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How many times have you forgotten to take the frozen chicken out of the freezer? We have three easy ways you can cook frozen chicken in less than forty minutes to save your dinner from disaster.
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Who can resist delicious chicken dishes that only take minutes to make? Our Instant Pot is our go-to appliance for making chicken in the shortest amount of time possible. We’ll show you below how to cook frozen chicken in an Instant Pot, but the oven and the air fryer work great as well!
Whether you are craving pasta with creamy sauce or a crispy salad topper, we have three quick and easy freezer-to-plate methods that transform your tough, crumbly frozen chicken into tender and juicy meat with little effort. We want to help you quickly turn frozen chicken into dinner!
Oven Method
The oven method is the most traditional way of cooking frozen chicken. If you don’t have an air fryer or instant pot, don’t worry! You can still get delicious, moist, and flavorful chicken. This method does take a little longer than the others, but it works!
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Place frozen chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Try to use chicken breasts that are about 1-inch or a little less. Thicker chicken will need longer to cook and may need to be cooked at a lower temperature.
- Rub a little butter or olive oil on each chicken piece. DO NOT skip this step! It helps bind the seasoning to the chicken and makes it taste so much better.
- Season your chicken as desired.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Air Fryer Method
The air fryer method is quicker than the oven and the chicken comes out so well. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may not be able to fit as many chicken breasts in the basket as you would in the oven. I was able to fit three chicken breasts in my air fryer. When I cook frozen chicken in the air fryer I like to add a breadcrumb topping, but you can leave the breadcrumbs off if you’d like.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360.
- In a small bowl mix ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper to taste. You can add other seasonings if desired.
- Place each chicken piece in the air fryer. Try to use chicken breasts that are about 1-inch or a little less. Thicker chicken will need longer to cook and may need to be cooked at a lower temperature.
- Rub each chicken breast with butter or olive oil. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mix over the chicken and press down so it sticks to the chicken.
- Spray a little cooking spray on the tops of each piece.
- Bake at 360 for 10 minutes. Then, flip each piece and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Instant Pot Method
The instant pot method is my favorite method. The chicken comes out so moist and it is perfect for slicing or shredding. You will need a trivet for this method. Most instant pots come with a trivet, but I lost mine so I bought a silicon trivet at Target. If you don’t use the trivet and you put the chicken directly into the broth or water, it will essentially boil the chicken instead of steaming it and the texture will be more rubbery. See the recipe card below for our instant pot method!
Can I Cook Frozen Chicken in a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot?
The short answer is no, and I will explain why. The USDA recommends that chicken, raw or cooked, does not sit in the “danger zone” for more than 2 hours. The “danger zone” is between 40 degrees and 140 degrees. It needs to be either stored in the fridge at lower than 40 or be kept warm at 140 or above. Since most crock pot recipes are longer than two hours, the frozen chicken will be in the “danger zone” for too long. Thawed chicken heats up fast enough to clear the 140 threshold before the 2 hour mark, but the frozen chicken does not.
More Frequently Asked Questions
Frozen chicken can be cooked without having to go through the thawing process. The best ways to cook frozen chicken are in the oven, in the Instant Pot, and in an Air Fryer.
Cooking frozen chicken takes 20-45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breast and the method you use. The quickest way to cook frozen chicken is in an air fryer, which takes between 15-20 minutes.
Frozen chicken can be cooked on the stove. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Place frozen chicken in the skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes on each side. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Read Next: 35+ Best Chicken Breast Recipes
Recipes You Can Make with Frozen Chicken
Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
Equipment
- Instant Pot with trivet insert
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts frozen, about 1 inch thick
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- seasonings to taste (I used Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute)
Instructions
- Pour chicken broth into the instant pot. Place the trivet insert over the broth. Add the chicken in a single layer on top of the trivet. Season the chicken to add flavor.
- Place the lid on the instant pot. Set the valve to sealing and cook the chicken on Manual on the high pressure setting for 12 minutes. When the timer goes off, let the pressure naturally release for about 20 minutes, or until the pin drops.
- Take the lid off and shred or slice chicken to serve.
Notes
Instant Pot Trivet
- You will need a trivet for this method.
- Most instant pots come with a trivet, but I lost mine. I bought a silicon trivet at Target.
- If you don’t use the trivet and you put the chicken directly into the broth or water, it will essentially boil the chicken instead of steaming it and the texture will be more rubbery.
I made this recipe tonight, following directions to the letter. I used the trivet that came with my Instant Pot. The chicken breasts did not touch the chicken broth below, and yet the bottoms of the breasts came out rubbery. Hmm,… can you suggest a cooking time other than the 12 mins in the recipe that cooks the chicken thoroughly but does not come out rubbery? Thanks!
How big were the chicken breasts you used?
Love this! Made such a difference and now it comes out perfectly every time!!
Thanks for the tip about putting the chicken on a trivet in the instant pot. It made a difference in the texture, and I also like that the seasoning stays on the bottom of the chicken instead of in the broth at the bottom. Great tip!