Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

This is my tried and true method for making Instant Pot chicken breasts that are tender, juicy and delicious!

I’ll report back in another post once I hack the frozen ones! 🙂 They are a little tricker, in my opinion.

If you want to make something similar on the stovetop with a grill pan or cast iron skillet, see my other grilled chicken breasts recipe. It is one of my most popular recipes of all time!

OR if you want more of a shredded chicken recipe, check out my Instant Pot shredded chicken method.

But back to these instant pot chicken breasts!

Can we all just admit that many nights cooking is HARD?!!!

Between working and shuffling kids to and from activities or shuffling  yourself to and from meetings, life can get SO busy and dedicating time to cooking wholesome meals can go by the way side.

This does NOT have to be case!

With a few simple strategies,  and the help of EASY Instant Pot Recipes, you can ALWAYS have time to get dinner on the table for your family.

Having a large batch of cooked chicken breast in the fridge or freezer is one of my BEST staples to getting quick meals on the table, as sliced or shredded chicken is the base for so many delicious recipes.

I love to make Rotisserie Chickens or Roasted Chicken Breast in large quantities, but if I am 100% honest, I may not always plan ahead and it is 5’oclock and my family is in melt down mode because we are HANGRY! Or we are pulling in our driveway after a long day.

This is when I pull out my trusty Instant Pot.

I view this piece of equipment as my secret weapon. Within minutes, I can have rice, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, or beans  all cooked to perfection.

Ingredients

• 4 (about 6 ounces each) large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup pineapple juice, (you can also use low sodium chicken broth or water)

Instructions

1. Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts; set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl combine Italian Seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and fresh ground pepper.
3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the seasonings and mix until thoroughly combined into a paste.
4. Rub the paste all over the chicken breasts.
5. Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.
6. Once olive oil is hot, add the chicken breasts and brown on both sides; about 2 minutes per side.
7. Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside.
8. Add pineapple juice ( or chicken broth, or water) to the Instant Pot and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom.
9. Place a trivet inside the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken breasts on the trivet in one single layer.
10. Close pot, set valve to sealing, select the manual or pressure cook button (this depends on your Instant Pot model), select HIGH pressure and set the timer to 5 minutes.
11. When the 5 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes; then, release any remaining pressure. (For frozen chicken breasts, it will take longer for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot; about 15 minutes.)
12. Remove chicken from pot and let rest for 5 minutes.

FOR THE GRAVY (OPTIONAL)

1. After removing the chicken breasts and trivet from the Instant Pot, press the SAUTÉ button and bring the liquid to a boil.
2. Make a slurry with 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; mix it up and add that to the pot; let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened to a desired consistency.
3. Pour over chicken breasts and serve.

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