Cooking Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot — What You Need to Know

There are a lot of reasons to love the Instant Pot®, but likely the biggest draw of this popular multi-cooker is its time-saving capabilities. There's no better proof of this than using it to safely cook chicken from frozen, no thawing necessary.

Meat, like chicken or salmon, can go straight from the freezer into the Instant Pot. The reason? A pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot, quickly brings food to a safe temperature. This is different from a slow cooker, which can allow frozen foods to sit at an unsafe temperature for prolonged periods of time.

Not to mention that using an Instant Pot is the best way to cook chicken from frozen and still get a juicy, moist result. So go ahead and stock up on chicken next time you see it marked down and freeze it for use in one of our many Instant Pot chicken recipes. Read on for our tips on how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot.

Steps for Cooking Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot

Here's What You'll Need:

• An Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker
• Frozen chicken breasts
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Other desired seasonings

1. Place the frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot inner pot. If you are cooking more than one, make sure they are separated to achieve even cooking throughout. To separate frozen chicken breasts, place them in cool water until they have thawed enough to pull apart.
2. Add one cup of chicken broth to the pot.
3. Sprinkle any desired seasoning over the top of the chicken. Close the lid and turn the valve to the sealing position.
4. Press the "manual" or "pressure cook" button and cook on high pressure for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken breasts).
5. Once the cook time is up, allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
6. Remove the meat from the pot and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing or shredding, in order for the juices to be distributed throughout the chicken.

Fun Ways to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot

1. Instant Pot Crispy Barbecue Chicken Wings

Make homemade wings from frozen in under an hour. This recipe makes it sound like a breeze: "Save time by making chicken wings in an electric pressure cooker like the Instant Pot. Frozen or thawed, these turn out great with your favorite barbecue sauce."

2. Instant Pot No-Stress Buffalo Chicken Dip

"Want to make buffalo chicken dip and all you have is frozen chicken? No stress, just cook the frozen chicken breasts in a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot, start to finish in 30 minutes," claims this recipe.

3. Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

"An Instant Pot makes an easy everyday meal even easier! Frozen chicken breasts are combined with taco seasoning and salsa for a tasty Mexican-themed meal," states this recipe. "You can use the meat for tacos, burrito bowls, or as a topping for baked potatoes. So many possibilities!"

4. Instant Pot Chicken with Barbecue Sauce

"So easy, and only one Instant Pot, no dishes! From the freezer to the table in 30 minutes. Enjoy with baked beans or your favorite combination," according to this recipe.

5. Cheesy Ranch Chicken Pasta

A review on this recipe says, "Since it was my first time doing frozen chicken in my electric pressure cooker, I was amazed by how well-cooked yet moist the chicken came out."