Best Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Easy Instant Pot chicken recipes account for most of what I cook on a regular weeknight. Here I share my favorites: South Indian coconut curries, Thai curries, Jamaican jerk, Middle Eastern shawarma, and a handful of American comfort food classics. Most cook in 4 minutes of pressure time, with quite a few coming in at 30 minutes, total!

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I like pressure cooker chicken because it’s so moist and has less chance of overcooking! Instant Pot chicken thighs especially benefit from this. Bone-in or boneless, they come out tender and deeply flavored fast, and most of my recipes use chicken thighs.

However, you can use chicken breast instead of thighs for any of the recipes. There are also breast recipes, wings, and one that uses the Instant Pot’s Sous Vide function for the juiciest chicken breast possible.

Tips For How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken

1. Use chicken pieces that are about the same size or cut the chicken into equally sized pieces in order to cook them evenly in your electric pressure cooker.
2. Cooking chicken breast can be tricky at times. You can get more juicy chicken breasts by cooking them in broth or cooking liquid. This prevents it from drying out because it’s such a lean cut.
3. Avoid huge pieces of chicken. The smaller pieces just have more flavor.
4. For tender and juicy chicken, brown larger pieces of chicken using the sauté mode, before pressure cooking. The caramelization from the browning adds another layer of flavor.
5. Alternatively, you can do a reverse sear and brown the chicken pieces after pressure cooking them.
6. Pressure cooking can dilute spices, so season the chicken well to make it flavorful.
7. When sauteing before pressure cooking, deglaze the pot well to prevent the burn message.
8. Cooking time will vary depending on the cut of the chicken and the thickness of the pieces. Increase pressure cooking time if you’re using whole pieces of chicken and the recipe calls from cut up pieces.
9. Pressure cook chicken on high pressure.
10. When possible, do a natural release of pressure. Doing a quick release can cause the pressure to drop rapidly in a few minutes. This causes the natural juices to be expelled which can cause the chicken to be dry and stringy. Although a 10-minute resting period is adequate, a full natural pressure release allows the maximum juices to be retained.
11. In many recipes, you can use fresh or frozen chicken. When cooking frozen chicken, increase the cooking time by 1 to 2 minutes.
12. Place the chicken on a trivet to prevent the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pot, and causing a burn notice. This applies to recipes that have less liquid.
13. If your chicken comes out too dry, cook it again at high pressure for about 10 minutes with a natural release. It might not be as flavorful but it will be moist.
14. If you have to pick between chicken breasts and thighs, choose thighs because the Instant Pot is best suited for darker meat.
15. Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting or slicing.

Chicken Cooking Time Chart

The following times are general guides for cooking different cuts of chicken. Actual cooking times can vary based on the thickness of the chicken pieces and the quantity of chicken you’re cooking.

Indian Chicken Recipes

Indian spices were made for the pressure cooker. The Instant Pot locks in flavor. These recipes cover the full range from mild and creamy to warm and deeply spiced.

1

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

A classic Indian restaurant dish, made at home in one pot. Boneless chicken cooks in a rich tomato-cream sauce with cumin, coriander, garam masala, and a handful of other warming spices. It's forgiving, so flavorful, and one of the most popular recipes on the blog for good reason.

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2

Healthy Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Cashew Butter

This is a healthier take on butter chicken – cashew butter replaces the heavy cream and butter but doesn't give up any of the silky, rich texture you're after. The sauce builds on tomatoes, aromatic spices, and cashew butter. The chicken pressure cooks for just 4 minutes with a natural release, and the result is truly creamy. This is not a compromise; it's a keeper!

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3

Instant Pot Chicken Korma

Korma is the mildly spiced South Indian curry to reach for when you want something rich and comforting without much heat. Coconut milk and cashew butter give the sauce its smooth, fragrant character, and the chicken cooks in 4 minutes. A good starting point if you're new to Indian curries because it's mild yet flavorful!

