The longest experiment of all times: Instant Pot Chicken. How long to pressure cook a whole chicken, chicken legs, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, chicken wings AND chicken breasts. I’ve got chicken coming out of my ears now!
First the bad news. Um, I’m never eating chicken again in my life I think. Ew! I’m also never eating rice again after my Instant Pot Rice post. Only veggies for me the rest of the month please!
The good news: you don’t have to get to that point because I got you all the numbers with my experiments ;)
Here is your Instant Pot Chicken Encyclopedia!
Before I start. This is all for thawed (NOT FROZEN) chicken and chicken parts. AND it’s all cooked on the trivet with water at the bottom, not touching the chicken. You can add whatever seasoning or sauce you want. Or you can cook it on top of rice or beans or whatever else cooks in the same amount of time. This is simply the minimum times you need to have the chicken or chicken parts IN there.
Now let’s get to the details. Shall we?
Warning: this is a VERY long post talking about my experiments and results. If you’re in a rush, you can just Jump to Recipe and there I list just the results.
Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
So the interweb research said 25 minutes pretty much for any size chicken. Some tested a 3lbs chicken, some tested a 4 lbs chicken, nobody tested both or more at several different times.
I wanted to find the magic formula for consistent results because not all my chickens are always the same size, right?
SOOOO, I cooked 3lbs (1300 g) chickens at 18 minutes, 23 minutes and 25 minutes. In all three experiments, the internal temperature made it to 165F so a small chicken basically CAN “in theory” be cooked for 18 minutes only. HOWEVER, the thighs and drumsticks were not nice and tender and rather weird in texture. Plus, there were just a little bit not so clear juices but lightly pinkish (temp was fine though, inserted into both thighs and breasts, so safe).
23 minutes was perfect and 25 minutes was great. No major difference to be honest so I’d say 23 minutes is the magic number for a small chicken 3 lbs and under.
The big chickens 4lbs 7oz (2000g) I tested at 22 and 25 minutes. 22 minutes just barely got to 165F (4 minutes into resting period) but same as for the small chicken after 18 minutes, the texture wasn’t really that perfect. The one cooked for 25 minutes was absolute perfection.
Conclusion and magic formula for Instant Pot Whole Chicken:
20 minutes + 1 minute per lbs on High Pressure + Natural Pressure Release
Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Holy cow – or maybe I should say holy chicken – this was the one that gave me the biggest headache. So first I tested three 10-oz (280g) breasts at 4 minutes, 5 minutes and 6 minutes. After 4 and 5 minutes, it didn’t make it to 165F in the resting period but the 6 minutes one was at 155F after opening and within 4 minutes resting time made it to 165F internal temperature.
My conclusion then was approx. 2 minutes per 3.5 oz (100g), right? WRONG! If you cook a 3.5 oz (100g) tiny chicken breast for 2 minutes it’s totally overcooked (like 200F kinda overcooked). Also, I’ve cooked two same weight but different thickness breasts at the same time but they had different internal temperatures after cooking.
Naturally, the next experiment was the thickness. A 1.2-inch thick (3 cm) breast cooked to 165F in 4 minutes.
My conclusion then was 50 seconds for every 1/4 inch OR 1 minute for every 3/4cm, right? WRONG! Because a 1/2-inch chicken escalope was completely overcooked after 2 minutes (like 200F kinda overcooked).
By now I’m about to give up, right? Only, I’ve already tested 1/2-inch chicken escalopes and tiny chicken breasts, medium sized 1-inch thick 7-oz (2.5cm/200g) chicken breasts and large 1.5-inch thick 10 oz (4cm/280g) breasts and I know at what times they properly cook through without completely overcooking.
It doesn’t make much sense to me (I feel like I need a math PhD to understand it) BUT I’ve got a table for you and we can all just not care about the formula, I would probably have to include surface and distance to heat source and all kinds of complicated things nobody would want to calculate each time they made a breast anyway, so here is a handy bullet list instead:
Conclusion and table for Instant Pot Chicken Breast:
- Breasts or escalope or cubed chicken UNDER 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) = 0 minutes High Pressure + 5 minutes Natural Pressure Release (about 3.5oz / 100g breasts)
- Breasts OVER 1/2 inch (1.3cm) but UNDER 1.2 inches (3cm) = 4 minutes High Pressure + 5 minutes Natural Pressure Release (about 7oz / 200g breasts)
- Breasts OVER 1.2 inches (3cm) but UNDER 1.5 inches (4 cm) = 6 minutes High Pressure + 5 minutes Natural Pressure Release (about 10oz / 280g breasts)
Now, before we jump to the next category, I’ve got to confess one thing. I didn’t like the texture of any of the pressure cooked chicken breasts. My favorite method to cook chicken breasts is and will always be pan-fried. It gives the juiciest and softest breasts of all.
