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Home » Course » Dinner » Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

Published: Jul 3, 2021 · Modified: May 11, 2022 by Veronika's Kitchen * This post may contain affiliate links

Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

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These are the best Instant Pot Chicken Tacos that you can make in your Pressure Cooker! Tender and moist shredded chicken, topped with your favorite toppings! This quick and easy recipe will be a great dinner idea for a family taco night or a big crowd cookout party!

Tacos with shredded chicken, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, and cilantro on a plate.

I love making quick and easy recipes that can be served for dinner or made as a meal prep and used later during the week. Instant Pot Chicken Tacos is one of those recipes that need only a few ingredients to put together in a pressure cooker, set the cooking time, and your dinner is pretty much ready.

The prep takes less than 5 minutes, and the Pressure Cooker does all the cooking by itself. All that’s left for you is to add your favorite taco toppings.

I also like making these tacos with Instant Pot Pulled Chicken and Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork.

Table of contents

  • Why you will love this recipe
  • How to make this recipe
  • How to serve
  • Tips for best results
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Hungry for more Party Recipes:
Tacos with shredded chicken, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, and cilantro on a plate.

Why you will love this recipe

  • Easy to make. The beauty of cooking in a Pressure Cooker: just put the ingredients in the pot, press the button, and wait until its done!
  • Flavorful. Thanks to the salsa and spices, the meat comes out very juicy and flavorful.
  • Customizable. This pulled chicken will be a perfect base for your tacos. When you assemble the tacos, you can use your favorite toppings and play around with flavors.
  • Good for Meal Prep. This recipe keeps very well in the refrigerator or even in the freezer. You can easily make a double batch and save the extra for later.
  • Great for a Crowd! If you are having a party and a BBQ cookout, this will be a great recipe to feed a big crowd with minimal work! Make double batch of this recipe, prep lots of toppings, an let your guests assemble their own tacos!
Ingredients for Chicken Tacos: raw chicken breasts, salsa, and spices.

How to make this recipe

In Instant Pot, add ½ cup water or chicken stock, ⅔ cup salsa, 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, and stir everything.

Process photo of adding ingredients to Instant Pot for Chicken Tacos.

Add boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Close the lid and make sure that the valve is fully closed. Cook on manual high pressure for 20 minutes. When done, do a 10 minutes natural pressure release.

Chicken breasts in salsa tomato sauce in Instant Pot.

When done, remove the lid and shred the meat with two forks.

Top the tortillas with this shredded chicken, add your favorite taco toppings, and serve!

Cooked chicken in Instant Pot before and after shredding.

How to serve

I like to serve the tacos with a wide range of different toppings, so everyone can choose their favorite and build up their own tacos. Here are a few ideas:

  • Lettuce
  • Fresh diced tomatoes
  • Avocado
  • Avocado Dip or Simple Guacamole
  • Sour cream
  • Salsa
  • Jalapenos
  • Shredded cheese
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Mango Avocado Salsa
Shredded chicken with juices in Instant Pot with a wooden spoon.

Tips for best results

  • When you store shredded meat, make sure you keep it together with the juices. It will help to prevent it from drying out.
  • I usually use medium heat salsa. If you like more spicy food, use your favorite hot salsa.
  • I also love adding 1-2 chipotle chilis, they add a deep smoky flavor to the dish!
  • The average time to cook chicken breasts in an Instant Pot is 20 minutes, but it all really depends on the size of the meat. If it’s small, you can set the time for 18 minutes. For medium size, 20 minutes. And if it’s very large, 22-23 minutes will work better. You want the meat to be tender and fall apart. If it’s undercooked, it will be tough and chewy.
Tacos with shredded chicken, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, and cilantro on a plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen chicken?

Yes, you can easily use frozen chicken breasts and cook it for 30 minutes instead of 20.

How to store?

You can store it with the juices in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. If you decide to freeze, thaw it overnight in the fridge before serving. You can reheat it in microwave or on the skillet.

How do you shred chicken breast?

I like to do it old style, using two forks. You can also use a hand mixer and shred it right in the Instant Pot or in a mixing bowl.

Can I make these tacos spicy?

This current recipe has a moderate amount of spice. If you like your food to be a bit “hotter”, you can add more heat to the cooking mixture, like more and spicier salsa, more chili powder, or cayenne pepper. You can also throw in a couple of jalapenos or chipotle peppers.

