How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker cook times are here! It is easy to do and a great way to make chicken sliders or shredded breasts or thighs, juicy in less than 15 minutes, in an Instapot or a Ninja Foodi recipe.
I recently tackled the burning question of how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot today! You can cook frozen thighs, legs and wings in it too perfect. We even share how to cook a frozen whole chicken too. Find over 100 more quick and easy Instant Pot recipes and enjoy! (post may contain affiliate links present)
Table of Contents
- Learn How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot
- Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Ninja Foodi Frozen Chicken
- How to Cook Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
- How do I make frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot
- How to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot
- How do you know when frozen chicken is done cooking?
- How to Cook Instant Pot frozen chicken wings
- How to Cook Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Legs
- Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot Recipe
Learn How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot
I will talk about all parts of the bird but breasts are the most common. To be quite honest I don’t buy a lot of frozen chicken breasts, but occasionally if I find a large pack on sale I will use a few and freeze the rest. If you cook a lot of frozen meat in Instant Pot…because you tend to be forgetful we’re here to help. 😉
Can I put frozen chicken in the Instant Pot?
When I first got it I wondered this a lot. YES you can!! Not only can you, but they come every cut comes out tender and delicious when they’re done cooking. From thighs, to legs, to Instant Pot frozen chicken tenders they’re all great.
If you are new to pressure cooking we have a lot of easy one pot meal recipes for you here. To begin with let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then PRINT this —–> Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet that will help you understand how long meat, vegetables and beans take to cook in your pressure cooker.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot.
- You should know how to deglaze a pressure cooker after sautéing but it won’t have as many issues with this better liner.
For reference, this is the model I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.
Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
These pressure cooker Ninja Foodi frozen chicken cook times are handy when you’ve forgotten to defrost your meat. In pieces it doesn’t take a whole lot longer than if it was fresh really. BUT if you want to cook an Instant Pot frozen whole chicken you can do that too! Comes out fork tender and ready to shred or slice for dinner.
Ninja Foodi Frozen Chicken
Yes…how to cook frozen chicken in this pot is possible y’all! It took a bit of trial and error at first to get it perfect. I wouldn’t share anything here unless it came out great each and every time I tried it. That wouldn’t be cool.
I started with: How do I cook frozen chicken breast in the Instant Pot? This will be answered here. With just a bit of liquid you can go from rock solid to perfectly shredded chicken in no time.
How to Cook Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
If you too want to cook frozen chicken thighs in Instant Pot, I share that info here for you too. You want to ensure that they’re broken apart and not in one solid chunk. That won’t allow each piece to defrost or cook properly all the way to the center. You can separate by running them under some cool water before adding them into your pot. When done allow for a natural release of pressure to keep it moist. Those are the top 2 things to remember.
How do I make frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot
I was curious to see how easy it would be to go from frozen to juicy chicken in my fancy electric pressure cooker. So I did a little experimenting before making my 3 ingredient Instant Pot shredded chicken this afternoon.
It turned out great for that! I first cooked these four large chicken breasts you see here that were bought frozen. I added a bit of chicken broth for 12 minutes and they turned out well. From there I shredded, drained the broth and added sauce to coat.
How Long to Cook InstaPot Frozen Chicken Breasts?
Next I used just 2 frozen chicken breasts that I had bought fresh and then were frozen. 12 minutes was too long and they turned out dry. I tried again for just 10 minutes and that was just right!
How to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot
- Add pieces
- Pour in broth to cook
- Season with salt and pepper as you would like
- Lock the lid and set valve to sealing.
- Set to manual, cook on high pressure
- cook the chicken for 4 frozen chicken breasts = 12 minutes
- OR if cooking 2 frozen chicken breasts = 10 minutes
- Allow for a 1 minute natural pressure release then quick release to remove the chicken and shred.
How do you know when frozen chicken is done cooking?
Always ensure internal meat temperature is 165 degrees after pressure cooking. The juices should run clear too which is a sign if you don’t have a thermometer. Slice in center to ensure there is no pink remaining. I will say after making many easy Instant Pot chicken recipes I like this method of cooking frozen chicken for tender meat. A quick cook time for sure.