HOWEVER, for mixed things like Instant Pot Chicken and Rice it’s awesome!! To choose which rice you want to cook with which piece of chicken check out this Instant Pot Rice guide. OR cook it in a ton of delicious sauce such as in this Instant Pot BBQ Chicken recipe and it’ll taste absolutely amazing!
Instant Pot Chicken Leg
The whole leg or just thighs and drumsticks are a lot easier to cook. AND, they taste amazing pressure cooked. Not like the breasts. They become super tender and delicious!
There is a much higher margin for success. Where breasts shouldn’t be overcooked or they become mega dry, all the bone-in parts are way more forgiving and actually benefit from overcooking because the longer they cook the softer they get and the easier they are to pull apart from the bone. Of course, there is an upper time-limit but it’s REALLY high.
So the least amount of time whole legs seem to need (independent of size) to get to the safe 165F is 18 minutes but it’s hard to remove the meat from the bone after such a short time. The longer you cook it the more tender it becomes and more fall-off-the bone. I’ve cooked it at 22 and even 30 minutes and at around the 22-minute mark it becomes really tender and still at 30 minutes they were great. So I’d say 22 minutes is great if you’re cooking them alone but you can go all the way to 30 minutes if you’re cooking them with whole sweet potatoes that need that long or wild rice for example.
Conclusion for Instant Pot Chicken Leg:
22-30 minutes High Pressure + 5 or more minutes Natural Pressure Release
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs & Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks
I haven’t tested cooking them to 30 minutes but “in theory” they should be just fine because if the whole leg is fine up to that time the individual parts should be, too.
My goal testing was finding the minimum time, clearly. Chicken thighs at 10 minutes high pressure + 5 minutes natural pressure release got me the 165 F but with slightly pink fluid and very hard to remove from the bone. Extremely weird texture.
At 15 minutes high pressure they become extremely tender and fall-off the bone. I myself have cooked them for up to 22 minutes and full natural pressure release and they were still divine. Super soft and juicy.
For drumsticks, I noticed that 15 minutes seems to be the absolute minimum for starting to soften down. Anything under may make it to safe temp but not fall-off the bone. I myself have cooked to up to 22 minutes and just like the thighs they were divine. Super soft and juicy.
Conclusion for Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks:
15-30 minutes High Pressure + 5 or more minutes Natural Pressure Release
Instant Pot Chicken Wings
Almost all recipes I found online all suggested 5 minutes HP + different times natural pressure release. The 5 minutes did get them to the safe 165F after the resting period BUT they were far from fall-off the bone.
Just like for the whole legs or just thighs and drumsticks longer cooking equals more tender and fall-off the bone meat.
Chicken breasts and bone-in dark chicken really cook completely different.
Anyhow, after a 10-minute high pressure cooking time + 5 minutes or more natural pressure release I noticed they become nice and tender. The wings of the big whole chicken that cooked for 25 minutes had perfect wings, too. So I guess 25 minutes is still fine.
Conclusion for Instant Pot Chicken Wings:
10-25 minutes High Pressure + 5 or more minutes Natural Pressure Release
Leave Skin On Or Remove When Making Instant Pot Chicken?
I’m a big advocate of always leaving the skin on, at least if you’re cooking only the chicken. If you’re cooking it on top of rice for example, the dripping fat WILL mix into the rice. You’ll have to decide if you’re ok with that depending on how fatty your other meals were during the day.
When you’re cooking only chicken on the rack with water in the bottom, the fat will drip into the water but the skin will keep the meat moist.
Now, be aware that the skin will NOT crisp up when cooked in the instant pot. It will be rubbery and yucky. You have two options after your chicken is cooked through. Either remove the skin and discard OR put under the broiler for a couple minutes for it to crips up.
Quick Pressure Release vs Partly or Full Natural Pressure Release for Instant Pot Chicken
Always let the pressure release naturally for at least a couple of minutes or you risk of all the steam evaporating really quickly and drying out the chicken.
Safe Chicken Temperature and Resting Period
The internal temperature for safe consumption of chicken (yes, all parts of it) is 165F.
This does not mean that the chicken has to be at 165F right after opening the lid of the pressure cooker. For chicken breasts always aim for rather 155F. Within 4-5 minutes the temperature will rise to 165F. If you aim for 165F right after opening the lid, you’r chicken will overcook during resting time.
