Learn how to Poach frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot in a couple of simple steps. Frozen chicken breasts cook in just 12 minutes and are tender, juicy, and ready to be used in your favorite recipes. Gluten-free.
Looking for a quick and easy method for cooking frozen chicken breasts that keeps them tender and juicy? Look no further! Poached chicken is the way to go.
Poached chicken is great for soups, salads, sandwiches, casseroles, tacos…I could go on & on. Basically, this how-to poach chickens breast recipe is perfect for any chicken dish.
Check out Creamy Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken A La King With Peas, Chicken and Bacon Pasta, and Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake to use with your poached chicken.
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Related: A Beginners Guide To Everything You Need To Know About Your Instant Pot & How To Use An Instant Pot
How To Make
- Place a wire rack into the 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 the chicken as is, or shredded.
Start by placing the wire rack into the bottom of the Instant Pot.
WHAT IS POACHED CHICKEN?
Poaching chicken is the process of covering the chicken with liquid and cooking at low heat until the chicken is fully cooked. Chicken is considered cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The low temperature combined with the moisture from the liquid helps to create tender chicken. No more chewy or tough chicken breasts!
When poaching, all you need is chicken and a liquid. I use water plus salt & pepper to keep it flavorful yet easy. You could swap the water for chicken broth, oil, milk, wine, or beer.
TIP: You can also add a variety of aromatics to the Instant Pot for more flavor. Try a different blend of aromatics each time you make poached chicken.
Next, place the frozen chicken breasts into the Instant Pot on top of the wire rack. Then, add the water. For every 1lb pound of chicken, use 6 cups of water.
Season with salt and pepper or any combination of herbs & spices.
HOW LONG To Poach?
Using the Instant Pot will cut down the time it takes to poach chicken tremendously. You will be amazed every time.
If using frozen chicken breasts, cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. If using thawed chicken breasts, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
HOW DO I BOIL CHICKEN?
For this recipe, there is no need to boil your chicken. Typically, boiling would be the preferred cooking method when we need a dish cooked quickly – not anymore!
Do a quick release on your Instant Pot when the chicken is done cooking.
HOW TO QUICK RELEASE ON YOUR INSTANT POT:
Manually turn the valve from “SEALING” to “VENTING”, which will let the pressure go quickly.
I use the Quick Release option when I am cooking with ingredients that I don’t want to overcook like vegetables, or when I don’t want to wait for the natural pressure to release.
PRO TIP: Be cautious with the quick release function because the steam will shoot out of the top quickly!
Once your chicken is fully cooked and the pressure has been released, it is time to serve. You can serve your chicken as is, or shred. Learn How to Shred Chicken in Kitchenaid, which is how I prefer to shred chicken. Super simple and the perfect shred!
Learning How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot will change your dinner routine. I look forward to seeing what meals you come up with!
Recipes Using Shredded Chicken:
- How to Shred Chicken in a Kitchenaid (Learn to shred chicken super quickly!)
- Shredded Chicken Skillet Nachos
- Chicken a la King
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Crescent Roll Chicken Pot Pie
- Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Tortilla Chip Casserole
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
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.
Instant Pot Poached Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- Instant pot with wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen chicken breasts ✅
- 6 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the chicken and water. Place wire rack into instant pot. Place frozen chicken into the instant pot. Add water. Season with salt and pepper. Place cover on instant pot and turn to sealing.1 pound frozen chicken breasts, 6 cups 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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Jen says
Thank you, can’t wait to try.