Taco night just got a whole lot easier with these Instant Pot Chicken Tacos! This recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tacos is simple and made with ingredients you probably have lying around--but the flavor is spectacular!
While we love these Chicken Tacos, you may be interested in Lentil Tacos, Easy Tacos with Ground Beef, or Pork Tacos, Buffalo Chicken Tacos for delicious Taco Night recipes as well. Serve Instant Pot Chicken Tacos with a Pina Colada, Mexican Rice, and Refried Beans for a restaurant-worthy meal made effortlessly at home.
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
Chicken Tacos are hands down one of my favorite weeknight meals.
And while I have shared with you my Beef Taco Recipe, Taco Salad, and Pork Tacos, I have yet to share with you one of the EASIEST recipes for Chicken Tacos--and these are the tacos I make the MOST!
And let me tell you, YOU want this recipe!
Made with just a couple of pantry ingredients, this easy recipe for Chicken Taco Meat just can not be beat.
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos can be made in less than 30 minutes.
- Instant Pot Mexican Chicken is gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, and Whole30 approved.
- Even picky eaters LOVE these Instant Pot Chicken Tacos.
- You can make these Chicken Tacos with fresh or frozen chicken.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Taco Meat
- Chicken Stock: For the cooking liquid use homemade chicken stock or quality store-bought stock for the best flavor.
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe. And the chicken can be frozen or fresh.
- Taco Seasoning: I always keep homemade taco seasoning on hand. It is simple to make, preservative-free, and tastes better. But feel free to use a store-bought Taco Seasoning mix or just add garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and onion powder to the chicken.
- Salsa: For this recipe, I do prefer jarred salsa over fresh pico de Gallo.
- Limes: You do not want to overlook the fresh lime and zest in this recipe. The added lime juice and lime zest is what make my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tacos the best recipe!
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
Step One: Cook Chicken in Pressure Cooker
- Place chicken stock and taco seasoning in Instant Pot and mix well.
- Place chicken breasts in chicken stock.
- Top chicken with salsa.
- Close lid on the pressure cooker, pointing knob to sealed.
- Cook on high pressure.
- For Fresh Chicken Breasts: 7 minutes for 8-ounce chicken breasts
- For Frozen Chicken Breasts: 11 minutes for 8-ounce chicken breasts
Step Two: Shred Chicken
- Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes.
- Using a hand-held kitchen mixer or 2 forks, shred the chicken right in the cooking juices. If you are worried about juice splattering, remove chicken from the pressure cooker, shred and then return back to cooking juices. Those cooking liquids help to season the chicken meat.
- Stir in zest and juice of fresh lime.
Step Three: Serve Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- This Shredded Mexican Chicken is perfect for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, or taco salad.
- A great tip is to use a slotted spoon to dish out Mexican Shredded Chicken to keep your taco from being soggy!
How to Double Recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
Shredded Chicken Taco Meat is great to have on hand for lunches, busy nights and to stock in your freezer. This is why I always double or triple my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tacos.
A few tips to making extra Instant Pot Mexican Chicken
- Use 1 cup chicken stock for up to 2 pounds chicken breasts, but double taco seasoning and salsa amount. One lime will still be enough to brighten this Chicken Taco Meat.
- For 3-4 pounds chicken breasts, use 2 cups chicken stock, and 3-4 times the amount of taco seasoning and salsa. You will also want to use 2 limes for this amount of chicken.
Storage Directions
- You can freeze leftover Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- The chicken meat will last 3-4 days in the fridge--making this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tacos great for meal prep.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken Wings
- Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
- Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
This recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tacos uses pantry staple ingredients to create easy, healthy, chicken tacos.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 92kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- ⅓ cup salsa
- 1 fresh lime optional, but highly encouraged
Instructions
- Pour chicken stock into pressure cooker. Add in taco seasoning and mix well. Place chicken breasts in chicken stock and top chicken with salsa.
- Close pressure cooker and point vent knob to sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes for fresh chicken breasts, 11 minutes for frozen chicken breasts. *See time guidelines in recipe notes.
