Balsamic Chicken made in the Instant Pot is a quick recipe to put together. It uses pantry ingredients like balsamic vinegar, diced or crushed tomatoes, garlic, and sauteed red onion to give your chicken tons of flavor. I love to serve it over zoodles for some veggie power! It’s a perfect recipe for IP beginners! This post contains affiliate links for products I am obsessed with.
*This recipe was first published on 1/3/17, but is getting an update with pretty new photos, FAQs, and all around updates to the post.*
My favorite Christmas present came shortly after black Friday.
My new Instant Pot.
I totally bought it for myself, too, because it looks way too much like another Slow Cooker and I knew my husband wouldn’t get it, as I have three Slow Cookers currently.
I even tried to talk myself out of it. I really did. But, in the end, I am SO thankful for Amazon Prime’s Click to Buy because I am truly in love with this pot.
And, if you follow me on Facebook, you will see that I bravely went LIVE with my first attempt at cooking with the Instant Pot.
I decided to try one of my favorite Slow Cooker Recipes – Balasmic Chicken with Zoodles – in the Instant Pot and it was a huge success.
Here was my “after” video!
Although I am slightly mortified by these videos (can someone come do my hair and makeup next time?), and I was actually sick with bronchitis and a sinus infection, I am happy I filmed them because I think there is a lot of fear surrounding pressure cookers, but I really found this one to be so easy to use! And my chicken was done in less than ten* minutes, plus the time it took to come to pressure.
Not too shabby.
Ingredients needed for Balsamic Chicken with Zoodles
- boneless, skinless chicken breast – 1-2 lbs, depending on how many servings you would like to cook. I also love chicken tenderloins for IP cooking. They come out so nicely!
- 28 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes – I have made this with both diced and crushed tomatoes – I love it both ways!
- red onion – slice it thin so you can get a nice carmelization when you saute
- fresh garlic – saute with the onion for an amazing flavor
- balsamic vinegar – gives this recipe a deep and delicious flavor
- spices: dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper
- zoodles: I use a spiralizer and let them steam in the sauce, no cooking required!
How to Make Balsamic Chicken in the Instant Pot
Making this Balsamic Chicken recipe is super easy thanks to pantry staples and the Instant Pot!
My favorite feature of the Instant Pot is the Saute function because you truly don’t need to use your stove top at all. Nothing bums me out more than a Crock Pot recipe that calls for 30 minutes of stove top cooking first. I mean, what’s the point?
And so for this Instant Pot Balsamic Chicken I was able to saute these pretty red onions before dumping the rest of the ingredients in.
This also serves to heat the pot a bit, which lessens the amount of time it takes to come to pressure. Which, for this, took about 15 minutes.
The chicken shreds up so nicely after cooking, it really couldn’t be easier! While the chicken was coming to pressure and cooking, I made my zoodles!
Speaking of zoodles, I don’t even cook mine – I let them steam in the warm sauce and voila! But you can also saute them first if you want to!
I realize that the chicken alone doesn’t look like much, but WOW. The flavor of this dinner was incredible…and it retained more of the sauce than when I cook it all day in the crock. This was a HUGE hit with my husband, too.
WHAT IF MY CHICKEN IS FROZEN?
One of the best things about the Instant Pot is you can cook chicken from frozen, which is a lifesaver for busy people everywhere.
For this Balsamic Chicken recipe, you can definitely use frozen chicken. If your chicken is just slightly frozen, follow the same cook time but be sure to do a full natural release.
If your chicken is a frozen solid block, add an additional 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Thicker chicken, add 10 minutes. Thinner chicken or tenderloins, you should be good just adding 5 minutes.
What should I serve with Balsamic Chicken?
I have always served this dish with zoodles, but you could also serve this with pasta, Brown Rice, Quinoa, or even cauliflower rice. 
Love this Balsamic Chicken Recipe? Try another one of these Instant Pot Chicken Recipes next-
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken [Crock Pot Option]
Instant Pot Chicken Curry and Rice
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup [Gluten Free]
Instant Pot Chicken and Broccoli (21 Day Fix)
Spice Rubbed Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Balsamic Chicken [Instant Pot]
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 28 oz diced or crushed tomatoes (I love it with either!)
