Instant Pot creamy lemon chicken breasts get a restaurant- quality dinner on the table in under 30 minutes! Juicy chicken breasts are smothered in a creamy lemon parmesan cream sauce. Low carb and gluten-free.
One of my favorite ingredients to cook in the Instant Pot is a boneless skinless chicken breast; they come out so juicy each and every time! We love cooking Instant Pot chicken breast with sun dried tomato cream sauce, but if you're feeling citrus, you're going to love this lemon parmesan version.
Ready quickly and with a deliciously creamy sauce that you can spoon over rice and vegetables, these Instant Pot creamy lemon chicken breasts is a total crowd pleaser. Serve it up with a batch of perfect, fluffy rice, and air fryer green beans for a simple and delicious meal.
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Reasons you'll โก this recipe
- the chicken comes out juicy and so flavorful
- the lemon parmesan cream sauce infuses so much flavor into the chicken and can be spooned over rice and vegetables
- you can assemble it ahead for freezer Instant Pot meals
Recipe video
See exactly how to cook Instant Pot creamy lemon chicken breasts by watching the video below! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- chicken breast- this recipe is written for boneless skinless chicken breasts, however you could swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs; simply increase the cook time to 10 minutes at high pressure with a quick pressure release.
- stock- use chicken or make your own homemade bone broth
- cream- use heavy cream; almond milk or lower % milk does not work for this recipe
- parmesan cheese- for best flavor, use freshly grated parmesan, and avoid the powdery stuff
Step by step directions
1. Assemble- In the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, add the stock, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir until combined, then add chicken breasts. Turn to coat in the sauce.
2. Cook- Place the lid on your Instant Pot and set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. When the Instant Pot completes its cycle, perform a quick pressure release: carefully transition the steam release handle to the 'venting' position.
When doing a quick pressure release- Be careful you keep your face, hands and arms away from the valve, and make sure your Instant Pot is not under a cabinet.
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3. Reduce sauce- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and use an instant read thermometer to check that your chicken breasts have reached 165ยฐF. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and allow to rest on a cutting board.
Select the 'sautรฉ' function of the Instant Pot, and allow cooking liquids to simmer for 7 or so minutes. When liquids are reduced to about โ of a cup and you can see the bottom of the pot as you stir, they are ready.
Use oven mitts to remove the stainless steel insert from the base of the Instant Pot so it doesn't over-reduce, then stir in the heavy cream, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Slice the chicken against the grain, and spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve.
Meal prep & storage
Storing leftovers
This recipe can be cooked ahead and portioned out with rice and vegetables in meal prep containers, or simply stored as a protein to be reheated
- Cool completely, then store in an air tight container.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days; I don't recommend freezing as the cream can break.
- Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot.
TIP- if you plan to reheat leftovers, wait until the chicken is completely cold to slice it; this helps retain the juices and keeps it nice and moist.
Instant Pot freezer meals
A freezer Instant Pot meal is assembled ahead and frozen (before cooking). You simply need to remember to thaw the meal, then on cook day, just place it into the Instant Pot and get cooking, no measuring required! Great to prepare for elderly family members or expectant mamas.
- Add all ingredients (except heavy cream and parmesan cheese) to a sturdy freezer bag or reusable silicone bag (ยฝ gallon). Squeeze out as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw 24 hours before you intend to cook.
- Cook as directed in the recipe card.
make sure you label the bag with thawing and cooking directions
FAQ
Yes you certainly can! Drag the number beside 'serving size' on the recipe card to increase the serving size; you shouldn't need to increase the cook time.
I have not tested this particular recipe with frozen chicken breasts, but in theory it should work. Make sure they are frozen individually and not as a block, and adjust the cook time to 12 minutes with a quick pressure release- check using a digital thermometer that they are cooked through (they should reach 165ยฐF).
If frozen as a block, try doing 5 minutes high pressure with a quick pressure release, then pry them apart. Cook for a further 7-10 minutes, until they are all 165ยฐF.
Serve it with
- Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
- Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower
- Spiralized Cucumber Salad
- Cauliflower Rice
- Herb and Garlic Potato Stacks
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- ยฝ teaspoon dried oregano
- ยฝ teaspoon dried basil
- ยผ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts see note 1
AFTER REDUCING SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ยผ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ยพ cup heavy cream see note 2
Instructions
- Assemble-ย In the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, add the stock, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir until combined, then add chicken breasts. Turn to coat in the sauce.
- Cook-ย Place the lid on your Instant Pot and set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. When the Instant Pot completes its cycle, perform a quick pressure release: carefully transition the steam release handle to the 'venting' position.
- Transfer chicken- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and use an instant read thermometer to check that your chicken breasts have reached 165ยฐF. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and allow to rest on a cutting board.
