Instant Pot Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my chicken tough in Instant Pot? ›

Oddly enough, it can be really challenging to get the right texture when cooking boneless chicken breasts. They cook quickly in the Instant Pot, but if you don't cook them long enough they get a weird, rubber-like texture that's nearly impossible to chew, and if you cook them too long, their texture gets dry.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, using either a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot. I suggest not scaling three liquid up at the same rate as the protein… for 2 pounds of chicken, I still use 1 cup of liquid; and for 3 pounds of chicken, 2 cups of liquid is sufficient.

Cooking chicken without liquid in a pressure cooker may result in burning, scorching or unevenly cooked chicken. To cook chicken in a pressure cooker, you will need to add at least a small amount of liquid, such as water or broth, to the pot.

While all cuts of chicken are fair game for the Instant Pot, thighs are the most forgiving. Because chicken breast is so lean, just a couple of extra minutes of cook time turns them from juicy to overcooked and dry.

I want tender, shredded chicken: For chicken that can be shredded with a fork, keep the pressure on a little longer by using natural release for five minutes after a 15-minute cook time.

By placing cooking liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker and placing the chicken in the steamer basket above the liquid, you are guaranteed tender, moist chicken every time.

Chicken breasts are a less ideal choice for slow cooking. One reason why you shouldn't make boneless chicken breasts in a slow cooker is because they're too low in fat to withstand cooking for a long time. Your final product will likely come out tough and chewy.

Each calls for 2 cups of liquid for a 3 pound roast with potatoes and carrots. I also cook up to 4 pounds of chicken breasts using 1 cup of water. If making a stew, you'll use more liquid because … well, it's a stew. Same for soup.

How Long to Cook Chicken in a Pressure Cooker. Boneless chicken breasts and thighs cook in the same amount of time—just 10 minutes at high pressure will do it! Just be sure to arrange the meat in a single, even layer in the pot, as it cooks more evenly that way. It should reach about halfway up the chicken.

Maybe the pressure build-up inside wasn't enough for the chicken. Maybe you didn't really cook it long enough. Maybe you released the pressure too soon, without allowing it to cook completely. Maybe there's something wrong with your pressure cooker.

Why is my chicken so hard after cooking? ›

Leaving chicken in a pan, oven, or grill for just a little too long can suck the moisture right out and leave you with a dry, rubbery bird. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic. The types of chicken you buy at the store can also make a difference.

Overcooking leads to dry, tough, sawdusty meat with nearly no flavor. High doneness temperature for food safety. Salmonella is the food safety enemy in chicken that dies only at higher temperatures. But cooking chicken breast to an instant thermal-kill doneness temperature will cause it to dry out excessively.