By now you all know probably one of the BEST kitchen appliances I have ever purchased was my Electric Pressure Cooker. This thing truly is revolutionary and a God send for me. No you don’t understand just how much I respect this thing. I am one that honestly has truly limited free time so while I cook every day I still have other stuff to do. Plus I’m human, even I need some down time. That’s where this Electric Pressure Cooker truly comes into play.
I get up at 3:30 am M-F (5:30am on the weekends) just because, well I do. I don’t sleep a lot so you’d think I’d have more time than most but unfortunately I don’t. I’m constantly on the go between my day job, TKW (Thank you as it’s because of you that I’m so busy with that!), normal daily stuff, working out and trying to have some type of quality time with Mr. Fantabulous. So on those days when I get home from work only to realize that I forgot to take stuff out for dinner or I’ve changed my mind on what we’re having, I reach for my Electric Pressure Cooker.
Mr. Fantabulous was in the mood for chicken and we were short on time. Since I knew I could rock wings in this Electric Pressure Cooker, why not see what whole chicken breasts could do, right? As I was figuring out how to make this, seasonings and so forth a comment my best friend Vanessa said to me popped back into my head. She said “Lor, you should do a series on leftovers and how you can turn them into something new. I have a hard time with that and I’m sure your TKW Family does as well.”
Okay seriously this girl is amazing. I love how she gives me suggestions and ideas like this. So on a side note, I’m working on that series in an upcoming post.
So as I was prepping this, which literally includes putting the meat in the pressure cooker, spices and some type of liquid. As I thought about it I realized that if I kept the seasonings pretty standard that I could also use the liquid as stock. Now feel free to add in whatever spices you want – I’ve added in chipotle powder, garlic and onion powder, oregano and so forth. Really the skies the limit on this. And if you wanted you can even use the BBQ sauce from my pressure cooker Bourbon Honey BBQ wings in this!
In just 10 minutes I had 4 huge chicken breasts that were just incredibly moist and juicy with such amazing concentrated flavors. One of them I shredded with 2 forks and my word it shredded beautifully! I’m talking it just fell apart practically! The other 3 I let cool to room temperature. Once cooled I cubed one for a killer avocado chicken salad with toasted pecans, cranberries, red onions and greek yogurt (cause lord knows I loathe mayo!). The third one I sliced up, made a quick pan gravy with some of the stock and smothered the chicken slices with that alongside some creamy mashed potatoes. The last one I tossed in some bbq sauce, caramelized some onions, fried up some bacon and placed it on some pizza dough with sharp cheddar and chives. WOW amazing! So literally right there… 4 different dishes out of a single recipe AND I haven’t even touched the stock yet! Pretty friggen awesome, huh?
Now if you’ve ever made poached chicken breasts the traditional way it’s not exactly the fastest. First you have to bring the ingredients just to a simmer over medium-high heat where bubbles start forming around the edge of the pot. Next you have to reduce the heat to medium-low to keep temperature constant, about 170 to 180 degrees which is a pain in the butt. THEN you have to cook it for another 15-20 minutes. And then maybe it’s done. But the flavor, yeah no… I’ve made it that way and it’s just not the same. I will never poach chicken that way ever again.
Ever!
In this recipe you can see I used boneless, skinless breasts. In any rich chicken stock you want to use bone-in chicken and or the entire chicken. One of the best benefits about using a pressure cooker to make stock at is that it speeds the process up quite a bit, and helps seal in flavor that otherwise boils off into the air as the stock simmers and steam. A very basic chicken stock is a pretty simple thing to make. It’s made with water, chicken, aromatic vegetables like onion, carrot, and garlic, and then herbs. There really is no right or wrong way when it comes to what you add to the stock herb-wise; it truly is a personal preference. For a full-bodied, richer stock toss in some bones, even leftover chicken carcasses with help boost up the flavor profile of the stock.
I’d say the biggest thing to learn about using this pressure cooker is realizing that it is not a simple plug in and insta-pressure. It has to build up the pressure first. So sure to cook under pressure the recipe takes 10 minutes but it also takes about 10 minutes to build up the pressure first. While it’s heating up and building pressure the unit is locked to prevent you from getting injured. Trust me, hot steam to the face or skin is not fun at all.
