• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • By Energy Requirement
    • By Time Commitment
    • By Dirty Dishes Produced
    • Appetizers
    • Entrees
    • Breads
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Sauces and Seasonings
  • Blog

Avidly Ravenous

April 6, 2021

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken for Tacos

FacebookTweetPin
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
A bowl of shredded salsa chicken with limes, cilantro, tortillas, and onion on the side

You are probably sick of hearing me say that I love tacos. But that's too bad, because this is my blog and I can do what I want. So, as I was saying, tacos are the stuff of my dreams and happily, this dream is readily attainable. In just about 15 minutes, you too can make this instant pot shredded chicken. Seriously, this recipe alone makes my instant pot worth the purchase.

Now, you can make these tacos as simple or complicated as you want. You are in charge of your taco future and no one should tell you how hard to work for it. That being said, the base of flavor for this chicken comes from the taco seasoning - and the salsa. Sure, you could go buy a mix from the store. Or instead, you could whip up your own batch of easy homemade taco seasoning, without leaving the comfort of home. Doesn't it sound better to never have to remove your pajama pants, which I assume everyone wears at all times while home? And if you really want to impress yourself serve these chicken tacos with homemade corn tortillas.

homemade taco seasoning slightly mixed
homemade corn tortillas. The edges are a little wonky, just like my life.

FAQs

Can you cook chicken from frozen in an instant pot?

Actually, that's my favorite thing about pressure cookers. Using frozen chicken instead of fresh simply takes about 2-3 minutes longer to cook. You should see no difference in the quality of your result!

Why make taco meat in an instant pot instead of a crockpot?

While both appliances can help to reduce the effort that you put into cooking, the big difference between the two is the time that it takes to cook something. A crockpot slowly cooks things all day so you can leave it and do your thing. On the other hand, an instant pot is very fast so you can make food last minute.

Can you freeze cooked shredded chicken?

Absolutely you can! It's a great idea to make extra chicken for just this purpose. To freeze the chicken, spread it out in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours or overnight. Then, move the chicken to air tight containers. This prevents the chicken from sticking together, allowing you to take out just as much as you want later. The chicken should maintain its quality for 2-3 months in the freezer.

What can you use shredded chicken for?

Now of course you know already that this chicken is great for tacos. However, I also like to keep some in the freezer to use for nachos, soups, enchiladas, sandwiches, and wraps. If you intend to make some chicken for a purpose besides tacos, you can switch up the seasonings as desired; just make sure to always keep at least 1 cup of liquid in your recipe, to make sure that the instant pot can reach the proper pressure.

Additional Taco Tuesday Recipes

Sweet Potato Tacos: Don't forget your vegetarian or vegan friends on this, the holiday of holidays. These zesty sweet potato tacos can be made in the air fryer or oven in as little as 20 minutes.

Hot and Cheesy Corn Dip: This corn dip is perfect for all of your taco, nacho, and tortilla chip needs. It is also and excellent way to step up your snack game.

Homemade Pico de Gallo: Add some freshness to your spread with some classic pico de gallo.

Topping Suggestions for Shredded Chicken Tacos

  • Homemade Slaw
  • Chopped onions
  • Sliced green onion
  • Cilantro
  • Lime
  • Sriracha
  • Drizzle of ranch
Shredded chicken tacos with cilantro and onion, with extra of all ingredients in the background.

Get that pressure cooker running, chop your favorite toppings, then go forth and eat tacos. They're worth the effort and so are you.

Keep your belly full, your mind engaged, and your heart open.




Lillian
A close up of instant pot shredded chicken with taco accessories.

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken For Tacos

These chicken tacos can be as simple or complicated as you want to make them. Regardless, this instant pot chicken tacos are super easy and surprisingly fast!
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Servings 8 tacos
Calories 124 kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker/Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs frozen or thawed
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 4 ½ oz can chopped green chilies
  • ½ cup salsa of choice choose wisely
  • ¾ cup chicken stock
  • 8 corn tortillas or flour if you prefer

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken in the bowl of your instant pot. Distribute taco seasoning evenly over the top of the chicken. You have permission to use more than 1 tablespoon if you prefer. Add green chilis, salsa, and chicken stock to the instant pot.
  • Seal your instant pot and set it to high for 12 minutes, if you had time to defrost your chicken, or 15 minutes if you did not. If you add more than a pound of chicken, increase the time by an additional minute or two (depending on the quantity).
  • Check that the chicken has reached 165 °F, then pull it out of the instant pot and allow it to cool slightly before shredding it either with forks or your hands.
  • Serve chicken on your choice of flour or corn tortillas and your favorite toppings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tacoCalories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 15gFat: 1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 215mgPotassium: 14mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chicken tacos, easy chicken tacos, easy tacos, fast chicken, fast tacos, instant pot, instant pot chicken, instant pot chicken tacos, instant pot tacos, pressure cooker, quick tacos, tacos, tortillas
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Proteins

  • Dressed air fryer chicken wings served with carrots, celery, ranch, and a side of mac and cheese.
    Air Fryer Chicken Wings
  • A close up of air fryer tofu on a blue plate.
    Air Fryer Tofu
  • Homemade burger with caramelized onions and aioli.
    Juicy Burgers
  • Honey dijon air fryer salmon with wild rice and a mixed greens salad
    How to Cook Salmon in the Air Fryer

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Creamy Cilantro Lime Slaw - Avidly Ravenous says:
    April 15, 2021 at 7:04 pm

    […] on shrimp or chicken tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, or shoveled directly into your gaping maw, a creamy cilantro lime slaw is […]

    Reply
  2. Creamy Cheesy Hot Corn Dip - Avidly Ravenous says:
    April 23, 2021 at 8:06 am

    […] you from applying it differently. It is also an excellent addition for quesadillas, enchiladas, or chicken tacos. I am sure there are a lot of other potential uses for cheesy corn so let your imagination run […]

    Reply
  3. Instant Pot Curry Chicken - Avidly Ravenous says:
    April 27, 2021 at 8:02 am

    […] for a pressure cooker because I’m the one that always forgets to defrost my dang chicken. My chicken tacos are also a great option for when you drop the ball in the meat […]

    Reply
  4. Homemade Southwest Seasoning - Avidly Ravenous says:
    May 4, 2021 at 8:41 pm

    […] get a start on your taco aspirations, try my instant pot chicken tacos. While you are at it, whip up a recipe of homemade corn tortillas – or pull them out of your […]

    Reply
  5. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Tacos - Avidly Ravenous says:
    June 8, 2021 at 8:02 am

    […] I love tacos, you are not paying attention. Admittedly, I have historically relied heavily on my chicken taco recipe. While those are amazing and I stand by them entirely, I thought it was time to try something a […]

    Reply

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Twitter

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Avidly Ravenous on the Brunch Pro Theme