I’m all about quick, simple, and easy chicken recipes, which is why I love my Instant Pot so much. Cooking chicken in an Instant Pot is hands-down the easiest way to get juicy, tender, perfectly-cooked chicken every time, and fast!
I’ve compiled all of my expertise into one guide so you can learn how to cook chicken breasts, thighs, tenders, legs, wings, a whole chicken, shredded chicken, and everything in between in your pressure cooker with ease. I’ll give you the simple step-by-step, a handy chart of cooking times (so you know how long to cook your chicken), and some of my other favorite Instant Pot chicken recipes to try for dinner this week.
The Ease of Instant Pot Chicken
Why do I love cooking chicken in the Instant Pot so much? Let me count the ways!
- It’s fast and easy! No matter the cut or piece, bone-in or boneless, fresh or frozen, Instant Pot chicken never takes long to cook.
- It keeps chicken moist instead of drying it out, because it’s cooked with liquid (this is high-pressure steaming) and it cooks quickly.
- It makes meal prepping chicken super easy, so I can prepare lots of chicken for a week of meals.
- It’s a hand-off cooking method, so I don’t have to constantly check if it’s done. I just set the pressure cooker using my cooking time chart, and that’s it.
- I can cook frozen chicken fast in an Instant Pot, no thawing required.
- It’s an easy way to cook chicken for shredding, pulling, cubing, or dicing.
Top Tips for Pressure Cooking Chicken
Let me start with a few basic tips to help make sure you cook the best chicken with your Instant Pot.
- Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F before consuming.
- You can cook fresh or frozen chicken in a pressure cooker.
- Add 1 cup of liquid to a 6 quart Instant Pot, or 1 ½ cups for the 8 quart.
- You can use water, broth, or another liquid to fill the cooker. I recommend using chicken broth when cooking chicken for better flavor.
- Use a trivet or steamer basket to keep chicken sitting above the liquid (rather than cooking directly in the liquid).
- When planning how long it will take to prepare your chicken, consider 3 times: the time it takes to come to pressure + the actual cook time + the time it takes to release pressure.
How Long to Cook Chicken in an Instant Pot (Time Chart)
| Type/Piece | Fresh | Frozen |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless) | 8 min. | 12 min. |
| Chicken Breasts (Bone-in) | 10 min. | 16 min. |
| Chicken Thighs (Boneless) | 12 min. | 15 min. |
| Chicken Thighs (Bone-in) | 15 min. | 20 min. |
| Chicken Legs (Quarters) | 15 min. | 20 min. |
| Chicken Drumsticks | 15 min. | 20 min. |
| Chicken Wings | 10 min. | 15 min. |
| Chicken Tenders | 6 min. | 8 min. |
| Whole Chicken | 6 min./lb. | +5 min. |
Note 1: This time chart is the cook time you will set on your pressure cooker. It will adjust itself to make sure it comes to pressure at the start before the cook time starts counting down, then wait 5-10 minutes for a pressure release at the end.
Note 2: If shredding boneless chicken pieces, I recommend adding 3 minutes to the cook time to make it more tender (and easier to shred).
How to Cook Chicken in an Instant Pot (Step by Step)
These step by step Instant Pot chicken recipes are going to be very simple and straightforward. You can use any seasonings you choose, and any liquid you choose. These how-tos are for both fresh and frozen chicken. Reference the cooking time chart above as needed.
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Chicken Breast
- Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Season chicken breast and place on the trivet in a single layer.
- Pour water or broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
- Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 8 minutes (10 minutes for bone-in, 12 minutes for frozen).
- When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.
- Serve whole, shred, or use as desired.
Get my full Instant Pot chicken breast recipe.
Chicken Thighs
- Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Season chicken thighs and place on the trivet in a single layer.
- Pour water or broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
- Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 12 minutes (15 minutes for frozen).
- When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.
Get my full Instant Pot chicken thighs recipe.
Chicken Drumsticks, Legs, and Quarters
- Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Season chicken and place on the trivet in a single layer.
- Pour water or broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
- Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 15 minutes (20 minutes for frozen).
- When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.
- Broil with or without sauce to get a nice crispy skin.
Get my full Instant Pot chicken drumsticks recipe.
Chicken Wings
- Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Season chicken wings and place on the trivet in a single layer.
- Pour water or broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
- Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 10 minutes (15 minutes for frozen).
- When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.
- Toss in your favorite sauce. You can also broil to get a crispy skin before tossing in sauce, or toss and then broil to get a caramelized sauce.
Get my full Instant Pot chicken wings recipe.
Chicken Tenders
- Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Season chicken tenders and place on the trivet in a single layer.
- Pour water or broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
- Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 6 minutes (8 minutes for frozen).
- When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.
Get my full Instant Pot chicken tenders recipe.
Whole Chicken
- Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Season chicken and place on the trivet in a single layer.
- Pour water or broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
- Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 20 minutes (25 minutes for frozen).
- When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.
