These instant pot chicken tacos are made right in the instant pot and make a great weeknight dinner.
I don't know about you, but I am glad April is over. It has felt like the longest month known to man. The weather is finally starting to get warm here in Michigan and with May right around the corner, I am excited for grilling season, Cinco de Mayo festivities (at home) and sprucing up the house for Spring.
Speaking of Cinco de Mayo, who is planning on making tacos?! I have these easy spicy shrimp tacos or these blackened salmon tacos with pineapple guacamole! Today I'm sharing a chicken taco recipe with you that can be made right in the instant pot!
I know some of you with instant pots have probably made shredded chicken with salsa in the instant pot, but this instant pot chicken taco recipe requires no salsa (let's save it for the chips, ok?) .
Speaking of chips, have you guys ever made homemade tortilla chips? Literally so easy and wayyyy healthier for you! Here is a recipe I have for healthier baked tortilla chips and a quick guacamole recipe!
Okay, let's get back to these shredded chicken tacos...
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- 2 large chicken breasts (I use 1 of the frozen packets from Costco). You can use chicken thighs too.
- 1 4oz can of diced green chilies
- ½ cup water
- Spices: Chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt and garlic
- ½ chopped onion (for good measure)
Stir it up in the chamber of the instant pot before placing the lid on! Since my chicken breasts are always pretty thick, I cook in manual mode for 12 minutes on the instant pot.
If you have thinner chicken breasts, you could probably cook them for 10 minutes. I always like to err on the side of caution when it comes to chicken.
I promise it will still be juicy!
Once the timer is up, release the steam and remove the lid. Take the chicken breasts and shred them on a plate, then place back into the instant pot.
If you want a little char-ness and smokey flavor, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and broil the shredded chicken (along with all the contents in the instant pot) for 5-10 minutes at about 475-500F. It makes the ends of the meat a little charred, which I enjoy.
How to assemble a better taco (like the restaurants!)
- First start out by getting yourself good ingredients: We are shooting for restaurant quality here, so if you need the cotija cheese, get the cotija cheese. Shredded lettuce? Get some lettuce and shred it.
- Make your crema: This recipe calls for an avocado crema (avocado, lime, salt, garlic, yogurt). Pretty basic, but if you want to turn up the heat there are some awesome spicy condiments out there, like this chipotle sauce (avocado mayo, chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, water).
- Grill the taco shell: This can be done using flour or corn tortillas. If you have a gas stove, you can grill the tortilla over the open flame and flip it once using tongs (each tortilla takes under a minute). If you have an electric stove, the same can be done using a fry pan over medium/high heat.
Recipes for a Cinco De Mayo Party
- Blackened salmon tacos with pineapple guacamole
- Elote Dip (Mexican Street Corn)
- Homemade tortilla chips
- Easy spicy shrimp tacos
Hope you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave a star rating/review if you can!
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Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These instant pot chicken tacos are made right in the instant pot and make a great weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 4 ounce can of green chilies
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, mined
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
Avocado Crema:
- 1 Half of an avocado
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt (plain) or sour cream
- half a lime, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic
- pinch of salt
- 2-4 tbsp water to thin as desired
Taco ingredients/assembly:
- 8-10 tortillas (corn or flour is fine)
- Cotija cheese for crumbling on top
- Fresh lime wedges to garnish
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Shredded lettuce
Instructions
- Place ingredients for chicken inside the instant pot chamber. Mix ingredients together before securing the lid. Set the instant pot on manual, 12 minutes and make sure valve is set to sealing.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine ingredients for avocado crema in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Once the time is up on the instant pot, turn the valve to venting to release steam. Open the lid and remove the chicken breasts to shred using two forks (or a kitchen aid mixer). Once the chicken is shredded, add it back into the instant pot with the juices.
- To assemble the tacos, start by layering the shredded chicken. Then add shredded lettuce, cotija cheese crumbles and drizzle with avocado crema. Garnish with fresh lime juice and cilantro leaves.
Notes
If you want to boost the spice, add a jalapeño.
If you want a charred/smokey taco, I suggest charring your tortilla beforehand over an open flame on the stove as desired above. You can also line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and pour cooked shredded chicken with its ingredients on it to broil for 5-10 minutes. See above for more notes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Entree
- Method: Instant pot/ Pressure Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
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