Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Breasts

So I can’t stop making things in the Instant Pot.

It’s an addiction. I may need help.

But whatever it’s just so easy! Not to mention I’m really satisfied with myself here because this dish came out GREAT and has no butter or flour in the sauce. It’s basically “au jus” with mushrooms. And you can totally omit the mushrooms if you want.

I think the seasoning is really the key here – I was feeling lazy so I just used a bunch of dried seasoning and made a paste to slather all over the chicken. I also used Poultry Seasoning but according to the package that’s a combo of sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, nutmeg, and pepper. Obviously you can make your own blend of that, but this worked well.

My issue with chicken breasts is they tend to be dry, but this method of cooking was awesome – they came out perfectly juicy, with great seasoning. I had some the next day too, chilled and sliced up in my salad.

I used 2 big chicken breasts and they were fresh, not frozen. I know you can make frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot too but I haven’t done it yet, so I’m not going to be able to share the cooking method until I test it out myself. Don’t want to lead you astray.

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Breasts

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire
  • 1 8 oz package sliced mushrooms

Directions

  1. Add all of the dried seasonings/salt to a small bowl and mix together with your fingers or a small spoon. Add the olive oil and mix to make a paste.
  2. Rub the spice paste all over the chicken breasts and set the Instant Pot to Saute mode.
  3. Add 1 tbsp of the olive oil to the inner pot and add the chicken. Brown on both sides, roughly 3 mins per side. Remove from Instant Pot and set aside.
  4. Deglaze the pot with the chicken broth and lemon juice. Scrape up any of those delicious brown bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. It’s for flavor! And fun fact: it’s called “fond”. #themoreyouknow
  5. Place the trivet inside the inner pot, then place the chicken breasts on top. If you don’t have a trivet I’m told you can use balls made of tin foil to keep them propped up a bit. Close and seal the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to “sealed”.
  6. Switch the mode to Pressure Cook and set the timer to 6 mins. When timer goes off, let the rest of the pressure release naturally for 9-10 minutes then release the rest by switching the valve to “vent”.
  7. Remove chicken and let stand for a few minutes before slicing to retain juices. In the meantime, you can make the sauce.
  8. Switch the pot to Saute mode again and add the Worcestershire and mushrooms. Let cook 5 mins or so until the mushrooms are tender. The mixture will bubble a bit so stir often and feel free to add more lemon. When done, spoon sauce over the top and serve. I made these with a side of brown rice and it was delightful.

As always, thanks to FreshDirect for the ingredients! #FDambassador

4 Comments

  1. Nice recipe and pix, thanks, but… it’s called “fond.”
    (“Frond” is the leaf stalk of a fern.)

  2. To cook frozen chicken breasts successfully in the instapot, your chicken must be IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) A big cube of frozen chicken stuck together won t cook evenly.

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