Instant Pot Chicken Taco Recipe
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Posted: 08/10/20
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With only three ingredients you can have the BEST shredded taco meat for taco night! This Instant Pot Chicken Tacos recipe starts with a delicious chicken mixture that’s made in your Instant Pot. Just throw your chicken, taco seasoning, salsa and water in the pressure cooker and let it cook. Then pile it into taco shells and add your favorite toppings for a quick and easy dinner recipe!
You are going to want these easy chicken tacos for your next taco night! You only need FOUR ingredients and just under 30 minutes to make them in your Instant Pot. Super easy tacos for the win, right?!
I should mention one of the ingredients is water so does it even count? You may already have the other three on hand, which means you could have tacos for dinner tonight. No need to wait until Taco Tuesday!
Add some homemade guacamole, pico de gallo and icy cold margaritas for a perfect taco dinner everyone will love!
This is the Easiest Chicken Taco Recipe!
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, jarred salsa, your favorite taco seasoning and water. That is all you need for this simple recipe.
The ingredients are always something I have on hand, which means a yummy taco dinner is about 30 minutes away! It’s perfect for busy weeknights when there’s no time to think about what to make. Which, for me, is most nights of the week!
The Instant Pot makes the cook time a breeze for this recipe, but if you don’t have one you can try my crockpot chicken tacos – it’s a really easy recipe, too!
Ingredients for Shredded Tacos
- Chicken Breasts – Make sure they are boneless and skinless.
- Taco Seasoning – We like to use make our own homemade taco seasoning or use a low-sodium version store bought taco seasoning. This is an easy way to control your spice level of the chicken too. Mild for less spicy and hot for more spice!
- Salsa – Grab the thick and chunky salsa for best results.
- Water – Another option is chicken broth.
Optional Ingredient
Another great option to add to this recipe is a can of black beans. Just rinse them and add it to the mixture before you cook it in the Instant Pot.
How to Make Chicken Tacos in Instant Pot
I love my pressure cooker! It just makes everything so easy and it’s great for making shredded taco meat.
- Place the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the top and then pour the salsa and water over the top.
- Secure the lid, close the steam vent, and cook on high pressure for seven minutes.
- When it’s done, let the steam vent naturally for five minutes and then open the steam vent to release the rest of it.
- Remove the lid and shred the meat with two forks.
Pile that tender, seasoned meat in taco shells or tortillas and load them up with all of your favorite toppings! We love shredded cheese, sour cream, hot sauce and cilantro.
Toppings for Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
Here’s a few great ideas for what to top your chicken tacos with!
- Lettuce – The easiest is to grab a bag of chopped romaine or shredded iceberg lettuce. Feel free to chop your own.
- Tomatoes – We recommend diced Roma tomatoes because don’t have as much liquid as other tomatoes.
- Pico de Gallo – Grab store bought pico or make your own. It’s adds perfect mixture of flavors to your tacos.
- Guacamole – We love our homemade version, but you can also grab it pre-made at the grocery store.
- Avocados – Skip the guacamole and dice up an avocado. Make sure it’s ripe!
- Sour Cream – You could also substitute Greek yogurt. Add a little water to thin it out so it’s easier to drizzle over your tacos.
- Cheese – For a Mexican flair top with cotija or queso fresco cheese. Other great options are shredded cheddar, Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese.
- Cilantro – If you skip the pico de gallo add a garnish of chopped cilantro.
- Hot Sauce – Want a little more spicy? Hot sauce is an easy way to adjust the spiciness for each person.
- Jalapenos – Another great option to amp up the heat level is diced jalapenos. Leave the seeds in for even more spice.
Instant Pot Chicken Taco FAQs
Can I Use Frozen Chicken?
Yes, you can! I’ve tested this recipe with thawed and frozen chicken and both work great.
If you are using frozen, increase the cooking time to 11 minutes total. It works great!
Can I Make These Tacos in a Slow Cooker?
Yes, here is our Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos recipe that’s a great crock pot dinner!
How Can I make These Tacos Spicy?
A quick an easy way to make these chicken tacos spicier is to use a spicy packet of taco seasoning or salsa. You can also top them with diced jalapenos or add cayenne to the chicken when cooking it in the slow cooker.
What chicken is best for shredding?
The best chicken for shredding is using boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Thighs are naturally moister, but either option works great to shred. You don’t want skin or bones in the chicken when you want to shred it.
Can you shred raw chicken?
Raw chicken is not easy to shred. I recommend cooking it first and then shredding it. You can shred it with two forks, but the easiest way is to put it in a bowl and using a hand mixer to shred it or a stand mixer.
What is the easiest way to shred chicken?
The easiest way to shred cooked chicken is by placing it in a bowl and using a hand mixer to shred it. Another option is to place it the bowl of a stand mixer and shred it using the paddle attachment. If you don’t have a mixer shred it with two forks.
