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How To Cook Frozen Chicken In Instant Pot

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Learn How To Cook Frozen Chicken In Instant Pot in 10 minutes and get the delicious, juicy, flavorful, tender, and moist Chicken you have dreamed of. This fastest, easiest, and best way to cook frozen chicken in a Pressure Cooker will allow you to have your dinner done in no time.

Frozen Chicken Instant Pot ready to serve.
How To Cook Frozen Chicken In Instant Pot

Chicken in Keto Cooking

We all love chicken. Or at least the majority of us. Chicken meals or dishes are a big part of our low-carb lifestyle, and we always try to look for new recipes. 

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We have quite a few from Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Chicken Noodle Soup, Hasselback Chicken, Stir fry, Sauerkraut Chicken, Ramen Chicken Noodles, Tomato Mozzarella Baked Chicken, and even chicken chips or Shirataki Chicken Noodles.

And this exact recipe I have used for our Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole, which is double delicious. 

Some of them require you to have your chicken cooked and ready, and that is my aim for you today. 

Meal Plans

There are days when you just forget. 

You forget to prepare dinner. 

You forget to take your chicken out of the freezer, and it is already 5 pm. 

Are you bad at planning your meals?

I sometimes am. 

Forgot to take out your chicken from the freezer? 

What happens to me from time to time as well.

No worries. Not a problem.

Today’s post is all about saving you during those days. 

Frozen Chicken in Instant Pot

I will guide you through the process of having your dinner on the table with fully frozen chicken in just a few minutes.

With chicken that is juicy, tender, moist, and extra delicious. 

No thawing is required.

Instant Pot

Do you have an Instant Pot? 

This is a question I should not even ask because I believe 99% of us have one Instant Pot at home. But if you don’t, you certainly have a pressure cooker, which will work perfectly with our guide. 

Instant Pot has been my savior for a few years already. I love using it, especially for meat dishes. 

Any meat I put in comes out incredibly delicious whatever way I cook it. And especially, it’s done in a quarter of the time, it would take me to bake it in the oven. And that is a huge help. 

How To Cook Frozen Chicken in Instant Pot.
Cooking Frozen Chicken in Instant Pot

Instant Pot Recipes

Some of the great Instant Pot Recipes I would like to share with you before I get to our chicken cooking are Goulash, which I dearly love. Bone Broth, which I make every single week and use for all of the savory recipes where the liquid is required. 

Let me not forget the special way you can use Instant Pot in making your Greek Yogurt without powdered cultures or anything else. 

Instant Pot Desserts

But do not forget that you can also make delicious desserts in an Instant Pot like Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Yogurt Cheesecake, Homemade Curd Cheese, Vanilla Extract, or Lemon Cheesecake with delicious Sugar-Free Meringue Icing on top. 

I even have a collection of Instant Pot Desserts from my popular Keto bloggers. 

Additionally, you can make a delicious Sugar-Free Mulled Wine using the Instant Pot. 

Is it Safe to Cook Frozen Chicken in an Instant Pot?

To cook your chicken in an Instant pot completely frozen is a super safe and easy way to get your dinner on the table in no time. 

Frozen Chicken Breasts Instant Pot

My steps and guides use frozen chicken breast, which we will cook in an Instant pot for 10 minutes of pressure time and additional 5 minutes until the pressure releases naturally. 

Cooking frozen chicken using an Instant Pot will be your go-to way from now on. 

How To Cook Frozen Chicken in Instant Pot

Frozen Whole Chicken Instant Pot

To cook a whole chicken in an Instant Pot is the longest process of all. Still pretty quick, if you take into consideration thawing it on the kitchen counter, which will take hours. 

A whole chicken can be cooked and done using our method with Instant Pot within 40 minutes. 

