Instant Pot Meal Prep Chicken Breasts
This recipe focuses on preparing tender, seasoned chicken breasts in an Instant Pot for weekly meal prep. The method involves browning the meat first for flavor and color, then pressure cooking it in a light water bath. These cooked breasts can be sliced, cubed, or left whole to build various meals throughout the week.
Instructions
4 steps-
Brown the chicken
Preheat the Instant Pot on the highest sauté setting. Add olive oil when the display reads "HOT." Pat chicken breasts dry and season the top sides. Place two breasts in the pot, seasoned side down, and brown for 4-5 minutes per side. Season the other sides before flipping. Move finished breasts to a holding tray and repeat with the remaining breasts. -
Deglaze the pot
Add 1 cup of water to the pot. Scrape up any stuck-on browned bits to prevent a burn warning. -
Pressure cook
Insert the trivet into the pot. Layer the chicken onto the trivet and pour in any collected juices. Lock and seal the lid. Cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes, followed by a full natural pressure release, which should take about 10 minutes. -
Rest and store
Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes until cool enough to handle. Slice, cube, or leave whole as desired. Store in the refrigerator to use throughout the week.
Tips
If you skip the browning step, increase the pressure cook time to 10-12 minutes. For cooking rice later, taste the broth to ensure it is not too salty, then add equal parts broth and rinsed rice: 4 minutes high pressure plus 10 minutes natural release for white rice, or 20 minutes high pressure plus 10 minutes natural release for brown rice.
Video
“Instant Pot Chicken Breasts for Weekly Meal Prep” by Nosie Bee, watch on YouTube.
About this recipe
This dish yields moist, well-seasoned chicken breasts ideal for building quick lunches and dinners. The breasts are browned in olive oil to create a flavorful crust before being finished under pressure, ensuring they remain tender. The resulting meat is versatile and great for storage.
Once cooked and cooled, the chicken can be stored in the refrigerator and incorporated into sandwiches, stir-fries, salads, or noodle bowls. Leaving a few whole until they firm up in the fridge makes for cleaner slicing later.
