Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
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Super flavorful and incredibly easy to put together, these Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos are the perfect quick weeknight dinner option.You’ll be able to whip them up using just a few pantry staples, and they’re sure to be a huge hit with everyone in your household.
Contents
Why You’ll Love Chicken Tacos
- Family Favorite: These Instant Pot chicken tacos are sure to be a hit with everyone at the table.
- Quick and Simple: The Instant Pot makes this meal easy and hassle-free to prepare.
- Customizable: Top shredded chicken tacos with your favorite garnishes for a personalized taco experience.
Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh or Frozen Chicken Breasts: Adds a hearty and satisfying protein element to your tacos.
- Taco Spice Mix: Gives your chicken that classic taco flavor, adding a kick of heat and a depth of flavor.
- Salt: Enhances the natural flavors of the chicken.
- Water: Helps to cook the chicken and dissolve the taco spice mix, ensuring every piece is well-seasoned.
- Salsa Dip: Adds a tangy and spicy layer of flavor, making each bite exciting.
- Avocado Cut or Mashed: Brings creamy texture and rich flavor to balance the spices.
- Cilantro: Offers a fresh, herbal touch that brightens up the taco’s taste.
- Lime Wedges: Squeezing lime adds a zesty freshness and cuts through the richness.
- Jalapeños (Optional): For those who love heat, jalapeños add a spicy kick.
- Sour Cream (Optional): Provides a cool, creamy contrast to the spice and heat of your Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos.
How To Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos?
Step One: In a bowl, sprinkle taco seasoning over the boneless skinless chicken breasts (cubes-sized). If you love the heat, you can also add some chili powder (optional) into the mix.
Step Two: Add the seasoned chicken, a cup of water, and salt to the Instant Pot and stir to mix. You can also use chicken broth instead of water to make it extra flavorful. Pressure cook for 10 minutes on high pressure followed by 5 minutes natural release.
Step Three: Open the lid carefully and select the CANCEL button. Remove the chicken pieces to a bowl and shred them using two forks. Heat the tortillas in a hot pan.
Step Four: Build your tacos by adding shredded chicken, mashed avocado, salsa, and cilantro on top. You can also add some sour cream and a few jalapenos for extra flavor. Serve your Shredded Chicken Tacos hot and enjoy.
Pro Tips For Acing The Taco Chicken Mixture
- Use Homemade Salsa: I used packaged store-bought salsa and taco mix for this recipe. However, if you want to use homemade salsa try this Instant Pot Salsa Recipe.
- Enhance Flavors: Add garlic powder to the taco spice mix or sprinkle directly on the chicken before cooking for a richer, more aromatic taste.
Optional Toppings
- Tortillas: The vessel for your taco fillings, they add a soft or crunchy texture depending on your preference.
- Salsa: Adds a tangy and spicy note, complementing the seasoned chicken perfectly.
- Avocado: Brings a creamy and rich texture to your tacos, and adds a dose of healthy fats.
- Cilantro: Provides a fresh and herby flavor, brightening up the overall taste of the tacos.
- Lime Wedges: Adds a zesty freshness that cuts through the richness of the other ingredients.
- Jalapeños: Optional for those who like a bit more heat, they add a spicy kick to your tacos.
- Sour Cream: Another optional ingredient, it adds a cool and creamy element, balancing out the heat from the taco spice mix and jalapeños.
Substitutions
- Chicken Thighs: You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of breasts.
- Freshness Matters: Always use fresh or properly thawed chicken for the best taste and safety.
How To Store Leftover Taco Filling
- Refrigerate: Store leftover Instant Pot shredded chicken taco filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze the shredded chicken in a freezer-safe container or bags, ensuring to remove excess air, for up to 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Thaw frozen shredded chicken in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm the shredded chicken taco filling on the stovetop or microwave, adding a splash of broth to maintain moisture.
- Component Separation: Store tortillas, cheese, and fresh toppings separately, assembling tacos just before serving for optimal texture.
- Fresh Toppings: Enhance reheated tacos with fresh toppings like lettuce, salsa, and avocado for added flavor and texture.
What To Serve With Chicken Tacos?
- Condiments: Sour cream is an excellent classic topping for these delicious Instant Pot chicken tacos. If you don’t have it at hand or are looking for a healthier alternative, some plain Greek Yogurt should do the trick. And of course, don’t forget the shredded cheese!
- Salsa: Any kind of salsa or pico de gallo can be a great topping to your for your chicken tacos. If you don’t have the time to whip up fresh salsa, you can use jarred salsa too. Another great idea is to use salsa chicken instead of skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Veggies: One of my favorite taco toppings are freshly chopped veggies. I like to stick to the classics- diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and sliced Onions.
FAQ’S
Can You Prep This Recipe in Advance?
You sure can! You can season the chicken breasts, cook them in your electric pressure cooker and then refrigerate it for 2-3 days, until you are ready to assemble the tacos.
Can You Use Leftover Chicken for the Recipe?
Yes! This is actually a great way to use up any leftover chicken breasts that you might have, or even some rotisserie chicken. I prefer to start off with fresh chicken though, because the flavors and textures you’ll get will be unmatched.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Enjoy quick and delicious Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos, perfect for a hassle-free meal any day of the week.
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts cut into cubes
- 3 tablespoons Taco Spice Mix
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Water
- 1 Tbsp Salsa Dip
- 1 Avocado
- tbsp Cilantro
- 1 Lime Wedge
- Jalapeños optional
- Sour cream optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, sprinkle taco seasoning over the boneless skinless chicken breasts (cubes-sized). If you love the heat, you can also add some chili powder (optional) into the mix.
- Add the seasoned chicken, a cup of water, and salt to the Instant Pot and stir to mix. You can also use chicken broth instead of water to make it extra flavorful.
- Select the PRESSURE COOK button on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes. (Make sure the valve is in the SEALING position).
- Once done, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, then quick release pressure by manually moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING position.
- Open the lid carefully and select the CANCEL button. Remove the chicken pieces to a bowl and shred them using two forks.
- Open the lid carefully and select the CANCEL button. Remove the chicken pieces to a bowl and shred them using two forks.
- Optionally can also add some sour cream and a few jalapenos for extra flavors. Squeeze some lime juice on top. Serve your Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos hot and enjoy.
Notes
- Use Homemade Salsa: I used packaged store-bought salsa and taco mix for this recipe. However, if you want to use homemade salsa try this Instant Pot Salsa Recipe.
- Enhance Flavors: Add garlic powder to the taco spice mix or sprinkle directly on the chicken before cooking for a richer, more aromatic taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 86kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 10gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 242mgPotassium: 271mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 122IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