ALWAYS, let chicken rest at least 10 minutes after cooking before cutting into it. If you cut into it right away all its juices run out and you’re left with extremely dry meat.
Chicken parts with bones in them are safe to eat at 165F but not tender. Always aim for rather 185F or more for those parts to get to fall-off-the-bone consistency.
Instant Pot Chicken
The longest experiment of all times: Instant Pot Chicken. How long to pressure cook a whole chicken, chicken legs, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, chicken wings AND chicken breasts. I've got chicken coming out of my ears now!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 chicken leg
- 1 chicken thigh
- 1 chicken drumstick
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 chicken wing
Instructions
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.
Here are minimum and maximum times for juicy, tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken parts, for more information read through the blog post:
WHOLE CHICKEN: 20 MINUTES + 1 MINUTE PER LBS HIGH PRESSURE + FULL NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE.
CHICKEN LEGS: 22-30 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE + 5 MINUTES OR MORE NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE
CHICKEN THIGHS: 15-30 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE + 5 MINUTES OR MORE NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE
CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS: 15-30 MINUTES HIGH PRESSURE + 5 MINUTES OR MORE NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE
CHICKEN BREAST:
UNDER 1/2 inch THICK = 0 minutes High Pressure + 5 minutes NPR
OVER 1/2 inch but UNDER 1.2 inches THICK = 4 minutes High Pressure + 5 minutes NPR
OVER 1.2 inches but UNDER 1.5 inches THICK = 6 minutes High Pressure + 5 minutes NPR
CHICKEN WINGS: 10-25 MINUTES + 5 MINUTES OR MORE NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE
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Janette says
Just curious, why are all the chicken pieces 20-30 each kind except for the breasts? Why are the breasts so much less time? Am I reading something wrong?
Lorena says
No, not reading anything wrong. Chicken breasts are white meat, the rest is considered dark meat. All dark meat contains bones. Breasts are best eaten when they reach 165F internal temperature MAX (if you cook it to higher temp they will overcook and become dry) but thighs are better cooked to 185F internal temperature to be cooked through, juicy and delicious.
George says
Hello thank you for info on cooking chicken in a IP. I just bought one from QVC. I am a retired chef of 36 years so I understand the importance of cooking chicken to the proper temp. Your post will be very helpful when I cook chicken for my wife and I in our new IP. Looking forward to the emails.
Lorena says
I’m so glad you found the post helpful. I can’t help to hear how your chicken turned out.
Werra Watson says
So I did the 6 minutes on the chicken breasts and the 5 minute NPR the temperature only read 140………. they are in the oven cooking now
What went wrong?
Lorena says
Oh no, I’m so sorry to read this. Let’s try and figure out what it could have been. Was your chicken breast UNDER 4cm thick at the thickest point?
Werra Watson says
Lorena the thickest one was 2.5 inches.
Lorena says
Oh, so there we have it. That’s why it didn’t cook through. You had very thick chicken breasts. I can’t find chicken breasts that thick here in Montreal so I haven’t been able to test chicken breasts thicker than 1.5 inches. I recommend you pound them a little next time to make them a little flatter (about 1.5 inches) and that way you’ll be able to use the 6 mins HP + 5 NPR
S says
Hey , for the chicken do you keep the ‘keep warm’ on or off when in NPR?
Thanks :)
Lorena says
I always keep the keep warm function off. I practically use my Instant Pot 90% of the time as a “set it and forget it” device.
Faina says
Thanks for this guide! I wonder if time needs to be increased with amount of chicken. I have about 5.5 pounds of drumsticks from costco and was thinking to cook all of them in one go in the IP. Any thoughts whether 22 minutes would still be enough?
Lorena says
Hi Faina, if they all fit in one layer it won’t be necessary to increase cooking time. If you have to stack you might want to add another minute or two.
SB says
Just wanted to say that I’ve referred to this post more times than I can count, to cook my chicken in the IP.
Thank you so much for a super helpful post!
SB
Lorena says
I’m so so happy to read you find my post useful. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
stephanie says
Just starting to get the hang of my IP after over a year of owning it. I am loving it for prepping chicken for the week. I just bought frozen thin sliced chicken breasts and layered them about 3 deep in my 6Q IP. I did 2 minutes high pressure then 5 minutes NPR. I poured one cup of chicken brother in the bottom and cooked them on the trivet. The top ones were a bit too well done, but the bottome ones were still a bit raw in some places. Am I just not able to stack in the IP? Because only about 2 breasts would fit side by side…is that just how it has to be done?
