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GET IT NOWMy Instant Pot Chicken Breast Is The Best Way To Make Shredded Chicken
Probably the #1 staple I make ahead all the time is big batches of this Instant Pot chicken breast to use for other recipes. (I meal prep barbacoa beef and pulled pork too, but let’s be real, cooking chicken breast is by far the most essential.) I used to pull out my slow cooker for this, but back in 2017 I discovered that it’s so much faster to make shredded chicken breast in my Instant Pot. Let me show you why you need this recipe:
- Fastest way to make shredded chicken – The prep is as easy and care-free as my slow cooker, but it only takes me around 10 minutes (okay, plus some time for the Instant Pot to pressurize). It’s convenient not to have to plan so far ahead!
- Perfect flavor and texture – It’s juicy, it’s flavorful, it’s amazing whole but also shreds effortlessly. There’s so much I love about this Instant Pot chicken breast recipe. You can even use a similar method to make Instant Pot turkey breast (though I don’t shred that one).
- Time chart for any quantity, fresh or frozen – I went through pounds and pounds of chicken to test my handy time chart for you. And now I actually reference it myself when I make chicken breast in my Instant Pot!
I don’t think I’ll ever make shredded chicken another way again. Try these Instant Pot chicken breasts with me, and you might say the same!
How To Cook Chicken Breast In The Instant Pot
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Season the chicken breast in the Instant Pot. Place the pieces on the bottom (I don’t use the trivet here), and season with Italian seasoning (or any other spices you like), salt, and pepper. Pour chicken broth around the sides of the chicken. Don’t stir.
- Pressure cook the chicken. Close the lid and select the either the “Poultry” or “Manual” setting (for high pressure). Set the time based on the amount of chicken you have — use my time chart below.
- Release the pressure. Let the pressure naturally release for at least 5 minutes. Then you can vent to quick release remaining pressure, or continue natural release. See my tips on this below.
- Shred the cooked chicken. I have a few different ways to shred chicken here.
My Recipe Tips
- Pour the broth around the chicken, not over it. This way, there’s enough liquid for the Instant Pot, but you won’t wash off the seasonings. You can use store-bought chicken broth, my homemade chicken broth, or even bone broth. Water works in a pinch, but is less flavorful.
- Feel free to customize the spices. I usually use Italian seasoning for my Instant Pot shredded chicken, because it goes with almost everything. But for Mexican recipes, I love it with my taco seasoning. You can also just add garlic powder, paprika, or individual dried herbs. At a minimum, I recommend salt and pepper, otherwise the shredded chicken tastes like nothing.
- For the most juicy, tender chicken, wait for natural release. Don’t worry, this is not required, and I do use quick release (after waiting 5 minutes) all the time. But I definitely notice a difference in tenderness and can shred the chicken more easily when I wait for the natural release to finish.
- Check that the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. I use this meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. It almost always does using my time chart (below), but if not, put the lid back on for 5 minutes and wait to see if it does from the residual heat. If the temperature is still too low, seal again and pressure cook for another 2 minutes.
- You can also enjoy Instant Pot chicken breasts whole. I mostly make this recipe when I need shredded chicken, but you don’t have to shred it. You can totally serve it as a meal with your favorite side dish — or make my Instant Pot chicken and rice for a one-pot meal.
- Can you use this method with other cuts? Yes, it works with boneless chicken thighs, too. For bone-in, skin-on cuts, I recommend following my recipe for Instant Pot chicken legs instead.
How Long To Pressure Cook Chicken?
Instant Pot chicken breast time depends on how much you’re cooking at once, and whether it’s fresh or frozen. My rule of thumb is to start at 4 minutes for 1 pound, and add an extra 1-2 minutes for each additional pound. Add about 5 minutes to that time if your chicken is frozen.
