20 Chicken Recipes Made Perfect In The Instant Pot (2024)

Your Instant Pot is about to earn that counter space so fast.

By Mackenzie Filson
20 Chicken Recipes Made Perfect In The Instant Pot (1)

Ever wish you could snap your fingers and dinner could be magically ready? Well, you heard it here first: Magic really does exist, and it's all thanks to your trusty Instant Pot. Seriously, what can't it do? If you're new to the Instant Pot game, you're in for a treat. While there are a zillion things you can make in these bad boys (Instant Pot wine! Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs! Instant Pot yogurt!), let's start with the basics: chicken. The all-in-one appliance lives up to its name...most of these delicious weeknight-friendly chicken dinners take 30 minutes or less to make.

What is an Instant Pot anyway? Luckily, we made a handy guide of things to know before using your Instant Pot. In simplest terms, Instant Pots are a type of pressure cooker. But it's also equipped to be a slow cooker as well, making it a real Swiss Army knife tool for your kitchen. It can also braise, sauté, steam, and simmer, making it more than ideal for so many of our favorite satisfying chicken recipes.

Most importantly, their pressure cooker function cuts down the cook time, making these chicken dishes insanely fast to whip up for a weeknight dinner. In the mood for the taste of a slow-simmered homemade chicken noodle soup but don't have the patience to slowly simmer? Our Instant Pot chicken noodle soup is here for you. Our Instant Pot butter chicken recipe just might be quicker than take-out Indian food too. Serve alongside some fresh naan bread and rice and you can consider dinner ready to eat.

For even more ideas, check out these super easy Instant Pot recipes and our favorite Instant Pot cookbooks.

1

Instant Pot Copycat Bourbon Chicken

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This bourbon chicken is the mall food court dish of our teen years. If you were hanging out in malls in the '90s, you've likely been chased down in the food court to sample this delectable, perfectly sauced chicken thigh recipe on a toothpick. Now as an adult, we can make this dish at home in the convenience of the Instant Pot any time we like.

Get the Instant Pot Copycat Bourbon Chicken recipe.

2

Instant Pot Wings

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Cooking wings in an Instant Pot allows for them to get nice and tender before being crisped to perfection under the broiler. This recipe is the perfect jumping off point for any of your favorite types of wings.

Get the Instant Pot Wings recipe.

3

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

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Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup? We'll answer for you: NO! This Instant Pot recipe makes light work of this homestyle classic. Using the sauté feature, you can easily develop flavors by cooking the mirepoix (that's onions, carrots, and celery) before adding the remaining ingredients.

Get the Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup recipe.

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4

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

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Our Instant Pot butter chicken recipe is about to become your favorite weeknight staple that you can now make faster than delivery. Chicken thighs become extremely tender under all the sauce that you'll want to soak up with plenty of naan bread.

Get the Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe.

5

Instant Pot Jambalaya

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The Instant Pot is a great way to make jambalaya, a Cajun classic, in just an hour. On top of being super-quick dinner to cook, you won’t need pre-cooked rice or meats.

Get the Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe.

6

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

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If there's one thing we find magical about Instant Pots, it's how quickly and perfectly they cook chicken and rice. The rice is the perfect texture and the chicken is insanely tender. This is 100% the meal we cook in the Instant Pot the most often.

Get the Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe.

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7

Instant Pot Spicy Chicken Tacos

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If we knew the Instant Pot could turn out delicious, juicy chicken tacos, then we would have bought one a lot sooner. This tender, juicy chicken makes its own sauce while cooking, too. Taco Tuesday is about to get even easier.

Get the Instant Pot Spicy Chicken Tacos recipe.

8

Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

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This chicken checks all the boxes: golden and speckled with herbs on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside. Serve these over a plate of perfectly cooked rice and you're good to go, but if you're an overachiever, a healthy salad would be excellent too.

Get the Instant Pot Chicken Breasts recipe.

9

Instant Pot Fall-Off-The-Bone Chicken

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Roast chicken is one of our favorite dinners ever, but it's usually too fussy to make on a weeknight. In the Instant Pot, you cut the cooking time in half!

Get the Instant Pot Fall-Off-The-Bone Chicken recipe.

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10

Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders

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These sliders are the ultimate crowd pleaser. Served on soft, toasted potato rolls, the juicy pulled chicken is tossed in hot sauce and topped with fresh crunchy ranch coleslaw and creamy chunks of blue cheese.

Get the Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders recipe.

11

Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

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This easy low-carb soup from Kevin Curry is the perfect dinner for those chilly nights. Extra hearty and full of flavor thank to cauliflower rice and chipotle chiles, this soup will certainly fill you up.

Get the Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.

12

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

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This simple recipes uses just four ingredients to make a satisfying dinner. Think of these like a healthier, heartier loaded potato skin. Hungry for more? Check out our other Instant Pot dinner ideas.

Get the Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes recipe.

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13

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

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The gravy that comes with these chicken thighs is luxuriously smooth and full of chicken flavor. Want to make it a meal? Serve these thighs up with mashed potatoes and some simple sautéed greens like this garlicky kale or this 10-minute bok choy recipe.

Get the Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe.