Now let’s talk the benefits of pressure cooking this. Study after study has shown that the longer you cook food and the more liquid you use the more nutrients you lose. Water-soluble vitamins and minerals are simply cooked out and washed away. Pressure cooking helps retain the quality of the foods you cook with by preparing them quickly and with very little water. Meats stay juicy and moist. By cooking with superheated steam natural flavors are often intensified.
The best way to destroy vitamins is to cook your food in an open pot of boiling water. Yeah doesn’t sound so awesome boiling chicken now does it? To retain the most nutrients possible, most experts recommend that you use as little water as possible and cook foods rapidly because many vitamins are sensitive to water, heat and air exposure (vitamin C, the B vitamins and folate in particular) and water used for cooking can dissolve and wash away water soluble vitamins, while the heat deteriorates them.
The longer the cooking time and the higher the temperature, the worse it becomes. It is best to choose the cooking method that most optimizes and preserves the nutrients in food. In a study published by Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, researchers investigated effects of various means of cooking broccoli. Up to 97 percent of certain antioxidant compounds were destroyed by microwaving, while steaming the broccoli caused only 11 percent loss. Therefore, any cooking that minimizes the time, temperature, and water will help to preserve nutrients. Pressure cooking under steam is one of the methods best because it minimizes time and requires little water.
All in all, this recipe is incredible and you will never think of poached chicken as boring ever again. It’s honestly one of the best ways I’ve ever made chicken and the only way from now on I will poach it. The flavors are just incredible. So if you don’t have an Electric Pressure Cooker I strongly urge you to save up, put it on your wish list or whatever to invest in one. This one is the best one for me and I have zero issues or complaints with it. I LOVE it!
PrintPressure Cooker Perfectly Poached Chicken Breasts
Find more fantabulous recipes, tips and tricks at www.thekitchenwhisperer.net. Also, join our TKW Family on Facebook
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 large breasts), thawed
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion (leave the skin on), rough chopped
- 2 whole cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 4 tablespoon rough chopped parsley
Instructions
- In an Electric Pressure Cooker add all of the ingredients.
- Lock the lid and set the pressure to high for 10 minutes.
- As soon as the pressure cooker timer goes off, do a quick release.
- Once the pressure is released, remove the lid and pulled out the poached chicken breasts.
- Place a strainer over a large bowl and strain the stock.
- Allow the stock to cool and remove the fat.
- Save the stock for another use by either storing in the fridge or placing the freezer.
- This chicken can be used a bajillion ways now – salads, sandwiches, pizza toppings, anything.
Notes
I can’t say enough amazing things about this pressure cooker! Electric Pressure Cooker
Suggestions on Spice Mixtures to add:
3/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic and 2 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, plus the parsley, pepper and salt.
If you want the chicken to have more of a chicken soup taste go with 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder, plus the salt/pepper and parsley.
Looking for more Pressure Cooker Recipes?
AMAZING Bourbon Honey BBQ Pressure Cooker Wings
St. Louis Ribs with Whiskey BBQ Sauce
Fantabulous Pressure Cooker Pork Ragu
SandyToes says
Thank you for posting this technique. I’ve recently begun baking chicken breasts before finishing them (breaded, Sauteed, etc…) in a skillet or on the grill. They come out perfectly cooked and incredibly moist without the need to pound the thick end and pray they cook evenly. The problem is that I have to brine the chicken, preheat my oven, bake them for about 30 minutes and only then can I dry them and begin my recipe. Poaching under pressure is genius and although it won’t save much cooking time, cooking in broth means I can skip the brine and my kitchen will be much cooler. Ovens are for bread and pizza in my world. Anytime I can avoid using it for silly stuff I’m a happy cook.
I have a question about the liquid amount. If I’m using fewer or smaller breasts, can I reduce the liquid? Perhaps use enough to cover the chicken by an inch?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Sandy,
No you don’t want to boil the chicken so it’s never really fully submerged in the pressure cooker. You want the chicken sitting in the liquid but you don’t want the chicken completely “under water” so to speak. I would cut the recipe in half. I would advise reading your owners’ manual on their minimum requirements for the liquid.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
*note – updated my comment on 9/6 for clarity
Brandi says
Hi,
Can you please tell me if chicken broth is the same thing as chicken stock? If not, is broth a suitable substitution? If I were to cook twice at much chicken, should I double the liquid or adjust the time any? Thank you so much, and I really look forward to trying this with my chicken breasts!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Brandi,
Stock and broth are very similar and most folks use them interchangeably. Stock is made low and slow from the boney parts of the chicken. When it’s finished, after hours of cooking, you’re left with a rich, fuller-bodied flavor due to the gelatin released by long-simmering bones. Broth is made when vegetables and/or meats are simmered gently in water to extract all the flavors – bones.
