Poached Chicken Breast (Instant Pot)

Poached chicken breast that shreds nicely for other recipes.

Ingredients

• 5 tsp salt (or just a couple, really)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp oregano
• 4 cups water
• 2 chicken breasts

Directions

• Add dried herbs to instant pot insert.

• Add 4 cups water.

• Add 2 chicken breasts (either whole or in chunks).

• Set timer for 0 (yes, really) minutes, or if not possible, 1 minute.

• When pressure is reached, if you had to set 1 minute, get up and turn the instant pot off.

• Hit “keep warm” to at least keep it warm but naturally release

• For

  • 1 chicken breast - 12 min
  • 2 chicken breasts - 11 min
  • 4 chicken breasts - 9 min

• Release pressure.

• Check temperature with a meat thermometer. Supposedly 165F is safe, but I still prefer 180F.

Frozen

• For frozen chicken breasts:
  • 2 chicken breasts - 3 minutes at pressure, 18 - 20 minute rest.

Wait, why?

As far as I can understand, we are using the heat necessary to get the mass of water + chicken to a boiling point to actually cook the chicken (poaching). This means that the more cold chicken breast you put in, the more heat it will take to get it to pressure, and therefore you need less time to naturally release. However, we are talking changes of 1 - 2 minutes, in salty water.

I use this to make shredded chicken breast for soup, chicken pot pie, etc.

Original guidelines are from Amy & Jacky Pressure Cook Recipes.