After testing each weight amount (and over 20 pounds of shredded chicken later!), I’ve created this time chart, so you never have to guess. These times are for an Instant Pot this size, which I used to test.
| Amount of Chicken Breast by Weight | # Servings On Recipe Card | Cook Time (Fresh Chicken) | Cook Time (Frozen Chicken) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | 5 | 4 minutes | 9 minutes |
| 2 lb | 10 | 5 minutes | 10 minutes |
| 3 lb | 15 | 6 minutes | 11 minutes |
| 4 lb | 20 | 8 minutes | 13 minutes |
| 5 lb | 25 | 10 minutes | 15 minutes |
- What these times mean: These are the times you enter on your Instant Pot, and do not include time it takes to build pressure.
- How to scale the recipe: My chart above includes a column for “# Servings On Recipe Card” — this is what you’d set on the recipe card (at the bottom of this post) in the Servings section, to scale the ingredients to the amount of chicken you have.
- Don’t scale the amount of broth: You always need 1 cup of chicken broth for Instant Pot chicken breasts, whether you’re making 1 pound, 5 pounds, or anything in between.
- A note on chicken breast size: My cook times are based on typical 8-ounce chicken breasts that I usually buy. If yours are larger, you may need to increase the time by a couple of minutes.
FYI: One pound of raw chicken will make 2 to 2 1/2 cups of shredded chicken.
You can make up to 5 pounds of chicken breast in the Instant Pot at once, if yours is 6 quarts like mine. I usually stick to no more than 4 pounds, as 5 pounds doesn’t always cook evenly.
Shredding Methods
One of the things I love about Instant Pot chicken breast is how easy it is to shred it! You have a few options here:
- Two Forks – Use them to shred chicken breast directly in the Instant Pot. Hold a piece of chicken steady with one fork, then pull and tear away the shredded pieces with the other… and repeat. Sometimes I use meat shredding claws like this, which work the same way, but faster.
- Hand Mixer – This is my favorite method, because it’s so quick but the cleanup is still minimal. Drain some of the liquid temporarily (so it doesn’t splash all over you), then place the beaters into the pot and turn on the mixer to shred. If your hand mixer has a slow start feature, like this mixer I have, that helps to reduce splattering.
- Stand Mixer – A stand mixer works the same way as a hand mixer, except you’ll need to transfer the chicken into the mixer bowl.
Instant Pot Chicken Breast (Fresh Or Frozen)
Instant Pot chicken breast is easy, juicy, and fast! Use my time chart to make it from fresh or frozen chicken, then enjoy whole or shred.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Place the chicken into the Instant Pot. Season with Italian seasoning (if you like), sea salt, and black pepper. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the chicken.
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Close the lid and select the either the "Poultry" or "Manual" setting. Set the time to 8 minutes for fresh chicken breast, or 13 minutes for frozen chicken breast — or use the time chart in the post above to cook other weights. (These times are for typical 8 ounce chicken breasts. If yours are larger, add a couple of minutes.)
-
When the time is up, let the pressure naturally release for at least 5 minutes. After that, you can turn the valve to "Vent" for quick release if you're in a hurry, or continue natural release for the most tender texture.
-
Unplug the pressure cooker and use two forks to shred the chicken. (I prefer to do this right in the pressure cooker, mixing with the juices.) Drain if serving right away, or store with the broth to retain moisture.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/2 cup
- Tips: See my recipe tips to help you get juicy, tender shredded chicken, ways to customize the spices, and how to cook if you prefer your chicken breasts whole instead of shredded.
- Scaling the recipe: Check out my handy time chart for cooking different weights of chicken, plus some tips on scaling up or down.
- Storage: If you’ll use the chicken this week, you can keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. I store it with the juices to retain moisture.
- How to freeze: While I do keep a bit in the fridge when I need it, I always make a big batch of this Instant Pot chicken breast so that I can freeze it! After letting it cool, portion it out into zip lock bags (I recommend 1-pound portions for recipes) and freeze flat. Once solid, you can store the bags upright in the freezer for 3-6 months. Sometimes I use my vacuum sealer to make it last even longer without freezer burn, or freeze in these cubes for perfect portions — each section is about a pound.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Freezer Meal System!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe
Ways To Use It
There are probably a hundred ways that I use my Instant Pot shredded chicken breast. Here are some of my faves you can try:
- Casseroles – The #1 way I use shredded chicken is for my family’s favorite casserole, chicken bacon ranch casserole. It’s perfect for my chicken Cordon Bleu casserole or chicken zucchini casserole as well.