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Zoodles optional
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Spray Instant Pot with cooking spray and use Saute button to saute onions until they become soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and saute for an additional minute.
- Add chicken, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and spices to pot.
- Set to manual/pressure cook for 15 minutes. After cook time, do a full natural release (about 10 minutes).
- Shred chicken and serve with sauce and zoodles* or pasta!
- *I don't even cook the zoodles - I allow it to steam in the sauce, but feel free to saute also!
- Note: The cook time for the chicken used to be 10 minutes with QR. Now, I find that 15 minutes with a full natural release works better!
Crock Pot
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and add boneless chicken breasts.
- Season chicken with garlic powder, pepper, basil and oregano.
- Add 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, a can of diced or crushed tomatoes, and 1/2 sliced red onion.
- Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Shred chicken and serve with sauce and zoodles* or pasta!
- *I don't even cook the zoodles - I allow it to steam in the sauce, but feel free to saute also!
Notes
Nutrition
Sara says
I used crushed tomatoes and followed the recipe as written. It was too watery when combined with the raw zoodles.
Nancylynn says
Bummer that you didn’t love it! Maybe drain a little bit of the sauce out next time based on your preferences – hope you’ll give it another shot!
Jennifer says
Would this recipe work with fresh tomatoes? I have a lot from my garden I’m trying to use.
Nancylynn says
Absolutely!
Jeffrey says
I’ve been making this recipe quite a few times and have been loving it. My wife really loves it too. I only use 14 oz can of diced tomatoes. As a matter of fact I’m making it for dinner tonight.
Nancylynn says
This is great feedback, Jeffrey! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!
Bethany says
I loved this recipe! Really delicious and lots of depth of flavor. I made a few changes as follows.. I marinated frozen chicken breasts in the Balsamic and Herb mixture in the fridge overnight. I used one 14oz can of large crushed tomatoes, and found that to be more than enough. I cooked exactly as directed, and the chicken was tender and falling apart while stirring.
Next time, I think adding mushrooms would be delicious. I also felt that the dish needed a smidge of heat to balance the flavor, so I’ll probably add some crushed red chili flakes.
Nancylynn says
I love all of these ideas, Bethany! Thank you for taking the time to share a review – means so much!
Bill Flower says
Great recipe, I also used fire roasted tomatoes, one can garlic and one can plain. Turned out wonderful, served it over doodles, gonna try pasta for the leftovers( there’s only 2 of us)only cooking pasta 1/2 way then put in pt to finish cooking and absorb the l sauce.
Nancylynn says
Great feedback! Thanks Bill!
Bill Flower says
Great recipe, I also used fire roasted tomatoes, one can garlic and one can plain. Turned out wonderful, served it over doodles, gonna try pasta for the leftovers( there’s only 2 of us)only cooking pasta 1/2 way then put in pt to finish cooking and absorb the l sauce.
Nancylynn says
YAY! So, so happy to hear it!!
Miranda says
This was pretty good – I will definitely be making this one again. I actually used my Insta Pot for the first time on this recipe and the surprise to me was the amount of time it took to come to pressure before it started the 15-minutes of cooking time – nearly 10 minutes of lead up, which I realize varies based on multiple factors but as a note to anyone who thinks it will be done in 25 minutes – no. Otherwise, flavor was pretty good. Sauce is runny but we used it more to just flavor the chicken than pour on the noodles. Thanks for a great recipe!
Amber says
Quick to set up and easy to throw together chicken was fork tender. My chicken breast was about 1.34 lbs and with the amount of sauce it was way to much leftover. The balsamic was way to overpowering and gave off a sour taste for us. Would try again but definitely half what was called for and maybe not as much canned tomatoes.
Nancylynn says
Sorry to hear this, Amber. Thank you for the feedback!
Karen says
Easy to cook, nice flavor, but there is far too much liquid (tomatoes) in this recipe for 3-4 chicken breasts. I think one of the 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes would have been fine.
Nancylynn says
Hi Karen! So glad you liked the flavor! The recipe only calls for one can of diced tomatoes OR crushed tomatoes so I agree with you! 🙂
Rabekka Orozco says
Hi! How many of each container for this recipe?