Thank you thank you for your recipes!
v/r,
Stephanie
Lorena says
Hm, you could get those egg trivets that are stackable and make two layers of side-by-side chicken breasts so they don’t lie on top of each other. I think that could work for large batches.
Brittany says
I just wanted to quickly mention something for everyone asking about stacking chicken pieces on top of one another vs. laying them side by side:
I’ve had a lot of success with standing the pieces up on end. That way you can fit more pieces in the pot, but they all still cook evenly. For example, I cook leg quarters quite often bcuz they’re inexpensive — if I laid the leg down, I’d be lucky to fit 2 of them, but by standing them up around the perimeter of the pot and then one in the middle, I can easily fit 4 and sometimes 5 leg quarters, and they all come out super tender and falling off the bone!
I hope this is helpful to some degree, but if anyone sees something wrong with it, I’d definitely like to know that too. I’m still a major newby with my IP!
Lorena says
This is brilliant Brittany! Thank you so much for sharing this information!
Abha says
Thank you for such a detailed post. I’m curious if one has to put the chicken on the trivet? I have Costco sized pack of chicken drumsticks and want to cook it to shred it. Can I put the liquid in and dump the drum sticks in it? How much liquid? Thank you!
Lorena says
Hi Abha, it’s all in the recipe card: “Add trivet into instant pot, add 1 cup water, add chicken drumsticks (in one layer)”
Abha says
I seemed to have missed it! In any case I added about 3 cups of stock and dumped about 18 drumsticks in to the IP without the trivet. I forgot to release pressure after 5 mins or so and did it only after close to 15mins of NPR. It was fall off the bone soft. I could have released the pressure a little sooner because this made the texture a bit too soft, but still totally useable.
Thanks again for this guide! It was super helpful!
Trevor H. says
Many thanks for such useful data. I eat lots of chicken and this is the best info than I’ve found. You appreciate the science of cooking :) I especially like how you prefer NPR to prematurely releasing all that expensive steam. My aim is to modify recipes to use NPR whenever possible. It’s greener, and who wants a steamed up kitchen anyway? I wonder, could inserting slugs of butter Kiev-style into chicken breasts and wrapping in foil prevent the dryness?
Lorena says
I’m so happy to read you found the guide useful. I’m not sure if it would work but you can most definitely try, sounds amazing :)
laura says
This is very helpful. Are you using chicken just out of the refrigerator, or at room temp?
Thanks,
Laura
Lorena says
Hi Laura, so glad you found it useful :) This guide is for chicken right out of the fridge.
Chrystie says
Hi! Thank you SO much for your dedication to accurate methodical info. I am curious if you have tried further cooking with the weird texture pieces that were safe but unpleasant. I intend to use my pressure cooker to pre cook chicken pieces and then “pan” fry them later at dinner time, so they will cook more quickly (because you can’t deep fry in a pressure cooker). I’m wondering if the texture would get better with frying after minimal cooking. My issue is that I don’t want fall off the bone chicken if I need to handle and continue cooking them later.
Lorena says
Hm, I’ve never thought of pan-frying afterward. It could definitely improve the texture of chicken breasts. Chicken thighs come out nice in the instant pot and what I’ve done already is pressure cook and then broil so the skin gets nice an crispy. I can imagine that if you cook chicken thighs and then store in the fridge till dinner time and then just pop in the hot oven for about 5 minutes + 5 minutes broiling they are reheated and nice and crispy?
Jex says
Hi do you have any recommendations on the timings for 8-10 large chicken legs stacked up? Also how much extra time would you add if they were frozen?
Lorena says
The time “should” be the same for 1 or 10 chicken legs, even if they are stacked. Use the longest chicken leg time suggested. The only thing I’ve tried from frozen so far is skinless boneless chicken thighs and 30 minutes worked well. I haven’t experimented any more with frozen chicken, so no advice, I’m sorry.
Jennifer says
Thanks so much for this guide! I’ve used it for numerous forms of chicken and it is a great resource. Love the way chicken is so tender in the InstantPot! And the leftover broth even is practically bone broth! I keep the bones to make actual bone broth, so multiple usage!
Nell says
Thanks for this post. It is a big help. I was really disappointed with the instruction that came with my Instant Pot, so I appreciate your hard work.
Just a note: I save the juices from the pot, place in the fridge to let the fat gel so I can remove it, then use the juices for cooking Mashed Potatoes or rice. Adds a lot of taste.
