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.
Kate O"Brien says
So I made this tonight. It was a hit with the family. I used my 8 quart and I doubled the recipe and it turned out really well. The one thing I did differently, because I love mushroom, I added sliced sautรฉed mushrooms (cooked separately in a frying pan) on top of the chicken before adding the sauce.
Denise says
Oh I love the mushroom idea! Thanks for reporting back, Kate!
Arielle says
Hi! I have an 8 qt instant pot and am brand new to instant pot cooking. Did you have to change any timing or anything for the 8 qt?
Denise says
Hi Arielle! I have not tried this recipe in an 8 quart Instant Pot, but I suspect it would work. The only difference between the 6 and 8 quart is that the 6 needs 1 cup to come to pressure and the 8 needs 1.5 cups. You could multiply the recipe 1.5 to get the required liquid but honestly I think it would work without doing this. Cook time will be the same. Hope you enjoy!
Jessica says
I haven't eaten it yet, but my sauce is currently simmering. I made it in my 8 qt and only used the one cup of stock, and it came to pressure perfect. Thanks for the recipe, everything smells amazing!
Denise says
Yay! Hope it tasted as good as it smelled!
Shelley says
Can I substitute almond milk for heavy cream?
Denise says
Hi Shelley! Unfortunately I tried this with coconut milk and it ended up SO thin...it was just not as enjoyable. I suspect the same would be true with almond milk ๐
Lee Ann says
I use coconut cream (the kind in the can) as a heavy cream substitute for all recipes because the heavy cream doesnโt agree with my stomach. I think it works great as a substitute. If you need it thickened, you can add a pinch of xanthan gum.
Brttany says
Soooo good. I made 2 batches to freeze. When I sauteed I added sundried tomatoes to the sauce and put over wild grain rice and steamed broccoli. Delicious!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed, Brittany! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Alyssa says
Best ever. SO flavorful.
Denise says
YAY! So happy you enjoyed, Alyssa! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review ๐
Tiffani says
Absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I happened to come by this recipe and noticed that I had all of the ingredients on hand and thought I would whip it up for dinner... OMG! Both kids 5 and 11, as well as myself and husband RAVED about this! This is going in my permanent recipe box and is a new favorite that I will make again and again! Thank you!
Denise says
Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed, Tiffani! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review ๐
Wanda says
Did you leave the juice in pot after you removed the chicken to make the sauce?
Denise says
Yes! Leave all cooking liquids in the pot, that's what gives the sauce so much flavor. Hope you enjoy ๐
Sarah says
Made this for dinner tonight. Absolutely fantastic! My family loved this recipe! In fact, as soon as we were done eating I made a few more and put them in the freezer!
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear this! Thanks for your review, Sarah!
Nicole says
How do you get the cheese to not clump together
Denise says
Hi Nicole, I did not have this issue but I did stir continuously when adding it to the cream sauce.
Juanita says
Made this for the first time tonight! We all LOVED it!! Only adjustments I made was for the 8qt pot! Will be made again and again!! Thank you!
Denise says
So happy to hear this! Thanks so much for your review, Juanita!
Susan says
Juanita I was wondering what adjustments you made for the 8 qt instant pot? Please & thank you!
Denise says
Hi Susan, unfortunately I haven't had a chance to make this in the 8 quart yet. If you try, would you let me know if the pot comes to pressure? Hope you enjoy!
Erabe says
Did you have to adjust time for 8 quart??
Denise says
Hi Erabe! I know someone has made this in the 8 quart, but I'm not sure if she had to adjust the liquid. To be safe, I'd bring the total liquid up to 1.5 cups (1.5 x the ingredients). Hope you enjoy!
Lisa V says
I have a confession to make. This was not supposed to be dinner tonight. When I had an unexpected change of plans I found myself with no prep time and a hungry brood. What a godsend this recipe was. A pantry friendly ingredient list pair with a quick cook time had my dinner on the table in no time. Everyone loved it - including the hubby who isnโt keen on creamy sauces and the 5 yr old who doesnโt like trying new things. Even the 2 yr old made yummy noises throughout and the 5 yr old wants the leftover for her school lunch on Monday.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping appear to be the mom who had this planned all along.
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear this, Lisa! I'm glad it helped you out with dinner. Thanks so much for leaving a review ๐
Sara says
Does this cook on high or low pressure?
Will the sauce reheat well if leftovers?
Denise says
High pressure! EDIT: leftovers are good too!
Mimi says
Awesome recipe. Sauce is AMAZING! Paired with smashed roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. So good!!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks so much for your review!
Kim says
I just made this tonight for dinner!! It was absolutely delicious!! The only thing was the sauce was a bit too thin for us. I thickened it with 1/2 tsp with xanthum gum and it turned out perfectly!!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks for reporting back with your modifications ๐
Alli says
I stumbled upon this recipe over the Summer and itโs a go-to for my family now! I didnโt know it was your recipe, I ended up on your blog through Pinterest looking at a Curry recipe and saw the lemon garlic re pie is from you! Iโll definitely be trying more of your recipes, they all look so yummy!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Alli! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Sue says
My family loves this - too much. My two boys are college age and could eat the whole recipe by themselves leaving 3 more of us hungry. Any tips on how to double the recipe in the instant pot (twice as much chicken)?
Denise says
Hi Sue! I haven't tried it, but you should be able to double the recipe with the same cook time. So glad your family enjoys it so much! XO
Knikita says
So good! I was paying attention and added the lemon and cheese before it simmered down, but I added a 1/4 tsp xanthan gum and worked like a charm! Low carb!
Denise says
Nice! I've been meaning to try out some xantham gum for a low carb thickening option. Thanks so much for your review, Knikita!
Megan Martin says
I loved this recipe!! I changed a few things to make it my own and accommodate for a family of 5 like using chicken thighs instead of breasts and in the sauce I added mushroom and onions and I also added some heavy cream to thicken it a little more.
Denise says
Yummm!! Love the sounds of this, Megan! Thanks so much for leaving a review.
Lori says
Can I use 4 chicken breasts?
Denise says
Hi Lori! It should work with the same cook time, but if your pot is really crowded, you might want to add 1-2 minutes on. Hope you enjoy!
Deb Gardner says
Hi! Love the post and all of the recipes look great! Question: Any reason we could use already frozen individual chicken breast and just place two in the bag with the spices/sauce and pop back into the freezer? We get big bags of individually frozen breasts from Costco and this would be a quick way to transfer them out of the original bag and into another along with the sauces/spice mixes to pull out, thaw and cook.
Denise says
Hi Deb! I do this often, works like a charm! So long as you don't thaw the chicken breasts while doing it, it's perfectly safe to do so.
Diane says
How long would you cook 2 large thick chicken breastโs that are half frozen using this recipe??
Denise says
Hi Diane, unfortunately I can't say for sure without re-testing. I have not had good luck cooking frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. Hope it worked for you!
Alexis Underhill says
Any substitute for the heavy cream for those of us who are lactose intolerant?
Denise says
Hi Alexis! Unfortunately coconut milk did not work well in this recipe, it was too runny. Maybe if you had some coconut cream it could work? Although it might taste very coconutty. I wish I had some better advice.
Dana says
Hello! Do we instant release or natural release? Thank you!
Denise says
Quick pressure release!