Instant Pot Frozen Chicken

Name: Instant Pot Frozen Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound Frozen Chicken (breast, thighs or wings); 1 cup [Chicken Broth] (or water)

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Learning how to cook Instant Pot Frozen Chicken is a huge time-saver on busy weeknights. Juicy, tender chicken pieces pressure cooked from frozen. No thawing required!

frozen to cooked chicken breast in instant pot

Of all the neat things the Instant Pot can do, the simple things are the best. Sure -soups, stews and chili turn out GREAT but making the instant pot basics FAST is super convenient, especially when you’re short on time.

Making frozen chicken in the Instant Pot rewards you with healthy food in a matter of minutes. This instant pot frozen chicken really saves the day when you forget to take the meat out of the freezer.

Shredded Instant Pot chicken is perfect for chicken salad recipes, like my Sonoma Chicken Salad. Learning how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot is a total dinner time game changer.

✨ Recipe Highlights

Perfectly cooked chicken every time. This recipe makes incredibly moist and delicious chicken.
Quick, easy and convenient. What’s not to love about tossing frozen chicken into the Instant Pot and returning to the best, most tender chicken?
Versatile. There are dozens of ways to use Instant Pot frozen chicken breast.

🍗 Ingredients You’ll Need

Frozen Chicken – You can use chicken breast, thighs or wings. See below for specified cooking times for each.

Chicken Broth (or water) – I recommend using a flavorful broth or stock instead of water for the added flavor and nutrients.

📖 How To Make Frozen Chicken In The Instant Pot

If your chicken breast is thawed:
Slice your chicken breast lengthwise all the way through. Check out my all-purpose shredded chicken recipe for more information on cooking thawed chicken breast in the Instant Pot.

If your chicken breast is frozen, follow these steps without slicing the chicken into filets:

1️⃣ Pour broth or water into the Instant Pot, followed by a layer of frozen chicken.

2️⃣ Make sure the pressure valve is sealed and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 12 minutes.

3️⃣ When the timer goes off, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.

4️⃣ Carefully remove chicken from liquid. When it’s cool enough to touch, shred the chicken to use in future recipes.

⏲ Best Cooking Time For Pressure Cooked Frozen Chicken

The amount of time it takes to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot will vary based on the size and cut of chicken being cooked. Follow the guidelines below for perfectly cooked chicken every time.

Chicken Breast: 12 to 14 minutes; plus 5 to 10 minutes natural release

Chicken Thighs: 13 to 15 minutes; plus 5 to 10 minutes natural release

Chicken Drumsticks: 12 to 14 minutes; manual release

Chicken Wings: 10 to 12 minutes; manual release

👩🏻‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

Don’t skimp on the liquid. In order for the Instant Pot to pressure cook properly and not burn, there must be enough liquid in the pot.

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken is a canvas for seasonings, spices and sauces. You can keep things simple with broth salt and pepper OR zest things up with ranch seasoning, bbq sauce, honey, soy sauce etc.

Always check that the pressure valve is sealed before starting pressure cooking.

Since the chicken is frozen, it will take a bit longer for the Instant Pot to reach temperature and begin pressure cooking.

❔FAQ

What if the frozen chicken is stuck together?

If chicken pieces are stuck together, run under cold water until you can break them apart.

Can you Instant Pot a whole frozen chicken?

Yes. You can Instant Pot a whole frozen chicken. Set the cooking time between 60 and 70 minutes. The size of the chicken and the size of the Instant Pot will vary the cooking times.

How much water do you put in the Instant Pot for frozen chicken?

Use at least 1 cup of water for cooking frozen chicken in the Instant Pot.

Why is my Instant Pot chicken rubbery?

It’s most likely a bit under cooked. Return chicken to Instant Pot for 2 to 3 more minutes.