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Say hello to chicken taco night all week long!!!
Thanks to the instant pot which helps us to make the easiest chicken tacos ever!!!! And by easy I mean dump everything in the instant pot, the chicken, spices, salsa, black beans, frozen corn and let it cook for 8 minutes – chicken cooked in 8 minutes, how amazing is the instant pot?!?! Remove the chicken and let the power of your stand or hand mixer shred the chicken for you – seriously THE BEST times saver in the kitchen. See, perfectly shredded chicken tacos in no time!!!
I have only had an instant pot for a few months, I’m still not familiar with all of it’s settings and magical ways it can cook. I am so in love with how quickly the instant pot can cook food and it still retains it’s texture…unlike the slow cooker. Sorry, slow cooker, but you know it’s the truth, I choose texture over semi mush.
That being said…if you don’t have an instant pot I’ve included instructions on how to make these chicken tacos using your slow cooker. I know, I just insulted the slow cooker for no texture…but I know that these chicken tacos made in the slow cooker will still taste delicious and satisfy your taco needs.
This instant pot chicken tacos recipe was intended to be a Cinco De Mayo recipe but it’s seriously so good and so easy to make that I couldn’t wait to share it with you. But you can still make it on Cinco de Mayo, or whenever you want because who doesn’t want more chicken tacos in there life?!?!
The line up for our instant pot chicken tacos:
- chicken breast, perfectly shredded
- all the spices: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt = flavor!
- a jar of chunky salsa
- black beans
- frozen corn
- corn starch, to thicken – the first time I made these tacos the salsa liquid ran everywhere. A little corn starch thickens everything up so that the chicken taco meat has a nice thick sauce that won’t run down your arm.
- All of the classic taco fixings you might want: shredded romaine lettuce (more nutrtion than iceburg and just as much crunch). Olives, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, hot sauce…you know what you like on your tacos, anything will go – make it happen!
When you go to make these instant pot chicken tacos you will see that I wrote out rough measurements for the ingredients, exp: 2 to 3 chicken breasts, 1 to 2 cans black beans, and there are no measurements for spices. Don’t be intimidated by this, my friends! The reason I wrote a rough recipe is because it’s a whatever-you-have-on-hand kind of recipe, I made it 3 different ways and it turned out awesome each time. It’s more of a guideline for a recipe idea than an actual recipe.
In a pinch all your really need to make these instant pot chicken tacos are a little water, chicken breasts, spices of choice, and salsa ( I mean besides the taco fixings…duh).
See, you’ve got this!!!
The chicken taco meat alone is super flavorful and juicy, no need for salsa on this taco! The black beans add a good starchy texture while the corn adds a nice sweet pop. Throw that juicy chicken taco meat into a taco shell with a little bit of shredded cheese, top it with a dash of hot sauce (if you please), some crunchy romaine lettuce, a few black olives and a dollop of sour cream and chicken taco night never tasted so good!
What’s great about instant pot chicken tacos is that it only really takes about 33 minutes to make (depending on how long your instant pot takes to come up to pressure) which while it does that is when you can get your taco fixings prepared. This recipe makes a huge batch of chicken taco meat…enough for feeding a large crowd or for leftovers throughout the week! High five to that!!!
And if you somehow get sick of tacos…not sure why you would…you can also use the chicken taco meat in quesadillas – so good!!!!
Weather you make these instant pot chicken tacos for Cinco de Mayo or taco Tuesday you won’t be disappointed. Chicken taco heaven is only 33 minutes away!!!
If you made this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment below and let me know how it went. Also be sure to leave a star rating, it helps others to find my recipes easier. Don’t forget to snap a picture on Instagram and tag it with #RobustRecipes, so I can see what you came up with! Thanks, friends!
UPDATE 6/7/18 – Since writing this recipe I found that If you use canned, drained corn instead of frozen corn it reduces the amount of time that it takes the Instant pot to come to pressure (less cold things) – reducing the cook time by 8 to 10 minutes! I have adjusted the recipe according to using canned corn, but left the frozen corn in as an option. Keep in mind that if you’re using frozen corn it will take 8 to 10 minutes longer for the instant pot to come to pressure than stated in the recipe.