- Let pressure release naturally.
- Remove the lid from the pressure cooker and shred chicken using handheld mixer or two forks. Add zest and juice of fresh lime to shredded chicken and mix well.
- Serve as base for chicken tacos, in burrito bowls or in enchiladas.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Cooking Time for Chicken Breasts/Thighs
- 6 ounces each: 6 minutes on high pressure for fresh, 10 minutes for frozen
- 8 ounces each: 7 minutes on high pressure for fresh, 11 minutes for frozen
- 10 ounces each: 8 minutes on high pressure for fresh, 12 minutes for frozen
- For an 8 quart Instant Pot, use 1.5 to 2 cups chicken stock to cook your chicken breasts in.
- The chicken meat will last 3-4 days in the fridge or you can freeze leftover Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- In place of taco seasoning, add in ¼ teaspoon each of salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and chili powder.
Nutrition
Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 162mg | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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Bill Murray
Well I followed the directions to a T. Made this last night and it was a huge success. Everyone loved the flavor and the tenderness of the chicken... I did top with cilantro, onion, avocado and sour cream and a slice of lime. This is so simple but yet so quick and easy to make. This one is a keeper. Sided it with refried black beans and Spanish rice..
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing this is now a family favorite! Thanks for sharing Bill!
Robin E.
Kristin,
Going to make this for my kids who are coming over last minute! I just bought 3 lbs of chicken breasts today and saw on an earlier post that it doesn't matter how much chicken you have you cook it for 7-8 minutes. ( Would love to have leftovers ) But, do I triple the spices and salsa from the original recipe?
Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Robin! You can leave the cooking time the same, but triple all other ingredients. I hope you and your kids enjoy 🙂
Craig S
Tender and delicious. Used 2.5 lbs of chicken breast, 1 cup of broth, 1 package of TB Taco seasoning, and some fresh pico de gallo from the garden. It was a little juicy, probably due to the pico... but delicious and easy. Set the pot to Poultry and 20 minutes (breasts were frozen but seperated).
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you enjoyed Craig. I would say the pico de gallo would make it a bit watery, but glad you still enjoyed.
Krista
I've made this a few times now. It's so quick, easy, and delicious. Took it to a potluck and everyone wanted the recipe. I remove the chicken at the end and add rice to the liquid (top up with water or chicken broth if needed, pressure cook on high x 6 minutes and natural release x 10) and it makes a delicious Mexican rice to go along with.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Krista! So glad everyone enjoys this recipe.
Peter Worden
I am making this tonight. Very excited! I am a little confused by your cooking times chart. I plan to do 1.5 lbs of boneless thighs and 1.5 lbs of boneless breasts at the same time. Fresh NOT frozen. How many minutes do I set the pressure cooker for?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Peter! If your chicken breasts and thighs are average size, cook for 7 minutes on high pressure--regardless of how many pounds you cook. If your chicken is on the small size, cook for 6 minutes. If on the large size, cook for 8. I hope that helps. Enjoy!
wilhelmina
I am obsessed with this chicken! I made a double batch on Sunday and we had the bet tacos ever and then I used the remainder last night to make a Mexican lasagna and it worked so well! This is a keeper!
Kristen Chidsey
What a fabulous idea to use the leftovers for Mexican Lasagna--I am SO doing that myself! Great idea!
Zoe Beech
Hi! I don't have a pressure cooker, how long would I pop this in the oven for in a casserole dish? Looks yummy!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Zoe! You can prepare in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours and keep ingredients the same. OR you can make in the oven by spreading some salsa on bottom of the pan. Season chicken with taco seasoning and then sear in skillet. Place seared chicken on top of salsa and top with additional salsa. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees. TOp with fresh lime juice after baking.
Zoe Beech
Thank you Kristen! I will do definitely try that!
Lauri
If I want to make 2 pounds of chicken, should I double the cook time?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lauri! Cook time will remain the same--it will just take a bit longer to come to pressure. Enjoy!