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Home » Chicken Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Breast: Quick and Easy

Published: Oct 1, 2019 · Modified: Sep 28, 2022 by Steven Pennington · This post may contain affiliate links | disclosure policy

It is indeed one of the best ways to cook chicken breast for a quick and easy weekend dinner. Low fuss and easy clean-up.

The Instant Pot is one-pot cooking and cleaning up while it helps the chicken breast rest perfectly once the timer goes off.

Oven-roasted chicken breast can be hard to get just right. Each oven is a little different. I'll tell you the tricks to getting it right. More on that one on the recipe card.

Instant Pot Hasselback Chicken Breast
↓ Jump to Recipe 📹 YouTube

Ingredients

  • 🍗 1 Chicken Breast
  • Turmeric
  • Olive Oil
  • Garlic Salt
  • Kosher Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Chipotle Powder or Adobo Sauce (skip if feeding kids)
  • Pimento Cheese

Tips To Perfectly Juicy Chicken Breast

instant pot chicken breast plated with cilantro rice

These tips are good for all chicken cookery:

Allow the chicken to be close to room temperature before cooking. If using chicken cold straight out of the refrigerator, it usually ends up cooked and pink in the middle and uncooked.

The solution is to run cool water, not hot, over the chicken in a bowl in the sink, keeping the packaging on the chicken.

When cooking a whole chicken. Place or point the chicken legs to the back of the oven. The chicken legs and thighs are finished at a higher internal temperature than the white meat

  • Legs/Thighs (Dark Meat) 170-180
  • Breast (White Meat) 160-165

If you want crispy skin, you need to consider trussing the chicken. Check out our post and video on the very best way to truss a chicken. This is a great and easy technique that every cook needs to learn.

Trussing Chicken for the Perfect Roast

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 - Combine Seasoning

Using a plastic bag add all dry ingredients, then add olive oil, and mix well.

Step 2 - Hasselback Chicken Prep

Using a paring knife, make cuts across the width of the chicken breast, ensuring not to cut all the way through. Make sure "not" to make the cuts too close together, as this will cause the chicken to dry out while cooking. It also helps the chicken not get cold once out of the oven or Instant Pot.cutting hasselback chicken breasts for stuffing

Step 3 - Stuffing Chicken Breast

Stuff away. Using the pressure cooker (Instant Pot), you will lose some stuffing from the pressure cooking process. You can stuff it with anything. I suggest not stuffing with raw ingredients that take a long time to soften. ie, carrots...

Step 4 - Oven Roasted Chicken Breast Cooking Instructions

Place Hasselback chicken breasts on a roasting rack. I suggest adding parchment paper to a cookie sheet for easy cleanup. We are using turmeric in our quick marinade, which stains. Turmeric offers beautiful color and flavor. You can just not add it if you like. You just won't get the same beautiful color.

Step 5 - Instant Pot Hasselback Chicken Breast Cooking Instructions

After a quick marinade of the seasonings, place the chicken breast in the middle of the Instant Pot roasting rack. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot, then place the chicken into the Instant Pot. Secure the lid, making sure the sealing ring is in place. instant pot plastic sealing ring secured to instant pot lid

Next set the vent to sealing secure instant pot vent to sealing

Set Instant Pot: -7 Minutes on High Pressure / "Normal Heat" Instant Pot will take about 7 to 8 minutes to pressurize. Then the timer will start counting down from 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes is up. Do a quick release from the sealing vent on top. I usually place a knife under it to move it away from the Instant Pot. Once the small metal pin next to the vent "drops," you can safely open the Instant Pot. I suggest waiting around 7 to 8 minutes to remove the lid once the timers have gone off. This is just like resting meat. It will be juicier.

More Recipes To Try

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Roast Chicken Breast with Creamy Tarragon Sauce

Southern Fried Chicken - Grandma's Way

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Whole Chicken Cut Into 10 Pieces

📖 Recipe

Instant Pot Hasselback Chicken Breast

Instant Pot Chicken Breast

Steven Pennington
Instructions on cooking Instant Pot chicken breast in the oven and pressure cooker
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 7 minutes mins
Cook Time AFTER Instant Pot Quick Release 8 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Instant Pot
Cuisine American Classic, Instant Pot / Slow Cooker
Servings 1 Chicken Breast
Calories 642 kcal

Suggested Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Chicken Breast
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Chipotle Powder Leave out if feeding children
  • 1 cup Water
  • ¼ cup Pimento Cheese Add the cheese in between the hasselback slices on the chicken breast.
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • First, inspect chicken breast and remove any excess fat, plus preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Make slices through the chicken breast, but not all the way. Slice down 80% of the way. Cut across the chicken breast, not lengthwise. The cheese goes in between the slices.
  • Mix dry seasonings into a plastic bag, then add the olive oil and mix well
  • Add the chicken to the bag and cover it with seasoning. You do not need to allow the chicken to marinate. Only as long as it takes you to prep and get everything ready to go. ie setting up the Instant Pot

Instant Pot Chicken Breast

  • Place seasoned chicken breast on the Instant Pot rack for easy removal and helps with cooking and presentation.
  • Add one cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot
  • Set the Instant Pot on Pressure Cooker, on "Normal" heat and "High" pressure
  • Make sure the plastic circle ring is placed on the Instant Pot lid securely. Place the lid in position and make sure the vent is set on sealing.
  • Set Instant Pot timer for 7 minutes. Once the 7 minutes is up do a quick release, but do not remove the lid. Allow the chicken breast to continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes. Will depend on the size of your chicken breasts.

Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe

  • Add 1 Cup of long grain rice into a medium pot, add 2 cups of water, juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of salt. Cook until done, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Start on high heat, bring to boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook rice until the doneness you like
  • Finishing the rice
    Add the zest of 1 to 2 limes, personal choice, chop up some fresh cilantro, add some butter, and taste. Does it need salt? Add if needed.

Plating

  • Add the rice first with a large spoon. Try using a dark-colored plate for a nice presentation against the beautiful orange chicken breast.
    You can add some fresh cilantro for parsley for a pop of color
    Enjoy!
  • 2# Option: Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
    Place seasoned chicken breast in the middle of a roasting rack with parchment paper underneath. This is for easy cleanup and turmeric can stain.
    Roast chicken breast on the middle rack in your oven.
    Takes around 17 to 22 minutes. Timing will depend on the size of your chicken breast. Put the chicken out of the oven when the internal temperature reaches 162 degrees.
    Rest the chicken breast once out of the oven for at least 3 minutes before slicing.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Pimento Cheese Recipe
The Masters pimento cheese recipe
Keyword instant pot chicken breast, Instant Pot Hasselback Chicken Breast

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    Cut Up Your Own Whole Chicken - Step by Step
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    Crispy Chicken Skin Techniques with Roasted Curry Cauliflower
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