- Salads – I always use this for classic chicken salad, but also for my other creamy ones, like Mediterranean chicken salad and avocado chicken salad. You can top your leafy salads, such as green goddess salad or Cobb salad, too.
- Soups – While you can totally cook chicken breast while your soup cooks, sometimes I toss in pre-made Instant Pot chicken breast for a time-saving shortcut. Try it in my spaghetti squash chicken soup or healthy detox soup.
- Sandwiches – Make them with one of my chicken salads (above), or mix the chicken with my sugar free BBQ sauce and melt cheese on top.
- Dips – Stir it into my crack dip or queso dip for added protein, or use your pressure cooker again to make Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip.
- Mexican Dishes – If you make it with taco seasoning like I suggested above, my Instant Pot chicken breast recipe is perfect for tacos with fresh salsa, a quick burrito bowl, chicken stuffed peppers, stuffed poblano peppers, or taco salad with my homemade salsa.
- Side Dishes – If you want to serve your Instant Pot chicken breasts whole, make my roasted broccoli, sauteed green beans, or air fryer potatoes at the same time for easy sides.
134 Comments
Eva
0Thanks for this – this is going to be such a time saver!! Especially since it works for frozen too! I see that for four pounds of frozen chicken the cooking times goes up from 8 to 13, but do you happen have a suggested cook times for each of the pounds for the frozen! I’m thinking I would probably usually do 2lbs as I don’t think we’d go through more than that in a week – would that increase the 2lb fresh cooking time from 5 to 7 or 8 or is there some formula for figuring it out? Thanks again!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Eva, Thank you! It’s on my list to test this to list all the individual times for frozen chicken as well. I’ve used up over 25 pounds of chicken testing this so far. 🙂
Deb
0Made this today. 2 lbs for 4 mins and I used a packet of taco seasoning. It was delicious!
Kelli
0I’m confused about how much Cooking time to add if the chicken is frozen. The recipe card gives the times for 4lbs, and your cart shows how to scale the time up or down depending on how much chicken you’re cooking, but it doesn’t. I’m Assuming that’s for thawed chicken. Can you help? How long for 2lb frozen? 3lb frozen?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kelli, You can add 5 minutes to the cook time for frozen chicken breasts. So if you are cooking 2 lbs of frozen chicken breasts, you would set the Instant Pot to cook for 10 minutes.
Linda Loafman
0OMG! BLESS YOUR LITTLE PEA PICKIN’ HEART!!!!! I have been so frustrated with this whole instant pot I got for Christmas!! I couldn’t find anything anywhere that told me how long to cook 5 lbs of chicken breasts. I was going to give up AGAIN if this site didn’t tell me. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! (Now if I can just figure out how to work the thing – haven’t had any luck there either)
Connie Jones
0I’m excited to try this recipe. I’m pretty new at the instant pot thing. I noticed you added 5 minutes for 4lbs of chicken if it’s frozen. Would you add 5 minutes for any amount if it’s frozen or for less meat would you add only 2-3 minutes?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Connie, It’s an additional 5 minutes for chicken breasts. Other cuts or bone-in would require a different cook time.
Donamarie
0I would love to have your numbers for frozen chicken breast in your table. You provided 13 minutes for the 4 lbs. In the recipe but I do not see it anywhere else for the other amounts.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Donamarie, For frozen chicken breasts, add an additional 5 minutes to your cook time by weight.
