Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Flavorful and juicy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos, topped with a creamy avocado cilantro sauce, will turn any day into Taco Tuesday!
Packed with huge flavor, this one-pot shredded chicken and homemade avocado cilantro sauce come together to make these stellar Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos! Grab a fresh tortilla and your favorite taco fixings and dig into this super easy recipe any day of the week!
MAKE ANY NIGHT A TACO TUESDAY
You don’t have to wait for Tuesday to roll around to enjoy tacos for dinner! In fact, this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Taco recipe is so tasty and easy to make that I can almost guarantee you’ll eat it twice this week.
In fact, why limit yourself when you can have tacos all day with Chorizo and Potato Tacos for breakfast and Easy Ranch Chicken Tacos for lunch?!
OTHER RECIPES TO SERVE WITH SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS
- Fresh Strawberry Margarita – It’s no secret I’m a sucker for a classic blended strawberry margarita.
- Mexican Street Corn – Sweet corn, tangy lime, creamy Queso Fresca, and just a little heat- this corn is seriously good!
- Mexican Rice – What’s Taco Tuesday without a side of warm, fluffy rice?
INGREDIENTS
Chicken: You’ll need about 3 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which you’ll season with salt and pepper. From there, you’ll need onions, diced tomatoes, salsa, taco seasoning, lime juice, and cilantro to complete this tasty Instant Pot shredded chicken.
Sauce: This recipe includes a super yummy avocado cilantro sauce that you can’t skip! All you need is an avocado, greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to create this masterful sauce.
Tortillas: I prefer my tacos in fresh corn tortillas, but flour tortillas are fine to use too.
Taco Toppings: These tacos are delicious topped with with thinly sliced radishes and jalapenos. I like to add some more chopped cilantro too.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS
STEP ONE: Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Next, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and press “Saute” mode on the Instant Pot. Once the oil has heated, add the chicken breasts and sear them for 4-5 minutes or until they are slightly browned. Once browned, remove the chicken breasts to a plate and set it aside.
STEP TWO: Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot and add the sliced onion. Sauté the onion slices for 3-5 minutes or until they have softened. Next, stir in the diced tomatoes, salsa, and taco seasoning and allow it to simmer for 2 minutes. Continue by adding the seared chicken breasts back to the Instant Pot along with any juices and 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice. Cancel “Saute” mode and close the lid.
STEP THREE: Keep the valve in the “Sealing” position and cook the chicken on “High Pressure” for 10 minutes. Once the cycle is complete, release the pressure after 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot, shred it using two forks, and place it back into the Instant Pot. Press the “Saute” button and allow the shredded chicken to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Finally, add the chopped cilantro and “Cancel” the Instant Pot. Remove the chicken to a bowl for serving.
STEP FOUR: In a food processor, blend together the avocado, Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Once smooth, set the avocado cilantro sauce aside.
STEP FIVE: Finish by assembling your taco! Grab the corn tortillas and warm them over a low flame on your stove burner until it is just slightly charred. Fill your taco with shredded chicken, add some sliced radish and jalapeno, drizzle some creamy avocado cilantro sauce over the top, and garnish with more cilantro to create the perfect taco!
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Taco seasoning mix already has salt in it, so make sure to taste test before adding additional salt to the recipe.
- If you don’t have any on hand, taco seasoning can be replaced by ¼ teaspoon each of red chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, salt, and pepper.
- You can use a hot cast iron skillet to cook the tortillas if you prefer.
OTHER USES FOR THIS INSTANT POT SHREDDED CHICKEN
This shredded chicken is so good that I use it for way more than just tacos! It makes the perfect chicken burrito meat rolled up with beans, rice, cheese, onion, cilantro, and salsa. It’s also great for rice bowls alongside some fresh fajita veggies. I’ve also used it in my favorite Taco Salad recipe and inside chicken enchiladas. Did I mention it’s good enough to just eat by itself because I’ve definitely done that too!
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT SHREDDED CHICKEN
Any leftover Instant Pot Shredded Chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure when you’re transferring it to the storage container that you pack it with all the juices from the Instant Pot. When you’re ready to reheat it, you can use the stovetop or microwave. If you have any leftover avocado cilantro sauce, it will also last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
OTHER TACO TUESDAY RECIPES
- Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Empanadas
- Weight Watchers Taco Soup
- Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Layered Nacho Dip
- Taco Casserole
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and sliced
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- ½ cup mild salsa
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
Avocado Cilantro Sauce
- 1 medium avocado pitted and skin removed
- ½ cu full-fat plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- ⅓ cup cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Tacos
- 8 corn tortillas
- Shredded chicken
- Avocado cilantro sauce
- Radishes thinly sliced
- Jalapeno sliced
- Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Press “Saute” mode on the Instant Pot and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is heated, add the seasoned chicken and sear it for 4-5 minutes (flipping halfway through) until slightly brown. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and set them aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the Instant Pot and add the sliced onions. Saute for 3-5 minutes until the onions are softened. Stir in the diced tomatoes, salsa, and taco seasoning, and let that simmer for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken back to the Instant Pot along with any juices on the plate. Pour in the lime juice as well. Cancel the” saute” mode and close the lid. Turn the valve in the “Sealing” position and cook the chicken on high pressure/manual setting for 10 minutes.
- Once the cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, and then quick release the remaining pressure. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred the chicken with two forks, and then transfer it back to the Instant Pot.
- Press the “Saute” button and allow the chicken to simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the chopped cilantro to the pot and “cancel” the Instant Pot. Transfer the shredded chicken to a bowl and set it aside. for now.
- To prepare the avocado cilantro sauce, add the avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of salt t o a food processor and blend until it has a smooth consistency. Set the sauce aside.
- To assemble the tacos, warm the corn tortillas on stove burners over a low flame until just slightly charred, or cook them in a hot skillet. Fill the tortillas with about 1/4 cup of the shredded chicken, add sliced radishes and jalapenos as toppings, and then drizzle the avocado cilantro sauce over the tacos. Garnish with cilantro and serve while still warm.
Notes
- There will be leftover chicken. It’s great for burritos, rice bowls, quesadillas, and more!
- Leftover chicken can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