What else can I do with leftovers?

I love making extra and using it for the next couple of days for lunch or dinner in other recipes. You can add it to different meals, like salad, quesadillas, nachos, taco bowl, and many more.

Why is my Instant Pot chicken tough?

If the meat is tough and rubbery, you most likely need to cook it longer. When cooked the proper time, the meat will be tender and juicy.

Tacos with shredded chicken, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, and cilantro on a plate.

Hungry for more Party Recipes:

  • Chicken Macaroni Salad
  • Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
  • Best Tzatziki Recipe
  • Orzo Pasta Salad
  • Chicken Cobb Salad
  • Instant Pot BBQ Ribs
  • Oven Roasted Corn
  • Fluffy Pizza Dough Recipe
  • Potato Salad with Bacon and Egg
  • Instant Pot Chicken Wings
  • Buttermilk Chicken Tenders
  • Margherita Flatbread
Tacos with shredded chicken, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, and cilantro on a plate.
Print Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

These are the best Instant Pot Chicken Tacos that you can make in your Pressure Cooker! Tender and moist shredded chicken, topped with your favorite toppings! This quick and easy recipe will be a great dinner idea for a family taco night or a big crowd cookout party!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 140kcal
Author: Veronika’s Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken breasts
  • ½ cup water or chicken stock
  • ⅔ cup salsa medium heat
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • In Instant Pot, add ½ cup water or chicken stock, ⅔ cup salsa, 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, and stir everything.
  • Add boneless skinless chicken breasts.
  • Close the lid and make sure that the valve is fully closed. Cook on manual high pressure for 20 minutes. When done, do a 10 minutes natural pressure release.
  • When done, remove the lid and shred the meat with two forks.
  • Top the tortillas with this shredded chicken, add your favorite taco toppings, and serve!

Notes

Frozen Chicken.  If you use frozen chicken breasts, cook it for 30 minutes instead of 20.
How to store. You can store it with the juices in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. If you decide to freeze, thaw it overnight in the fridge before serving. You can reheat it in microwave or on the skillet.
Leftovers. You can use leftovers for the next couple of days for lunch or dinner in other recipes. You can add it to different meals, like salad, quesadillas, nachos, taco bowl, and many more.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 729mg | Potassium: 513mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 306IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below. Or snap a photo and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @veronikaskitchen.

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Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Ksenia prints says

    July 11, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    5 stars
    We eat a lot of chicken tacos, and this recipe is so easy and clear! Can’t wait to put them into rotation.

    Reply
  2. Ramona says

    July 11, 2021 at 4:04 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe for pot chicken tacos makes me drool just by looking at the pictures! I will definitely be making this for dinner, thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  3. Brianna says

    July 10, 2021 at 10:08 pm

    5 stars
    Made these tacos for a party and everyone raved about them! The Instant Pot made the chicken tender and flavorful.

    Reply
  4. Kari Heron says

    July 10, 2021 at 8:43 pm

    5 stars
    I love these photos and I love even more that it is an instant pot recipe.
    Gonna try this

    Reply
  5. Kate says

    July 10, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    Loved the flavors! Proves that one does not need complicated ingredients to make a restaurant-quality meal!

    Reply
  6. Amy Liu Dong says

    July 10, 2021 at 12:29 pm

    5 stars
    One of my favorite recipes to make at home.
    I love how easy and delicious this recipe is. Yum!

    Reply
  7. Tristin says

    July 09, 2021 at 4:25 pm

    5 stars
    I used frozen chicken breasts for this recipe and they came out great. Very flavorful and perfect for a weeknight dinner!

    Reply
  8. Chenee says

    July 09, 2021 at 10:11 am

    So easy to make and even easier with frozen chicken breasts!

    Reply
  9. Chef Dennis says

    July 05, 2021 at 5:09 pm

    5 stars
    I am so glad I am able to use my pressure cooker on this recipe. This instant pot chicken tacos looks absolutely appetizing!

    Reply
  10. Gloria says

    July 05, 2021 at 1:49 pm

    5 stars
    We absolutely love Mexican food. This sounds super easy. A great way to feed on the crowd on a fun weekend dinner.

    Reply

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