- Reduce sauce-ย Select the 'sautรฉ' function of the Instant Pot, and allow cooking liquids to simmer for 7 or so minutes. When liquids are reduced to about โ of a cup and you can see the bottom of the pot as you stir, they are ready.Use oven mitts to remove the stainless steel insert from the base of the Instant Pot so it doesn't over-reduce, then stir in the heavy cream, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese.
- To serve- Slice the chicken against the grain, and spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve.
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Tips:
- To increase the serving size- drag the number beside 'serving size' above on the recipe card. Keep the cook time the same.
- To swap for boneless chicken thighs- adjust the cook time to 10 minutes high pressure with quick pressure release
- To swap for frozen chicken breasts- for frozen separately (not in a block)- 12 minutes high pressure with quick pressure release; check they have reached 165ยฐF
- frozen in a block- cook for 5 minutes, then do a quick pressure release. Pry chicken breasts apart. Cook for another 7-10 minutes with quick pressure release, and check they have reached 165ยฐF.
- In a freezer bag, silicone bag or meal prep container, combine the oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, garlic and chicken stock.
- Add the chicken breasts, turn to coat in the sauce, then squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before cooking as directed above.
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
mindi miller says
Substituted sour cream instead of heavy cream. Added cornstarch to thicken. Amazing sauce and moist chicken breast.
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Mindi, we are happy to hear you found a way to make it to your liking. Thanks for taking the time to share your adjustments.
Sherri Keizer says
I added brocolli crowns to the chicken and steamed. Then after the sauce reduced, I added cornstarch with the lemon juice, cream and parmesan and stewed in the hotpot for 6 minutes. Put over egg noodles.Loved this. Restaurant quality
Justin says
Fantastic, made this over 10x and could eat it every day. Make sure you use fresh parm, the bagged crap clumps and doesnโt melt
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Justin, wow sounds like you really found a favorite and a keeper in your meal prep routine! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review - we hope you continue to enjoy!
Felicity says
At what point do you add the lemon juice?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Felicity - after reducing the sauce, when mixing in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Thanks for pointing out this missing piece of info, we updated the post ๐ We hope you enjoy!
Ginger Haggerty says
Is it possible to leave out the crushed red pepper flakes?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Ginger, yes feel free to omit the red pepper flakes if you prefer! We hope you enjoy, let us know how the recipe turns out when you make it!
Adam Adkison says
One of the best recipes on the site!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Adam, thank you so much for your kind words, and for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review! ๐
Jennifer says
Fantastic recipe!! I used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts. I actually shredded the chicken and put it back in w/ the lemon sauce to put over rice. I've found trying to slice chicken after cooking in the insta is a pain, so I shredded it instead. Everyone loved it. Only complaint was MORE sauce!! So next time I will double the sauce. I will be adding this to my dinner rotation. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Jennifer, so glad that you enjoyed this creamy lemon chicken recipe! Thank you so much for sharing your adjustments, and for coming back to leave a rating and review!
Angie says
I think this recipe would be amazing, except my chicken was about 20 degrees under done. I tried to sautรฉ them to get them up to temp while reducing the liquid, but that didnโt work. Bummer.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Angie, so sorry to hear, but thanks for leaving your feedback! Were you using fresh or frozen chicken? Were you using chicken breasts or chicken thighs? You might try increasing the pressure cooking time to 10 minutes, or even 12 minutes if using frozen chicken breasts, or bone-in chicken thighs. I hope this helps! Let us know if we can help further.
Cathy M says
This is absolutely delicious and super easy to make! Itโs my 3rd time to make and wonโt be the last. We try to limit carbs so I serve with cauliflower-either mashed, riced or noodles.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Cathy, we are so glad to hear that this has become a regular recipe in your rotation! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review.
Christy H says
I passed over this recipe many times but finally decided to try it because I had some heavy cream to use up. Iโm so glad I finally made this! Itโs so good. The sauce is fantastic. I did add a splash of white wine with the broth. My husband loved it. I served it with mashed potatoes and snap peas. My only trouble was getting the chicken to slice nicely without shredding. So it didnโt look quite as nice as I wanted, but the taste was on point! I will definitely make it again.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Christy, we are so happy to hear that you enjoyed this instant pot chicken! It's always nice to find a new recipe to add to your meal prep rotation. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!
Franny says
I never leave reviews (I should though) but this recipe was fantastic! Easy and tasted delicious. I booked marked a year or two ago and was going through my bookmarks and am so glad I found this! I made a side of rice and peas and mixed together and it was great! Will definitely make again (and again and again)! Highly recommend!
Denise Bustard says
Woo hoo! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed, Franny! Thanks for taking the time to report back <3
Regina says
How much time should I cook the chicken if using thighs?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Regina! Try 10 minutes with a quick pressure release for boneless chicken thighs, 12 for bone in.
