Instant Pot taco chicken is homemade taco filling with spices and seasonings, fresh pepper and onion, and other flavorful ingredients. Easy to make recipe you can use for tacos, enchiladas, and more.
Instant Pot Taco Chicken is one recipe you can easily make ahead and freeze for later. We love making tacos and enchiladas with it.
We've made our taco chicken with salsa and picante sauce in the past. A healthier lifestyle has made me re-think a lot of our old ways, though, especially the ingredients that we use. The fresher and simpler our ingredients, the better.
The instructions for this recipe are pretty simple too. You'll basically throw everything together in the Instant Pot, cook, and shred right there in the pot, making it a one pot dish.
Tips for how to make Instant Pot Taco Chicken
First, gather your ingredients… You'll need water, chicken breasts, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, salt, ground black pepper, bell peppers, onion, and petite diced tomatoes.
- Add water to the Instant Pot.
- Place chicken breasts in the Instant Pot.
- Keep in mind as you add ingredients, there's no need to stir.
- Mince the garlic, and add it in with the chicken.
- Add the lemon juice, chili powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Wash and chop or mince the peppers and onion. Add them in with the chicken.
- Finally, add a can of petite diced tomatoes.
- There's no need to stir or mix together ingredients. Just place the lid on the Instant Pot.
- Press the Pressure Cook button and set for 1 hour.
- Allow the pressure valve to naturally release.
- Once the chicken is done, open up the Instant Pot and shred the chicken with 2 forks. It'll be so tender, it will easily shred right in the pot.
- Finally, give the chicken a good stirring, mixing it up with all the ingredients.
- Serve or enjoy in tacos, enchiladas, nachos, quesadillas, burritos, salad, soup, etc. Top with a little tomato basil salsa for an extra flavorful kick.
The chicken's so tender, it easily shreds. And pressure cooking lends to a delicious taco meat packed full of flavor. It's so good!
Whether you're making tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, or even a Southwest salad, this is the perfect recipe for taco meat.
More recipes you can make with Instant Pot Taco Chicken
Learn how to quickly use your Instant Pot with our Instant Pot Quick Start Guide, filled with practical tips, Instant Pot recipes, accessory ideas, and more!
Kitchen tools you may need to make Instant Pot Taco Chicken
Instant Pot – Our Instant Pot has come in handy for so many things; it's one of the most versatile kitchen appliances we've ever owned. And it makes the most tender, delicious, homemade taco chicken.
Cutting Board – We use our cutting boards (notice plural) every single day.
Vegetable Cleaver – for chopping and mincing.
Wooden Spoon – for stirring up the chicken when it's all shredded and ready to serve.
Print the recipe for Instant Pot Taco Chicken
Instant Pot Taco Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 4 large chicken breasts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 mini or 1 large bell pepper
- 1/2 large onion
- 1 can 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Add water to the Instant Pot.
- Place chicken breasts in the Instant Pot.
- Keep in mind as you add ingredients, there's no need to stir.
- Mince the garlic, and add it in with the chicken.
- Add the lemon juice, chili powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Wash and chop or mince the peppers and onion. Add them in with the chicken.
- Finally, add a can of petite diced tomatoes.
- There's no need to stir or mix together ingredients. Just place the lid on the Instant Pot.
- Press the Pressure Cook button and set for 1 hour.
- Allow the pressure valve to naturally release.
- Once the chicken is done, open up the Instant Pot and shred the chicken with 2 forks. It'll be so tender, it will easily shred right in the pot.
- Finally, give the chicken a good stirring, mixing it up with all the ingredients.
- Serve or enjoy in tacos, enchiladas, nachos, quesadillas, burritos, salad, soup, etc.
Can I ask why you say to pressure cook this for an hour? Even frozen boneless chicken breasts are totally cooked and shreddable in 20 minutes.
It’s just the way we cook taco chicken.