Nancylynn says
Containers are on the recipe card 🙂 1 Green, 1 Red plus more GREEN for zoodles!
Paula Wood says
WOW! This was amazing! I had a slow cooker balsamic chicken recipe I was going to make but then it was 4 o’clock somewhere and didn’t have those 4 hours to slow cool. So I googled instant pot and this recipe came up.
I didn’t have crushed tomatoes but I had diced – 1 regular and 1 fire roasted. The slow cooker recipe mentioned if I wanted a thicker sauce to use a can of tomato paste so threw that in. That same recipe mentioned using a jar of green olives. I didn’t have those but I had 3/4 jar of a Greek kalamata sliced olives. I drained the juice and threw it in. Be still my heart!!! Just wish I had some artichoke hearts too….
Anyway. 15 minutes for chicken breasts and 10 minute natural release. Enough tone to cook Kroger rainbow salad twirls and sneak some veggies in…this totally makes fasting during the day worth the prayers and expectantly of this January month worth the blessing of some amazing recipes and cooks thankful for their sharing their hearts and recipes with me. God bless you!
Nancylynn says
WOW! This is so good to hear and so glad you found the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate it!
Lucy says
I really enjoyed this but Hubby and daughter thought it was too “sour”. My son ( the more picky eater) didn’t mind it. Any suggestions to change the sour (I assume they mean the vinegar taste)? Also, is there a way to click on the recipe to add it to the google doc? That would be a game changer. Thanks as always – love your recipes and now I have lunch for the next 3 days – I just added some roasted veggies to increase the green count.
Nancylynn says
Hi! I would cut the balsamic vinegar in half next time and see if that does the trick for them! Glad you enjoy it!! ❤️
Allie says
Hi there! Making this recipe this week, looks so delicious!!! For the canned tomatoes, do you drain the juice or put juice in the IP as well?
Nancylynn says
I add the whole thing with the juice!
Allie says
Awesome!! I figured but didn’t want to assume. Can’t wait to try this! 🙂
Gabby says
This looks soo yummy! Need to try this out in the next week or so.
AmyV says
LOVE LOVE LOVE! This is one of our favorite recipes!!! So simple yet so flavorful! I don’t even have to look up the recipe any more since we’ve made it so often. 🙂
Thank you so much for posting.
Nancylynn says
I’m so glad, Amy! Thank you for taking the time to rate and review – means so much!
AmyV says
LOVE this recipe!!!! So flavorful and simple. I don’t even need to look at the recipe now, we’ve made it so often. 🙂
Thank you so much for posting! One of my all time favorites!
shanayne says
Odd question but would it still taste good to not shred the chicken and just eat it whole? I hate shredded chicken.
Nancylynn says
Yes! Definitely!
triplejoy says
I really value the comment sections of recipes so I thought I would add my comments here. This was a successful recipe at my house. I used two 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, 4 medium/large FROZEN chicken breasts, omitted the onion (didn’t have any) and served over rice. I cooked for 15 min on high pressure, which seems like it was perfect. I did a natural pressure release, removed the chicken into a mixing bowl and used a hand mixer to shred it. I then took the hand mixer to the sauce because my kids don’t like chunky tomatoes and my immersion blender is broken. The hand mixer helped to sorta break down the tomatoes, and we served it with a ladle to pour over the chicken on the rice. Made a side of broccoli and felt like it was a perfect dinner. It was different, in a good way. Thanks for the recipe!
Nancylynn says
Thank you so much for taking the time to help my readers! So happy you guys enjoyed this one! <3
Kathleen Casey says
Thank you! I love when people let everyone know how a recipe turned out!
Lisa says
I started this, and before it got up to pressure (on high setting) I got a BURN notice! Anyone have any idea what I did wrong?
Nancylynn says
What size instant pot do you have? Did you use the crushed tomatoes or the diced?
Tamara says
I got the same thing. Followed directions exactly. I have a 6 qt (I think, I honestly don’t remember for sure). And I used crushed tomatoes. This has happened EVERY time I use tomoato anything or have anything touching the bottom of the instant pot. I always have to use the rack. I’m beginning to hate my instant pot.
Nancylynn says
Have you contacted Instant Pot support? This isn’t typical and it sounds like you might need a replacement pot!
