Get our Instant Pot Chicken Tenders recipe for moist and juicy chicken strips in a fraction of the time. Using a pressure cooker and fresh or frozen chicken tenderloins, this recipe is the perfect easy weeknight dinner solution.
Chicken tenderloins, also called chicken tenders, are very tender meat from under the breast of the chicken. They are also known as chicken strips or chicken fingers.
But, whatever you call them, the pressure cooker will ensure they’re cooked perfectly, even from frozen chicken tenderloins!
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Why We Love Making Instant Pot Chicken Tenders
- Super Quick Recipe
Ready in less than 30 minutes! - Very Family-Friendly Dish
Adults and kids alike will love this homemade chicken tenders recipe with yummy dipping sauces. - Versatile Meal or Snack
You can serve them as an appetizer or snack or pair them with your favorite side dishes for a super easy and totally delicious dinner.
🍲 Are you new to IP pressure cooking?
Be sure to read your owner’s manual before using your pressure cooker. Each brand operates slightly differently, although cooking times are pretty universal.
We highly recommend you check out How to Use the Instant Pot 101 and our Tips & Hacks for the Instant Pot these are great resources for new owners and seasoned IP users!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken tenderloins, or chicken breasts cut into strips
- Chicken broth
- Olive oil: Use high-heat cooking oil for this recipe
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
Seasonings – We mix together paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, ground black pepper as seasonings. Or try our Chicken Taco Seasoning for a spicy kick!
How to make Chicken Tenderloins in Instant Pot
1. Prepare the tenders – Brush chicken with oil, then press the tenderloins gently into the seasonings so the herbs and spices adhere to the chicken.
2. Saute – Preheat the pot to Sauté, then brown the chicken strips before pressure cooking.
3. Pressure Cook – Remove chicken from the Instant Pot, add the trivet to the bottom of the liner, add the tenderloins on the trivet, pour in the liquid, seal the lid, and pressure cook. Once cooking allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 3 minutes. Then do a quick release.
4. Serve! Serve them with your favorite dipping sauces like our 3 ingredients BBQ sauce, spicy honey mustard sauce, or our In N Out copycat sauce.
Pressure Cooking Tips For Success
- Press chicken into seasonings to coat.
After brushing the chicken in oil, press the tenderloins gently into the seasonings so the herbs and spices adhere to them. - Sauté chicken strips before pressure cooking.
The tenderloins will get a delicious light coloring on the outside. - Pressure cook chicken on a metal trivet or silicone sling.
This keeps the chicken out of the broth and allows the outside to remain golden brown.
Sides to serve with this Chicken Tenderloin Instant Pot recipe
This versatile main dish is delicious with just about any side. We recommend some Fried Wontons, our loaded hash brown potato casserole, Instant Pot mashed potatoes, or Instant Pot Basmati Rice.
Serve them with a veggie side dish like roasted carrots and asparagus, Instant Pot fresh green beans, or Instant Pot steamed broccoli.
Enjoy tender chicken strips with your choice of dipping sauces to complement the meal. They are perfect with 3 ingredient BBQ sauce, Spicy Honey Mustard, homemade In n Out Sauce, or our Bang Bang Sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, use an elevated sling to raise the chicken strips above the broth; otherwise, they’ll lose their seasoning.
If the chicken is pressure-cooked too long or you didn’t allow for a 3-minute natural pressure release, it can become dry or rubbery.
Cooking chicken tenderloins in the pressure cooker takes about 5 minutes at high pressure. Plus, it needs 3 minutes for a natural pressure release and 1-2 minutes to sauté. So, the total cooking time is about 10-12 minutes.
Store cooked and cooled chicken strips in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To freeze, place them in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag that’s labeled and dates, then keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen chicken strips in the fridge overnight before reheating. To reheat, cook in the oven at 350°F. Or reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed. or
See our related recipes!
- Nashville chicken tenders (a popular KFC copycat recipe)
- Shake and Bake chicken tenders
- Baked chicken tenders
- Bisquick chicken tenders
Instant Pot Chicken Tenderloins
Equipment
- trivet or sling
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins (fresh or frozen) *for frozen, see notes below*
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Add 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil to the pressure cooker. Press the sauté function button. While the pressure cooker is coming to pressure (this takes a few minutes) lightly brush the chicken tenderloins with 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Combine the seasonings together in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken strips into the seasonings, pressing gently all around to coat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken tenders to the pot. Sauté chicken strips for 1-2 minutes on each side, until light golden in color. Use tongs to remove the strips from the pot and transfer them to a plate.
- Add chicken broth to the pot, and add the metal trivet to the pot leaving the handles up. Place the chicken strips on the trivet. Press cancel and manually set the pressure cooker to high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once pressure cooking is done, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 3 minutes. Then manually perform a quick release of the pressure. Serve the chicken tenders warm with your favorite dipping sauces like ranch, BBQ, or honey mustard.
Video
Notes
- Pressure cook the chicken first. Pour the chicken broth into the pressure cooker and add the metal trivet. Place the chicken tenderloins on the trivet, and seal the lid. Select manual high pressure cooking setting for 5 minutes. After the Instant Pot cooking is done, allow the pressure cooker to do a natural release for 3 minutes. Then, initiate a quick release.
- Using tongs, remove chicken tenderloins from the pot. Press cancel. Use pot holders to drain the chicken broth from the pot.
- Press the sauté function button. Then add oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot and allow to heat. Lightly brush the chicken tenderloins with oil. Combine the seasonings together in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken strips into the seasonings, pressing gently all around to coat. Sauté chicken for 1-2 minutes per side until golden in color. Serve homemade chicken tenders warm, with your favorite dipping sauces.
PREVIOUS
Lisa says
This was really good and turned out so tender AND beautiful. I doubled the spices because I really like a good “crust” of seasoning. I also tried it on pork chops as well a different time. It was delicious.
moop says
After removing the chicken and steamer rack, I turned the sauté back on, sprinkled 1-2 tsp of flower over the top, whisked, and brought to a boil to thicken the gravy. Served chicken with gravy and au gratin potatoes quite a hit. thank you.
Renae says
Great idea! Isn’t the Instant Pot perfect for turning broth into gravy?! Many of my Instant Pot recipes include how to make a gravy sauce from the broth, like this one: https://thefeatherednester.com/instant-pot-pork-tenderloin-and-potatoes/.
Erin says
The included photo shows rice on the same plate – is that the cilantro rice others have commented on? It looks yummy!
Renae says
It’s a new recipe that I will be publishing soon. But, the cilantro rice is a great recipe (it is linked in the post) and you can make it with white or brown rice. Here is a link to the blog post with the recipe: https://thefeatherednester.com/weeks-poultry-seafood-recipes/
Linda says
I can’t stop thinking how good this is with cilantro rice. The chicken itself is flavorful and tastes even better with cilantro rice!
Renae says
I’m so glad you liked it, Linda!
The Foodie Affair says
This was a perfect meal prep dish for me! made this and divided up into portions for lunch. Flavorful and will definitely make again.
Renae says
Using them for lunch prep is a great idea! I’m so glad you shared that.