Best Instant Pot Chicken Ever

This one pot wonder Best Instant Pot Chicken is perfect for busy nights! Use fresh or frozen chicken for an equally delicious meal! This will be your new go-to Instant Pot Chicken recipe!

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

If you have an Instant Pot or another electronic pressure cooker then you have now found the BEST Instant Pot Chicken Ever here with this recipe. You can use frozen or fresh chicken too!  Yep, I said FROZEN!  This is my favorite busy weeknight dinner idea and the chicken, potatoes, and carrots are all made in one pot!!

I have shared a variation of this recipe here with my Best Slow Cooker Chicken Ever. 

If you have an Instant Pot but are nervous about breaking out of the box I urge you to check out my Instant Pot Tips for Beginners post!  It will take the fear out of the unknown for you and get you more comfortable with your new magic kitchen too!

Did you catch where I mentioned that you can make this with fresh or FROZEN chicken?  You read that correctly!  That is one of my most absolute favorite features about my IP is that you do not have to defrost your meat!  I mean for any busy parent this is just amazing news!

I feel that I should also mention that this is a One-Pot Chicken Meal as well!  See those delicious carrots and potatoes?!  They cooked right along with the chicken!!  I take a total time saver and I use bottled Italian Dressing to cook it all in!  This lends amazing flavor and all I had to do was open a bottle!  No extra spices or measuring involved!  So easy!

The chicken is fork-tender when it comes out of the Instant Pot.  When using fresh chicken you will get a browner sear on the meat.  When using frozen as I did, the chicken will just be chicken color, lol! 

Both taste great in my opinion as I have made this so many times I can’t even count!  I cook both ways just depending on what I have on hand at the moment.

Notes for Best Instant Pot Chicken:

Cooking Fresh Chicken in Instant Pot:

• With Fresh Chicken, you will use the Saute Feature of the IP and brown the chicken first.  Sear on all sides in a tablespoon or so of oil, until the chicken has a nice brown color.
• After browning, you will want to remove the chicken and deglaze the bottom of the IP with 1/4 cup of water.  Add the water while the saute feature is still on and use a flat wooden spoon (found here) to scrape all the goodness from the bottom of the pan before returning chicken and adding remaining ingredients.
• Fresh Chicken gets cooked 2 minutes less than frozen chicken.

Cooking Frozen Chicken in Instant Pot:

• Frozen Chicken is “everyone in the pool” type of meal.  Everyone in and cook and enjoy!
• Frozen Chicken cooks 2 minutes longer than fresh chicken.

More Instant Pot Recipes You May Like:

• Instant Pot Mac-n-Cheese  (4 minute cook time)
• The Best Instant Pot Chicken Ever (8 minute cook time using FROZEN Chicken)
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork 
• Banana Bread – In an Instant Pot!
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot Veggie Beef Soup
• IP Hard Boiled Eggs A complete test of all cook times and methods!
• Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
• Ultimate Collection of Instant Pot Soup Recipes
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Instant Pot Tuxedo Hot Chocolate
• 25+ Instant Pot Christmas Recipes
• Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
• IP Chicken Parmesan Soup
• 15+ Soups perfect for the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

• Instant Pot Mac-n-Cheese  (4 minute cook time)
• The Best Instant Pot Chicken Ever (8 minute cook time using FROZEN Chicken)
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork 
• Banana Bread – In an Instant Pot!
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot Veggie Beef Soup
• IP Hard Boiled Eggs A complete test of all cook times and methods!
• Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
• Ultimate Collection of Instant Pot Soup Recipes
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Instant Pot Tuxedo Hot Chocolate
• 25+ Instant Pot Christmas Recipes
• Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
• IP Chicken Parmesan Soup
• 15+ Soups perfect for the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Instant Pot Best Chicken Ever

This one pot wonder Best Instant Pot Chicken is perfect for busy nights! Use fresh or frozen chicken for an equally delicious meal! This will be your new go-to Instant Pot Chicken recipe!

4.12 from 25 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Pressurization Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American Classics

Servings 4 servings

Calories 303

Equipment

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Measuring Cup
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Flat Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb chicken breast, fresh or frozen
• ▢ 1 bag small carrots
• ▢ 10-12 each red potatoes, small – medium, quartered
• ▢ 1 cup Italian Salad Dressing
• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup water

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Turn on the Saute feature of your Instant Pot and wait until the LED display reads “HOT”
• Add oil to pot and brown chicken on all sides for a few minutes. Remove from pan.
  1 tbsp olive oil, 1 lb chicken breast
• Add 1/4 cup water and deglaze bottom of pan by scraping with a flat wooden spoon to get all the seared flavor bits from the bottom of the pan.
  1/4 cup water
• Add chicken back tot he inner pot and also add in carrots, potatoes and salad dressing.
  1 bag small carrots, 10-12 each red potatoes, 1 cup Italian Salad Dressing
• Place lid on pot and twist until sealed position. Turn Vent to “sealing”.
• Use the Manual Setting and cook for:Frozen Chicken: 10 minutesFresh Chicken: 8 minutes
• Allow the pot to Natural Pressure Release. Open lid and serve!

Notes

For frozen chicken, skip the saute steps and add all ingredients into the pot and cook for 10 minutes vs 8 minutes. 

I use Wishbone Italian Salad dressing or Zesty Italian

This is great served over egg noodles.  Shred chicken and top egg noodles with chicken, carrots and potatoes and use the Italian dressing as a sauce over top!  My kids call this “the best chicken ever”

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1servingCalories: 303kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 24gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 716mgPotassium: 481mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 90IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Nutrition information is provided as reference values only.
That’s What Che Said®

IF YOU LIKE THIS, DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT!