Instant Pot Freezer Meal: Greek-Style Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Greek-style lemon chicken and potatoes topped with oregano and crumbled feta cheese is the ultimate Instant Pot freezer meal.
Serves2 to 4
Prep5 minutes
Cook15 minutes
Greek-style Lemon Chicken and Potatoes has been my family’s favorite chicken dish for years, so you can imagine my delight when my attempt to streamline the dish worked. Thanks to the Instant Pot, I can now whip up the restaurant-inspired meal in a fraction of the time, and it’s got all the rich herbal and citrus flavors of the original.
Topped with cracked black pepper and crumbled feta cheese, this easy Instant Pot meal will temporarily transport you to Greece. Here’s how to make it happen on even the busiest of weeknights.
How to Layer Ingredients for Freezer-to-Instant Pot Cooking
This Instant Pot freezer meal is a dump dinner at its finest. You’ll begin by setting a zip-top freezer bag into the Instant Pot’s insert. Place the quartered Yukon Gold potatoes in first, so that when it comes time to cook they’re closest to the pot’s heating element. Top with the chicken, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, salt, and oregano, then pop the entire insert into the freezer.
When it’s time to cook, there’s no thawing required to make the food fit — the ingredients are frozen into the shape of the electric pressure cooker.
The Best Chicken and Potatoes for an Instant Pot Freezer Dinner
Yukon Golds are our preferred potato for this Instant Pot dinner. Unlike Idaho or Russets, the medium-starch, buttery potato will keep its shape even when submerged in the lemony cooking liquid. As for the chicken, bone-in breasts are our pick: they’re less expensive than boneless, and the bone protects the lean meat from overcooking. Two large bone-in chicken breasts will fit in a single layer in the Instant Pot. Once cooked, a half breast served with the lemony potatoes and a green side salad is sufficient for most, although a single breast will satisfy larger appetites.
Instant Pot Freezer Meals
This recipe is part of a collection of freezer-to-Instant Pot meals. Each one is designed to be prepared in advance, frozen, and popped into the Instant Pot when you’re ready for dinner — no thawing required. And they’re made with just a few fresh ingredients! Go ahead, freeze this recipe and the others — your future self will thank you.
Instant Pot Freezer Meal: Greek-Style Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Greek-style lemon chicken and potatoes topped with oregano and crumbled feta cheese is the ultimate Instant Pot freezer meal.
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Serves 2 to 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 8
baby Yukon gold potatoes (about 8 ounces total)
- 2
bone-in chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
- 1
medium lemon
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 5
fresh oregano sprigs, plus more for serving
Serving options: freshly ground black pepper, crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Fit a gallon-sized freezer zip-top bag inside the insert of Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Halve 8 baby Yukon gold potatoes and place in the bag. Remove the skin from 2 bone-in chicken breasts; cut them in half crosswise and place on top of the potatoes. Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon (about 1 tablespoon), then juice the lemon into the bag (about 2 tablespoons). Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 5 fresh oregano sprigs.
Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Freeze the bag (still inside the insert) until solid, at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove the bag from the insert and keep frozen up to 3 months.
To cook, remove the frozen ingredients from the bag and place in the Instant Pot. Lock the lid on and make sure the pressure valve is closed. Set to cook under HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. It will take 18 to 20 minutes to come up to pressure. When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 7 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure.
Discard the oregano. Divide the chicken and potatoes among serving bowls. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer, then spoon the liquid over the bowls. Serve with freshly ground black pepper, more fresh oregano leaves, and crumbled feta cheese if desired.
Recipe Notes
Freezing options: You can fit the freezer bag over an 8-inch round cake pan or other container similarly shaped to the Instant Pot insert instead.
Make ahead: The uncooked ingredients can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days.