin I’m an avid cook and use your recipes a lot but have never left a comment for anyone but I just wanted to say a huge thank you for this!! I had frozen chicken breasts and find defrosting then incredibly stressful as they never defrost in the fridge and I know the advice is not to leave them out! This recipie and your clear instructions for all chicken types is a game changer! Our 4 chicken breasts which weighed 11 pounds each cooked to perfection at 14 minutes high pressure! Thank you!!! Xxx
I’m SO happy to hear this, Cookie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I am cooking 4 fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts that weigh about 5 ounces each. It is a total of 21 ounces. How long would you recommend that I cook them? I also have one pound of chicken tenders (5) that I can cook separately that weigh about 3 ounces each. Can I assume that I would cook those for 6 minutes? Thanks.
Hi Sue! I’ve never tried cooking chicken pieces that small in the Instant Pot, but from what I’m reading online, it sounds like the breasts will need about 5 minutes cook time and the tenders will need about 3 minutes cook time. Again, this is just my best guess, so I recommend checking them for doneness and adding more time if needed. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Hi! How long do I cook if I am putting breasts with thighs? Thanks!!
Hi Holly! Are you using boneless breasts and thighs or bone-in?
Boneless!!!
Hi Holly! I haven’t tried cooking both at the same time myself, but I think you could follow the timing for the boneless chicken breasts. Then, if the thighs still need more time, you could leave them in and cook for a few more minutes. I hope this helps!
Hi Erin,
We cannot find small bone in chicken breasts in our area. How much time will it take for a 26 ounce bone in breast ?
Thank you.
Bob W
Hi Robert! I’ve never tried cooking chicken that large in the Instant Pot, but from what I’m reading online, it sounds like the breasts will need somewhere between 15-26 minutes cook time. Again, this is just my best guess, so I recommend checking them for doneness at the earliest time and adding more time if needed. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I just put in a 15 oz frozen bone-in chicken breast for 30 minutes. I hope I don’t kill it. It’s MASSIVE, though. Lol
I hope it was delicious, Tammy!
It was perfect timing… And turned out beautifully moist. I also did 10 minutes natural release
Just putting this here in case it may help someone in the future. Thanks Erin! ?
I’m SO happy to hear that, Tammy!
I’m intrigued as to why ONLY the Fresh Bone-In Chicken Breasts call for natural release, not Fresh Bone-In Thighs, not Frozen Bone-In Breasts, or any of the other options. Do you mind explaining the reason why that one type is the odd man out? My Bone-In Chicken Breast will likely be partially thawed by the time I try this, so I’m torn between QR & NPR. TIA!
Hi! The natural release lets the meat rest after cooking and will release the pressure gradually, helping the chicken breast to stay tender and juicy. If your meat is not completely thawed before you start the recipe, make sure to check it for doneness at the end of the cook time to be safe. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
In my 6qt Duo, I tried 6 – 9oz chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) completely thawed with 1 cup water on the trivet. Since they were 9oz breasts, I tried 7 min on the high, normal setting, then immediately vented and checked the temp – in the 120’s and still raw in places where stacked. I rearranged them, and cooked them 3 minutes more with instant release. This brought them to about 160F so I closed the lid power off for another 5 minutes to let it rest which bought them to 165-170+ degrees. They came out somewhat tough and dry. This is my 2nd attempt at chicken in the IP. I really don’t like all the guess work and so far am mostly regretting my purchase :(
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with this method, Jessica. I know it can be frustrating to try a new recipe and not have it turn out as you hoped, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it! You may want to check out my other Instant Pot recipes to see if there’s another chicken recipe you might want to try.
I would encourage you to try the America’s test kitchen multi-cooker cook book first before you give up. I actually bought this first, just for the technical aspect, to give me confidence with my new purchase. It really helps you to understand the basics of the recipes & takes the guess work out of the basic recipes (chicken being 1).
To jessica. I don’t regret the instant pot.. if I make a recipe where it’s mostly submerged in some kind of liquid,, it doesn’t come out dry.
The time table that came with my instant pot duo says to cook chicken breast for 6-8 minutes PER POUND. It was late and I was hungry so I just followed their directions and put 35 minutes for a whole pack of chicken. It was my first use so I wasn’t sure how long it would take to pressurize and didn’t want to check for temp and add more cook time etc. It seemed over cooked following the instant pot time. Next time I will try this recipe exactly and see how that turns out :D it was nice to find such beginner instructions (even if I got nervous and didn’t follow them).
I don’t understand why it says per lb for every single meat on the official instant pot time chart though. It’s very confusing!
I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it, Tessa!
I have not yet scrolled all the comments, but is there explanation for GROUND chicken in an instant pot? Thanks!
Hi Jill! Unfortunately, I don’t have instructions for using ground chicken. I do have recipes that use ground chicken in my Instant Pot list. I hope this helps!
