Chicken Breast – I always use boneless skinless chicken breasts, though you can also use my Instant Pot chicken recipe for boneless chicken thighs. Either fresh or frozen chicken is fine — both work great. Italian Seasoning – This is optional, but I love my Italian seasoning in this. It gives the chicken so much flavor and goes with almost anything I’d use it for. Feel free to omit if you want a more neutral taste. Sea Salt & Black Pepper – I only add a small amount of salt, because the chicken broth (below) has some. If your broth is very low in sodium, I recommend adding more. Chicken Broth – The Instant Pot requires a minimum of 1 cup of water or liquid for the pressure to build. Plus, liquid makes your chicken moist and juicy. While you can use water, I much prefer broth for flavor. You can use store-bought chicken broth, my homemade chicken broth, or even bone broth.
After testing each weight amount (and over 20 pounds of shredded chicken later!), I’ve created this time chart, so you never have to guess: I have some important notes for you to use this chart below. You can make up to 5 pounds of chicken breast in the Instant Pot at once, if yours is 6 quarts like mine. I usually stick to no more than 4 pounds, as 5 pounds doesn’t always cook evenly.
Two Forks – Use them to shred chicken breast directly in the Instant Pot. Hold a piece of chicken steady with one fork, then pull and tear away the shredded pieces with the other… and repeat. Sometimes I use meat shredding claws like this, which work the same way, but faster. Hand Mixer – This is my favorite method, because it’s so quick but the cleanup is still minimal. Drain some of the liquid temporarily (so it doesn’t splash all over you), then place the beaters into the pot and turn on the mixer to shred. If your hand mixer has a slow start feature, like this one I have, that helps to reduce splattering. Stand Mixer – A stand mixer works the same way as a hand mixer, except you’ll need to transfer the chicken into the mixer bowl.
Casseroles – The #1 way I use shredded chicken is for my family’s favorite casserole, chicken bacon ranch casserole. You can also use it for my chicken Cordon Bleu casserole or chicken zucchini casserole. Salads – I always use this for classic chicken salad, but also for my other creamy ones, like Mediterranean chicken salad and avocado chicken salad. You can top your leafy salads, such as green goddess salad or Cobb salad, too. Soups – While you can totally cook chicken breast while your soup cooks, sometimes I toss in pre-made Instant Pot chicken breast for a time-saving shortcut. Try it in my spaghetti squash chicken soup or healthy detox soup. Sandwiches – Make them with one of my chicken salads (above), or mix the chicken with my sugar free BBQ sauce and melt cheese on top. Dips – Stir it into my crack dip or queso dip for added protein, or use your pressure cooker again to make Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip. Mexican Dishes – If you make it with taco seasoning like I suggested above, my Instant Pot chicken breast recipe is perfect for tacos with fresh salsa, a quick burrito bowl, Mexican-inspired chicken stuffed peppers, or quick taco salad with my homemade salsa. Other Recipes – I use this chicken to make other recipes quickly, like chicken crust pizza, and stuffed poblano peppers. Side Dishes – If you want to serve your Instant Pot chicken breasts whole, make my roasted broccoli, sauteed green beans, or air fryer potatoes at the same time for easy sides.
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Tips: See my recipe tips to help you get juicy, tender shredded chicken, ways to customize the spices, and how to cook if you prefer your chicken breasts whole instead of shredded. Scaling the recipe: Check out my handy time chart for cooking different weights of chicken, plus some tips on scaling up or down. Storage: If you’ll use the chicken this week, you can keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. I store it with the juices to retain moisture. How to freeze: While I do keep a bit in the fridge when I need it, I always make a big batch of this Instant Pot chicken breast so that I can freeze it! After letting it cool, portion it out into zip lock bags (I recommend 1-pound portions for recipes) and freeze flat. Once solid, you can store the bags upright in the freezer for 3-6 months. Sometimes I use my vacuum sealer to make it last even longer without freezer burn.
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