Description
This Instant Pot Chicken Tacos recipe delivers a quick, flavorful meal perfect for busy weeknights. Tender chicken breasts are cooked in a zesty tomato and green chili sauce with a blend of Mexican spices, then shredded and served with your favorite fresh toppings and tortillas for a delicious homemade taco experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce and Chicken
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 (4 fluid ounce) can mild diced green chilis (with juices)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 large chicken breasts
Toppings and Assembly
- Tortillas (corn or flour, as preferred)
- Tex-Mex cheese blend (shredded)
- Fresh cilantro (chopped)
- Avocado (chopped)
- Red onions (chopped)
- Iceberg lettuce (shredded)
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce base: Add diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, diced green chilis with their juices, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, and chili powder into the Instant Pot. Stir well to combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Add chicken: Place the two large chicken breasts into the Instant Pot atop the sauce mixture. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken to ensure flavor penetration during cooking.
- Pressure cook the chicken: Close the Instant Pot lid securely, set the valve to the ‘sealing’ position, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. This will infuse the chicken with the spice blend and cook it to tender perfection.
- Prepare toppings: While the chicken cooks, chop the fresh cilantro, avocado, red onions, and shred the iceberg lettuce. Set out the Tex-Mex cheese blend, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and lime wedges for taco assembly.
- Release pressure: When the cooking cycle completes, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes to maintain moisture, then manually quick release the remaining pressure by switching the valve to ‘venting.’
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the Instant Pot and let rest for a couple of minutes. Using two forks, shred the chicken finely or cut into bite-sized pieces with a knife. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to coat it in the flavorful sauce.
- Assemble tacos: Warm the tortillas if desired, then spoon the shredded chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Top with shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, red onions, lettuce, a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- For a spicier option, use hot diced green chilis instead of mild.
- Chicken thighs can be substituted for breasts for more moist, tender meat.
- To save time, prepare toppings in advance or use pre-shredded lettuce and cheese.
- Leftover chicken and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Warming tortillas before assembly improves pliability and enhances flavor.