Lorena says
That’s delicious!! A great way to speed up the fat separating process is to use a fat separator. It’s just like 10 dollars off of Amazon :) I posted a photo of one with beef juices in it in the recipe car of my Instant Pot Pot Roast. If you use that, you can make your mashed potatoes right away to eat with your chicken :D
Elena says
do you cook your potatoes in the instapot a well? If so, what times? and I assume soup setting?
Lorena says
Yes, I cook my potatoes in the IP as well but the timing depends on the potatoes and what I want them for. Mashed, whole baby, etc. I should write a post about that. You just sparked the best idea ever! I never use any of the buttons the IPs have. I use only manual for everything. Small baby potatoes I cook for 5 minutes HP + quick release. Starchy yellow or white potatoes I peel and cut into chunks and then cook for 5 minutes + NPR and by then they are super mushy.
Lyndsay B says
Hi, so I usually made baked chicken (seasoned with butter and other seasonings) with potatoes and broccoli in the oven but it takes forever! I tried it in the instant pot using the trivet but all of the juice just went to the bottom where the water was. Can I just pressure cook it with the butter and other items without the water and trivet for better tasting and more flavorful chicken and potatoes?
Melissa says
I would! The butter will keep it from sticking.
Lorena says
It won’t work because your instant pot requires a minimum amount of liquid to GET to pressure. If there isn’t 1 cup for a 6-quart or 2 cups for an 8-quart in the pot it will never get to pressure and the chicken will start burning to the bottom. What you can do is use chicken broth instead of water, then take the chicken out and hit the soup button and bring to a boil and stir to reduce the sauce. You can also add a cornstarch slurry to make it more gravy-like
Amy says
Not all heroes wear capes. Thank you so much!!!
Lorena says
all the hearts in my eyes! Thank you for your amazing comment!
Rick Moore says
Can you stack the chicken leg quarters to cook more chicken or do I need to get stackable trivets to separate the chicken. Already have the trivets that came with the instantpot
Lorena says
I think stacking them with trivets you’ll be able to cook at the timing I suggest. Putting one on top of the other you might have to add a couple minutes pressure cook time (not double, just a couple minutes 2-3 more) to make sure they are cooked through.
Jessica says
Sorry, one more question. You are spot on about chicken tasting best pan fried on the stove. However I frequently have to cook in large quantities. I have tried both IP cooking and sheet pan cooking with and without parchment paper. The IP came out better because I used the sauté function to brown them and then had a broth-based sauce. But I wondered if you had any advice? Thank you again.
Lorena says
Hi Jessica, on what exactly do you need advice for here?
Jessica says
This was an awesome article! I am a new IP user. I was wondering if you could explain (or direct me somewhere) about the pressure release. I hear terms like “quick release” and “manual release” etc. How do I know how long to leave something in for after the pressure cooking has completed? Thank you, I really appreciate it.
Lorena says
Hi Jessica, “quick release” means once the pot peeps telling you the pressure cook time is over you turn the valve to the venting position and let all the pressure out “manually” which is why it’s also called “manual release”. Once all the pressure is out, the safety pin drops and you can open your pot. Quick release and manual release are synonyms. They are the exact same thing. “Natural Pressure Release” often abbreviated “NPR” means you do absolutely nothing once the pot beeps telling you the pressure cook time is over. You leave it untouched and you don’t even look at the valve. Leave it in the sealing position. Over time the pot will release all the pressure naturally and the safety pin will drop once all the pressure is out all on it’s own. That’s when you can open the pot and you food is ready. The time it takes a pot to naturally release pressure varies depending on volume and what you are cooking. It’s always different. It’s usually anywhere from 10-40 minutes. If cooking 1 cup of rice it’ll be closer to 10 minutes, if cooking a large quantity of chili con carne or similar filled all the way up to maximum capacity will take more like 40 minutes.
Angie says
I’m fairly new to the instant pot. I want to make chicken noodle soup. The receipe calls for 2 lbs bone in chicken, with at least one breast. It says I should cook it for 8 minutes. My husband bought a whole chicken but he’d already cut it up before I got home. Based on the price I’m asssuming it’s around 4 lbs. How long should does it need to cook? Do I follow the whole chicken time of 25 minutes even though it’s been cut up?