You can also cook the same way: 

  • Chicken Thighs – frozen chicken thighs in Instant Pot takes 20 minutes
  • Whole Chicken – Cooking Whole Frozen Chicken in an Instant Pot gets you done perfectly in 40 minutes of Pressure time
  • Chicken Legs – Instant Pot Chicken Legs takes 13 minutes
  • Chicken Tenders – Instant Pot Chicken Tenders are done in 6 minutes pressure time
Pieces of cooked chicken on a plate.
Frozen Chicken Instant Pot
How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot

To cook your frozen chicken breasts in Instant Pot takes exactly 10 minutes of pressure time on High-Pressure Level mode. 

Additional 5 minutes will take for the pressure to release naturally, and then you can release any additional pressure manually.

What Settings to cook frozen chicken in an instant pot?

To cook your frozen chicken in an Instant Pot, always use the same settings, just changing the pressure-time depending on the type of chicken pieces. 

The settings are Pressure Cook on High-Pressure Mode followed by letting the pressure release naturally for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Frozen Chicken in Pressure Cooker

If you do not own an Instant Pot but have the ordinary Pressure Cooker, which has been popular for centuries, simply follow the steps of your particular pressure cooker and let it pressure for those 10 minutes. 

Frozen Chicken Breast in Oven

After you have cooked your chicken in the Instant Pot, you have got one more step if you want to go even further.

That step is to place the chicken into the oven to get them crispy. 

Can you bake cooked chicken from an instant pot?

After you have cooked your Chicken in an Instant Pot, you can place all of the pieces onto the baking sheet covered with parchment paper and put it into the preheated oven for 3-4 minutes on a broil mode. 

Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer

To give your cooked chicken additional crispiness, appart of the oven, you can use your Air Fryer as well.

Simply place the cooked chicken pieces into the Air Fryer Rack, and depending on the type of Air Fryer you have, set the mode to 200 Celsius or 400 Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.

If you have a piece of chicken with bones, the time might be set to a bit longer.

A perfect recipe for air fryer chicken quarters will give you a full guide.

Frozen Chicken from Instant Pot on a plate.
How To Cook Frozen Chicken in Instant Pot

How To Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot

Kitchen Gadgets needed:

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients needed:

  • Frozen Chicken
  • Water or Broth
  • Salt & Pepper – Optional

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING INSTANT POT FROZEN CHICKEN BREASTS

First Step: Ingredients for cooking frozen chicken in Instant Pot

First of all, prepare your Instant Pot and the ingredients needed for cooking the frozen chicken.

All you need is frozen chicken pieces, liquid which is either water or a broth and salt, pepper, and some spices if you would like to flavor the chicken further.

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts ingredients needed.
Frozen Chicken Breasts Instant Pot

Second Step: Add Liquid

Open your instant pot and add one cup of liquid, either water or broth and place the metal rack into it.

Frozen Chicken Breasts in Instant Pot adding liquid.
Cooking Frozen Chicken

Third Step: Add Frozen Chicken

Onto the metal rack, place your frozen chicken pieces.

Make sure the chicken pieces are separated. Otherwise, it will take you much longer to cook all chicken pieces if frozen into one bulk.

If you want to add some seasoning or salt and pepper, you can sprinkle those onto the frozen chicken.

Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot adding onto the pot.
Frozen Chicken Breasts in Instant Pot

Fourth Step: Pressure valve

After placing your frozen chicken inside the instant pot filled with liquid, close the lid and make sure the pressure valve is turned on closed.

Cooking Frozen Chicken in Instant Pot setting valve.
Frozen Chicken Breast in Instant Pot

Fifth Step: Set Time and Cook

Set the time on your instant pot depending on what type of meat or chicken pieces you will cook.

I have mentioned all of the minutes above in an article.

In our case, we are doing chicken breast, and we set the timings for 10 minutes.

Press the pressure level on high and press the pressure cooking.

It will take a few seconds for the instant pot to switch on, and after it has been pressurized the timings will start counting.

After your chicken has been pressurized and the timing has stopped, let the instant pot release the pressure naturally for approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

Once the pressure has been naturally released, you can continue releasing it manually in case in a hurry.

