How To Cook Frozen Chicken

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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.

Sliced seasoned chicken on a plate
Featured with this post
  1. Oven Method
  2. Air Fryer Method
  3. Instant Pot Method
  4. Can I Cook Frozen Chicken in a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot?
  5. More Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Recipes You Can Make with Frozen Chicken
  7. Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot
  8. How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot Recipe

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!

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Season your chicken as desired.
  5. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Seasoned chicken breasts in an oven dish


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.

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 360.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Spray a little cooking spray on the tops of each piece.
  6. 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!

Cooked seasoned chicken in an instant pot

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

Can you cook chicken from frozen?

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.

How long does it take to cook frozen chicken?

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.

Can you cook chicken from frozen on the stove?

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

Sliced chicken on a plate with an instant pot and a bag of frozen chicken in the background

How to Cook Frozen Chicken in the Instant Pot

4.50 from 4 votes
Forget to take the frozen chicken out of the freezer? Don't worry! It cooks in the Instant Pot in no time!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Natural Release Time 20 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 2

Equipment

  • Instant Pot with trivet insert

Ingredients

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.
    Frozen Chicken Breasts in an instant pot
  • 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.
    Cooked seasoned chicken in an instant pot
  • Take the lid off and shred or slice chicken to serve.
    Sliced seasoned chicken on a plate

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. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 135kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 24gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 561mgPotassium: 512mgVitamin A: 36IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Kelsey Crist

Kelsey lives in Washington with her husband, Alex, and two cats, Diana and Nova. Her happy place is in the kitchen listening to an audiobook and trying new recipes. When she's not in the kitchen you can find her hiking, shopping at Trader Joe's, or playing Animal Crossing. Her favorite food is pasta and Alex loves when she makes Homemade Oreos.

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Comments

  1. 3 stars
    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!

  2. 5 stars
    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!