14

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

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Instant Pots makes some of the most perfectly tender and juicy chicken. With this salsa verde, it's flavorful enough to eat it on its own or use in cheesy chicken enchiladas or chicken taquitos!

Get the Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe.

15

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

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This quick dinner could convince anyone to buy an Instant Pot, especially since the noodles cook alongside the chicken and sauce! If you're looking for our classic version of chicken Alfredo, look no further.

Get the Creamy Chicken Alfredo recipe.

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16

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Traditionally, tortilla soup is made with fried corn tortillas and chicken broth flavored with charred tomatoes and chile de árbol. In this case, we baked our tortilla chips, but feel free to garnish each bowl with crushed tortilla chips instead!

Get the Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.

17

Best Chicken Pot Roast

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This chicken dinner is so ridiculously juicy, you won't ever want to roast your chicken in the oven again. Feel free to mix and match your vegetables: sweet potato, bell peppers, or fennel would all be delicious substitutes!

Get the Best Chicken Pot Roast recipe.

18

Instant Pot Cheddar Ranch Chicken

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You really can't go wrong with ranch, cheddar, and bacon, and this chicken is no exception. We advise piling it high on potato rolls, but it'd also be great as a dip, in lettuce wraps, or straight from the Instant Pot; the possibilities are endless!

Get the Instant Pot Cheddar Ranch Chicken recipe.

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19

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

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This Instant Pot chicken is easy and will have you sitting down to eat in no time. The honey garlic glaze is simply addicting and you'll be scraping every last drop out of the pot.

Get the Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken recipe.

20

Instant Pot Butternut Squash-Chicken Curry

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This easy chicken and butternut squash curry is seasoned with cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cayenne. We like to serve it with a big dollop of whole milk yogurt and sliced almonds over rice.

Get the Instant Pot Butternut Squash-Chicken Curry recipe.

20 Chicken Recipes Made Perfect In The Instant Pot (2024)

FAQs

How much chicken can you put in an Instant Pot? ›

Add trivet into instant pot, add 1 cup water, add whole chicken or 1-2 chicken legs (in one layer), 2-4 chicken thighs (in one layer), 2-6 chicken drumsticks (in one layer), 1-4 chicken breasts (in one layer), 2-12 chicken wings in one layer.

Does chicken get more tender the longer you cook it in an Instant Pot? ›

On the other hand don't overcook in pressure cooker or in pan. Yes, chicken breast will get softer the longer you cook it. However, if you cook it for too long, it will become dry and tough. The best way to ensure that the chicken breast stays juicy and tender is to cook it until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

How do you keep chicken from getting tough in Instant Pot? ›

The key to getting perfectly juicy boneless chicken breasts is to cook them on a trivet, above the liquid. I find that this results in a better texture than cooking them on the bottom of the pot. I also think their texture is best when you quickly release the pressure, rather than letting it naturally release.

How long can I leave chicken in the Instant Pot? ›

INSTANT POT CHICKEN COOKING TIMES:
  1. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (10 ounces each): 8 minutes (for fresh) or 12 minutes (for frozen) + immediate release.
  2. Bone-In Chicken Breast (12 ounces each): 10 minutes + 5 minutes natural release (for fresh); 25 minutes + immediate release (for frozen)
May 6, 2019

How to cook a lot of chicken at once? ›

Simply add your seasoned chicken to the slow cooker with a bit of chicken broth or water, set it to low heat, and let it cook for about 4-6 hours. Grilling is another tasty option, especially during the summer months.

Can you overcook chicken in a Instapot? ›

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.

Do you cover meat with liquid in pressure cooker? ›

While you may cover meat almost completely for a conventional braise, use just enough liquid for the cooker to reach pressure – during pressure cooking the meat will release it's own juice and braise in that flavorful liquid, instead.

Should I slow cook or pressure cook chicken? ›

So can a Crock-Pot cook better chicken than an Instant Pot? Well, it really depends on what you're making. The Instant Pot cooks chicken much faster than its non-pressure counterparts, but the resulting texture isn't going to be the same as what you'd get with a slow cooker or Dutch oven.

What is the best meat to pressure cook? ›

You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.

Why is my pressure cooked chicken dry? ›

If you quick release, all the pressure in the meat forces the liquid out... resulting in a dry finish. If pressure is release naturally (slowly) equilibrium occurs and the moisture stays in the meat.

Does pressure cooking chicken longer make it softer? ›

Cooking any meat on high heat (or high pressure) for an extended period will both: denature more the proteins / collagen making the meat more tender; "squeeze" more water out of the meat, making it drier / chalkier in texture.

How long does it take for meat to become tender in a pressure cooker? ›

There's another aspect of pressure cookers to consider too. Steam penetrates food easily under pressure. So connective tissues in cubes of beef for soups or stews soften in 15 minutes or less, and a pot roast will be medium-rare in 30 minutes.

Does cooking chicken too long make it tough? ›

White chicken meat is very lean.

The best way to do this is to cook it to the proper temperature. 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.

Does cooking meat longer make it more tender? ›

You know the old saying "good things come to those who wait"? This is certainly true when it comes to notoriously tough cuts of meat like beef brisket and pork shoulder. Cooking these cuts of meat slowly, either by braising, stewing or grill roasting, is the best way to get these tasty cuts of meat meltingly tender.

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