Molly says
How many servings does this make?
Nancylynn says
It serves 4!
Kat says
This turned out really good and is fast and easy. I used crushed tomatoes and made half the recipe with an extra large breast and it was enough for 2 servings (I wish I would have made the entire recipe and had leftovers). I served it with spaghetti squash and it is a perfect lower carb meal that I will add to my meal rotation. Next time I make it I will add more spices and maybe even add some spinach at the end.
Nancylynn says
So great, Kat! <3
Sheila says
I made this with a can of diced tomatoes just as it said and it did not create a tomato sauce like yours. It looked like diced tomatoes in balsamic vinegar. What did I do wrong?
Nancylynn says
The photo may have been from using crushed tomatoes which is also ok, but I do find that the diced tomatoes do better in the IP. Did it taste ok?
Karen says
What do you mean by “make sure it is high pressure”? Making this tonight and I just set it to manual and set it for 15 minutes since I had 3 thick, frozen chicken breasts.
Nancylynn says
That’s fine! There is a low and high pressure setting on some of the IPs…but you need to adjust it to low. It will default to high.
Stephanie says
This was the first thing I made in my new instant pot and it turned out great! I swapped the chicken breasts for boneless skinless thighs and followed the directions exactly. Thank you! Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Nancylynn says
This is great, Stephanie! I love the way thighs come out in the IP!
Sonali says
Hello! Just made this tonight and loved it however my chicken was a bit rubbery… Any suggestions? Thanks! 🙂
Nancylynn says
Hmm…I haven’t heard that before, but chicken breasts can be tricky in the IP. If you find that happens to you a lot, I would try boneless thighs!
Mary Ellen says
Hello! Planning on making this tonight. I saw you said to heat the zoodles in the sauce (but the pic shows the zoodles aren’t covered in Sauce). Is there a “steam” option or a basket to place the zoodles in or do you just mix them right in? Thanks!
Nancylynn says
I would just mix them right in! I don’t like when my zoodles get mushy, so I feel like less cooking is better :).
Jamie says
I’m an IP newbie. What do you mean by “Set to high pressure for 10 minutes. It took about 15 minutes for my pot to come to pressure.”
Do I cook it for 10 or 15 minutes?
Nancylynn says
Hi! Select manual and make sure it is set to high pressure. Then cook it for 10 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for the pot to actually heat up. Hope this makes sense!
Nikki says
Hi, Am planning on making this tonight, if I use 4 chicken breast, should I double all other ingredients as well? Thanks!
Nancylynn says
Nope! You will be fine!
Nikki says
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try it!
Nancylynn says
Let me know what you think!
Lisa says
How long should I cook if my chicken is frozen? Thank you!
Nancylynn says
Hey! 12 minutes should be plenty of time, unless your cutlets are super thick…then you can go up to 15 mins.
Michelle Nieber says
I am new to the IP. Are you saying you put the zoodles in raw after everything has cooked and you have released the pressure?
Nancylynn says
Yes! Just to warm them up right before serving :).
Nat says
This looks great and I plan to make. Are zoodles pre-made zucchini noodles? Those are not available at my store (living in a tiny town). I normally make my own by slicing them up.
Nancylynn says
I just make my own 🙂
Jennifer says
Hi! When you say set to high pressure for 10 minutes…does that mean manual?
By the way, I’ve had the instant pot for many years and I’ve never used it for anything except slow cooking until I ran into your blog. Now I absolutely love the IP! Wow was I missing out! Thank you for all your IP and 21 day fix recipes!!
Nancylynn says
Yes! Manual – just be sure it’s also high pressure. And that is SO awesome – I have plenty more to share, too! <3 <3 <3
Niccole LoMonaco says
What happens if you don’t have a instant pot? How should I make it?
Nancylynn says
Hi! If you have a crock pot, try this one – https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/2015/02/confession-9-balsamic-chicken-with-zoodles/
If not, here is a delicious skillet recipe that is similar and SO delicious! https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/2016/06/21-day-fix-one-skillet-caprese-chicken/
Melanie says
Do you add butter when you sauté onions?
Nancylynn says
I did a little olive oil spray.
Lauren says
Making this tonight!
Nancylynn says
Yay!