7 Instant Pot Chicken Recipes for Fast & Easy Dinners (2024)

FAQs

Does chicken get more tender the longer you cook it in an Instant Pot? ›

If your boneless chicken breast winds up with a weird, rubbery texture, it probably means that you need to cook it longer. In general, the Instant Pot does better with longer cook times for meat.

The final verdict

So can a Crock-Pot cook better chicken than an Instant Pot? Well, it really depends on what you're making. The Instant Pot cooks chicken much faster than its non-pressure counterparts, but the resulting texture isn't going to be the same as what you'd get with a slow cooker or Dutch oven.

If you used thinner pieces of chicken or did not adjust the cook time to the correct weight, it can result in dry and chewy chicken. You can salvage your chicken by serving it with a sauce to add moisture and flavor. How long does chicken need to be in the Instant Pot?

Chicken skin has a thin layer of fat under it, and when it's cooked at high temperature, the fat crisps the skin somewhat. When cooking at “low and slow” barbecue temperatures, this fat just melts away without getting hot enough to crisp the skin.

Pressure cookers are powerful, and it can be a fine line between perfectly done vs. too much. Longer cook times squeeze more moisture out of the tissue, leaving it drier and tougher.

While all cuts of chicken are fair game for the Instant Pot, thighs are the most forgiving. Because chicken breast is so lean, just a couple of extra minutes of cook time turns them from juicy to overcooked and dry.

It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

Aside from accidentally overcooking the meals, the most common reason we see for tough, rubbery, or overdone chicken is customers using a Crockpot that is far too big.

There is no difference in taste, provided the food is seasoned equally. The issue here is texture, and the time it takes to cook. A pressure cooker will cook very quickly, and depending on the cut of meat can take up to 1/2 the time or less. The food will come out very tender, also.

Processing methods: The way chicken breasts are processed can also affect their texture. Different processing techniques, such as mechanical tenderization or marination, can alter the structure of the meat and potentially contribute to a stringy or shredded texture [1].

How many minutes to cook chicken? ›

Boneless breasts will require 8-11 minutes per side in the pan, while bone-in breasts will need 11-15 minutes per side to cook fully. Boneless thighs should be cooked for 5-7 minutes per side, whereas bone-in thighs require 8-11 minutes per side.

First, chicken breasts cook faster than thighs and are easier to overcook. For example, if a recipe suggests cooking thighs for 30 minutes, the breasts may only take 20. The best way to avoid under or overcooking your chicken breasts is to test them with a meat thermometer.

Cooking chicken perfectly is all about getting the right temperature. If you cook it for too long, the meat can get too dry. If you cook it too fast, it might be uncooked in the middle. Take time to learn about the common mistakes you should avoid when cooking chicken breasts.

Cooking any meat on high heat (or high pressure) for an extended period will both: denature more the proteins / collagen making the meat more tender; "squeeze" more water out of the meat, making it drier / chalkier in texture.

By placing cooking liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker and placing the chicken in the steamer basket above the liquid, you are guaranteed tender, moist chicken every time. However, you can also use the cooker to make a sauce and cook your chicken submerged in flavour.

All Cuts of Meat Can Become More Tender in a Pressure Cooker

But there's more to tender meat than simply choosing a particular cut. As you'll know, starting with great ingredients is a must, but how you treat them in the cooking process is also of paramount importance.

In addition, chicken breast has less fat and can become dry (chewy or rubbery) if cooked for too long.