Lorena says
Angie, I’ve never tested this myself but I would assume, even if you add all the parts at the same time you just have to cook them as long as the part that takes the longest which are chicken legs (22 minutes + full natural pressure release). If I can make a recommendation: don’t add the chicken breasts. They might dry out because they’re not “protected” by the carcass anymore. Use them for another recipe. In general chicken breasts taste soooo much better made in a pan or in the oven. Use all the other parts for your chicken noodle soup. If you cut up your legs into thighs and drumsticks you should be able to cook all the parts in 15 minutes + full NPR.
Diane says
I didn’t see how much water to use within your processes.
Am I to assume that it is always one cut, as that is what I have seen in other recipes for the instant pot.
Please help I don’t want to make a mistake.
Lorena says
Hi Diane, yes, it’s written in under instructions in the first paragraph. Add trivet, 1 cup water and then whatever piece(s) of chicken you are cooking. This is for the 6 qt though which only needs one cup of liquid to get to pressure. If you have a 8qt you might need 2. Your instruction booklet should say what the minimum liquid is required to get to pressure. You won’t make a mistake :) You can do it!!
Heather Fountain says
Great tips! Thanks! I have some bone in chicken breast, do you think I should follow the recommendation for a whole chicken? I’m going for poached chicken, so I’ll cook in flavorful broth.
Lorena says
Hmmm. I’ve never cooked bone-in chicken breasts in the IP before. Honestly, I think I would try the regular chicken breast times first and then stick a meat thermometer in them once the pot is open and if it doesn’t reach at least 155F (remember chicken still rises temp a good 10F after cooking) then I would immediately close the lid again and let it come up to pressure again for another 2-4 minutes. I suspect though that the regular chicken breast times till work. Chicken breast cooks much much faster than any other part of the chicken.
Marty Davis says
Brand new instant pot user. So i’ve tried several recipes cooking pork chops, veggies and rice together, also chicken fetticini alfredo. I keep getting a ‘burn’ warning, then the timer stops. I’ve tried spraying with pam prior to cooking, but no good. What am i doing wrong?
Lorena says
Marty, I would try making rice as explained in my Instant Pot Rice post. Just 1 cup of whatever white rice with 1 cup water as a test. I have not one single comment about the “burn” message coming up with that recipe. If you still get the burn message there I hope you still have your receipt and warranty. I would go and return the pot and exchange it for a new one. It might be your pot. If the rice recipe works though you might have just been unlucky and come across recipes that are difficult to master in the Instant Pot and require a bit more practice. Usually the burn option comes on when there is not enough liquid in the bottom of the pot and stuff starts sticking to them bottom.
Dalice says
Super helpful thanks! Can you marinate the chicken before cooking it in the IP? If you are serving with a side and cooking time is within the same range as for the chicken can you just cook them together ie rice, potatoes, quinoa? Thanks!!
Lorena says
Hi Dalice, yes!! You can marinate and you can also cook different things together at the same time. If you sign up for my e-mail newsletter you get an Instant Pot Cheat Sheet as a thank you where I list which ingredients take the same time to cook so you can through them in together. Also, check out my “Instant Pot Chicken and Rice” Post here on the blog. You will love it :)
Jennifer says
I’ve had my IP for almost a year, and have tried it here and there, but am always looking for the basics. I came across this through Pinterest but have signed up. Your website is very good and easy to use. Thanks so much!
Lorena says
Thank you so so much for your lovely comment Jennifer!
Barbara says
I have a recipe that calls for 4 thighs to be browned in IP and then cooked with potatoes for 4 min on high with natural release—time seems short but lots of positive review—what do you think
Lorena says
Are the thighs bone in or boneless? For boneless thighs this could definitely work.
Petruk says
Usually I never comment on blogs but your article is so convincing that I never stop myself to say something about it. You’re doing a great job Man,Keep it up.
Lorena says
Thank you so so much Petruk. I feel honored :D
Marcy says
hello, I need to make 8 boneless chicken breasts at the same time. How do you adjust time for more volume?
Lorena says
In theory you don’t. One chicken breast should need just as long as 8. The pot will simply need longer to get to pressure. I have only tested with 1 vs 4 breasts though so I can’t tell with 100% certainty. You can always measure internal temperature right after opening and if it doesn’t reach 165F immediately put lid back and get back to pressure for another minute.
LisaMarie says
GIRL!!!! You just made my life THAT much easier!!! God bless you for all the experimentation you did! ❤️
Lorena says
I’m SO happy you find this post useful LisaMarie!!!
Pam says
Most useful IP info I have found. I would like to have some guidance on cooking chicken livers. A family favorite are chicken livers wrapped in bacon–either in frying pan or oven. After numerous attempts I have not found a way to do something similar in the IP. Also, I found it very difficult to read the light blue font you used in your email. Would you consider using fonts with more color saturation, as enlarging the font on my end doesn’t help make it easier to read. THANKS FOR YOUR EFFORTS. VERY PRACTICAL.