Get my full Instant Pot whole chicken recipe.
Shredding Chicken
I love cooking Instant Pot shredded chicken because it’s so quick and easy and there are so many easy shredded chicken recipes to make. Start with boneless chicken breast, thighs, or chicken tenders, cook as instructed above, then shred.
After cooking the chicken, let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Then use two forks and pull the chicken in opposite directions to shred it up. Easy!
I recommend a 6 quart cooker for a family of 4 because you can cook almost anything you need with it. If you have a larger family or need to cook larger amounts of food, an 8 quart is a great option. No matter which size cooker you use, the cooking times will remain the same!
Yes, you can cook chicken straight from frozen in an Instant Pot–no thawing required.
It’s not recommended. Placing chicken into the pressure cooker in a single layer (slight overlap is okay) will give you the best results to make sure it’s evenly-cooked. If you stack, you may need to increase the cook time–and be sure to check the internal temp! Keep in mind that the inner pot should never be filled higher than the ⅔ line.
In a 6 quart Instant Pot, you can cook up to 5 pounds of chicken. In an 8 quart Instant Pot, you can cook up to 8 pounds of chicken.
For a 6 quart pressure cooker, add 1 cup of liquid. For an 8 quart pressure cooker, add 1 ½ to 2 cups of liquid.
If the internal temperature of the chicken hasn’t reached 165°F after cooking, you will need to cook it more before eating. You can either put it back in the pressure cooker for 2-3 more minutes, or you can bake at 350°F until cooked through.
Storing Leftover Instant Pot Chicken
Follow the same guidelines for storing chicken in the fridge or freezer.
- Refrigerator: Place chicken in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Place in an airtight container and store in the freezer up to 3 months. Freeze in a single layer so that you’re not left with a clump of chicken when reheating.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat leftover chicken is to use the oven. Place it in a baking dish and loosely cover with aluminum foil, then cook at 325-350°F for 20-25 minutes (or until fully warmed). You can also reheat in the Instant Pot by setting it to steam for 5 minutes. Or simply reheat in the microwave until fully warmed through.
Now that you know how easy it is to make Instant Pot Chicken (and how long to cook it), I’m sure it will be your go-to for meal prep or quick weeknight dinners! And if you ever forget to defrost your chicken, this method is 100% the way to go.
How to Cook Chicken in an Instant Pot
Ingredients
- chicken breast, thighs, tenders, whole, legs, wings
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- salt and pepper or preferred seasonings
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6- or 8-quart
Instructions
- Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Season chicken and place on the trivet, in a single layer.chicken, salt and pepper
- Pour water or broth into the pot, directly over the chicken.1 cup chicken broth
- Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure. Check time chart in notes for recommended cook time.
- When done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Chicken Breast (Boneless): 8 minutes
- Chicken Breast (Bone-in): 10 minutes
- Chicken Thighs (Boneless): 12 minutes
- Chicken Thighs (Bone-in): 15 minutes
- Chicken Legs (Quarters): 15 minutes
- Chicken Drumsticks: 15 minutes
- Chicken Wings: 10 minutes
- Chicken Tenders: 6 minutes
- Whole Chicken: 20 minutes
- Chicken Breast (Boneless): 12 minutes
- Chicken Breast (Bone-in): 16 minutes
- Chicken Thighs (Boneless): 15 minutes
- Chicken Thighs (Bone-in): 20 minutes
- Chicken Legs (Quarters): 20 minutes
- Chicken Drumsticks: 20 minutes
- Chicken Wings: 15 minutes
- Chicken Tenders: 8 minutes
- Whole Chicken: 25 minutes
Absolutely EVERYTHING you say to do WORKS! I am new to cooking and have found confidence through watching you. My Mother thanks you and I thank you.
You are so welcome!! I’m glad I can help!
How did you brown the chicken in the IP while it was on the trivet?
You’re just cooking it!
Thank you for the correct cook time! Had I followed at least 4 other recipes I had looked at, the chicken would be completely overcooked! I wasn’t sure if 4.5# (approximately 9 organic breasts) of chicken would properly cook for only 8 minutes, when so many other recipes had longer cook times. I tried it and they turned out perfectly. You can do a lot with cooked chicken – I chose to cook it in Fond broth, salsa, homemade taco seasoning, then shred it once cooked. I froze half and will eat the rest this week!
Your review and comments are extremely helpful. I cook for a big gathering and use 6lbs of thawed boneless chicken breast. I wish more recipes (especially using an 8 quart IP) would address this. I plan on shredding too. Thank you. If it isn’t done I can always cook more.
Please add minutes per pound for a whole chicken. I don’t think it’s safe to cook an 8-lb bird for the same length of time as a 5-lb. Otherwise, thanks for the comprehensive guide!
Hi Katie, this recipe was designed for a 5-lb bird. As with any recipe, adjustments would be needed for a larger or smaller bird.
This recipe and these charts are perfect! Thank you for helping me cook my chicken perfectly, every time.