Thank you! Thank you! I needed basic info to begin. I bought a fresh bone-in, skin on chicken breast that was BIG, 1.26 lb (20 oz). After reading your tips I tried 12 min. on high pressure with a 5 min. natural release. It needed a little more time so I cooked again for 2 min. with 5 min. natural release. It was up to temperature this time. This chicken was perfect, juicy and flavorful. I did use the trivet and seasoned the chicken. Now it’s ready to use for quick meals after a long day at work. I’m one happy woman!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Terrie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I cooked 2 chicken breast for 8 minutes as noted in the article and they came out very nice. Thanks for the post.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, DT! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi
I used an 8qt instant pot and 2 frozen boneless chicken breasts (1.8 lbs total) the result was really undercooked – only 120 internal temp after 12 minutes on high. Not sure if I missed something – I used the manual steam release as recommended. Now I’m going to put it back on for a few more minutes.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with this method, Donna. This timing has worked well for me (and many other readers), but I know it can be frustrating to try a new recipe and not have it turn out as you hoped, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!
Chicken came out perfect, thank you!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Jen! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This helped a lot! Thanks.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the post, Ky! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Wow! Thanks for taking the time to write this all down for all of us! I just got my instant pot for Christmas and so far I’m loving it! This saves me a lot of time.
I’m so happy that you found this helpful, Marie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
No time listed for chicken wings?
They are a bit smaller (not as thick) than breasts or thighs with smaller bones.
So 8 minutes for fresh bone in?
Maybe a bit less?
Hi Lewis! I haven’t tested this recipe with wings, so you’d be experimenting. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I’m making hot chicken sandwiches tomorrow. This made the job a breeze. Chicken was done and shredded so easily. Thanks
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Ellen! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This is a fantastic guide. Thank you!
I’m SO happy that you found it helpful, Tracy!
This will be the first time weve used our instant pot. We want to cook 1 large boneless chicken breast and two medium bone in thighs (all frozen). Can we cook them all at once and do a middle of the road time (I’m thinking 20 or 25 minutes) or do we need to do the thighs separate from the breasts?
Hi Millie! Since the two have different cook times, I’d recommend preparing them separately to make sure you don’t overcook either one. I hope you enjoy them!
Love this! It’s SO straightforward & easy — thus far I’ve had success cooking an entire Costco package of chicken breasts at one time in my 8-quart Instant Pot. The only thing I do differently is to first cut or pull apart the cooked chicken breasts into smaller pieces before using the electric hand mixer; seems to make it easier on the mixer. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Erin.
Hi Laura! So glad you enjoyed the chicken! Thank you for this kind review!
I’m rethinking my comment about cooking an entire batch of Costco chicken breasts all at once. This last round I apparently packed them in too densely as 3 breasts in the very middle of the pot didn’t cook to temp & required extra cooking time.
Thanks for your feedback Laura!
It definitely pays to test the temp of each piece, not just the first few!
On a related note to to testing doneness, I’m so glad I finally stepped out of the dinosaur age & started using a digital thermometer vs. my old-fashioned one. Well worth the cost IMO.
It is quick. The chicken breast fillets barely got to 165 degrees after 11 minutes in a 6 qt pot. The biggest bummer is it was tough and dry and wasn’t falling apart at all so was hard to get cut up and pull apart. Would rather have juicy chicken.
I’m sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as you hoped, Dana Unfortunately, it’s so hard to say what might’ve gone wrong without being in the kitchen with you. The recipe has worked well for me (and other readers), so I truly wish it would’ve been a hit for you too!
Would using chicken broth instead of water be better? More flavorful?
Hi Holly! We like it this way, but feel free to use whichever liquid you’d like.
Recipe says that the time does not depend on amount of chicken, but the blog description for bone in breast says it is based on a 12 ounce breast. Seems contradictory and unclear.
Hi John, I’ve gone to great lengths to make it clear in this post how to cook all sizes and types of chicken. For the bone-in breast the times listed are for frozen and fresh breast, they obviously can’t cook at the same time. I said the bone-in is based on 12-ounces because that is the size I tested it on, as you can read in the comments, lots ask about others sizes, so I needed to be clear exactly how I tested mine.
CAN YOU USE CHICKEN BROTH INSTEAD OF WATER? WILL IT MAKE IT JUICIER?
Hi Jess! Chicken broth wouldn’t make them juicier, it would just intensify the flavor some. You should have no problem with them being moist if following the directions I’ve listed above. Hope you enjoy them!
Thank you SO much for putting these Instant Pot chicken recipes on your website. I bought an Instant Pot a few years ago and was frustrated that I couldn’t find a recipe for cooking plain chicken breasts to put into a soup recipe that’s been handed down to me from my grandma & mother.
Your website will be one of my favorites! Thanks for sharing your cooking knowledge with me!
Hi Cheryl! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Thank you for sharing this information. VERY helpful.
Hi Patricia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi Erin! I found this super helpful and was so excited to try it out! I used frozen boneless chicken breasts (2 of them that were about 10 oz) and I have an 8 qt cooker so I used 1 1/2 C water. Cooked them using the manual setting for 12 minutes. Released pressure, they looked and smelled yummy—went to pull them out to use the thermometer and they were still SO raw inside. What did I do wrong??
Hi Halee, I don’t really think you did anything wrong, sounds to me, you would just need to put it back under pressure for a little longer. Also when your pressure cooker is coming up to pressure is there any steam releasing? You want to make sure no steam releases and it is sealing properly.
I needed this how to, Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy it!