Instant Pot Chicken Tacos are an easy, versatile recipe for lunch or dinner. This yummy pressure cooker shredded chicken is family friendly and full of wholesome, real ingredients for tacos you can feel good about!
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We eat a lot of tacos in the house. And I mean a lot. See also chimichurri steak tacos, pineapple beef tacos, barbecue chicken tacos, shrimp tacos, and basic ground beef taco meat.
Told you. It’s a ton.
But not all the tacos we make are met with equal enthusiasm among all members of the household. My husband and I will eat almost any taco recipe out there. But the Goose who’s 5… not so much.
Family Friendly Chicken Tacos in the Instant Pot
Chicken tacos are a family favorite and one of the few dishes we can all agree on. Even my picky 5 year old will happily eat them, which is nothing short of a a minor miracle.
These shredded chicken tacos are full of flavor without being spicy unless you add jalapenos. And there is no store bought premade taco seasoning in them which is key for me, since I find that often the store bought taco seasonings are way too salty for me.
Restaurant Style Chicken Tacos
Ever notice how the chicken tacos you get in a Mexican restaurant aren’t overly saucy? The chicken is pulled and spiced, but not swimming in some sort of red taco sauce? These chicken tacos are like that. Juicy pulled chicken that is perfectly spiced without being hot and spicy and isn’t swimming in a really salty taco sauce.
Ingredients
Despite not making use of premade taco seasonings, these pressure cooker chicken tacos only use a small handful of easy to find ingredients. To make this you’ll need:
- Chicken breasts – Boneless skinless breasts are perfect for this recipe. If using frozen chicken add 2 minutes to the pressure cook time.
- Lime juice– Fresh limes have the best flavor for these tacos. Can’t find fresh limes? Using the bottled juice will work in a pinch.
- Chicken stock– Low sodium chicken stock or broth adds more flavor than plain water for pressure cooking.
- Spices– A blend of chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper will give this chicken tons of flavor without any heat.
- Fresh garlic– You can use fresh garlic to your taste. We like garlic so we use 4-6 cloves of pressed garlic depending on the size. Can’t find fresh garlic? Use a tbs of minced jar garlic or a tsp of garlic powder instead.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
This is pretty much a dump and go recipe and it’s perfect for Instant Pot beginners because it is so easy to make! To make it, add the chicken breasts to the inner liner of the Instant Pot on the trivet.
Pour in the chicken stock. Season the chicken with 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Then add the pressed garlic. Pour on the juice of 2 limes. Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, making sure the valve is set to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes and do a natural release for 10 minutes. Quick release any of the remaining pressure. Drain half of the liquid from the Pot.
Remove the chicken from the Pot and shred.
Then add the chicken to Pot and turn the Pot on Saute mode and add the remaining lime juice in and saute the chicken in the Pot.
Not Just for Tacos! Leftover Shredded Mexican Chicken Ideas
While this does make for amazing tacos, this recipe also produces a lot of shredded Mexican chicken. When we make this recipe, there are enough for two taco nights for 2 adults, 1 picky 5 year old, and a 1 year old that has an appetite equal to that of a garbage disposal. If you didn’t want to use the leftovers for another round of tacos you could use them in:
- Quesadillas
- Burrito bowls
- Taquitos
- A big chopped taco salad
Tips and Tricks
This Instant Pot shredded Mexican chicken is super easy to make. Use these suggestions to make sure it comes out exactly how you like it each and every time you make it:
- If you want to add a little heat, add some chopped jalapeno or even a can of green chili peppers.
- Like your chicken tacos a little saucier? Don’t drain the chicken or drain less liquid off when you are done.
- For very saucy chicken tacos, make as directed and stir in a salsa of your choice at the end.
- This recipe also makes amazing chicken nachos or stuffing for Easy Chicken Taquitos
- Serve up a side of Homemade Tortilla Chips.
Other Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Recipes
Not in the mood for taco night but want another shredded chicken recipe for the Instant Pot? I got you covered with these:
- Instant Pot Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken
- The Best Easiest Instant Pot Thai Chicken (with Coconut Milk)
Did you make this Instant Pot chicken taco recipe? Leave me a comment below and let me know how you like it or tag me on Facebook or Instagram @seasonedsprinkles and show me what you made.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 3/4 c chicken stock
- juice of 3 limes
- 4-6 cloves of crushed garlic
- salt and pepper
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts to the Instant Pot on the trivet. Pour in the chicken stock. Season the chicken with 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the pressed garlic. Pour on the juice of 2 limes. Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, making sure the valve is set to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes and do a natural release for 10 minutes. Quick release any of the remaining pressure. Drain half of the liquid from the Pot. Remove the chicken from the Pot and shred.
- You can return the chicken to Pot and turn the Pot on Saute mode and add the remaining lime juice in and saute the chicken in the Pot.
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