Instant Pot Juicy Chicken Breasts

  Instant Pot Juicy Chicken Breasts

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 6 minutes (plus about 10 minutes to come to pressure)
• Release time: 10 minutes (natural release)
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium chicken breasts (about 1.5 to 2 lbs total), thawed
• 1 cup chicken broth (or water)
• 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Season the Chicken In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Rub the olive oil or melted butter all over the chicken, then coat them evenly with the seasoning mix.

2. Set Up the Instant Pot Pour the 1 cup of chicken broth into the inner stainless steel pot of the Instant Pot. Place the metal trivet (the rack that came with your pot) inside.

3. Arrange the Chicken Place the seasoned chicken breasts onto the trivet. It is fine if they overlap slightly, but try to keep them in a relatively single layer for even cooking.

4. Pressure Cook Secure the lid onto the Instant Pot and turn the steam release valve to the Sealing position. Select Pressure Cook (or Manual) on High Pressure and set the timer for 6 minutes.

5. Natural Release (Crucial for Juiciness) When the 6-minute cooking time finishes, do not touch the valve. Let the Instant Pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes to naturally release the pressure. This slow drop in pressure prevents the chicken from toughening up. After 10 minutes, turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam.

6. Rest and Serve Carefully remove the lid once the float valve drops. Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board or plate and let them rest for 5 minutes before slicing or shredding. This locks in the juices.

Tip: You can spoon a little of the leftover broth from the bottom of the pot over the chicken right before serving.