How to Cook Instant Pot frozen chicken wings
This is done in under 20 minutes! Throw them right in with something like barbecue sauce and some water and it is that easy!! This is the instructions for pressure cooker frozen chicken wings to make the best appetizer.
I don’t make wings really any other way now. If you want them with a little crispiness to them you can just pop them under the broiler. 4 minutes or so is perfect. Instant Pot frozen chicken wings turn out fall off the bone delicious.
How to Cook Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Legs
If you want a crispier skin you can throw them on a cookie sheet under your broiler for like 3 minutes and it will crisp them up when done with these Instant Pot frozen chicken legs. Especially if you’re in a pinch and forgot to defrost dinner!
Can you cook frozen chicken in Ninja Foodi?
Yes! In this case there are two lids. You will need to use the lid that is NOT attached. This one will seal shut and allow you to pressure cook as directed below. Other than that everything remains the same. With this pot you can make frozen chicken breast in an air fryer too.
Other frozen meats cooked in a pressure cooker you’ll love
- If you’re looking for how to cook Instant Pot frozen salmon, we have done that too!
- Want to cook a frozen roast in Instant Pot too? Seriously this is a game changer too. So tender in very little time.
- Frozen pork loin in Instant Pot instructions are here.
You can even cook Instant Pot frozen ground beef if you’ve forgotten to defrost it beforehand. To be completely honest, it is BEST to use thawed fresh meats but these tips are great when you’re in a bind.
You can use this to make soft tacos too! And then let’s try some Crockpot frozen chicken. A great way if you’re batch cooking a lot all at a time.
Yes. Allow the chicken to completely cool and store in airtight containers or freezer bags free from air. Make sure to use it up within two days to be safe and to maintain the best flavor and texture.
The general rule is only one reheat after cooking. Since you thawed it before cooking doesn’t really matter or count. One you’ve reheated it once, you really shouldn’t reheat it a second time. If you don’t follow this rule it could possibly lead to food poisoning and nobody wants that.
About 20 minutes total including the time it takes to come to pressure. The timing you set it to though is 12 minutes, depending on how large and/or thick they are. I prefer boneless skinless as they cook faster than bone-in and are easier to eat at the end too.
Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, whole, frozen, boneless
- 3/4 c chicken broth, or water
Instructions
- Put frozen chicken breasts inside your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Add chicken broth (you could use water but my preference is using broth for the flavor)
- Lock the lid and close your steam valve. Set to manual, pressure, high, for; 4 frozen chicken breasts = 12 minutes OR 2 frozen chicken breasts = 10 minutes (times will vary slightly depending on the size of your chicken breasts and if they're boneless or not, mine were boneless)
- Do a 1 minute natural release, then a quick release. Drain liquid and enjoy, or better yet shred right in the pot and add sauce to make shredded chicken for sliders or atop rice
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love that I can add frozen chicken to the instant pot and have it ready for the table in no time. Sometimes I forget to defrost dinner before leaving for work in the morning.
ditto
Wow didn’t realize how easy this was to do with frozen chicken!
Thanks for this great guide; I had no clue that cooking frozen chicken using my instant pot was so simple!
This makes it so much easier!! I always have a problem remembering to defrost my chicken. This is a game changer! Thank you!
Yep me too
Cooking frozen chicken in the Instant Pot is one of the greatest hacks of all time. Thanks for the tip, use it all the time now!
I never knew how making frozen chicken in the instant pot can be easy. I usually thaw them first! Definitely going to do this more often.
This totally is a game changer. I had no idea you could do this – and it’s perfect for me since I NEVER remember to get the chicken out of the freezer before hand. I used mine in soup as the end game – delicious!
Thanks for posting this! I was looking for just this recipe today and I found it! Will be trying tomorrow and keep you posted.
This is a game-changer indeed! No more needing to wait to defrost chicken to make my favorite dishes. Absolutely helpful!