Healthy Chicken Breast instant pot recipe without cheese

This Healthy chicken breast recipe on the Instant Pot is perfect for afternoon dinner when you are in a rush. Easy to make yet delicious, this recipe will be your go-to for weekdays when you have a few ingredients at hand and are craving a healthy homemade chicken recipe.

So let’s get cooking!!

Check These Ground Chicken recipes for breakfast

Ingredients you’ll need

For this Healthy Chicken Breast instant pot recipe, you will need a handful of ingredients you can find in your local grocery store.

Olive oil:

I prefer olive oil to another kind of oil because of its health benefits and incredible flavor. Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids, which offer a variety of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties and good for heart health, among others.

Yellow anion:

Onions are essential in my kitchen. They add depth and complexity to this chicken breast recipe with its slightly sweet and earthy flavor. I prefer yellow onions for cooking; if you have red onions, you can use them instead.

Green and Red bell peppers:

Bell peppers will add a crisp and crunchy texture to this recipe and a burst of fantastic color, making it irresistible.

They also add a ton of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals like vitamins C, A, K, B6 folate, Potassium, and antioxidants.

The way I cooked this Healthy Chicken Breast instant pot recipe preserved most of the nutrients.

Dry Spices:

Cumin has a warm, earthy, and slightly bitter flavor, with a strong aroma that brings this chicken to the next level.

Paprica will add color to this dish and a mildly smoky flavor.

Garlic powder is savory, slightly spicy, and somewhat sweet, giving this recipe a level of depth.

Black pepper will at a bit of heat to enhance the flavor. Also, it boosts digestion which is beneficial for your health.

Oregano is a flavorful and versatile herb that will enhance this healthy Chicken Breast instant pot recipe and add taste and nutritional value. Its anti-inflammatory properties, antimicrobial effects, and versatility make it a valuable addition to your kitchen. If you don’t have you can use a substitute.

Salt is the key to a savoury dish. It enhances flavour and balances tastes.

And lastly, our key ingredient, chicken breast.

How to make…

1. Cut the chicken into small cubes. 
2. Do the same with the bell peppers and onion. Cut them into similar cube sizes.
3. Pour the dry spices into the chicken. Give it a gentle massage so all the spices cover the meat, and let it sit until your oil is ready.
4. Turn on your Instant Pot on the Saute settings. If your Saute timer is set to less than 10 min, adjust the timer to at least 20 minutes.  
5. Pour the olive oil into the instant pot and let it heat. 
6. Once the oil is hot, mix the chicken until the meat is seared. Don’t let the chicken get brown. In this step, you need only to let the chicken breast get to a point where it starts realizing the juices. 
7. Stop the Instant Pot and change the settings to Soup. Set the timer to 12 minutes. 
8. Close the lead and wait until the time has passed. 
9. Let the pressure release and open the lead. 
10. Turn back your Instant Pot to the Saute option and let it run until little water is left. 
11. Now incorporate the bell peppers and the onion. 
12. Don’t let the vegetable get smushy. Once veggies are tender but still firm, you can turn off the Instant Pot. 
13. Your healthy chicken breast instant pot recipe is ready!
14. Enjoy!

Side dishes ideas

My family loves this chicken with rice. We are picky when it comes to the type of rice we eat. We are rice lovers, so whatever is on sale, we buy.

When I made this healthy chicken breast recipe on the instant pot, I happened to have basmati rice, and that was our side dish for that night.

You can serve it with quinoa, brown rice, taco tortillas with some lettuce, or any other crunchy vegetable.

Mash or bake potatoes mixed well with chicken too.

Or if you don’t want to get over-complicated, a side salad will also work great.

Tips

You might be tented to add liquid to cook the chicken on the Instant Pot, but don’t do it. I promise it won’t burn. Otherwise, your meat will be all watery, and it will lose a lot of nutrients.

Pressure cookers extract a lot of fluid during the cooking process, enough for the chicken breast to cook on its own juices. The results will be delicious.

You can add some cayenne peppers to heat up the dish. I have a small kid at home, so I only add spicy to my plate.

You could also add some fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley.

And remember to adjust the salt and pepper proportions to your liking. What works for my family might not be good for yours. So feel free to experiment and give this recipe your own touch. After all, cooking is a creative process.

