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    Home - Recipes - Main Course

    Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

    Oct 29, 2020 · Modified: Aug 11, 2022 by Courtney · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

    1262 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Easy homemade shredded chicken tacos right in your Instant Pot! Made from mostly pantry ingredients these Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos are an easy weeknight meal.

    Aa side view of three shredded chicken tacos on a plate.

    Saucy, flavourful and with just the right amount of spice, these Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos are a weeknight hit.

    Cooking chicken breasts in the Instant Pot was a game changer for me. I can't get over how perfectly moist and juicy they are every single time! That's why it's the perfect place for making shredded chicken tacos.

    When I dig into any taco I'm expecting big flavour, tender meat and lots of juice in every bite. These Instant Pot shredded tacos do not disappoint! They are kind of spin off of salsa chicken, but with some extra oompf because chicken with just salsa seems a bit bland for a taco if you're asking me.

    This recipe is made from mostly pantry ingredients, and many of them I'm sure you already have on hand. Canned tomatoes, spices, garlic, limes, stock, and chipotles. If you don't have chipotles you can definitely leave them out - they just add a nice bit of spice to the dish.

    How to make them

    Set your Instant Pot to saute and cover the bottom of it with oil, then mix the chili powder and cumin together. Use about ¼ of the spice mix to rub the outside of the breasts then season them with salt and pepper.

    Place the breasts in the pot and sear the first side for 2-3 minutes then flip them over and sear the other side.

    Remove the breasts from the pot then add the onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes then add the tomatoes, stock, remaining spice mix and the sea salt.

    Place the breasts in the pot and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.

    Seared chicken breasts in the Instant Pot on top of spiced tomato sauce.

    When the cooking time is up quick release the pressure then remove the chicken from the sauce.

    Set the pot to saute and allow the sauce to cook down a bit as you use a couple of forks to pull the chicken breasts into shreds then place the pulled chicken back into the pot.

    Shredded chicken on top of spiced tomato sauce in the Instant Pot.

    Add the juice from the limes and the chopped cilantro then give everything a good stir.

    Shredded chicken taco meat inside of the Instant Pot.

    How to serve them

    I served these tacos on hard shells but soft shells would be just as good if that's what you prefer.

    Must have toppings for these tacos are:

    • pico de gallo - my absolute favourite topping for any taco.
    • sour cream! - chicken breasts are really lean, so adding some fat really does wonders for the flavour of the dish.
    • shredded lettuce - I love love love greens on my tacos

    This list is just a start though, and you could top them with anything from pickled jalapenos to pickled onions.

    If you want to add some extra spice factor to these chicken tacos check out our roasted jalapeno salsa.

    A top down view of three shredded chicken tacos on a plate.

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    More recipes you'll love!

    If you like these instant pot shredded chicken tacos you might want to check out some of our other delicious taco recipes!

    • Classic Ground Beef Tacos
    • Easy Fish Tacos
    • Grilled Chicken Tacos
    • Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooked Pulled Pork)

    If you have made this recipe we’d love to see it! Tag us on Insta @loveandgoodstuff.
    Loved this? Don’t forget to rate it below!

    three shredded chicken tacos on a plate.
    Print Recipe
    4.92 from 12 votes

    Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

    Easy homemade shredded chicken tacos with a homemade seasoning mix cooked in the Instant Pot.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Pressurization10 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 340kcal
    Author: Courtney
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    Instant Pot

    Ingredients:

    • 2 lbs chicken breasts - 4-5 breasts
    • 1.5 Tablespoons chili powder
    • ½ Tablespoon cumin
    • 4 cloves garlic - minced
    • 1 onion - diced
    • 2-3 chipotles - diced
    • 3⁄4 cup chicken stock
    • 14 oz diced tomatoes - or tomato paste?
    • 2 limes - juice of
    • 1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro
    • 12 taco shells

    Toppings

    • pico de gallo
    • shredded lettuce
    • sour cream

    Instructions

    • Season the chicken breasts and sear both sides on the saute setting with some olive oil.
    • Remove the chicken from the pot, then add the garlic and onion and saute while scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the insert.
    • Add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, remaining seasonings and give a good stir. Place the chicken on top of the sauce.
    • Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
    • Remove the cooked chicken breasts and set the Instant Pot to saute. Allow the leftover sauce to reduce while you shred the chicken with a couple of forks.
    • Put the shredded chicken back into the sauce, add the lime juice and the cilantro, then stir well to combine it all.
    • Serve in shells with toppings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 36gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 320mgPotassium: 877mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 727IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 3mg

    * nutritional information is calculated by online tools and may not be 100% accurate.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @loveandgoodstuff or tag #loveandgoodstuff!
    « Spanish Chicken and Rice
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    About Courtney

    I'm Courtney and I love great food!

    Creating delicious meals, photographing them, and sharing them with friends and family are some of my favourite joys ❤️
    More about Love & Good Stuff

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chef Dennis says

      March 30, 2021 at 12:56 am

      These Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos look absolutely divine!

      Reply
      • Courtney says

        March 31, 2021 at 5:22 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    2. Christine says

      July 07, 2022 at 5:51 pm

      I am so excited I found this recipe. The chicken actually has flavor. This is my go to for chicken tacos now. Amazing!

      Reply

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