Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

This amazingly east, yet delicious, Instant Pot Salsa Chicken recipe will soon because a staple in your dinner rotation. Mild, medium, hot or OH MY GAWD, whichever way you prepare it, it will perfect on tacos, salads and more!

Many salsa chicken recipes are “dump and bake” meaning that you just cover the chicken with salsa, shove it in the oven and let the acidic tomato juices tenderize and embed into the meat.

But this one is served shredded instead of whole, giving it all of the flavor, but making it more versatile in so many other dishes, basically anything that calls for shredded chicken.

It’s perfect for a busy weeknight because it require little cook time and minimal effort. It’s my favorite way to meal prep a big batch of Mexican chicken while also being something our whole family enjoys!

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

There are many reasons to love this recipe, here are just a few.

• Affordable– With just a few ingredients, the chicken will be the biggest spend. To save even more at checkout, use chicken thighs instead of breasts.
• Easy– It can’t get easier than dumping it all in the pressure cooker.
• Customizable– There are endless ways to customize this recipe, especially in regards to the spice level.
• Meal Prep– Salsa chicken is great for meal prep options and freezing. Use it for burrito bowls, taco salads, chicken tacos, chicken quesadillas or on top of tortilla chips for nachos.

Instant Pot Salsa Ingredients

Head to the pantry and grab just a couple of simple ingredients.

• Chicken – If you are aiming to shred the chicken, like the recipe calls for, use boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can also use bone-in options and they will be tasty, but don’t shred.
• Jar of salsa – Here is where you get to have some fun. Cheese the level of heat you desire: mild, medium, hot or OH MY GAWD. I do think a thicker, chunky salsa works best because then you get built-in tomatoes to the mix on the back end. Use our 3 minute homemade salsa and you can control all of the elements.
• Taco Seasoning – You know the little packets you add to proteins for tacos and burritos? Yep, same thing. It takes the already zesty salsa to the next level. If you don’t have a packet, consider making your own.
• Low-Sodium Chicken Broth – You know how pressure cookers work, they need liquid and if they don’t, you get the dreaded BURN notice. Adding a small amount of broth will prevent this. I prefer low sodium so that I can control the salt levels.

How to Make Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

Making salsa chicken is as easy as 1-2-3 and in just 15 minutes, you’ve got dinner ready to go!

1. Coat the inner bowl of the Instant Pot with cooking spray. Some people skip this, I do it out of habit. It shouldn’t stick if you don’t.
2. Pour the chicken stock and a bit of the salsa into the pot, stirring to combine. Creating a base will prevent the chicken from sticking, make the undersides super tasty and prevent a burn notice.
3. Add the chicken, trying as hard as possible for a single layer so it cooks evenly. Top with the remaining salsa and then sprinkle with taco seasoning. You can stir it in a bit with a fork or spoon so it doesn’t dry out on top.
4. Lock and seal the lid. Make sure the steam release knob is in the closed position and then set the pot for high heat steam release knob is turned to sealing and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
5. Set Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 10-12 minutes (the longer end for bigger cuts). When it is done, allow for 5 minutes of natural release before releasing the remainder manually.
6. Remove the lid carefully and move the chicken to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken meat into bite-size pieces.
7. From here you can use it immediately, let is cool a bit and divide into meal prep containers or freeze it. See out instructions below on freezing and storage.

Topping Ideas

If it goes on a taco or burritos, it also belongs on salsa chicken.

Serving Ideas

You can serve this Instant Pot salsa chicken just about any way you’d like, but here are a few of our suggestions.

• Hard or soft tacos with your favorite taco toppings. You can even use lettuce wraps.
• Rice bowl using white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or even Spanish rice and your favorite toppings. Top with shredded cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole.
• Use the shredded chicken on a quesadilla.
• Go carb free and pile the shredded chicken in a bowl and top with your favorite taco toppings and cream Mexicana and fried corn.
• Make a spicy chicken sandwich by putting it on bread.
• Make it into a taco salad.
• Serve it on top of grilled avocado.

Storage and Freezing

Make-Ahead & Storage– Allow the cooked chicken to cool and then package in airtight containers or plastic bags. Reheat in a microwave-safe container or on the stovetop with a small amount of liquid.

Freezer– Salsa chicken is excellent for freezing! Freeze in a large airtight container or freezer bag, or smaller ones for single-size servings. Remember that air is the enemy, try to push out as much air as possible before freezing.

Allow to thaw in the fridge. Larger portions will take overnight and smaller just a few hours.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Taco Soup
• White Chicken Chili
• Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
• Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes

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Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Using just 4 ingredients, whipped up super tender and amazingly zesty chicken breasts in the Instant Pot.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Liners

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts , approximately 4
• ½ cup low -sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups salsa , divided
• 1 packet taco seasoning mix , 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning

Instructions

• Coat the inner bowl of the Instant Pot with cooking spray.
• Pour the chicken stock and 1/2 cup of the salsa into the pot, stirring to combine.
• Add the chicken, trying as hard as possible for a single layer. Top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the salsa and then sprinkle with taco seasoning.
• Lock and seal the lid. Make sure the steam release knob is in the closed position and then set the pot for high heat steam release knob is turned to sealing and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
• Set Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 10-12 minutes (the longer end for bigger cuts). When it is done, allow for 5 minutes of natural release before releasing the remainder manually.
• Remove the lid carefully and transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken meat into bite-size pieces.
• Use immediately, refrigerate or freeze for later.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Nutrition

Calories: 237 kcal, Carbohydrates: 9 g, Protein: 39 g, Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g, Trans Fat: 0.02 g, Cholesterol: 109 mg, Sodium: 1079 mg, Potassium: 990 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 5 g, Vitamin A: 698 IU, Vitamin C: 5 mg, Calcium: 46 mg, Iron: 1 mg

Author: Jessica Formicola

Calories: 237

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: instant pot salsa chicken

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