Colin FosterBy Colin Foster

Updated November 2026

An instant pot chicken soup recipe gives you tender chicken, a clear and flavorful broth, and a full pot of soup in about 40 minutes, including pressure-building time. You’ll brown the aromatics, pressure-cook the chicken and vegetables, and finish with a quick release and a seasoning check. The method works with bone-in thighs, boneless breasts, or a whole cut-up chicken.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these ingredients and tools so the cooking runs smoothly once the pot is pressurized:

Shopping for one? See our guide: Instant Pot Chicken Soup: 7 Best Picks for Easy Dinners (2026).

  • 1.5 to 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, or 1.5 pounds boneless breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt (adjust later)
  • 1 cup dried egg noodles or 1 cup long-grain white rice, added at the end (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley for finishing

Step 1: Sear and Build the Base

Select the Sauté setting and let the pot heat for two to three minutes. Add the oil, then the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for five minutes until the onion turns translucent. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Browning the aromatics first adds depth that plain boiling never produces.

Deglaze the Pot

Pour in about half a cup of broth and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. Those browned bits are where much of the soup’s flavor comes from. Press Cancel before adding the rest of the liquid so the pot doesn’t stay in sauté mode.

Step 2: Pressure-Cook the Chicken and Broth

Add the remaining broth, the chicken, bay leaf, thyme, and salt. If you use bone-in thighs, nestle them in so they sit mostly under the liquid. Close the lid, make sure the valve is set to Sealing, and select Pressure Cook (High) for 12 minutes for boneless breasts or 18 minutes for bone-in thighs. Once the cycle ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then move the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam.

Step 3: Shred, Add Starch, and Finish

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Shred it with two forks and discard the bones and skin if you used thighs. If you’re adding noodles or rice, stir them into the broth now and cook on Sauté or with a short Pressure Cook of 4 minutes for noodles or 6 minutes for rice, followed by a quick release. Return the shredded chicken, stir in the lemon juice and parsley, and taste. Add salt or pepper as needed.

If you want a cookbook with more pressure-cooker soup formulas to try after this one, see Instant Pot Soup Recipes: 7 Easy Steps to Perfect Soup Every Time for variations on the same method.

Tips and Common Mistakes

  • Don’t skip the sauté step. Soup made straight from raw ingredients tastes flatter and less rich.
  • Keep the liquid at or above the pot’s minimum fill line. The pot needs enough liquid to build pressure, so don’t over-reduce the broth before cooking.
  • Add pasta and rice after pressure cooking. Starches cooked under pressure with the chicken often turn mushy or make the broth cloudy.
  • Use natural release for chicken. A quick release can leave the meat slightly firmer and the broth more agitated.
  • Season at the end. Broth reduces slightly and concentrates, so salt added at the start can taste strong by the time you finish.

A multi-cooker with a Sauté function lets you brown vegetables and pressure cook in the same pot, which keeps this recipe to one vessel. View on Amazon

A fat separator makes it easier to skim excess fat from the broth before serving, especially when you use skin-on thighs. View on Amazon

A pair of heat-resistant tongs lets you lift the chicken out of a hot pot without losing it into the broth. View on Amazon

FAQ

Can I use frozen chicken in an instant pot chicken soup recipe?

Yes, but add about 5 to 10 minutes to the pressure time and make sure the chicken is fully thawed or separated so it cooks evenly. The USDA recommends not cooking frozen chicken in a way that leaves it in the danger zone for long, so use the full pressure time and check that the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

How do I make the broth richer?

Use homemade or bone broth, and add a splash of soy sauce or a Parmesan rind during pressure cooking for extra savory depth. Skim the surface fat after cooking if the broth looks greasy.

How long does the soup keep in the refrigerator?

Store the soup in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to four days. Cool it within two hours of cooking before refrigerating, and reheat it until steaming hot throughout. Consult local food safety guidelines if you have specific health concerns.

Conclusion

With a quick sauté, a 12 to 18 minute pressure cycle, and a final seasoning check, this instant pot chicken soup recipe delivers tender meat and a full-flavored broth in under an hour. Adjust the vegetables, starch, and herbs to suit what you have on hand. Once you’ve made it once, the method becomes an easy weeknight routine.

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Colin Foster

About Colin Foster

Colin Foster is part of our editorial team and reviews and edits our home cooking with appliances guides, checking product details against manufacturer specifications and owner feedback.