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4

Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe

This one is adapted from my mom's signature chicken and potato curry from Kerala, the first recipe I made when I got my Instant Pot. It uses individual spices – cumin, coriander, turmeric – rather than curry powder, which gives it a layered depth that spice blends can't replicate.

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5

Chicken Curry Soup

Indian curry spices folded into a creamy chicken soup – somewhere between a curry and a bowl of chicken soup, in the best way. It works as a lighter weeknight dinner when you want Indian flavors without a thick curry, when served over rice. The Instant Pot handles it in under 30 minutes, and there's a stovetop option too.

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Thai Chicken Recipes

Thai curries are my go-to recipes for the Instant Pot. Three to five minutes under pressure and the sauce tastes like it's from your favorite Thai restaurant. Here are all Thai curries I make with chicken, plus a Thai grilled chicken (Gai Yang) that's been a consistent reader favorite.

6

Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken

This Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken is delightful (and addicting!) It makes a perfect meal when paired with Jasmine Rice, and comes together so quickly in the Instant Pot. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal.

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7

Instant Pot Thai Green Curry with Chicken

The spiciest of the Thai curries, and the one with the most brightness – fresh Thai basil, lime, and green herbs give the sauce its signature flavor. Zucchini, bell peppers, and bamboo shoots cook with the chicken for a complete one-pot meal. Four minutes on high pressure with a quick release.

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8

Thai Instant Pot Yellow Curry with Chicken

The gentlest of the Thai curries I make, and highly rated by my readers! Yellow curry gets its mellow warmth from turmeric and curry powder in a coconut milk base, and the potatoes and carrots that cook in the sauce absorb everything beautifully. If someone at the table is cautious about spice, start here.

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9

Thai Instant Pot Panang Curry with Chicken

Panang is thicker and richer than the other Thai curries – less brothy, more like a concentrated sauce that clings to everything. This recipe is highly rated and one of my most popular! It's milder than red curry, with a slightly nutty undertone from the curry paste and peanuts.

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10

Thai Grilled Chicken Thighs

Thai BBQ street food made at home. Chicken marinates in soy sauce, black soy sauce, fish sauce, lemongrass, white pepper, and cilantro stems, pressure cooks for 9 minutes, then finishes on the grill with a Thai sweet chili glaze. The Instant Pot does the work of getting the chicken cooked through and juicy. Finish on the grill to get that charred look. Great for entertaining since you can make it ahead!

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11

Instant Pot Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

Authentic Thai coconut chicken soup with galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves in a coconut milk broth. Tom Kha Gai has a distinctive flavor profile – sour, salty, sweet, and spicy all at once! Restaurant quality flavor.

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Global Flavors

These international recipes pull from very different culinary traditions – Caribbean, Middle Eastern, Korean, Portuguese-African – and each one is quick and easy because the Instant Pot cuts down what would otherwise be a much longer cooking time!

12

Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Bold Jamaican jerk spices, bone-in thighs and drumsticks, and Pickapeppa sauce. The chicken pressure cooks for 10 minutes to get it tender and deeply flavored, then goes on the grill for the smoke and char that make it jerk chicken. You can finish it in the oven if needed, but the grill is worth it. It's a great make-ahead recipe!

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13

Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma

Cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, and a yogurt-lemon marinade give the chicken a complex, spiced flavor that works in a pita with garlic sauce or served over rice with hummus. Five minutes on high pressure, and you've got one of the most flavorful chicken dinners on this list. One of my most popular recipes!

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14

Instant Pot Korean Chicken with Gochujang

Gochujang paste adds unique flavor to this chicken – it's spicy, and slightly sweet all at once. Bone-in chicken pressure cooks in minutes with a natural release, and the sauce is deep and sticky. Finish it on the grill for caramelized edges or serve it straight over rice as a Korean chicken bowl.

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15

Peri Peri Chicken

Peri peri has Portuguese-African roots and a flavor that's bright, spicy, and tangy – olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon, hot sauce, and paprika in the marinade. The recipe is built around the grill with an Instant Pot option, which makes it flexible for different seasons and setups. If you love Nando's peri peri chicken, you'll love this one too!

