Name: Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: salt (to taste); freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning (plus more as needed); 1 teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika, plus more as needed); 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 pounds total, see Notes); 2 tablespoons olive oil (or avocado oil); 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or water)

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Tender, juicy, and full of flavor, this Instant Pot chicken breast recipe is honestly the best and easiest way to get a perfectly-cooked protein fast and with little effort. Use our simple spice blend or your favorite seasonings for delicious chicken that works as well in other recipes as it does all on its own.

A whole Instant Pot chicken breast, fully cooked and resting on a plate with a small salad.

🍗 What Makes This Recipe So Good

The Instant Pot makes cooking a chicken breast pretty much foolproof. Say goodbye to boring, bland, boiled chicken. No more worrying about your skillet being too hot or not hot enough. Never again struggle with oven-baked chicken that cooks through unevenly, making the outside dry by the time the inside’s done.
You know I love a one-pot meal. In this recipe, we sear and pressure cook the chicken breasts right in the Instant Pot, so there aren’t any extra skillets or pans to deal with. I’m not sure which is better – the quick cook time or the quick clean up!
I opted to season the chicken breasts with a simple spice blend, but don’t be fooled. Instant Pot chicken breasts have unlimited flavor potential. Feel free to use your favorite combination of spices and seasonings for chicken that genuinely goes with literally anything.

Want to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot? Check out this recipe instead!

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

Make sure you only sear the chicken breast in the Instant Pot at first. Don’t cook them through completely! The goal is to give the chicken a little color and to help lock in the natural juices. A few minutes on each side is all you need!
Don’t skip the deglaze! When you pour the chicken broth into the Instant Pot, be sure to scrape up any browned bits of chicken breast that may have stuck to the bottom. If you don’t, you risk the Instant Pot giving a burn warning, which will keep the chicken from cooking like it should. Save yourself some frustration and make sure nothing’s stuck to the bottom of the insert before you start pressure cooking.
If you end up with an extra Instant Pot chicken breast or two, let them cool completely, then refrigerate them in an airtight container. Fully-cooked chicken can be refrigerated up to 4 days. If you don’t think you’ll eat it that soon, though, you can freeze it up to 4 months instead. I recommend wrapping the chicken breasts in foil and then freezing them in an airtight container or sealable freezer bag for maximum freshness.

A fork pierces and lifts a slice of an Instant Pot chicken breast off a plate away from other slices of chicken.

🐓 Other Easy Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

A juicy, Instant Pot chicken breast on a plate with a small salad. The chicken is sliced into 7 slices.

Recipe By: Cheryl Malik

Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

Prep 15

Cook 15

Total 30

Perfectly juicy chicken breasts cooked in the Instant Pot in just 15 minutes for a fast, easy, nutritious dinner that's super versatile.

4 servings

Equipment

Small bowl
Spoon
Cutting board
Paper towels
Instant Pot
Tongs
Silicone spatula or large wooden spoon
Instant Pot trivet
internal meat thermometer

Ingredients

For the Spice Rub

▢ salt to taste
▢ freshly ground black pepper to taste
▢ 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning plus more as needed
▢ 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika, plus more as needed

For the Chicken Breasts

▢ 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 2 pounds total, see Notes

To Cook the Chicken Breasts

▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
▢ 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water

Instructions

Add salt, freshly ground black pepper, 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and 1 teaspoon paprika to small bowl. Stir ingredients together until well-blended. Set aside.
Place 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts on cutting board. Pat chicken breasts completely dry on all sides with paper towels.
Sprinkle half of spice blend evenly over chicken breasts, then flip chicken breasts over and sprinkle remaining spice blend on other side, making sure to also season sides of chicken breasts. Add additional salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, or paprika if needed to season chicken as desired.
Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to Instant Pot, covering as much surface as possible. Heat olive oil in Instant Pot until oil is hot and shimmering.
When oil is ready, place seasoned chicken breasts directly in bottom of Instant Pot insert, working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding pot.
Sear chicken breasts 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned on bottom. Flip chicken breasts over and sear 2 to 3 minutes more, then remove chicken breasts from Instant Pot and set aside. Repeat with any remaining chicken breasts.
Once all chicken breasts have been seared and removed from insert, turn off Instant Pot. Pour in 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth while Instant Pot is still hot and use silicone spatula to scrape up any browned bits of chicken that may be stuck to bottom of insert.
Place Instant Pot trivet in bottom of Instant Pot insert. Arrange seared chicken breasts on top of trivet, overlapping chicken breasts if needed to fit in Instant Pot.
Secure lid on Instant Pot with valve in Sealing position. Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize, then cook time will begin.
Once 5-minute cook time ends, immediately and carefully Quick Release pressure inside Instant Pot, then carefully remove lid. Use caution, as any escaping steam will be very hot.
Carefully remove chicken breasts from Instant Pot and set aside to rest 3 to 5 minutes. After chicken has rested, transfer chicken to serving plates and serve warm with desired sides.

Spice Blend: You’re welcome to use different combinations of spices and seasonings each time you prepare this recipe.
Chicken Breasts: Use chicken breasts that are roughly the same size and thickness, to ensure they cook at the same rate. Trim chicken as needed, or pound especially thick pieces with rolling pin or large skillet until thinned.
Cook Times: All pressure cookers behave differently, so double-check your chicken with a food thermometer before serving to make sure it’s fully cooked. It should read 160° Fahrenheit internally immediately after cooking and 165° Fahrenheit before serving. You may need to adjust the cook time slightly depending on the age of your Instant Pot and the condition of the sealing ring.
Make it Gluten Free: Double check that your chicken broth doesn’t contain any gluten.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 331calProtein: 49gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 391mgPotassium: 910mgTotal Carbs: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gNet Carbs: 1gVitamin A: 340IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg