I think everyone can agree to agree that the Instant Pot is a game changer in the kitchen -right? From soups to side dishes, mashed potatoes to tamales, it really can do a variety of incredible meals with the sheer push of a button.
I know many mammas that are tickled pink that they can rely on the Instant Pot to make dinner a breeze ~ especially on those busy nights when the kids have sports, mom has obligations or the kids are just not holding things together too well.
While there are many fancy dinner options one can create in the Instant Pot, sometimes simplicity is all you need. I love having simple boneless, skinless chicken breasts to rely on – not only are they ridiculously easy in terms of prep, you can eat them alongside anything — from broccoli salad with almonds to regular brown rice.
While I’d normally bake my chicken breasts in the oven, here in Arizona we have some searing soaring temps for a good majority of the year – in every effort to avoid making my own house an internal oven, we opt for the pressure cooker.
The Instant Pot to be exact.
Not only do they cook up perfectly for us every time, the Instant Pot tends to keep the house much cooler than turning on the oven.
Pick your own spices to use on the chicken breasts and do a batch or two to have chicken for several days during the week. We love a mixture of garlic, onion and chili powder — but you could also use basil or your favorite poultry seasoning, too.
Start by searing the chicken on each side in your Instant Pot, then setting them on the trivet along with 1 cup of water to cook for just a few minutes. They turn out tender and juicy every time!
Helpful kitchen tools:
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These are some of the kitchen tools and appliances we used to make these breasts – they are not an absolute necessity but work wonderfully for cooking many things beyond chicken:
- Measuring Spoons – I love these spoons because they are incredibly long, which help to reach deep into containers.
- 6 qt Instant Pot Pressure Cooker – the model has upgraded a bit since we bought ours 3 years ago but this one will work wonderfully too.
- Stainless Steel Tongs – not a necessity but so helpful, especially to sear the chicken on each side and place on the trivet.
We certainly hope you find this Instant Pot recipe helpful as you prepare meals for your own family.
Cook up healthy, most, and delicious chicken breasts in your Instant Pot in just minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 C. water
Instructions
- Using the saute feature on the Instant Pot, pour in the oil - once the pot comes to temp (hot), place the breasts within.
- Sear the breasts for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Once you flip to brown the last side, use your seasonings.
- Once seared, turn off the saute function. Use your tongs to gently lift the chicken and place on a plate while you insert the trivet within the pot. Pour 1 C. water in the pot, and then gently place your chicken (from the plate) on the trivet.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and close the valve. Set the timer on the pot to manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes. The pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure before counting down from 5 minutes.
- Once the 5 minutes is up and the pot beeps done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 6-7 minutes.
- Open the lid carefully (it may still be hot and steamy) and set aside. Remove the chicken and season with a dash of salt.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Our package of 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts was just 2.3 lbs - you may adjust your time accordingly based on varied sizes of your chicken. if your chicken breasts are larger, add an extra minute of cooking time (for 6 minutes). If smaller, then aim for 4 minutes of cook time. Chicken should be tender and juicy at the completion of the cooking cycle - if it is hard and chewy, then you have cooked for too long.
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