Lorena says
Hi Pam, thank you so so so much for pointing out the font color to me. I never realized people got my e-mail differently. I’m subscribed myself to my newsletter to always make sure it gets out ok and I get it in black font. I just coded in that it HAS TO BE black for everybody and certain size so it’s easy to read. That way I control on my end how everybody gets my e-mail not the e-mail provider. Thank you so so much for pointing this out. I hope the next e-mail will be better. Please let me know :)
ellen says
I have read both your chicken and rice guides. I am wanting to cook white rice and cubed chicken. Would I be correct in saying 3/4-1 inch chicken cubes with white rice should cook in the same amount of time? 3min HP then a natural release of roughly 10-12 mins? I know the pressure release will effect the chicken as it almost doubling the release time for the chicken.
Lorena says
Hi Ellen, you need the 3 minutes + full natural pressure release so the rice cooks, otherwise you end up with undercooked rice. The cubed chicken will be just fine after 3 minutes and full pressure release. You can definitely cook both together. Make sure you have a delicious sauce for all of it :)
Sarah Johns says
I want to use the IP for BONE IN chicken breasts…. any suggestions?
Sarah says
Ugh…. I’m going to give it a shot at cooking similarly to a bone in thigh/leg. Wish me luck!!
Lorena says
Good luck :) It’ll turn out just fine!! I used BONE-IN chicken thighs for this experiment. Cook them for 15 minutes+NPR and they’ll be good.
Maria L. D. says
Can’t say anything less than THANK YOU for taking the time to test the cooking time and to share this knowledge. All the time that you invested doing the testing and writing the conclusion to share is very helpful to all of us. Thank you again.
Lorena says
Thank YOU Maria for taking the time to come back, comment and rate my post. I really, really appreciate it!
Susan says
This is so helpful! I’m wondering how I would do bone in chicken breasts?
THank you.
Carol says
Thank you Lorena for doing all the hard work. Can you mix breasts and leg quarters and cook together? If so how do you figure the time?
Lorena says
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried mixing and I think I wouldn’t mix. In case of a whole chicken you have a lot of skin on the breasts so they don’t dry out as much while waiting for the rest to cook through but breasts alone will dry out much faster while the leg quarters wouldn’t be cooked through properly.
John says
I get what you are saying about the breasts drying out (and I haven’t tried this) but could you wrap the breasts in food safe clingfilm?
Lorena says
Hey John, I’m not sure that would make a difference. The problem is that there is no searing process as is when pan frying so the liquid simply flows out of the center of the breast instead of being sealed in. If you wrap it that won’t change. The liquid will simply not wander too far away from the breast but still out of the breast. But that’s all just theory. I might be totally wrong and it works wonderfully. If you try, definitely let me know.
Ava says
25 mins on high pressures quick release and I usually forget for a few mins. Falls off the bone, fully cooked.
ThrivingWithEssentials says
Very, very helpful! I made your Chicken and Rice recipe and my husband ate the leftovers for lunch the next day. (he NEVER eats the same thing two days in a row!) He said “this is a keeper…seriously, I want you to make sure you remember this one.”
Thank you!
Lorena says
OMG! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know. What a wonderful compliment!!
Jessi says
Thank you! This is exactly what I wanted!!
Lorena says
I’m so happy you found it useful Jessi!!
Shirley says
Wish I could stuff the chicken but it cooks to fast, it wouldn’t have Time to cook the dressing. Is there a good dressing I can pressure cook
Lorena says
You can always add spices like cajun, or just salt, pepper and paprika or salt, pepper and oregano. Other than that you can always make a sauce while the chicken is cooking. This one is my absolute FAVORITE: https://greenhealthycooking.com/out-of-this-world-tahini-herb-sauce/
Naomi says
What if your (whole) chicken is partially frozen? All the “fresh” whole chickens were partially frozen on the back today
Lorena says
Hey Naomi,
I recommend leaving it in the fridge until it defrosts because frozen chicken gets super dry in my opinion. If that’s not an option Maybe just add a couple extra minutes just in case but in theory it shouldn’t take longer to cook, just longer for the pot to get to pressure.
Jennifer says
Ive cooked a whole frozen chicken before. As long as you have good liquid in there, it will be fine. I take it out and put it under the broiler afterwards to crisp up. The only difference is that it takes longer to come to pressure
Lorena says
thanks for the info Jennifer!!