TRACEY FOX says
Why does it say Sun dried tomatoes under the instructions?
Denise Bustard says
Apologies, Tracey, that was not supposed to be there; the recipe is updated now. However I wonder if it might be a yummy addition? ๐
Angela says
Wow! I made this the other night as I had all the ingredients at home. This was so delicious. The sauce was my favorite part & had leftovers so saved it and used it over leftover rotisserie chicken all week. The family enjoyed it and it worked perfectly for our 6qt IP as written. Thanks for the great recipe.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Angela! I'm so happy to hear the recipe was a hit for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
Karla says
I was not really in the mood to cook last night but needed to since we have had take out two night prior. I was desperately hunting (at 4:00pm) on pinterest for a quick pressure cooker chicken dish. I ran across this recipe that I had saved at some point in the past and realized I had all the necessary ingredients and it met the requirements for being a Keto meal. What a treat....This turned out to be a 5 star Keto dish. The sauce is just delicious. I made it in my 8qt electric pressure cooker and increased the heavy cream to 1 cup and juiced half of a lemon so that there would be enough liquid for my pot. I also used 9 boneless and skinless chicken thighs (because that's what I had on hand) and substituted fresh herbs for the dried, (again because that's what I had). I browned the chicken for a few mins on saute in the pot before pressure cooking and shaved off 3 mins on the pressure time so that they wouldn't be over done. It all came out perfect.
I served it with roasted broccoli spears and red bell pepper (bell pepper was fresh but broccoli cooked from frozen...place on s cookie sheet, drizzle both with olive oil and sprinkle with Montreal chicken seasoning - roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 mins). Such an easy meal AND my entire family loved it. It is impressive enough to also serve to guests as well. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe. I am printing it out to keep in my "make it again" binder.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Karla, thanks for your patience with my late reply (holidays!). And WOW, what an amazing and helpful comment to read! I am so happy to hear it worked in the 8 quart, as I have been meaning to retest these in my newer 8 quart Instant Pot (these days I test all recipes in the 8 quart first to make sure it works). Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave such a thoughtful and thorough comment as well as a rating. I appreciate it!
Lisa says
Iโm new to IP. Can this be made with 6 chicken breast? Is it ok to just stack them on top of one another? I really want to try it for my whole family. Thanks!
Heather says
Did you try to do it with more chicken breasts stacked? Did it work? Love this recipe!!
Denise says
Hi Lisa! It could be OK to stack them, though I might add 1-2 minutes on the cook time. If you find they are not fully cooked through, put the lid back on and add a few extra minutes. The pot will come back to pressure very quickly.
Stephanie says
Can I use chicken bone broth instead of chicken stock?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Stephanie, huge apologies for my late reply. Yes! You can use bone broth. Hope you enjoy!
Slava says
Hi, Denise. Just wondering if I can use your nice pictures for my site. I have very good traffic and could link your site. Please let me know. Regards
Denise says
Hi Slava, you can find my copyright policy here: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/comment-policy-photorecipe-sharing-policy/. Long story short: photo with link back- yes! Photo + recipe- no. Let me know if you have any questions ๐
Rachel says
This was my first IP chicken breast recipe ever and it turned out great! I followed the instructions exactly and it was delicious. Iโm just glad I had the foresight to make 4 batches, so I could cook one this week and freeze the other 3 for later dinners! I canโt wait to try your other freezer to IP recipes. Thanks so much!
Denise says
Woohoo! That's so great to hear, Rachel! I hope those extra batches have come in handy in the current craziness we are living through. Stay safe!
Krista Slicer says
Hello,
I noticed the directions call for sun-dried tomatoes, but I don't see the quantity listed in the ingredients. How much did you use?
Thanks
Kris says
How much sun-dried tomatoes? Theyโre not listed in the ingredients section but are included in the directions.
Brandi says
I was also wondering about this. I have , however, made this twice now without any sun dried tomatoes. Even without them this is my new favorite recipe. So good!
Vilija Marshall says
This recipe looks delicious, and I want to try it, but it's frustrating that there is no "print" option. Only "pin". I don't use pinterest. If I copy and paste into Word, it looks all wonky. Or am I not seeing the print option? Thanks.
Denise says
Hi Vilija, so sorry about that! We had some technical issues and the print button disappeared. It's back now!
Victoria L says
Havenโt tried this yet, but I was curious would this be good for meal prep? Will the sauce be able to be reheated? This looks yum, thanks !
Denise says
Hi Victoria, great question. I think it would work for meal prep, however I haven't tried. I seem to remember the sauce re-heating well though?
Kasey says
Made this tonight! It was so good. I didn't have rice on hand so we had Penne noodles. This is a keeper!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed, Kasey! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review ๐