This Instant Pot Salsa Chicken is a super flavorful and versatile recipe. Ready in the pressure cooker in under 30 minutes and perfect for burrito bowls, salads, or tacos!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick & simple - This Instant Pot chicken recipe is ready in under 30 minutes.
- Super versatile - You can use this salsa chicken on everything from tacos to burrito bowls. It works well as the protein in so many Mexican/Spanish dishes.
- Perfect to freeze - Make big batches and freeze them in individual servings for a quick & healthy protein!
🍗 Ingredients
(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)
- boneless skinless chicken breasts - Boneless skinless chicken thighs are also great for more flavor.
- salsa - Don't go with fresh - the inexpensive, jarred stuff is perfect. You want something with a little bit of a thicker tomato base. If you're a fan of my freezer salsa, it works great!
- seasonings - We're using my favorite combo (salt, pepper, & garlic powder) for this recipe.
Additions & Substitutions
- Mix up the protein - You can also cook pork tenderloin or steak using this method.
- Sub in a salsa verde for a different flavor profile.
- Add more flavor elements, like corn, black beans, or chopped bell pepper.
- Top the chicken with chopped cilantro.
Love a recipe with some Mexican flair? Try my Street Corn Casserole or Chocolate Tres Leches!
🍲 How to Make Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Step 1: Add ingredients to the Instant Pot.
Add chicken breasts to the Instant Pot and sprinkle with seasonings. Cover chicken breasts in salsa.
Step 2: Pressure cook & shred.
Lock on the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual, high pressure, 15 minutes. Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release before turning the valve on top and releasing the remaining pressure.
Use two forks to shred chicken breast meat.
Alternate Cooking Directions: Slow Cooker
If you have a little bit more time on your hands, this is also a great Crock Pot recipe!
Add ingredients to a slow cooker and set to low for 8 hours, shredding meat after cooking is finished.
🎥 Step-by-Step Recipe Video
❄️ Leftovers & Storage
Fridge: Make sure to store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This chicken should be enjoyed within 3-4 days of cooking.
When you're ready to reheat, simply microwave single servings for 30 seconds to a minute.
Freezer: This is a perfect freezer meal! I highly recommend this one if you're a freezer meal prepper.
Pressure cook the chicken as instructed above, shred, and cool. Divide chicken into single servings and place in a freezer bag. When you're ready to enjoy it again, just thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Make sure to enjoy your chicken within 6 months of freezing it for the best flavor.
💃 How to Use Salsa Chicken
This chicken can be used in so many different meals. Just a few examples...
- Chicken tacos
- Chicken burrito bowls - Perfect with Restaurant Style Mexican Rice or pressure cooked white rice!
- Loaded baked potatoes
- Taco salads
- Chicken quesadillas
- Nachos
💡 More Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to allow that natural pressure release after the Instant Pot's cooking cycle is finished. This just means you don't turn the knob on top of the pressure cooker for about 10 minutes after it's finished cooking. This will help ensure your chicken stays nice and tender.
- This recipe can be doubled if you're making freezer meals or feeding a large crowd. There is no need to change the cooking time.
❔ FAQs
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
I hope you love this simple pressure cooker recipe - I think it's a total winner! 🏆 If you try it, make sure to give it a star rating and/or comment below.
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Affiliate links used in this recipe card.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 16 oz jarred salsa
Instructions
- Add chicken to the Instant Pot and sprinkle with seasonings. Top chicken breasts with salsa.
- Lock on the Instant Pot lid and set pressure cooker to manual, high pressure, 15 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is over, allow a 10 minute natural pressure release before turning the knob to release remaining pressure.
- Shred the cooked chicken with 2 forks.
Notes
- Make sure to allow that natural pressure release after the Instant Pot's cooking cycle is finished. This just means you don't turn the knob on top of the pressure cooker for about 10 minutes after it's finished cooking. This will help ensure your chicken stays nice and tender.
- This recipe can definitely be doubled if you're making freezer meals or feeding a large crowd. No need to change the cooking time.
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
