My husband always says I have way too many kitchen appliances. Honestly, it is a fair statement. One appliance he never complains about is the Instant Pot. The thing is magic.
One of our go-to dinners is this simple herb chicken breast. It goes with almost anything. We usually serve ours with rice and veggies or something similar, but the sky is the limit really. The gravy that is made from this dish is sensational. My husband joked (although I think he may have been mostly serious) that he would just eat it by itself like soup.
This meal can be from frozen chicken breasts. I suggest seasoning the chicken before freezing that way they are already seasoned and ready to go right in. If they are not seasoned, just rub the seasoning onto the frozen chicken breasts before cooking.
If you are using frozen chicken breasts, it will take longer for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot; you’ll need about 15 minutes, instead of the 8 to 10 minutes that it takes for fresh chicken breasts. Make sure to separate the frozen chicken breasts – do not throw them in the Instant Pot all glued together, but rather separate them and arrange them in one single layer or they will not cook properly.
In a small mixing bowl combine all dry marinade seasonings.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the seasonings and mix until thoroughly combined into a paste.
Rub the paste all over the chicken breasts and marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes. Can be marinated overnight.
Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
Once oil and butter are hot, add the chicken breasts and brown on both sides; about 2 minutes per side.
Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside.
Add chicken broth/stock to the Instant Pot and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom.
Place a trivet inside the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken breasts on the trivet in one single layer.
Close pot, set valve to sealing, set to manual, select high pressure and set the timer to 5 minutes.
When the 5 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes; then, release any remaining pressure. (For frozen chicken breasts, it will take longer for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot; about 15 minutes.)
Remove chicken from pot and let rest for 5 minutes.
After removing the chicken breasts and trivet from the Instant Pot, press the SAUTÉ button and bring the liquid to a boil.
Make a slurry with 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; mix it up and add that to the pot; let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened to a desired consistency.
Pour over chicken breasts and serve.
Instant Pot Herb Chicken Breast
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried minced onion
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp poultry seasoning
- ⅛ tsp Lowry’s seasoned pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For cooking chicken:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 2-3 chicken breasts less than 2 pounds
For Gravy:
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl combine all dry marinade seasonings.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the seasonings and mix until thoroughly combined into a paste.
- Rub the paste all over the chicken breasts. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes. Can be marinated overnight.
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
- Once oil and butter are hot, add the chicken breasts and brown on both sides; about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside.
- Add chicken broth/stock to the Instant Pot and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom.
- Place a trivet inside the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken breasts on the trivet in one single layer.
- Close pot, set valve to sealing, set to manual, select high pressure and set the timer to 5 minutes.
- When the 5 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes; then, release any remaining pressure. (For frozen chicken breasts, it will take longer for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot; about 15 minutes.)
- Remove chicken from pot and let rest for 5 minutes.
- FOR THE GRAVY:
- After removing the chicken breasts and trivet from the Instant Pot, press the SAUTÉ button and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Make a slurry with 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; mix it up and add that to the pot; let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened to a desired consistency.
- Pour over chicken breasts and serve.
