Bruschetta Chicken | Instant Pot recipe
Whether you serve it as an appetizer or as a standalone meal, this Bruschetta Chicken Instant Pot recipe features a delicious pomodoro tomato topping, a simple garlic–Italian seasoning shredded chicken, a simple toasted bread, and an optional drizzle of balsamic on top.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
This is an easy shredded chicken recipe that is packed with a rich, garlicky flavor and contrasting textures. Plus the pomodoro tomato mixture can be made ahead so dinner can come together quickly
The original Bruschetta Chicken recipe came from Barbara’s cookbook. In that version, you cook up the chicken breasts separately and then serve them piled with tomatoes and sliced bread on the side.
However, these days when I’m cooking for my family, I prefer to cook the chicken until it shreds, then toast up a bunch of baguette slices, and make a bunch of little tomato-topped bites.
This is an amazing Instant Pot chicken recipe that works great as an appetizer or as a main dish. Other double-duty meals we love are Homemade loaded queso, Hawaiian meatballs, and teriyaki chicken wings.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED to make Bruschetta Chicken
Here’s what you’ll need to make this garlicky tomatoey chicken bites:
- Chicken breasts: You’ll want to choose similarly sized chicken breasts. If your package contains one that is much larger than the others, do your best to cut it down to a similar size.
- Olive oil: We usually buy extra virgin olive oil; this is to brown the chicken.
- Garlic: Garlic for the chicken, garlic for the tomato topping, and you can even rub a garlic clove on the freshly toasted bread—the more the better in this recipe!
- Chicken broth: This is the liquid that you need for pressure cooking; we generally buy reduced-sodium.
- Italian seasoning: We opted for a simple Italian spice blend to keep it easy.
- Roma tomatoes: Our garden tomatoes weren’t quite ripe, so we opted for these meaty, less-juicy grocery store staples.
- Red onion: Just 1/4 cup. We like to freeze extras in a ziplock and then we’ll have them on-hand for future recipes.
- French baguette: We like these sliced slightly on a diagonal and toasted. You can opt for any bread you like.
- Mozzarella cheese: A little melty cheese on top of the bread slices is the perfect base for these little bites.
- Parmesan: Adds a little extra flavor to the topping.
- Balsamic vinegar: This is optional; traditional bruschetta doesn’t seem to have balsamic, but I adore the extra pop of flavor it adds.
- Salt and pepper: To taste, as always.
How to Make Bruschetta Chicken in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
If at all possible, make the tomato mixture a few hours before or even overnight. Combine the basil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Once you’ve diced the tomatoes small, and the red tomatoes even tinier, toss them in the olive oil, then gently sprinkle the garlic mixture on top. Gently turn the tomatoes over until the spices are evenly distributed.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve the bruschetta chicken.
Salt and pepper the chicken to taste and set aside. Sauté the chicken in batches, just on one side. Doing this allows you to get some of the flavor of browning the chicken (“the fond” in cooking terms) without spending too much time. You’ll likely have to work in batches to brown all of the chicken. (If too much chicken is in the pot at the same time, it’ll steam.)
Once you’ve finished browning, add the garlic to the cooking pot and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth and stir to make sure all the browned bits are incorporated into the pan. Add the Italian seasoning and the chicken. Pressure cook on High with an 8-minute cook time.
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure. The chicken breasts and shred. (Our favorite way to do this is to use a stand mixer and a paddle attachment; the chicken breaks up so quickly.) Discard the cooking liquid.
Preheat your grill, oven broiler, or air fryer. Rub olive oil on one side of the sliced bread and grill or toast. (Toasting on one side allows the bread to still remain soft and tender on the underside which is easier to eat.) Melt the mozzarella on top.
Take the bites and top with shredded chicken, the tomato mixture, parmesan, and, if desired, a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions about Making Bruschetta Chicken
Traditionally, bruschetta is bread that has been grilled or toasted, rubbed with garlic cloves, and drizzled with really good extra virgin olive oil. Bruschetta al pomodoro is when you take this bread and serve it with a lovely diced tomato topping.
The mozzarella and balsamic aren’t traditional, but they are really tasty.
It really makes a difference in the flavor if you make it at least 30 minutes before you serve it. I like it even better when made the night before, but any time you have would definitely help.
That said, it’s your kitchen! You can make it fresh if you like.
Store the chicken in an airtight container for up to four days. Store the leftover tomato mixture in an airtight container as well; however, the tomatoes will lose their texture, so we like to only make as much as we’ll eat that day and the day after.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Recipes you can make with this or other recipes you might like:
- Instant Pot Shortcut Chicken Alfredo starts with chicken breasts cooked in the same pot as the bow tie pasta and finished with jarred alfredo sauce for a quick and easy one-pot weeknight pasta dinner.
- Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta is a hearty chicken dinner made with bell pepper, tomatoes, and dried herbs. It’s often served over creamy polenta, which we cook pot-in-pot at the same time as the chicken.
- This easy Instant Pot Kung Pao Chicken recipe calls for diced chicken breasts, so it has just a 4 minute cook time. It’s easy Chinese-inspired flavors ready on a weeknight.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Bruschetta Chicken | Instant Pot recipe
Ingredients
For tomato topping
- 8 small ripe roma tomatoes diced small, with the seeds, white flesh, and excess liquid discarded
- 1/4 cup red onion
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh or freeze dried basil
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
For the chicken
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts well trimmed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
For serving
- 1 French baguette sliced diagonally (can also substitute ciabatta)
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese sliced or shredded
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese optional
- Balsamic vinegar to taste, if desired
Instructions
- In a large bowl, lightly toss the tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to overnight. Take the tomato mixture out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Select Saute to preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add the olive oil. Brown the chicken on one side in batches, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate.
- Add the garlic to the cooking pot and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and browned chicken. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 8 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Remove the chicken to a tray and use two forks or a mixer to shred the cooked chicken. Cover and set aside.
- Preheat your grill, oven broiler, or air fryer. Rub olive oil on one side of the sliced bread and grill or toast until golden brown. Add mozzarella cheese and allow to melt.
- Top each slice of bread with the shredded chicken, tomato mixture, Parmesan, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. If desired, use a fresh basil garnish on top.
Nutrition
FOR MORE FROM PRESSURE COOKING TODAY
🥘 Browse our collection of the best pressure cooker / Instant Pot recipes.
💬 Follow Pressure Cooking Today on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
👥 Join our Electric Pressure Cooker Facebook Group. Our positive community of pressure cooking fans use all brands of electric pressure cookers, so it’s a great resource if you have questions about your particular brand.
This recipe looks delicious and I wish I could make it but I can no longer eat tomatoes and sooo many recipes call for some version of tomatoes. My blood has too much potassium and apparently tomatoes are high in potassium! I’m going to have to figure out a substitution for tomatoes. I’m sure in some recipes I can simply omit them but in others I’ll need a substitution.