How to Make Pressure Cooker "Fried" Chicken

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

If you're craving fried chicken but don't want to heat a large pot of oil, use your pressure cooker to speed up the process. Although you can't fry chicken in oil with your pressure cooker, you can cook the pieces with your machine. While the chicken is pressure cooking, toast breadcrumbs on the stove. Remove the chicken and coat it in flour, beaten eggs, and the breadcrumbs. Then bake the chicken in the oven just until the breading crisps up and you've got crunchy chicken.

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs or bone-in pieces of chicken
  • 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) of unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 cup (125 g) of all-purpose flour
  • 2 extra-large eggs, beaten
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups (62 to 93 g) of panko breadcrumbs, toasted

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Pressure Cooking the Chicken

PDF download Download Article
  1. Put 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water into the pressure cooker and set a steamer basket down into the cooker. [1]
    • If you're using a steamer basket that didn't come with your pressure cooker, ensure that it will fit inside your machine.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Pressure Cooker
    Get out 6 chicken thighs and place them in the steamer basket. If you need to, you can stack the thighs so they're loosely touching. [2]
    • Avoid overcrowding the basket. If you want to make more chicken, cook the chicken in batches.
    • If you prefer, use a combination of breasts, wings, or drumsticks.
    Advertisement
  3. Put the lid on the cooker and secure it closed. Turn the pressure cooker onto high pressure and set the timer to 6 minutes, if you're using small thighs. [3]
    • If you're using large thighs, they'll probably need closer to 9 minutes to pressure cook.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Pressure Cooker
    Once the chicken has pressure cooked, turn off the heat and select "Full Natural Release." This will allow the pressure to gradually. Then you can open the lid of the machine. [4]
    • Most pressure cookers take about 10 minutes for the pressure to naturally release.
    5. Advertisement
Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Making the Crispy Breading

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Pressure Cooker
    Set a skillet on the stove and pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil into it. Add 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (28 g) of unsalted butter and turn the burner on to medium heat. [5]
    • The butter should melt and combine with the oil.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Pressure Cooker
    Add the panko breadcrumbs to the butter and oil mixture. Stir until the breadcrumbs have absorbed the mixture. [6]
    • If you're using smaller thighs, you may only need 1 cup (62 g) of the breadcrumbs.
    • If you don't have panko breadcrumbs, you can substitute dried breadcrumbs but they won't crisp up as much.
  3. Continue to cook and stir the breadcrumbs frequently until they become rich, golden brown. Then stir in kosher salt according to your taste. [7]
    • Watch the breadcrumbs closely while they're toasting since they can burn quickly.
    4. Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Baking the Chicken

PDF download Download Article
  1. Get out a large baking sheet and put a large wire rack on it. The wire rack will allow air to circulate under the chicken as it bakes. This will make the chicken even crispier. [8]
  2. Insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of a chicken thigh to ensure that it's reached 160 °F (71 °C). Keep in mind that the chicken will cook more when you put it into the oven to crisp up. [9]
    • If the chicken hasn't reached temperature, close the pressure cooker and turn it back on to high for 3 to 5 more minutes.
  3. Lift the steamer basket out of the pressure cooker and lay the pieces of chicken on a baking sheet. Take a paper towel and blot the chicken pieces until they're completely dry. [10]
    • If the chicken is very moist, you may need several paper towels.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Pressure Cooker
    Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Put 1 cup (125 g) of all-purpose flour into a shallow bowl and place the chicken pieces in it. Turn the chicken over so they're completely coated with the flour. [11]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make Pressure Cooker
    Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk them until they're uniform in color. Transfer the chicken from the dish of flour and lower them into the beaten eggs. [12]
    • Shake off the excess flour before you put them into the beaten eggs.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make Pressure Cooker
    Put the baking sheet with the chicken into the preheated oven. Bake the chicken until the breadcrumbs become completely crispy and the chicken appears to be fried. [13]
    • Keep the chicken pieces on the wire rack that's on the baking sheet.
  7. Turn off the oven and take the chicken out of the oven. Put the chicken on a platter and serve it immediately with your favorite sides. For example, serve the chicken with mashed potatoes , green beans, or biscuits. [14]
    • Refrigerate the leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Keep in mind that the chicken breading will become soggy as it's stored.
    8. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Can I brown and crisp chicken without oil in a pressure cooker?
    Community Answer
    While you can cook the chicken in the pressure cooker, you'll need to coat it and bake it in the oven to get truly crispy chicken.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 6
  • Question
    Can I make the chicken in a pressure cooker that's not really very fancy?
    Community Answer
    Sure. Pressure cookers aren't very fancy as such. They just differ in types and make. You can use a regular pressure cooker to make this chicken dish.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
  • Question
    Can Cornflakes crumbs be substituted for panko?
    Gbjockey
    Community Answer
    They can, but they should be crushed up first. Put them in a Ziploc bag, seal, and crush them anyway like. Alternately, you could crush them in a food processor.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Different pressure cookers have different settings. Check your manual to see how your pressure cooker operates before you begin cooking.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • Never fill your pressure cooker with oil to fry chicken since pressure cookers aren't designed for deep-frying. They can release toxic fumes or cause fires if you fry with them. [15]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Advertisement

      Things You'll Need

      • Measuring cups and spoons
      • Pressure cooker
      • Steamer basket
      • Instant-read meat thermometer
      • Skillet
      • Spoon
      • Shallow bowls
      • Whisk or fork
      • Baking sheet
      • Wire rack
      • Platter

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Cook with a Pressure Cooker (With Sample Recipes)
      How to
      Cook Rice in an Indian Style Pressure Cooker
      How to
      Make Pressure Cooker Rice (with Recipes)
      How to
      Boil Chicken for Your Dog
      How to
      Make KFC Original Fried Chicken
      How to
      Tell if Chicken Is Done: Using a Food Thermometer & Other Signs
      How to
      Clean Chicken Livers
      How to
      Cook Cornish Game Hens
      How to
      Reheat a Rotisserie Chicken
      How to
      Apply Dry Rub to Chicken
      How to
      Cut Chicken Breast Into Strips
      How to
      Butcher a Chicken
      How to
      Get Rid of Chicken Mites
      2 Easy Ways to Make Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo)
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=15
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=23
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=34
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=46
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=38
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=40
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=45
      8. ↑ https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/pressure-cooker-chicken-homemade-gravy/
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=55
      1. ↑ https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/pressure-cooker-chicken-homemade-gravy/
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=60
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=65
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/H-k-dhYWs0g?t=71
      5. ↑ https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/pressure-cooker-chicken-homemade-gravy/
      6. ↑ http://www.corriecooks.com/can-fry-foods-instant-pot/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      It's not possible to actually fry chicken in a pressure cooker, but you can use a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking process before finishing the chicken in the oven. Start by pressure cooking the chicken pieces for 6-9 minutes. While the chicken cooks, toast breadcrumbs on the stove. Next, remove the chicken from the pressure cooker and coat it with flour, beaten egg, and the toasted breadcrumbs. Then, place the chicken on a wire rack and bake it at 400 °F for 5-10 minutes until the breading becomes crunchy. To learn how to set up your pressure cooker to cook the chicken, scroll down!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 884,150 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement