Balsamic Chicken made in the Instant Pot is a quick, flavorful weeknight recipe. It uses pantry staples—balsamic vinegar, diced or crushed tomatoes, garlic, and sautéed red onion—to give the chicken great depth. I love serving it over zoodles for extra vegetables. It’s an excellent recipe for Instant Pot beginners.
*This recipe was first published on 1/3/17 and has been updated with new photos, FAQs, and clearer instructions.*
I got my Instant Pot shortly after Black Friday and immediately fell in love with it. I bought it for myself—partly because it looks like a slow cooker and partly because I already own several slow cookers. The Instant Pot makes it easy to convert slow cooker favorites into quick pressure-cooker meals.
I tested my favorite slow cooker recipe—Balsamic Chicken with Zoodles—in the Instant Pot and it worked wonderfully. The chicken was tender and shredded easily, and the sauce had concentrated flavor compared with a long slow-cook.
Ingredients needed for Balsamic Chicken with Zoodles
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast – 1–2 lbs, or use tenderloins for even quicker, tender results.
- 28 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes – either works well.
- Red onion – thinly sliced for better caramelization during sautéing.
- Fresh garlic – minced, sauté with the onion for best flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar – about 1/2 cup to add sweetness and depth.
- Spices – dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Zoodles – optional; a spiralizer works well and they can steam in the sauce.
How to Make Balsamic Chicken in the Instant Pot
This recipe relies on pantry ingredients and the Instant Pot’s convenience. The Saute function is especially useful because it eliminates the need to use the stovetop for sautéing the onion and garlic before pressure cooking.
Sautéing the onion first softens and caramelizes it while warming the pot, which can reduce the time it takes to reach pressure. For my pot this took about 15 minutes to come to pressure.
After pressure cooking, the chicken shreds easily and soaks up the sauce. While the chicken cooks, I usually prepare zoodles; I often don’t cook them separately—just place them in bowls and let the hot sauce steam them briefly—but you can sauté or cook them if you prefer.
The finished dish keeps more sauce than the slow-cooked version and has a bright, concentrated balsamic flavor. It was a hit at home and makes a great, healthy dinner option.
What if my chicken is frozen?
One of the Instant Pot’s advantages is cooking from frozen. For this recipe, you can use frozen chicken:
- If the chicken is only slightly frozen, follow the same cook time but perform a full natural release.
- If the chicken is a solid frozen block, add 5–10 minutes to the cook time depending on thickness: add 10 minutes for thicker breasts and 5 minutes for thinner pieces or tenderloins.
What should I serve with Balsamic Chicken?
Zoodles are my go-to, but this balsamic chicken is versatile. Serve it with pasta, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice to suit your preferences.
More Instant Pot Chicken recipes to try
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken Curry and Rice
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (gluten free)
Instant Pot Chicken and Broccoli
Spice Rubbed Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Balsamic Chicken [Instant Pot]
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 28 oz diced or crushed tomatoes
- 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 and pepper to taste
- Zoodles (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Spray the Instant Pot with cooking spray and use the Saute function to cook the sliced onion until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and spices to the pot.
- Set to Manual/Pressure Cook for 15 minutes. After the cook time, allow a full natural release (about 10 minutes).
- Shred the chicken, toss with the sauce, and serve over zoodles or pasta.
- Tip: I usually let zoodles steam in the hot sauce rather than cooking them separately, but you can sauté them first if preferred.
- Note: This recipe used to call for 10 minutes with a quick release; 15 minutes with a full natural release gives more consistent results.
Crock Pot
- Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray and add the boneless chicken breasts.
- Season with garlic powder, pepper, basil, and oregano.
- Add 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, a can of diced or crushed tomatoes, and 1/2 sliced red onion.
- Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Shred the chicken and serve with sauce and zoodles or pasta.
- Tip: Let zoodles steam in the sauce or sauté them if preferred.
Notes
Nutrition
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