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Instant Pot Salsa Chicken recipe is the way to go if you are a meal planner, or cooking for a crowd. With just a few ingredients, and less than 45 minutes, this pressure cooker Mexican shredded chicken will be ready for tacos, taco bowls, enchiladas, or salads!
Originally published on 12/20/2017
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
This is a quick and easy Instant Pot meal to make. It’s one of the easiest in my Instant Pot recipe collection! You can make Instant Pot Salsa Chicken with as little as 2 ingredients, but I like to add extra seasoning so it comes out very flavorful.
You can make so many tasty recipes from Mexican shredded chicken, or freeze it for future delicious meals.
Season your chicken breasts and add them to the inner pot.
Pour the salsa over them and close the lid and cook. You will soon have tasty Instant Pot Salsa Chicken. Easy!
Shred and add back to the sauce and enjoy!
I’m a big fan of bringing my own lunch to work. Maybe splurging once in a while, but I like knowing what I’ll be eating, and being able to control the portions and ingredients.
Of course, the other big advantage of bringing your own lunch to work is the cost. If you make Instant Pot Salsa Chicken and shred it, you can get several lunches out of this recipe. Hooray for meal prep!
Add some cooked rice, black beans, corn, cheese, and sour cream for delicious taco bowls! Make chicken tacos, or add the meat to a salad.
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If you make this great salsa chicken recipe, please leave a comment below with a star rating. I’d love to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 Chicken Breasts**, skinless/boneless (approx. 8 oz ea)
- Salt, to season meat
- Pepper, to season meat
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder, to season meat
- 1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning***
- 1 tsp Oregano (If you can get Mexican Oregano, it's really good)
- 16 oz Salsa*
Instructions
- Season chicken breasts on all sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Put 1/2 cup of salsa in the inner pot of the pressure cooker. Then add the chicken breasts to the pot, setting them on the salsa.
- Sprinkle the oregano and taco seasoning over the chicken.
- Pour the remaining salsa over the chicken, covering it. *If your salsa is really thick, you can add 1/4 cup of water to help the pressure build, but I have never needed to. I use a salsa that is from the refrigerated section of the store, and it works nicely, with good flavor.
- Put the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button (or dial) and then the + or - to choose 10-12 minutes** depending on the weight/thickness of the breasts. You don't need to add any additional liquid to the pot, the salsa and chicken have enough to bring it to pressure.
- When the cooking cycle has ended, let the pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes to naturally release the pressure. Then, after 10 minutes, manually release any remaining pressure (there may not be any, and that's okay) by turning the steam release knob to Venting.
- Remove the chicken to a large bowl and shred it, using two forks. Then add it back to the pot. If there is too much liquid for your taste, just scoop some out. Leave some, as it has a lot of flavor, and will also keep the meat moist (the liquid is also great over rice).
- Now you are ready to use it in your favorite recipes!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
RESOURCES TO MAKE pressure cooker salsa chicken and More
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I love making this. All I do is get a large jar of medium tositios salsa. Pour it into a bowl. Add either mild or regular packet of taco seasoning. Whisk it together add 3-4 chicken breast with a medium chopped up yellow onion, and throw it in the instant pot on medium for 10-12 mins. Shred chicken and make chicken quesadillas and it’s perfect!
I make this regularly for chicken tacos or bowls, and it’s a favorite with my extremely picky 5 year old daughter. I’ve tried other recipes with just salsa and chicken, and this is so much better with the extra seasonings. Love it, thank you for the recipe!
my husband loved this recipe, now he wants me to make it for his work potluck, can I double this recipe and use frozen chicken? thanks!
Yes you can. You may need to give it a couple extra minutes cook time for the frozen/quantity difference.
Sounds delicious and easy. Have you ever used bone in chicken breasts?
Love having shredded chicken ready to go for quick healthy meals and dumping it in the instant pot with some salsa is a great idea!
I made with Mango Salsa – Very Good!
Very good recipe
I’ve made this numerous times in the past two months, so delicious. I actually put it on top of some wild rice, add some sriracha sauce, avocado slices, and sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes for a homemade burrito bowl. So delicious.
I made this last night and it was a huge hit! I added a little extra water like you recommend and it was perfect. I like having a little extra liquid so we can eat the chicken for leftovers!!
That’s great, Aprilyn!
Recipe was great! Very tasty. I used partially frozen chicken breasts and stirred in some black beans after shredding it all. I used a hand mixer to shred the chicken… life changing. thanks for the great simple recipe! Very versatile, I served it over nachos, over rice and as a taco. Big hit with my family of 4!
Hi Sarah, thank you! Love the hand mixer tip!