How to store

1. Cool the chicken before storing: Let it cool down to room temperature before storing cooked chicken. This will help prevent bacteria growth.
2. Store in airtight containers: This will help prevent this healthy chicken breast recipe instant pot from drying out or absorbing other flavours in the fridge.
3. Store in the refrigerator: Cooked chicken should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature below 40°F (4°C). It can be stored for up to four days.
4. Freeze if not using within four days: If you don’t plan to use the cooked chicken within four days, it’s best to freeze it. Place it in an airtight container or freezer bag and store it in the freezer. It will last up to three months frozen. 
5. Reheat thoroughly: When reheating this healthy chicken breast recipe, ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) to kill harmful bacteria.

By following these tips, you can safely store this recipe and prevent foodborne illness.

FAQs about this Healthy Chicken Breast instant pot recipe

What is the healthiest way to cook chicken breast?

The healthiest way to cook chicken breast is by using cooking methods that don’t require adding extra fat or oil, such as grilling, baking or roasting, poaching, and steaming.

Also, make sure not to cook over your chicken breast. Overcooking destroys nutrients, and it will happen regardless of your cooking method. How you cut and cook, though, makes a huge difference in preserving food vitamins and minerals.

Why is my Instant Pot chicken breast rubbery?

Hey!! I have that happened to me, too, at some point. Don’t get discouraged. But if you want to prevent your chicken from tasting and feeling rubbery, try to avoid these mistakes.

1. Don’t overcook your chicken. You might think that more heat translates into more tenderness, but the actual truth is that it is not. When you cook your chicken more than it needs to, it loses nutrients and can quickly become tough and rubbery. Chicken breast can cook quickly in an Instant Pot, so it’s essential to be mindful of the cooking time.
2. Another factor that makes your chicken rubbery is cooking from frozen. I get it; we rush in the afternoons to cook dinner. But if you don’t have time to thaw your chicken, there is still something you can do. Some techniques can help you quickly defrost your chicken, like letting it run on tap water or using your microwave. This will save you from an awful rubbery-tasting chicken.

Is chicken cooked in a pressure cooker healthy?

Yes, chicken cooked in a pressure cooker is a healthy option. Cooking chicken in a pressure cooker can help retain its nutrients and flavours while also reducing the cooking time, which can help preserve the food’s nutritional value.

Additionally, because the pressure cooker uses steam to cook the food, there is no need to add extra oil or fats, making it a healthier cooking method than some other methods that require additional fats or oils.

However, it’s important to note that the healthiness of the chicken dish will also depend on how it is prepared and seasoned. To keep the dish healthy, it’s best to avoid using too much salt, sugar, or other unhealthy ingredients.

You can also add healthy ingredients like vegetables or herbs to the chicken to boost its nutritional value.

Can I cook chicken in a pressure cooker without liquid?

If you are using a traditional pressure cooker, you need to add liquid. If you don’t, your chicken will burn and will stick to the bottom of the pot.

However, if you are using an Instant Pot for cooking your raw chicken unless you want soup, don’t add liquid to it. I never add extra liquid to the meats I cook on the instant pot.

The instant pot extracts the juices of the chicken, and they serve as the required liquid, so your meat cooks perfectly without the added moisture.

But if your chicken is not raw, then you do need to add liquid because the chicken won’t have juices to cook through.

Why is my chicken breast tough after cooking?

Chicken breast can become tough after cooking for several reasons, including:

1. Overcooking: Chicken breast is a lean cut of meat that can become tough if it is overcooked. Overcooked chicken breast can also become dry, rubbery, and challenging to chew.
2. Undercooking: If the chicken breast is undercooked, it will not be tender and may be tough to chew.
3. Not pounding the chicken: Pounding chicken breast with a meat mallet before cooking can help tenderize the meat and prevent it from becoming tough.
4. Not marinating the chicken: Marinating chicken breast before cooking can help break down the meat’s fibres, making it more tender and flavorful.
5. Using high heat: Cooking chicken breast over high heat can cause it to become tough and dry. It’s best to cook chicken breast over medium heat.
6. Using the wrong cooking method: Chicken breast can become tough if it is cooked using a dry cooking method, such as grilling or broiling. It’s best to use a moist cooking method, such as baking or poaching, to keep the chicken breast tender and juicy.

To prevent tough chicken breast, make sure to cook it to the proper temperature (165°F or 74°C), pound it, marinate it, use medium heat, and use a moist cooking method.