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Use this quick shredded chicken for tacos, salads, rice bowls, or burritos. You only need chicken, salsa, and seasonings! It’s perfect for meal prep too. Everything goes right into the instant pot.

Update: This recipe was originally published in 2021 and has been republished with all new photos.

We eat a lot of chicken tacos or taco-inspired food around here (burrito bowls, rice bowls, and taco salads mostly). It’s really the one category of food (can taco-inspired be a category?) that I am never tired of. Never. There’s no such thing as too many tacos, friend.

I love this Instant Pot Shredded Salsa when I’m feeling that taco inspiration. Plus the ingredient list is simple. Chicken, salsa, and a few seasonings. You can use frozen or fresh chicken. Whichever you have is totally fine! We’ll just adjust the cooking time based on which chicken you use.

Toss it all in the instant pot and let it work it’s magic. That’s it! The minimal prep time makes this easy recipe a great option for busy weeknights. Trust me, the whole family will be excited about this flavorful chicken.

Serve in tacos or burritos. Scoop to the top of a taco salad. Ladle over rice. Add to tortilla chips with your favorite nacho toppings. There are so many incredible ways to enjoy this instant pot salsa chicken recipe.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Shredded Salsa Chicken

  • Chicken breasts: You can use skinless and boneless chicken breasts or thighs for this great recipe.
  • Salsa: Any store-bought salsa will work. Choose your favorite jar of salsa.
  • Seasonings: We’re making a homemade taco seasoning out of simple ingredients. Chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, and salt add the best flavor to this delicious salsa chicken.
  • Cilantro (optional): I like to stir fresh chopped cilantro in after cooking.

How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Salsa Chicken

This chicken is so very easy. Just add all ingredients to the Instant Pot except the cilantro. Seal the Instant Pot. Set it to Pressure Cook (or Manual, depending on the model Instant Pot you have) on high pressure for 20 minutes if chicken is thawed or 25 minutes if chicken is frozen. Then shred chicken and place it back in the inner pot. Any cooking liquid will absorb into the chicken after its shredded to make it extra juicy!

Frozen or Thawed Chicken?

It’s up to you! If you use frozen breasts you’ll set your Instant Pot timer for 25 minutes. If your chicken is already thawed you’ll go for 20 minutes.

Natural Release or Quick Release?

A quick release is best for foods that cook fast like vegetables. You don’t want them to continue cooking any longer than absolutely necessary or they’ll be mush.

A natural release allows the cooking to stop gradually as the remaining pressure is released over a few minutes. This is ideal for large cuts of meat (think of it like letting your meat rest) because it will give you more tender meat. This is also a good idea for large pots of soup so you don’t end up with foam shooting out of the valve.

For shredded chicken you can use either method. If using quick release you may find that some of the chicken breasts are harder to shred than others but once shredded (or chopped) you won’t noticed a difference. Thighs are most likely to be tender and shred easiest.

How to Store Leftovers

Want to enjoy this grilled chicken recipe the next day or later in the week? This entree makes great leftovers and it’s perfect for meal prep! Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Reheat the chicken in the microwave or in a large skillet on the stovetop on low to medium-low heat until warmed through.

Slow Cooker Instructions (if instant pot isn’t your thing)

  1. Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Add all other ingredients on top.
  2. Cook on high with lid on for 3 – 4 hours or low for 6 – 8 hours.
  3. Remove cooked chicken breasts from slow cooker and use a fork to shred it. Place shredded chicken back in the slow cooker. Stir. Add chopped cilantro (optional).

How to Serve Salsa Chicken

The obvious way to serve this Instant Pot Shredded Salsa Chicken is of course in corn or flour tortillas. Make tacos by loading each taco shell with this chicken plus lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, cheddar cheese, sour cream, red onions, and/or avocado. I personally love white rice, black beans, feta cheese, and sriracha on my tacos too. (I know, I know, they’re fully loaded!)

Want to do something a bit different but still super satiating? Create a taco salad with this chicken by serving it over lettuce with all those yummy taco toppings I mentioned in paragraph above.

And of course you can’t go wrong with adding this chicken to cauliflower rice, white rice, or Skillet Breakfast Potatoes. Again, with all the taco toppings I mentioned above.

Any of these delicious options can be thrown together to create an easy meal even at the end of busy days!

5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Shredded Salsa Chicken

By Christina
Use this quick shredded chicken for tacos, salads, rice bowls, or burritos. You only need chicken, salsa, and seasonings! Everything goes right into the instant pot!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 9 servings

Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs (boneless and skinless), frozen or fresh
  • 1 cup salsa, use your favorite brand
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cumin

Optional: stir in chopped fresh cilantro after cooking

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Instructions 

  • Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot except the cilantro.
  • Seal the Instant Pot. Set it to Pressure Cook (or Manual, depending on the model Instant Pot you have) on high pressure for 20 minutes if chicken is thawed or 25 minutes if chicken is frozen.
  • Carefully release the steam once done or do a natural release.
  • Remove chicken from Instant Pot and use a fork to shred it. Place shredded chicken back in the Instant Pot. You'll see quite a bit of liquid but the chicken will absorb a lot of it once shredded. Taste and add more salt if desired. Stir in chopped cilantro (optional).

Notes

This recipe makes about 4 1/2 cups of chicken once shredded and it has absorbed most of the liquid. One serving size is 1/2 cup.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 126kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 583mg, Potassium: 467mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 291IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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3 Comments

  1. Michelle M says:

    Do you add any liquid to the instant pot? 

    1. Christina says:

      The salsa is the liquid!

  2. Michele Brooks says:

    This was fantastic-a very flavorful way to spice up some chicken from the freezer to some veggies.  I will definitely make this again.  I am looking forward to using the leftovers.