Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

Sometimes you need to cook a meal fast, and this Instant Pot salsa chicken is one of the quickest recipes you’ll find. A few minutes of mixing, pouring and pressure-cooking produces a saucy, smoky-flavored dish that you can serve with rice or other sides. The ingredient list is short, with items that many people already have in their kitchens. Instant Pot salsa verde chicken does use some tequila, but if you can’t use that or don’t have any, you have options.

Pressure-cooking the chicken in this recipe is what makes it so quick to finish. Instead of waiting for a half hour or more for the chicken to cook in the oven, the pressure and steam help cook everything in less than a quarter of that time. You can use a plain pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. Either way, you’ll appreciate the swiftness of the preparation and cooking time for this salsa chicken Instant Pot recipe.

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Ingredients

• Taco seasoning: One packet of taco seasoning is all you need to add a lot of flavor to the chicken salsa in the Instant Pot. Use store-bought or try homemade taco seasoning.
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless breasts cook faster than bone-in and skin-on. Plus, they’re obviously a lot easier to shred.
• Chunky salsa: Use the best chunky salsa here instead of a basic blended salsa. Chunky salsa still provides a lot of moisture but doesn’t leave quite as much liquid after cooking.
• Tequila: This provides a smoky flavor that the taco seasoning and salsa just don’t provide. If you need to make this Instant Pot salsa verde chicken without alcohol, see the Variations section for suggestions.
• Cooked rice: Hot cooked rice soaks up any moisture from the salsa chicken in the Instant Pot.
• Avocado slices, cilantro or lime wedges: These are optional garnishes and toppings.

Directions

Step 1: Season and cook the chicken

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Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the chicken breasts and place them in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Mix the salsa and tequila, and then pour the mixture over the chicken.

Close and lock the lid, and close the pressure-release valve. Ensure the Instant Pot is set to cook on high, and pressure-cook the mixture for six minutes. When done, quick-release the pressure. Check the chicken with an instant-read thermometer and ensure the center of each chicken piece is 165°F.

Step 2: Shred the chicken and serve

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Take the chicken out of the Instant Pot and let it cool just until you can handle it. Shred the chicken with two forks, and place the shredded chicken back in the Instant Pot to keep warm. Serve the chicken with the rice and any of the optional toppings.

Abbey Littlejohn for Taste of Home

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Variations

• Make this dish alcohol-free: If you don’t want to use alcohol or just don’t have tequila on hand, try using agave nectar instead. The flavor may not turn out to be as smoky as it would had you used tequila, but you can try adding a drop of liquid smoke or see if adding a little chipotle salsa increases that smoky taste.
• Add some flavor to the rice: You can serve this salsa chicken Instant Pot recipe with white rice, but if you prefer a little more flavor and aren’t getting it from the garnishes, replace the white rice with Mexican rice salad or cilantro-lime rice.

How to Store Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

If you have Instant Pot salsa verde chicken leftovers, let them cool and place them in an airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator for no more than three days. Remember food safety and put the leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours of finishing cooking.

Can you freeze Instant Pot salsa chicken?

Yes! Separate the chicken and sauce into servings, then remove garnishes like avocado slices and fresh lime wedges. Place cooled servings into freezer bags and squeeze out the air; place those in either a larger freezer bag or a freezer-safe container. Try to arrange the servings in a single layer as that will let them freeze faster. Store those for up to three months.

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Tips

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Can you serve this with tortillas or wraps instead of rice?

If you’re not a fan of rice, you could easily use this salsa chicken in the Instant Pot as a burrito or taco filling. If the cooked chicken seems a bit wet, let it sit in a large strainer for a couple of minutes to let excess liquid drain off. Then, use this as a filling for burritos or tacos. If you choose to make burritos, learn how to wrap them so that they don’t fall apart when you try to take a bite.

Do you really need to pressure-cook this?

If you’re starting with raw chicken and want to cook this quickly, you do. Pressure-cooking makes food cook a lot faster than it would in an oven or on the stovetop. If you have time, however, and don’t want to use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, you can bake the chicken, seasoning and salsa in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes at 375°. Always check the chicken with an instant-read thermometer, which should read 165° when inserted into the center of the chicken.

What sides can you serve with Instant Pot salsa chicken?

While the salsa provides a little bit in the way of vegetables, it’s not much. The best sides for this chicken salsa Instant Pot dish, in addition to rice, are vegetable- and bean-based. Try serving the salsa chicken with salsa corn or these cantina pinto beans.