2poundsboneless, skinless chicken breastsabout 4 to 6 breasts; see notes for using frozen chicken
2tablespoonsolive oil
1cupchicken brothor water
Optional for gravy
1tablespoonwater
1tablespooncornstarch
Instructions
Season: Combine garlic powder, onion powder, ground paprika, salt and pepper. Vigorously rub/dab all over chicken.
Brown chicken: Set instant pot to "sauté" and add olive oil. Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side, working in batches to avoid crowding pot. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
Add broth: Switch off instant pot. Pour in chicken broth, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the instant pot (make sure to scrape off everything, else you may trigger the burn notice during pressure cooking).
Pressure cook: Place trivet in instant pot. Arrange chicken on top (try not to stack). Pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes (it will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure, then cook for 5 minutes).
Pressure release: Once cooking time is up, switch off instant pot and do a 6 minute (8 minutes for large chicken breasts) natural release (just switch off the instant pot and leave it alone). Then release any remaining pressure manually and remove lid.
Finish/gravy: Remove chicken and trivet. Set instant pot to "sauté". Combine water and cornstarch to make a slurry, then stir into juices in instant pot. Stir and simmer until slightly thickened (about 2-3 minutes), then immediately serve with chicken. Tip: If not making gravy, baste chicken with juices from pot 4-5 times to dress and moisten it.
Notes
Chicken breast: Larger chicken breasts stay juicier with a better texture. I recommend 2 pounds of chicken, divided up into 4-6 chicken breasts.
Frozen chicken? If your chicken is frozen, you can cook it without defrosting. Remove the chicken from the freezer, unwrap and let it sit at room temperature while you get everything else ready for the recipe. Rub with spices, but do not sear/brown. Place the broth in the instant pot, then pressure cook the frozen chicken breast on the trivet for 15 minutes. Follow the remaining recipe as written.
Chicken broth: If you’re not planning on using the cooking juices for gravy, you could also just use water.
Seasoning: Feel free to use any other seasoning you enjoy.
Searing: Don’t overdo the searing/browning of the chicken, else you will have burnt seasoning in your gravy and on your chicken. 2 minutes per side is plenty. If you do accidentally end up with scorched seasoning in the instant pot, I recommend wiping away anything that's burnt to keep the gravy from turning out bitter.
Pressure release: Make sure to time the natural pressure release correctly, or the chicken will overcook.
Keep chicken juicy: Serve the chicken quickly once it’s cooked. If you need to keep it for a while, I recommend placing it in the gravy/pan juices to keep it juicy.
I highly recommend making the gravy, as adding it is a great way to keep the chicken from drying out!