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16

Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Wings are pressure cooked until tender, then finished in the oven or on the grill with a teriyaki sauce (honey, pineapple, garlic, ginger, sesame). The pressure cooker cuts the cook time roughly in half compared to the original oven version. A party-ready appetizer for game day or a cocktail party!

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17

Instant Pot Coq au Vin

Classic French braised chicken – bone-in thighs and drumsticks with bacon, leeks, carrots, pearl onions, mushrooms, and dry white wine. Brandy deglazes the pot before pressure cooking; a quick beurre manie (butter and flour) thickens the sauce in Sauté mode afterward. The recipe uses white wine instead of red, but red works well too.

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One Pot Meals

Complete meals in one pot, with minimal cleanup

18

Chicken Tinga

An authentic Mexican chipotle chicken made with bone-in chicken and a blended chipotle-tomato-onion sauce. After pressure cooking, the chicken gets shredded and sautéed back into the sauce to soak up the smoky, slightly spicy flavor. Perfect for tacos, rice bowls, or nachos – a 5 star recipe you'll love!

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19

Instant Pot Arroz Con Pollo | Chicken and Rice

Latin-style chicken and rice cooked together so the rice absorbs all the chicken juices and spiced broth. A full meal in one pot with no sides required. This is the recipe to keep on rotation for weeknights when dinner needs to happen without a lot of fuss. Great for even picky eaters!

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20

Creamy Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta with Sausage

This came out of combining two recipes – Instant Pot jambalaya and sausage pasta – and it turned out better than expected. Chicken, sausage, the Cajun holy trinity of onion/celery/bell pepper, Creole seasoning, and cream cheese all go in together; the pasta cooks right in the pot with no separate draining. A dinner winner!

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21

Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya

This Cajun recipe for a one pot rice recipe with chicken, sausage, shrimp is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. It is a crowd pleaser that's perfect for Mardi Gras but also regular weeknights. A quick and easy recipe that's a dinner winner!

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Soups and Stews

The Instant Pot makes it so much easier to make soups that would normally need a long simmer. One minute of pressure cooking delivers what would take 45 minutes on the stove, and the chicken stays tender instead of stringy.

22

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken Stew

Chicken with beans, potatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in an herbed broth built on a white wine deglaze. Rosemary and thyme, 4 minutes on high pressure, and it tastes like it cooked all afternoon. This chicken stew is a reliable cold-weather dinner.

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23

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Soup

Homemade cream of chicken with leeks, mushrooms, and carrots – the kind that actually tastes good, unlike the canned version. Heavy cream adds a silky, creamy quality to this soup. It also works well with leftover rotisserie chicken or Thanksgiving turkey if you want to use what you have.

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24

Instant Pot African Peanut Stew

West African groundnut stew is known as tigadenega, mafe, or domoda depending on the country. Boneless chicken thighs and sweet potatoes cook in a peanut butter and curry powder sauce with garlic, ginger, onion, and spinach, and tomatoes.

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Special Techniques

These recipes use the Instant Pot in ways beyond basic pressure cooking – one uses the air fryer lid and one the Sous Vide function. A great way to learn how to use the features of the multi-function models.

25

Instant Pot Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Crispy buffalo wings made with the Duo Crisp, Pro Crisp, or air fryer lid – no deep frying. They come out genuinely crispy, which is harder to achieve in the oven than you might think. Note: this recipe requires the Duo Crisp or a model with an air fryer attachment. It won't work with a standard Instant Pot lid.

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26

Perfect Instant Pot Chicken Breast Using Sous Vide

This chicken breast recipe uses the Sous Vide function rather than pressure cooking – chicken breasts cook at a low temperature for a few hours for the juiciest, most consistent results you can get from chicken breast. If your Instant Pot model has the Sous Vide smart program, this is the recipe to use it for!

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