Enjoy

Cooking Frozen Chicken setting the time.
Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts

Tips and Tricks:

  • Frozen pieces – make sure your chicken pieces are separated otherwise, the pressure cooking might require a longer time
  • Liquid – water or broth. Broth adds an additional flavor
  • Broth – If you have used spices, your leftover liquid can be used as broth for cooking. Store it in a Mason Jar and the fridge. 
  • Seasonings – you can add some seasoning on top of the chicken. Use our Taco Seasoning 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What can you use cooked chicken for?

If you have cooked your chicken because of a particular recipe, but you will still have some left, you can:

What to serve with cooked Chicken?

There are various side dishes you can use with our cooked chicken.

Some ideas are:

How do you store cooked chicken?

Cooked chicken can be stored in a glass container covered with a lid in your fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Can you freeze cooked chicken?

You can also freeze your cooked chicken in either a glass container or a Ziploc bag for 5 to 6 months.

If the chicken was already frozen once, and that is what our recipe is about, it is not recommended to refreeze it again.

You can still do it, and it is safe, but the texture and quality will not be the same. 

Pin for later

Frozen Chicken Breasts Instant Pot on a plate.
Frozen Chicken Instant Pot

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Frozen Chicken Instant Pot ready to serve.

How To Cook Frozen Chicken In Instant Pot

Zuzana Paar
4.86 from 7 votes
Learn How To Cook Frozen Chicken In Instant Pot in 10 minutes and get the delicious, juicy, flavorful, tender, and moist Chicken you have dreamed of. This fastest, easiest, and best way to cook frozen chicken in a Pressure Cooker will allow you to have your dinner done in no time.
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Course Main dishes
Cuisine International
Servings 3 Chicken Breasts
Calories 258 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 Frozen Chicken Breasts 4 oz each
  • 1 Cup Water or Broth
  • Salt & Pepper – no need

Instructions
 

  • First of all, prepare your Instant Pot and the ingredients needed for cooking the frozen chicken. All you need is frozen chicken pieces, liquid which is either water or a broth and salt, pepper, and some spices if you would like to flavor the chicken further.
  • Open your instant pot and add one cup of liquid, either water or broth and place the metal rack into it.
  • Onto the metal rack, place your frozen chicken pieces. Make sure the chicken pieces are separated. Otherwise, it will take you much longer to cook all chicken pieces if frozen into one bulk.
  • After placing your frozen chicken inside the instant pot filled with liquid, close the lid and make sure the pressure valve is turned on closed.
  • Set the time on your instant pot depending on what type of meat or chicken pieces you will cook. Our chicken breast is set the timings for 10 minutes. Press the pressure level on high and press the pressure cooking. After your chicken has been pressurized and the timing has stopped, let the instant pot release the pressure naturally for approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

Video

Notes

  • Frozen pieces – make sure your chicken pieces are separated otherwise, the pressure cooking might require a longer time
  • Liquid – water or broth. Broth adds an additional flavor
  • Broth – If you have used spices, your leftover liquid can be used as broth for cooking. Store it in a Mason Jar and the fridge. 
  • Seasonings – you can add some seasoning on top of the chicken. Use our Taco Seasoning

Nutrition

Serving: 1Chicken BreastCalories: 258kcalProtein: 48gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 266mgPotassium: 836mgVitamin A: 68IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg

Disclaimer

Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

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Learn How To Cook Frozen Chicken In Instant Pot in 10 minutes and get the delicious, juicy, flavorful, tender, and moist Chicken you have dreamed of. This fastest, easiest, and best way to cook frozen chicken in a Pressure Cooker will allow you to have your dinner done in no time.
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By Zuzana Paar on July 23rd, 2022
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About Zuzana Paar

Zuzana is the creative force behind this vibrant blog. With passion as a recipe developer, content creator, food writer, movie maker, and photographer, she poured her heart and soul into curating a space brimming with delightful keto and low carb recipes. Join her on this flavorful journey where quick, easy-to-make dishes take center stage, bringing joy and nourishment to your table.

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