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Fully cooked chicken breasts on a plate with pan sauce and herbs.
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4.58 from 7 votes

How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in the Instant Pot

Ever find yourself at 6pm staring into your refrigerator and freezer and wondering: "What can I cook for dinner, and quick?" I'm pretty sure we've all been there, and it's no fun. But on those nights, our Instant Pot has become our best friend, for being able to whip up a quick and delicious dinner.

Ingredients

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  • 3 Farmer Focus Frozen Chicken Breasts boneless and skinless
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon butter or ghee
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

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  • Place similar sized frozen chicken breasts inside of an Instant Pot. Pour chicken broth inside.
  • Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, paprika, thyme and black pepper.
  • Close the lid and set the valve to sealing.
  • Cook according to the size of your largest chicken breast. IE if your chicken breast is 12 ounces, cook for 14 minutes, with a natural release of 5 minutes. See the notes for cooking times!
  • Release any remaining pressure and check the temperature of the chicken. If it is less than 165ºF, place the lid back on and return the valve to sealing for another 5 minutes. Check one more time to ensure the chicken has reached the proper temperature.
  • Remove the chicken to a plate, cover loosely (with aluminum foil) and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile add the butter and lemon juice to the pot and press the saute function. Whisk the butter into the sauce until it melts, and let the sauce reduce until the sauce has just slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Slice the chicken, and serve with the pan sauce.

Notes

Cooking Times:
  • 14 oz. chicken breast: 15 minutes manual high pressure (MHP), plus 5-10 minutes natural pressure release (NPR)
  • 12-13 oz. chicken breast: 14 minutes MHP, plus 5-10 minutes NPR
  • 11-12 oz. chicken breast: 13 minutes MHP, plus 5-10 minutes NPR
  • 7-9 oz. chicken breast: 11 minutes MHP, plus 5-10 minutes NPR
See the post for troubleshooting tips!

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1700mg