This Instant Pot salsa chicken is so easy to make and you only need 4 ingredients! Really healthy pressure cooker recipe that we make into shredded chicken tacos loaded with flavor and lots of vegetables. Quick and easy lunch or dinner our whole family loves.
If you’re looking for a simple, healthy pressure cooker recipe this Instant Pot salsa chicken is it! You literally need 4 ingredients to make it. Served on top of rice or shredded for tacos, it’s great! Added it to our long list of under 30 minute Instant Pot recipes. (originally published 2/18, affiliate links present)
They are full of flavor and packed with vegetables too. The perfect quick lunch or dinner your whole family will surely love. It got two thumbs up by all 5 of us today so we
Let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then LIKE our IP Facebook page for new ideas daily.
- This is a great InstaPot cookbook to grab too.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot. It is easier to clean and will avoid the burn message too.
- For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have and use for all recipe creations.
I had small flour tortillas, shredded cheese and a few avocados at home so I whipped this up. Chicken breasts and homemade salsa was really all I needed. If I had sour cream on hand I would’ve added that too.
Typically I would say at least a cup BUT there is a decent amount of liquid in a jar of salsa so you only need 1/4 cup. If it were alone, it’s said that 1 cup is sufficient to keep it from drying out.
It is quite easy. If you’re making frozen chicken in an Instant Pot you just need water or broth. For an Instant Pot whole chicken, you’ll want to put it on a trivet first so it doesn’t trigger the burn message.
Yes. Unlike cooking air fryer chicken breasts, the high pressure will reach each piece and with enough time they’ll be fall apart tender. Just be aware that there is a fill line inside the pot, don’t pass that.
There are TONS of varieties, take your pick. I like thicker varieties with chunkier pieces of tomatoes and onions in it myself. For Instant Pot salsa chicken I prefer a medium heat variety.
There is salsa verde also that we use to make Instant Pot carnitas, pico de gallo that has more whole pieces, and jalapeno varieties will offer a bit of heat.
I don’t always cook healthy meals, I love comfort food too but when I can create a low fat dinner that is full of flavor like our Instant Pot chicken cacciatore I’m thrilled! Another goal is creating a meal for under $10 that feeds all 5 of us…this fits both bills.
- I used 2 large boneless chicken chicken breasts because that is all I had and there were only 4 of us at home but you could easily add up to 4-5 depending on their size and it would work the same.
- If you’re using frozen chicken breasts follow the guidelines on how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot.
After cooking your frozen chicken just shred it. Then add your salsa and veggies and put it back into your pressure cooker on low for 5 minutes (high for 2). This will allow your veggies to soften to the texture you want. If not soft enough put the lid back on and let it sit in the steam.
Pressure cooker salsa chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- could use chicken thighs
- Salsa – I really like at least a cup of salsa that’s chunky. You can find it in fridge section of store but keep these on hand too for just in case throw together meals
- Water or chicken broth – use if your salsa doesn’t have much juice, you only need a bit
- 1 packet or 2 tbsp. of this taco seasoning
Once you’re done with the high pressure cycle and quick release I like to remove the chicken and really shred it well in a bowl. You can even use your stand mixer to break it up fast! It will be so tender though that 2 forks will surely do the trick.
Add ins if you’re making this Instant Pot recipe for shredded chicken tacos
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Avocado
- Shredded cheese – I love pepper jack or Mexican blend
- Sour cream
- Taco sauce – spicy or I like this green taco sauce
You can serve it over Instant Pot white rice too like we did above, both ways are good.
- We’ve made this salsa chicken crockpot recipe in our slow cooker too.
After you’ve made these try some other easy Instant Pot chicken recipes here
- Instant Pot chicken noodle soup
- Crack chicken pasta in the pressure cooker rocks
- 4 different types of Instant Pot tacos
- Simple and tender Instant Pot teriyaki chicken
- Pressure cooker beer can chicken
- This crockpot salsa beef is on our list to try next!
Note: Some people have been apprehensive because they say you need at least 1.5 cups of water or cooking liquid to cook anything or you’ll get the burn notice. This is not true.
First off the chicken will produce chicken broth once it’s cooked. The salsa has at least 1/2 cup of juices and liquids in the jar/can so not to worry my friends.
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Time needed: 15 minutes.
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
- Add ingredients
Cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise and put inside your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Sprinkle your taco seasoning on top of them. (optional ingredient but adds a lot of flavor, suggested)
If you are adding sliced onion and/or bell peppers add them on top of your chicken. Pour salsa on top of everything. For chunky salsa without much liquid add 1/4 c. water or chicken broth. - Cook
Close lid and steam valve and set to poultry, normal setting for 15 minutes. Do a quick pressure release when done.
- Serve
If making shredded chicken tacos use two forks to shred the chicken inside the pot.
Can serve whole breasts on top of Instant Pot rice or use shredded chicken inside small tortillas topped with salsa mixture inside pressure cooker and other taco ingredients like cheese etc…
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Ingredients
- 2-4 chicken breasts medium size, boneless, skinless, cut in half
- 1 jar salsa 15 oz
- 1/4 c chicken broth or water, not necessary if your salsa has a lot of liquid
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning optional but adds a lot of flavor, I use 1 tbsp for 2 breasts
- 1 onion sliced, optional
- 1 bell pepper sliced, optional
Instructions
- Cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise and put inside your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Sprinkle your taco seasoning on top of them
- If you are adding sliced onion and/or bell peppers add them on top of your chicken.
- Pour salsa on top of everything.
- If your salsa is very chunky without much liquid add 1/4 c. water or chicken broth, if it is more liquidy this isn't necessary.
- Close lid and steam valve and set to poultry, normal setting for 15 minutes.
- Do a quick release. If making shredded chicken tacos use two forks to shred the chicken inside the pot.
- Can serve whole breasts on top of rice or use shredded chicken inside small tortillas topped with salsa mixture inside pressure cooker and other taco ingredients like cheese etc…
Cheryl Gillean says
Sounds delicious. I am always looking for new things to cook in the IP and have recently joined weight watchers. This would be an awesome meal for me. Will be trying this very very soon.
The Typical Mom says
So glad I could help.
Sheila says
So do you cook the frozen chicken breasts in the IP and shred it and THEN add the salsa, green pepper, onion, etc?
You don’t just put the frozen chicken into the IP with the other ingredients?
The Typical Mom says
I used fresh chicken breasts for this but if yours are frozen just make sure they’re small/medium sized and you shouldn’t have to increase the time, just throw it all in together and use the instructions here! 😉