These are the BEST easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos, hands down. You can even use frozen chicken breasts or thighs, and use a crockpot instead!
If you’re loving your instant pot as much as I am, you’ve gotta try Instant Pot Parmesan Chicken and Rice with Mushrooms, Instant Pot Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, and Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes.
When you think of Mexican food, what comes to mind? Is it an oval plate packed full of food, smothered in unidentifiable cheese sauce under which there is supposedly maybe some kind of taco, enchilada, or burrito, accompanied by overcooked rice and boring refried beans?
Don’t be embarrassed if this is what you thought of. I know I didn’t paint it in the nicest picture, and you can probably tell that I don’t care very much for the typical fare that passes for Mexican at most chain restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, not every restaurant is the same and there are definitely stand out dining establishments that get it right.
But for me, I like to see the food I’m eating. Unless it’s mashed potatoes, don’t cover it in a thick gravy or sauce. Allow me to notice the protein, admire the salsa, drool over the avocado, and otherwise present me with something that looks delicious. Afterall, we eat with our eyes first.
That being said, I probably wouldn’t pass up a taco in any form. It’s just that I like to see each ingredient. I like to be able to view the condiments I’m piling on. (And sometimes more easily pull off the ingredients I don’t care for.) I never pass up an opportunity to make a taco, make it flavorful, and make it fast.
That is where one of my favorite appliances comes in handy — the Instant Pot! You can have these shredded chicken tacos together in 35 minutes! That includes prepping and cooking. (Maybe 40 if you include eating — these babies will go down in a hurry.)
WHAT TOPPINGS GO WELL WITH INSTANT POT SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS?
I can’t decide what I like more — the taco or the toppings! Or, do the toppings make the tacos? (I think so.) That being said, it’s so much fun to get creative with your condiments. You could even put out a little taco bar for your family or guests so they can make their tacos their own. Feel free to mix and match toppings and see which combination is your favorite.
In addition to the avocado, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, and sour cream mentioned in this recipe, there are tons of other toppings you could add. Salsa is an obvious one, and it comes in so many varieties (or make your own with my Best Mexican Salsa Recipe for Canning.) Fruit salsa is also a winner (like the mango salsa I made for this chicken dish). Fancy up your sour cream by whipping up a quick chipotle sauce. Elevate your avocados with a great guac.
Or, grab a sectioned dish (a veggie tray server works well here) or a bunch of cute little bowls and go to town. Favorite toppings include thinly sliced jalapenos, black olives, queso fresco, Monterey jack cheese, shredded lettuce, diced (or pickled) red onion, shredded red cabbage, black beans, lentils…I could go on and on.
CAN I MAKE THESE TACOS IN A SLOW COOKER?
You sure can! Use all the same ingredients and put them all in the slow cooker. These will take longer to cook — four hours on high or six to seven on low. Be sure to use tongs to remove the shredded chicken so that your taco doesn’t get sogged down from all that yummy juice it’s been cooking in.
I recommend thawing your chicken before putting it in the slow cooker but if you need to use frozen, go the low and slow route for cooking so it doesn’t get too rubbery.
HOW CAN I MAKE THESE TACOS SPICY?
I tend to like a moderate amount of spice (so the fire-roasted tomatoes add enough kick for me) but I do have friends and family who love spicy foods — the hotter, the better. You can add a couple chipotles and some sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo or throw in a couple jalapenos (or even hotter peppers) while the chicken cooks in the pressure cooker.
Or you can add the spice after cooking in case other people dining with you don’t care for spicy food. Ways to do this include adding sliced peppers, hot salsas, and hot sauces. You can also try adding cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium to large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup chicken broth - or water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- corn or flour taco-size tortillas
- avocado, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, sour cream - for serving
Instructions
- In your instant pot/pressure cooker combine chicken, broth or water, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and fire roasted tomatoes (with liquid).
- Cover and set to PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL for 20 minutes. (30 minutes if using frozen chicken breasts)
- Do a quick release (turn vent knob to the VENT position and allow to de-pressurize until the float valve drops down) then uncover and shred chicken with two forks.
- Serve chicken in tortillas topped with cheese, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, or any other favorite toppings.
Appreciate the simple, easy preparation but pretty mild. I look for a zing of heat and a lot of layering of flavors in Mexican food. There was too much watery liquid to be useful even as a drizzling sauce. I turned my IP to saute and returned the shredded chicken to it, simmering it rapidly for about 15 minutes to reduce the liquid and thicken it up some. That helped to give the chicken more flavor. The leftovers were tastier the next day, which means this will be a convenient make-ahead dish. Next time I might double the seasonings (except for salt) or add a canned chipotle with adobo sauce, and maybe halve the amount of broth. I might also saute the chicken in the pot in a little oil before adding the remaining ingredients and pressure cooking. I will be trying this again with some tweaking to amp up the flavors.
I have NEVER had success cooking chicken in an instant pot. Finally, this one worked! I love the precise instruction. I agree that it came out very watery, but I sort of strained it all out, and I’m using the rest as a base for chicken tortilla soup. I will add green chiles next time and more chili powder. I figure it’s a total win if the chicken comes out tender and not rubbery.
I just got an 8qt. Instant Pot and I am so excited to use it! If I double this recipe to serve 8, how does that affect the cooking time?
The cooking time doesn’t need changed. The instant pot will just take longer to reach pressure before being the cook time. And make sure you don’t fill the instant pot paste the line
Though very easy to put together, this came out really soupy and bland for me.
Giving four stars because the base is there, but I made some modifications that I think kicked it up a notch:
– I use Better than Bouillon with reduced sodium, so I added something more like 1.25 tsp of salt
– My tsps of cumin and chili powder were also on the heaping side
– Instead of just diced tomatoes, I got a can that included mild diced chiles. My partner is picky, so I pureed this in the food processor before adding it in
– Pressure cooked on high for only 12 minutes, then did a natural release for 10 minutes (I followed Instant Pot guidelines of 8 min / lb)
– While the chicken was out of the pot, I whisked 2 TBSP of corn starch into the pot and sauteed at a medium level until it thickened a bit
– We ate this over rice which helped soak up some of the liquid as well
Will definitely make again! Thanks for the recipe 🙂