I would follow the instructions of your pressure cooker of how much liquid to meat ratio you can put in. You don’t want to boil or submerge the meat in the liquid. I have not doubled my recipe as I filled my pressure cooker to the maximum allowable in the unit. Since it’s such a quick cooking time, I would just make the batches as-is and as soon as the first batch is done, make a second.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Brandi says
Thank you for the quick response!
Robyne says
This will be my second meal made in my new Instapot tonight! I’m slightly nervous about the quick release… Also, the pressure set to high, but is that all it needs to be set at? Ours has a bunch of function buttons. Thanks for any advice!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Robyne,
I’m not familiar with the Instapot. I have 2 PCs – electric and gas. Both are set to high pressure and then cooked with the spices for 10 minutes (the chicken breasts are thawed). Frozen will take 12-15 minutes.
Let me know if that helps!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Nyaka says
I hope this isn’t a silly question. I made wings two nights ago using your pressure cooker wing recipe and they were frozen when I started. Came out perfect and were deliciously fall off the bone. So my question is this. Are your ingredients (the meat) frozen or thawed when you begin? If thawed aren’t they possibly overcooked and actually off the bone when you take them out? I’m just wondering because I want to poach my chicken breast and debating on whether or not to thaw it first.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Nyaka,
If you cook the boneless breasts from a frozen state you want to increase the time another 2-3 minutes. If they are thawed, cook per the instructions above. I’ve never poached bone-in breasts. I have poached boneless from a thawed and frozen state adjusting the time accordingly.
Make sense?
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Bill says
I have a regular old (non-electric) pressure cooker, so when you say “10 minutes”, does the timing start when I turn on the heat or when the valve pops up??
TKWAdmin says
Hi Bill,
That’s 10 minutes once it’s up to pressure. I’m not familiar with ‘valves’ and the old fashioned ones. Even the gas one I have doesn’t have a valve that pops up. In my gas one, when it’s up to pressure, that’s when I set the timer to 10 minutes.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Liz says
The valve is probably the lock my newer stovetop pressure cooker has one yes that is when you start the 10 min’s as your rocker is rocking too
TKWAdmin says
Oh thanks Liz!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Jeannine Ross says
I found a new pressure cooker at the local thrift shop and had to buy it. I am glad to see you have some recipes I can try. I think many people are put off by pressure cooker as they picture the pressure canners that their Gramma used to make canned grean beans. They are very different, especially the electric one! I love that you use a day to cook many food options for the rest of the week. Great ideas!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Jeannine!
I’m with you on that old misconception of our grandmother’s pressure cookers. Today’s electric ones are NOTHING like those. I can remember my mother’s spitting, hitting and literally blowing its lid off multiple times.
Yes, I take about 2 hours on a weekend, cook a bunch of recipes in it and that way we’re set for food for a week!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
TKWAdmin says
Thank you so much Tamara! I seriously am in love with my pressure cooker! Just on Sunday morning alone I made 2 dozen wings, 1 dozen boneless chicken thighs and a full rack of St. Louis Ribs and it was all done in under and hour! I mean SERIOUSLY.. that’s insane! I made dinner for like 5 days!
Since I’ll be posting more pressure cooker recipes I created it’s own recipe section in the menu above: http://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/category/recipes/pressure-cooker/
Best Kitchen Wishes!
John says
It’s posts and recipes like this that make me (just a tiny little bit) wish that the Missus wasn’t a vegetarian, both of those recipes look super tasty. Keep up with the awesome recipes!!
TKWAdmin says
John,
Aw, I take it you’re not a full on vegetarian? If not you can always make some meat for you. However if you want some vegetarian pressure cooker recipes stay tuned as I’ll be posting some as well.
And thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate it!
Best Kitchen Wishes 🙂
TAMARA says
YOU HAVE INSPIRED ME TO START USING MY ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER MORE OFTEN.