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Easiest Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 10 to 12 1x
- Category: Entree, Chicken & Poultry, Instant Pot, One Pan
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
Description
Instant pot chicken tacos are juicy and bursting with flavor. The easiest taco recipe you will ever make. Perfect for feeding a crowd of for eating as leftovers during the week, or as meal prep. Add any of your favorite taco fixings and the ultimate taco night is yours in no time!
Ingredients
- Chicken taco meat
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 to 3 chicken breasts
- Spices, to taste: chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt*
- 1 16 ounce jar Salsa (I like a chunky salsa here)**
- Optional: 1 to 2 6 ounce cans diced green chilies (I like to add these to add more chunkiness)
- 1 to 2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 16 ounce bag Frozen corn, (still frozen) – or use canned, drained corn***
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- Possible Taco fixings
- corn tortilla shells
- shredded cheese
- sliced black olives
- hot sauce
- Lime wedges
- cilantro leaves
- avocado slices
- sour cream
- cotija cheese, crumbled
- Shredded romaine lettuce
Instructions
- Prepare: Add the water to the bottom of your instant pot/pressure cooker. Add the chicken breasts and spices on top. Add the salsa, green chilies, black beans, and frozen corn. In a small separate bowl add the corn starch and a little water, use a fork to whisk out any lumps (this is called a slurry). Add the slurry to the instant pot, gently stir to combine.
- Cook: Seal the lid and set the nozzle to Sealing. Push the “pressure cook” button and adjust the time to 8 minutes – instant pot will take some time to come up to pressure before it starts to cook. During this time you can get your taco fixings prepared. Once the timer has gone off force release the pressure by turning the nozzle to release the steam.
- Shred chicken: Once the all of the steam has released remove the lid and use tongs to remove the chicken. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and either use your hand mixer or stand mixer to shred the chicken by using the power of the beaters. Or use two forks to shred by hand (the mixer method saves a lot of time and you can still do it while the chicken is hot). Stir the chicken back into the salsa liquid.
- Taste: Taste the taco meat and adjust spices and salt as needed. I usually end up adding in more salt, garlic powder, and chili powder.
- Serve: If you’re making tacos you can put all the fixings you want to use in separate bowls and the chicken meat in a bowl so that people can make their own tacos right before eating.
- Store: Allow the taco meat to cool completely before dividing into air tight containers and storing them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
Measurements: You will notice that I wrote this recipe very roughly – as in you can use 2 to 3 chicken breasts or 1 to 2 cans of beans – I want this recipe to be more of an idea with guidelines because every time I made this recipe I used something different depending on what I had on hand and it turned out great every time. Sometimes I have made it with 3 chicken breasts and 1 can of beans, other times I have used 2 chicken breasts and 2 cans of beans and have loved it every time. Pretty much you can’t go wrong here. In a pinch you could even do just the water, chicken, spices, and salsa and it will still get a delicious taco meat.
*Salsa: You could substitute the salsa with canned fire roasted tomatoes, you just might want to add extra spices to make up for the spices that would be in the salsa
**Spices: I don’t really measure my spices, Just sprinkle as much as I think will be good on top of the chicken, I usually end up adding more at the end. You can use any combo of spices you prefer. I think the essentials are chili powder (it has everything), garlic, powder, and salt. You could also sub the spices for gluten free taco seasoning.
***Corn/reduced time: Since writing this recipe I found that If you use canned, drained corn instead of frozen it reduces the amount of time that it takes the Instant pot to come to pressure (less cold things) – reducing the cook time by 8 to 10 minutes!
To shred Romaine Lettuce: Keep the root attached to the romaine heart, beginning at the head of the romaine heart and working towards the root cut thin ribbons. And now you have crunchy, nutritious shredded lettuce for your tacos! So easy!
Quesadillas: This chicken filling also make for really tasty quesadillas
Freezing: I imagine this chicken taco filling would freeze really well.
Slow cooker method: Place all ingredients EXCEPT FOR THE CORN STARCH in the slow cooker – keep in mind you may need to add more water (or chicken broth) as the liquid will reduce more than it does for the instant pot method. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. The last hour of the cooking stir in the corn starch slurry. Follow the remaining directions for shedding and serving.
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