Learn how to cook frozen chicken in your instant pot. You can take chicken breasts straight from the freezer and cook them in just 12 minutes. The cooked chicken breasts can be seasoned and served, shredded, or used in a favorite recipe.
The Instant Pot has been a trendy kitchen tool for the last few years. We are big fans of how quickly foods cook in the instant pot and really like using it to cook foods from frozen and recipes that usually take hours and can be cut way back like our favorite Pulled Pork.

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In under 15 minutes, you’ll have chicken that can be used for a dish that night or stored in the freezer for later use. Plus, you’ll have the option to use the whole chicken breast and serve with Hasselback Potatoes with Cheese or shred and serve in Creamy Chicken Pot Pie.
Related: A Beginners Guide To Everything You Need To Know About Your Instant Pot & How To Use An Instant Pot

Instructions:
- Place a wire rack into instant pot.
- Place frozen chicken into instant pot.
- Add water.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the cover on instant pot and turn to sealing.
- Cook high pressure for 12 minutes (8 minutes if using thawed chicken).
- Do a quick release and use it as is, or shred.
PRO TIP: Save the broth at the bottom of the Instant Pot once your chicken is done cooking! You can store in the fridge to use within 2-3 days for another recipe or freeze in a freezer storage container.

FAQ
Absolutely! NO THAWING REQUIRED. You can use the quick release or natural release function on your Instant Pot when cooking meat. I prefer to use the natural release when I am cooking a tougher cut of meat (How to Identify Tough and Tender Cuts of Meat.) However, if you are running short on time, you will still end with a tender dish if using the quick release.
Only 12 minutes! Once your chicken is done cooking, you can serve as is or shred. Looking for an easy shredding trick? Check out How to Shred Chicken in Kitchenaid.
PRO TIP: If you are cooking a large chicken breast, check to make sure it’s fully cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to temp your chicken to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

More Instant Pot Recipes:
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
How To Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen chicken breasts ✅
- 1 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the chicken and water into the instant pot. Place wire rack into instant pot. Place frozen chicken into instant pot. Add water. Season with salt and pepper. Place cover on instant pot and turn to sealing.1 pound frozen chicken breasts, 1 cup water, salt and pepper to taste
- ⭐️Cook. Cook high pressure for 12 minutes (8 minutes if using thawed chicken). Do a quick release and use as is, or shred.
Notes
Nutrition
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Kaylee says
Super helpful!
Claudia says
Life saving!!