How much liquid do you put in an Instant Pot for chicken?
You need at least one cup of water in the Instant Pot to cook chicken.
Why use the instant pot for this recipe?
This recipe is great for a last-minute dinner when you don’t plan ahead. The result is fall apart chicken that is tender and moist with a ton of flavor from taco seasoning and salsa. Plus, the prep time is minimal and a dump and go recipe!
How Long Does Leftover Shredded Chicken Keep?
- Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for three to four days!
- Cool leftover meat and place in a resealable plastic bag and squeeze all the air out. Then place it in the freezer for up to 3 months for an easy dinner!
This is a great recipe to make ahead, too! Make a big batch and keep it in the refrigerator for easy lunches and dinners during the week.
Other Ways to Serve Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
You can use this recipe in so many ways!
- Use it to make a taco salad – just toss it with lettuce, corn, chopped bell peppers and your other favorite veggies. Add some shredded cheese and dressing, too!
- Make some quesadillas – grab your tortillas, pile on the meat and cheese and cook them in a skillet until they’re nice and crispy.
- It’s great for nachos, too! Tortilla chips, cheese sauce and all of your favorite toppings – yum!
This is such a great recipe to have on hand – trust me, I’ve turned to it many busy nights when I had no idea what to make for dinner! Your family is going to love it!
Want More Easy Dinner Recipes?
- Crock pot steak fajitas are the perfect quick, easy weeknight recipe!
- My ground beef taco meat is perfect for tacos, too! It’s super easy – it hardly takes anytime at all to make.
- Easy Mexican casserole is the perfect mix of textures and flavors. Full of hearty beef and beans and topped with cheese and corn chips, it’s a family-pleasing meal great for any night of the week!
- Crispy corn tortillas, crunchy fish sticks, layers of guacamole and Pico de Gallo topped with Lime Dressing make these easy fish stick tacos a quick and easy dinner recipe!
- This Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup is a great, easy, dinner that the whole family will love.
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE!
- How to Make Crock Pot Spaghetti
- Roasted Broccoli Air Fryer
- How to Make an Alabama Slammer
- Easy Chicken Marinade for BBQ
- Chicken Green Bean Potato Recipe
- Homemade Cannoli Dip
- Crescent Chicken Taco Pinwheels
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Recipe
Shredded chicken made in your Instant Pot with taco seasoning, salsa and water! Make quick and easy taco meat for dinner!
Video
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about (1 ½ – 2 lb)
- 1.25 ounces packet low-sodium taco seasoning
- 1 ½ cups thick and chunky salsa
- ½ cup water or chicken broth
- Taco Toppings: Corn or Soft Shell Tortillas and optional toppings such as: shredded lettuce diced tomatoes or pico de
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of an Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning on top of chicken breasts.
- Pour salsa over the top followed by water or chicken broth.
- Cose pressure cooker, making sure the vent knob is pointing to a sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes for fresh chicken breasts, 11 minutes for frozen chicken breasts.
- After it is done cooking allows it to release naturally for 5 minutes, and then do a quick release if needed.
- When the chicken is done cooking shred with two forks in the Instant Pot. Stir to mix all ingredients together.
- Serve on corn or soft shell tortillas and top with favorite taco toppings.
Tips
Nutrition calculated with chicken taco meat only.
HOW LONG DO LEFTOVERS KEEP?
- Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for three to four days!
- Cool leftover meat and place in a resealable plastic bag and squeeze all the air out. Then place it in the freezer for up to 3 months for an easy dinner!
- Use it to make a taco salad – just toss it with lettuce, corn, chopped bell peppers and your other favorite veggies. Add some shredded cheese and dressing, too!
- Make some quesadillas – grab your tortillas, pile on the meat and cheese and cook them in a skillet until they’re nice and crispy.
- It’s great for nachos, too! Tortilla chips, cheese sauce and all of your favorite toppings – yum!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 114kcal (6%), Carbohydrates: 7g (2%), Protein: 17g (34%), Fat: 2g (3%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Cholesterol: 48mg (16%), Sodium: 981mg (43%), Potassium: 447mg (13%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 3g (3%), Vitamin A: 861IU (17%), Vitamin C: 5mg (6%), Calcium: 22mg (2%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Cheryl says
I made this tonight using 1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs and 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast. Our market didn’t carry packet of taco seasoning but sold it in bulk. I measured out 1.3 oz and used that. Pressure cooked on high for 8 minutes. Yes there was a little liquid but it tasted delicious.
Sarah Hill says
Thank you! We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Alicia says
I found this way too liquidy and really really bland (probably because of being too liquidy). I think next time I’ll try it without the chicken broth.
Courtney says
Sorry to hear that! Maybe your salsa had more liquid?
Joannie says
My family loved this! So quick and easy too.