Car
0So here are my results to help others out. I have two pieces of chicken… About 1lb total. They were frozen and I live at 4500 altitude, so I adjusted the time to 7 minutes (based on your chart with difference weights..I just kinda guess for how much longer since they were frozen and your chart doesn’t show that… Even though your recipe card does show for 4lbs) and then let it natural pressure release for 5 minutes. They were still raw so I put it in for another 5 minutes and 5 minutes NPR. Still raw again. So another 6 minutes with 9-minute NPR (I got distracted so that’s why the longer NPR this time). They were finally cooked but not falling apart like they do when I cook them in a slow cooker. I only used 1 cup of water with chicken bouillon in it. No other seasonings bc I’m using them in enchiladas. So it seems like every recipe that I’ve tried for my Instant Pot, I have to adjust it somehow. Usually longer cooking time, maybe it has to do with the altitude difference. But I’ve finally decided to keep a notebook to track of what I do because I keep forgetting! Thanks for the instructions, even if they didn’t really work for me.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Car, Sorry to hear you had issues with it. I don’t live at high altitude so am unable to test in that environment, and am unsure if that makes a difference for pressure cookers. Glad to hear you found a method that works for you with some trial and error.
Maggie Aschenbrenner
0Hi! Wondering what the cooking times would be using various weights of frozen chicken since those in the chart are for fresh chicken. Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Maggie, For frozen chicken breasts, you can add an additional 5 minutes to whatever the time per weight is. So 5 lbs of frozen chicken breast should take 15 minutes. You can always verify that your chicken is done by checking with a thermometer (chicken is cooked at 165 degrees).
Elle Ambrose
0Hi Maya, I used my instant pot for the first time on this shredded chicken recipe. I used 2.3 pounds of chicken breast, one cup of broth and pressure cooked for 8 minutes. Unfortunately, it so tough and chewy (and even tough to shred) that I’m going to grind it to make chicken croquettes.
I’n not sure where I went wrong; any suggestions for tender, juicy shredded chicken? I love your website and recipes and hope you’re doing very well with it. Thank you, Elle
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elle, 8 minutes is too long for 2.3 pounds. Please check the times in the chart above the recipe card. 2 pounds would only be about 4 minutes. Hope this helps for next time!
Laura
0I really wanted this easy recipe to work, but every time I prepare chicken breast in the IP it ends up rubbery, no matter whose directions I have followed. The same thing happened with this recipe :(. I only have success baking it in the oven hot and fast, for a truly moist, good textured chicken breast. For this recipe I used 4 lb. of chicken breast, seasoned, 1 c. chicken broth and cooked on Manual, high pressure for 8 minutes with a full natural release (about 15 min.) as directed. The chicken is done, the flavor is fine, but the texture is classic Instant Pot rubbery for me.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you, Laura. The reason your chicken breast was overcooked is that you did the natural release for a full 15 minutes. The chicken continues to cook during natural release. With the timing in my recipe, I recommend 5 minutes of natural release followed by quick release. Hope this helps for next time!
Georgenna
0My husband bought me an electric pressure cooker and I thought “Where am I going to store this pot? ” I use this all the time and it now sits proudly right on my counter top.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love mine too, Georgenna!
Gretchen
0Thanks for the recipe! The chicken was so tender! I use my hand mixer to shred the chicken, and it works perfectly!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Gretchen! Thanks for stopping by!
Martha ^..^
0Thank you so much for putting instructions for frozen chicken breasts! <3 I have some of those to use up and this is the first recipe I've found for it! You're the best!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you found it helpful, Martha! Thanks for stopping by!
Christina
0Hi! Just got my IP this evening, this was the first recipe I tried out!!! So delish and juicy, thanks for steering me in the right direction 😉 I’ve been buying pre-shredded chicken at my local supermarket deli, and tonight I made almost 3x amount for same cost!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yay! Have fun with your new IP, Christina!
Tiffany
0Do you put your chicken on the trivet or directly in with the liquid?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tiffany, I put it in directly, but either will probably work.
Stephanie Parelli
0Just wondering why there’s 7 grams of fat? Chicken breasts are lean and I don’t see any fat added to the recipe…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Stephanie! Chicken breast is leaner than other types of chicken parts, but it still has fat in it. I hope that helps!
Debbie
0I have 4 lbs of chicken breast. Do you think 20 minutes is long enough to cook them?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Debbie, 20 minutes is actually too long. Just follow the times on the recipe card. 🙂
Darlene
0I used my KitchenAid to shred cooked chicken for the first time a few months ago and it worked like a charm! I just threw those babies in, locked the head down, and turned it on. Won’t shred chicken any other way.
