Why An Instant Pot Is The Best Way To Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts

It's 5 p.m. on a weeknight and it dawns on you that you forgot to take meat out of the freezer to thaw for dinner. Instead of giving up and going out, throw a couple of frozen chicken breasts in your Instant Pot for a quick, nutritious and delicious meal. Whether adding it to a stir fry, bed of noodles, comforting matzo ball soup, or simple one-pan chicken fajitas, chicken breast is a versatile meat that can be cooked up in a flash with your multi-cooker. The best part is, no thawing or planning is required. Yes, you can make perfectly cooked, juicy chicken breasts in your Instant Pot straight from the freezer. 

Cooking frozen chicken in the oven can be challenging since it runs the risk of being cooked on the outside while raw in the middle. The Instant Pot, on the other hand, has multiple functions — like sauteing and pressure cooking — that help ensure your frozen chicken breast is cooked through while retaining its juiciness. Besides cooking your frozen meat to perfection, the Instant Pot is a fun, fast, hands-off way to cook dinner since you can add all your ingredients to one pot and make a delicious meal in 30 minutes or less. 

Before handing out some tips for cooking your frozen chicken breasts, it's worth noting that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirms that it is safe to cook frozen food in the Instant Pot pressure cooker (but not the slow cooker version). "It is safe to cook frozen food in a pressure cooker because it uses pressure to move food through the 'Danger Zone' quickly," the USDA website notes.

When placing your frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, they should be separate pieces and not stuck together to ensure they cook evenly. Soak them in a bowl of cold water to separate them, if needed. Once in the pot, pour enough liquid (water or broth) to fully cover the chicken breasts. Using chicken or vegetable broth is a great way to upgrade the flavor of chicken breast. To boost the flavor even more and release some of the moisture from the frozen meat you can use the saute function before pressure cooking, however, this is an optional step. 

Following the manufacturer instructions, cook the chicken at high pressure for 10 to 12 minutes for two frozen chicken breasts that are 6 to 8 ounces each. When it's done pressure cooking, allow 10 minutes for natural release before venting the remaining steam. Use a meat thermometer to verify that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit (per USDA guidelines).