Carla says
Are there any adjustments you would suggest for boneless/skinless thighs? Thanks!
Lorena says
Hi Carla, I haven’t tried them in the IP yet. I’m sure they cook faster but probably are just fine at the 15-ish minute mark.
Mel says
I am new to this method of cooking. Your breakdown is very interesting. I’m sure it will be helpful. I find the comments to your posting to be very informative as well.
Lorena says
I’m glad you find it useful Mel :)
Jean says
Thank you for this … as I am new to IP cooking. I was wondering how you pan fry your chicken breasts as I agree about the texture after cooking some already.
Lorena says
My favorite way is to use a heavy bottomed pan and heat it over medium heat for a looong time so it’s really super mega hot (but important, medium high, otherwise chicken will immediately burn), then once it’s hot, add a little bit of high smoke point oil and add chicken breast (1 or 2 works fine, more is trickier because the pan gets cold too fast). Sear 1 minute on one side, 1 minute on the other, then add tight sitting lid and reduce heat to low immediately. Set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove pan from heat WITHOUT OPENING LID, NO PEEKING!! And set timer for 10 minutes again. Then open the lid and remove breast. Let rest 5 minutes, then cut into the juiciest and yummiest chicken breasts ever :D
Faith says
Thanks for this post. I will definitely try it
Lorena says
I’m so happy it’s useful for you Faith :)
Jim.S says
That sounds pretty easy !
Thanks, Jim / Muskego Wisc
Lorena says
I’m so happy you find it useful Jim :)
Dixie says
Thank you for doing all this work and then sharing your results!
Paul Raia says
Thank you for the time and effort you put into your experiment. I use my IP to make bone in, skin on breasts and thighs to supplement my dogs dry kibble when feeding. Using 6 minutes per pound as a guide I’ve had success with both cuts. Adding a cup of water and piling all thighs or breasts on the trivet has worked for me. I buy a family size package of either one and calculate times by weight on the package. After cooling I divide it up and use sandwich bags to freeze all but one that I refrigerate. I will share your guide for future use, thanks again
Lorena says
Wonderful Paul!! I’m happy to know that stacking seems to work, too. Thank you for sharing that info. Definitely have to test that once I’m over my aversion to chicken, haha
Lori says
How can you cook 0 min at high pressure?
Vince says
I had the same question and found my answer here:
https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-tips/
Now it makes sense. Good Luck!
Lorena says
Thank you Vince for posting. Correct. Lori, you just press “manual” (or “pressure cook” on newer models”) and set for 0 minutes. The pot comes to pressure and then immediately shuts off. The time to come to pressure + 5 minutes pressure release keep the thin chicken long enough in enough heat to cook through :)
Sandra says
This is how I cook a whole chicken now (about 3 pounds). Brown and put in IP without the trivet. Quarter an onion (skins and all) horizontally slice a whole head of garlic and rough cut some celery. Put in bottom of pot and add the whole chicken. Cover with water to maximum fill line – don’t worry if an inch or so of chicken sticks over the water. Set to high pressure “000” and NPR for 20 minutes. You will be left with amazing chicken to BBQ under the broiler, use for quick recipes or whatever. Strain the stock (this is better than anything you can buy and defat it the next day for soups, etc.) – you will need a large container.
Lorena says
Wait, you cook on high pressure for 0 minutes and then pressure release 20 and that’s enough for a WHOLE chicken?? If I wasn’t so grossed out with chicken I would totally give this a try immediately. Impressed!
Julia says
It’s because it takes so long to reach pressure that the chicken is cooked by the heat and building pressure of it actually trying to reach its final pressure. I did this accidentally one time and the chicken was amazing, as was the stock!
Sherron says
I am just learning about my Instant Pot and I love this breakdown. I have done leg of lamb which was very good, mussels – delicious, and beef bone broth. Your post is going to help so much!
Lorena says
I’m so glad you found it useful Sherron :)
Sherron says
Thank you so much for this. I am just learning about my Instant Pot and I love this breakdown. I have done leg of lamb which was very good, mussels – delicious, and beef bone broth. Your post is going to help so much!
Trieneke says
I make dogfood with a 10 lbs. bag of skinned chicken leg quarters – how much water should I add and how long do I pressure cook it in my 8 quart Instant pot?
Lorena says
The water is the same for 1 or 10 legs because the chicken isn’t in the water but on the trivet. The water is at the bottom not touching the chicken and the times “should” also be the same for 1 or 10 legs.