Instant Pot Chicken: How to Cook Chicken in an Instant Pot

Instant Pot Chicken is my favorite way to cook chicken for quick family dinners, meal prep, or to prep for shredding. It makes the chicken so moist and it’s such a simple method. This post will go over the step by step process for making chicken breast, thighs, legs, tenders, wings, and even a whole chicken in a pressure cooker.

Cooking Chicken in an Instant Pot

Cooking chicken in an Instant Pot is one of the easiest methods because it’s truly hands-off. No matter what cut of chicken you’re using, whether it’s fresh or frozen, bone-in or boneless, you can do it in a pressure cooker in a relatively short amount of time.

Why cook chicken in an Instant Pot?

• It’s fast and easy!
• It keeps chicken moist instead of drying it out because it’s cooked with liquid (steaming).
• Makes meal prep super easy so you can prepare lots of chicken for a week of meals.
• It’s a hand-off cooking method, so you don’t have to constantly check if it’s done.
• You can cook frozen chicken fast, no thawing required.
• An easy way to cook chicken to prep for shredding or dicing.

You can use any type of Instant Pot or pressure cooker you like for Instant Pot chicken.

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!

Click HERE to see our favorite Instant Pot.

Yes, you can cook frozen chicken in an Instant Pot!

If you start with frozen chicken, the pressure cooker will just take a few more minutes to come to pressure, but you don’t have to make any special adjustments. Set it up the same as if it isn’t frozen, and the Instant Pot will do the rest.

Ideally, no. But…yes.

Placing chicken in the pressure cooker in a single layer (some overlap is okay) will give you the best results to make sure it’s evenly-cooked. However, this limits how many pieces of chicken you can cook at once.

If we’re going by total amount, you can certainly fit more chicken with stacking (and we need that for meal prep!). Just be aware that you may need to increase cooking time if you do this, and be sure to check internal temp. 

If you are using frozen chicken, keep it to a single layer, no stacking.

This depends on what size pressure cooker you have. Keep in mind that the inner pot should never be filled higher than the ⅔ line. 

• 6 quart: cook up to 5 pounds of chicken.
• 8 quart: 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.

The cooking time mainly depends on which cut of chicken you’re using, and whether it’s fresh or frozen.

Chicken Breast (boneless)

• Fresh: 8 minutes
• Frozen: 12 minutes

Chicken Thighs

• Fresh: 12 minutes
• Frozen: 15 minutes

Chicken Legs

• Fresh: 15 minutes
• Frozen: 20 minutes

Chicken Wings

• Fresh: 10 minutes
• Frozen: 15 minutes

Chicken Tenders

• Fresh: 6 minutes
• Frozen: 8 minutes

Whole Chicken

• Fresh: 20 minutes
• Frozen: 25 minutes

How to Cook Chicken in an Instant Pot

These step by step 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.

Chicken Breast

1. Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
2. Season chicken breast and place on the trivet in a single layer.
3. Pour chicken broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
4. Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 8 minutes (12 minutes for frozen).
5. When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.
6. Serve whole, or shred as desired.

Chicken Thighs

1. Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
2. Season chicken thighs and place on the trivet in a single layer.
3. Pour chicken broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
4. Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 12 minutes (15 minutes for frozen).
5. When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.

Chicken Drumsticks (Legs)

1. Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
2. Season chicken drumsticks and place on the trivet in a single layer.
3. Pour chicken broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
4. Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 15 minutes (20 minutes for frozen).
5. When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.
6. Broil with or without sauce to get a nice crispy skin.

Chicken Wings

1. Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
2. Season chicken wings and place on the trivet in a single layer.
3. Pour chicken broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
4. Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 10 minutes (15 minutes for frozen).
5. When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.
6. 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.

Chicken Tenders

1. Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
2. Season chicken tenders and place on the trivet in a single layer.
3. Pour chicken broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
4. Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 6 minutes (8 minutes for frozen).
5. When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.

Whole Chicken

1. Place trivet inside the Instant Pot.
2. Season chicken and place on the trivet in a single layer.
3. Pour chicken broth into the pot (directly over the chicken).
4. Seal cooker and set to HIGH pressure for 20 minutes (25 minutes for frozen).
5. When it’s done, release the pressure valve and wait for pressure to release, then let the chicken rest another 5 minutes.

What if my chicken isn’t fully cooked after taking it out of the Instant Pot?

If the internal temperature of the chicken hasn’t reached 165F 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 350F until cooked through. 

With the listed recipes and cooking times, you shouldn’t have this issue.

Shredding Chicken

Using the Instant Pot is an easy way to prepare chicken for shredding. I love making a large amount of shredded chicken for meal prep because I can use it in so many recipes.

I like using chicken breast or chicken tenders for shredding!

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!

Check this post for tons of recipes you can make with shredded chicken.

Storing Instant Pot Chicken

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 325-350F for 20-25 minutes (or until fully warmed). You can also reheat in the Instant Pot by setting it to steam for 5 minutes.

Now that you know how easy it is to make Instant Pot Chicken, 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.