Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my Instant Pot chicken come out rubbery? ›

Some things to keep in mind when cooking chicken:

If your boneless chicken breast winds up with a weird, rubbery texture, it probably means that you need to cook it longer. In general, the Instant Pot does better with longer cook times for meat.

To cook more chicken breasts at once, layer the chicken side by side if frozen or stacked if fresh. Add 1 cup of water plus kosher salt and black peppercorns. Set the cooking time for just 10 minutes. Be sure your chicken has an internal temperature of 165° F to be cooked through.

Chicken can get a rubbery texture in the instant pot when over cooked. To avoid this, try not to over cook your chicken. Storing the chicken in chicken broth can help rehydrate the chicken and make it less rubbery.

Yes, pesto can be used straight from the jar and doesn't require cooking or heating. In fact, we actively discourage applying too much heat to pesto, as this will destroy many of the fresh flavours that producers work so hard to retain.

Just be aware that exposing pesto to too much heat for too long will change its flavour. Whenever possible, therefore, we add it right at the end of the cooking process to minimise any flavour loss.

Because chicken breast is so lean, just a couple of extra minutes of cook time turns them from juicy to overcooked and dry. Thighs, on the other hand, are a fattier cut, and not prone to dry out as quickly even after an extra minute or two of cooking.

Because its ingredients include olive oil, nuts, and cheese, pesto can be high in calories and fat. However, the fat is primarily unsaturated and may have heart health benefits. Pesto is also full of antioxidants that can help protect your cells from damage.

Its scarcity, plus the fact that the plants are picked roots, soil, and all to ensure that only juvenile leaves make it into pesto, makes it extraordinarily expensive and something that only premium, artisan pesto makers can justify using.

Most pesto is not considered vegan for the sole reason that basic recipes call for some kind of hard cheese like Parmesan or pecorino, which is not suitable for vegans. Some authentic Parmesan is even made using rennet, an enzyme found in the lining of a goat or calf's stomach.

How do you keep chicken from getting rubbery in an air fryer? ›

Just follow the instructions and make sure you keep an eye in the temperature of the chicken in the final minutes. Since the Air Fryer works with convection heat, there is no need to cook chicken at very high temperatures, as it may quickly dry out and turn rubbery.