Instant Pot Chicken Salad

We’re thrilled to hear you love our “Zero-Minute” Method for making Tender & Juiciest Instant Pot Chicken Breasts! So, we’re excited to share more quick and easy chicken recipes with you.

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is a favorite classic summer salad mainly made of chicken with mayonnaise, vegetables, and fruits. Somewhat like the classic North American Potato Salad or Egg Salad.

Tender juicy chicken with crunchy celery bits, fragrant dill, and light creamy dressing. One satisfying bite with a nice crunch and balanced flavors.

This simple yet versatile Instant Pot Chicken Salad is quick & easy to make, and deliciously refreshing to eat.

You can make it ahead, then serve it as an appetizer, snack, or dinner salad. You can also use it as a filling for Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Wraps, Chicken Pita, Sliders, and more.

What You Need to Know for Instant Pot Chicken Salad

The chicken is key to the salad, so it’s essential for the chicken to be tender, juicy, and flavorful.

For this chicken salad recipe, we’re using a simple technique called deep poaching to cook chicken in Instant Pot.

From our dozens of chicken experiments, this method yields the most tender and juiciest Instant Pot chicken breasts. More tender and juicier chicken than boiled chicken.

Through experiments, we created the “Zero-Minute” method to use this cooking technique with our Instant Pot.

“Zero-Minute” Method – Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 0 Minute

Yes! You can “pressure cook” at 0 (zero) minute! How can that be?!

We’re setting the pressure cooking time to 0 (zero) minute because we’re using the heat generated during the “building pressure” stage AND the “depressurizing” stage (i.e. when Instant Pot is natural releasing) to cook the chicken.

Measure the chicken’s internal temperature with a Food Thermometer. And make sure the temperature at the chicken’s thickest part reaches at least 165°F (74°C) after resting.

4 Cups (1L) of Water is Not a Typo!

Since we’re using the deep poaching method, it’s critical to make sure all your chicken are at least 95% submerged in the water.

This method let the proteins denature without pulling out too much moisture out of the food. That’s why poached food comes out so moist and tender!

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Salad

Here are the ingredients for making Chicken Salad in Instant Pot:

Tools for Instant Pot Chicken Salad

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (6qt)
• Food Thermometer
• Bamboo Wooden Spoons
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set

Pressure Cook Chicken Breasts

First, add 4 cups (1L) cold running tap water, 2 tsp (14g) fine salt, and 3 (885g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts in Instant Pot.

Close lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing position.

Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 0 minutes (zero minutes), then Natural Release for 10 minutes

Note #1: 0 minutes (zero minutes) is not a typo! We’re using the heat from the “Pressurize” Stage and “Depressurize” Stage to cook the chicken breasts in Instant Pot.

Note #2: If your Instant Pot doesn’t let you set “Zero minutes”, set it to “Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 1 minute”. Then, press “Cancel” once it comes up to pressure.

After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting Position.

When the Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Shred Chicken Breasts

Place the chicken on a chopping board. Then, check the internal temperature at the chicken’s thickest part with an accurate Food Thermometer.

Note: The USDA recommends 165°F (74°C) as the safe internal temperature for cooked chicken.

With two forks, shred the chicken. Then, let the shredded chicken cool to room temperature.

Make Instant Pot Chicken Salad

Now, place shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl.

Add finely diced celery, 1 tbsp (15g) dijon mustard, and ⅓ cup (82g) full-fat mayonnaise to the shredded chicken. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Add in ¼ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp (2.4g) finely chopped parsley leaves, 1½ tsp (3g) finely chopped dill, and 1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Season & Serve Chicken Salad

Taste and season your Instant Pot Chicken Salad with salt and black pepper. For reference, we added 4 to 5 pinches of fine salt.

How to Serve Chicken Salad

You can serve this “zero-minute” chicken salad at room temperature or chilled. There are lots of delicious ideas on how you can serve this refreshing chicken salad.

You can serve a simple summer meal with this chicken salad on top of fresh salad greens. Or serve it on a platter with a spread of fresh garden vegetables, pickles, fruits, nuts, seeds, or cheese.

• Tasty Add-ins Ideas: If you like to fancy up your chicken salad, you can add ingredients like seedless grapes, dried cranberries, toasted almonds, pecans, walnuts, Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs, Korean Sauna Eggs, apples, avocado, Instant Pot Quinoa, cooked farro, cooked couscous, or cooked pasta.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches: Make tasty chicken sandwiches by adding lettuce, tomatoes, avocadoes, salad greens, and sliced cucumbers with the chicken salad. You can serve it on croissants, crusty artisan bread, pita bread, buns, toasted baguette, or crackers.

Chicken Wraps: You can also make lettuce wraps or tortilla wraps with this refreshing chicken salad.

What Goes Well with Chicken Salad

Chicken salad goes well with many side dishes and soups. Here are some tasty ideas for you:

Side Dishes

• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
• Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
• Instant Pot Broccoli
• Instant Pot Beets
• Instant Pot Artichokes
• Instant Pot Roasted Potatoes
• Vegetable chips, roasted vegetables, or pickled vegetables

Soups

• Instant Pot Tomato Soup
• Instant Pot Potato Soup
• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
• Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Enjoy your Refreshing “Zero-Minute” Instant Pot Chicken Salad!

Other Instant Pot Salad Recipes

• Instant Pot Potato Salad
• Instant Pot Egg Salad
• Instant Pot Egg Loaf