ReneeM
0I know this is a year old post but wondering what blade to use on your Kitchenaid to shred the chicken? thank you!
John
0Hi, I just got my IP and wanted to know if 1 cup broth is ok as my manual says I need minimum 1.5-2 cups water. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi John, One cup works in mine without a problem, but if you’d rather do 1.5 cups it should work fine, too.
Courtney Monson
0Hi, will the cooking time change if I am using 2 pounds of chicken? I have an 8 qt instant pot.
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Dana T.
0The cooking time is still the same for 2 lbs of chicken – 8 minutes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Courtney, Yes, the cooking time would probably be reduced, but unfortunately I haven’t tested that particular amount to say by how much.
Jen
0Hi. If I am using chicken breast tenderloins, do you suggest a shorter cooking time? The total weight of chicken will be close to what the recipe calls for, but the pieces of chicken will obviously be smaller than a whole breast. Would this cause a need for a cooking time adjustment? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jen, Yes, it would take less time if the pieces are smaller. Unfortunately I haven’t tested it to say how much less exactly. Let me know if you try it!
Leigh
0I have the Magic Chef Multi-Cooker. Do you know if it is the same as the Instant Pot? I bought mine a year ago and have only used it once. This chicken sounds fabulous. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Leigh, I haven’t tried it but I think it should be the same.
Merissa Ketcham
0My options on my Instant Pot are soup/broth, stew, sauté, pressure cook, slow cook, or steam. Which do I use for this?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Merissa, With those options, use the “pressure cook” setting.
Michelle
0Just curious how you thaw the cooked chicken from the freezer for your recipes later?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, I usually thaw it in the fridge overnight. I have it vacuum sealed in the freezer, so if I need it to thaw quicker, I just place the sealed package into a bowl of warm water on the counter right before use. (This will work if you freeze in plastic bags, just make sure the opening isn’t submerged so that water doesn’t get in.)
Marissa Smith
0I will never make Chicken for shedding any other way!! I’m so impressed!! Try this NOW!!
Tara Perks
0I need to cook 6 lb of chicken. I have the 8 quart insta pot. Will I need to adjust the time?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tara, My Instant Pot is 6 quarts. Since yours is a little bigger, you may want to add a little more chicken broth. I haven’t tried this with 6 lb of chicken, but I would assume the time would be just a couple minutes more. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Glenn
0This is not an issue with the Instant Pot brand stainless steel inner pot. I’m not sure about the ceramic option. However, if you have a different brand electric pressure cooker, and it has a non-stick Teflon coated inner pot, use non-metal (plastic, silicone, wood, etc) utensils. Metal ones will scratch the non-stick coating causing it to begin flaking off.
Great recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Glenn!
Jenn
0Is it still the same time if using frozen chicken?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jenn, Sorry that I didn’t get the chance to respond sooner. I updated the recipe to include times for both fresh and frozen chicken!
Sarah
0Thank you SO much for this post! I just got an Instant Pot, and I have struggled to know how long to cook chicken!
TH H
0I have a pressure cooker that does not have a poultry setting. I have a “cook”, “pressure adjust”, “stew” or “brown”. I’m guessing I use the cook button and set the time but I’m unsure. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Diana Jimenez
0I have the same one. I pressure adjust to 70 and pressure cook for 8 minutes like the recipe suggests. Perfect every time
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, you can use the “Cook” button.
Katrin Nuernberger
0I really need to get myself an Instant Pot. Amazing how quick and easy you can cook in it!
Stacey Crawford
0I feel like I’m the only one without an Instant Pot. Well, Georgina & I are only ones, I think. Looks so simple and fast. I will have to get one and try to make space for it.
runrunlolo
0What a great idea! Have you tried this with chicken thighs? Do you think the cook time would be the same?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you! Boneless, skinless chicken thighs should have about the same cook time (for the same weight).
Georgina
0I don’t have an Instant Pot (yet) but saving this recipe in case I do get one! 🙂
Eleven
0I use a regular electric pressure cooker. Works great.