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Juicy and flavorful, Instant Pot Chicken Tacos are a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. Perfect for freezer meals and make-ahead dinners, these shredded chicken tacos will become a family favorite. 

3 instant pot chicken tacos, a dish of salsa, rice, guacamole, and radishes along with garnishes on a grey speckled board.
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Chicken tacos are something that most families can agree upon for dinner. They work so well because they’re versatile and adaptable to the preferences of everyone around the kitchen table.

And even better, they are freezer-friendly and that makes you a meal prep boss.

bowls of raw chicken breast, lime juice, chicken stock, taco seasoning, a can of stewed tomatoes, and two garlic cloves.

Is it better to use chicken breasts or chicken thighs?

You can use either and/or both! This recipe calls for chicken breasts, but you can easily sub in chicken thighs or use a mixture of the two.

meal Tip

Instant Pot Cooking Tip

I recommend using a metal bowl on a trivet/rack inside the Instant Pot for this recipe. It makes your life 10x easier when it comes to shredding and the clean up.

Most Instant Pots come with a metal trivet, but if you don’t have one/or a bowl that will fit, it’s ok to put everything directly into the insert of the pressure cooker.

If you’re not using a trivet, you will want to add the diced tomatoes on top of the chicken and not stir them into the chicken stock to prevent a potential burn notice.

5 photos showing step by step how to make shredded chicken in a pressure cooker.

How to Freeze and Reheat

Storing leftovers: Allow the chicken to fully cool before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Reheating leftovers: Microwave leftover chicken for 30-60 seconds.

Freezing leftovers: Allow the chicken to fully cool before storing it freezer-safe storage. I love to freeze ours in 1-cup Souper Cubes and then transfer the frozen chicken to reusable freezer bags.

What to Serve With This Recipe

These Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos are incredible with Instant Pot cilantro lime rice in a taco salad shell topped with chipotle sauce, cilantro chimichurri, or mango pico de gallo.

I personally love to top mine with pickled radishes and homemade pickled vegetables.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

  • Try our homemade gluten-free taco seasoning.
  • To avoid over or undercooked chicken, it is best to use uniform sizes of chicken breast in the Instant Pot. My pieces of chicken were about 10 oz each.
  • Many people love to shred their chicken with a paddle attachment in a stand mixer. I’m not a fan of this because I find it makes the texture of the chicken too mushy, but do what works best for you.
  • You can easily double this recipe depending on the size of your Instant Pot. Just watch the max fill line of your Instant Pot.
3 soft tacos on a grey board with lots of toppings, limes, etc.
5 from 2 ratings

Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

Servings: 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Pressurizing/depressurizing time: 10 minutes
Total: 17 minutes
3 soft tacos on a grey board with lots of toppings, limes, etc.
Juicy and flavorful, Instant Pot chicken tacos are a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. Perfect for freezer meals and make-ahead dinners, these shredded chicken tacos will become a family favorite. 

Ingredients 

  • 2 lbs chicken breasts {or mix of chicken thighs}
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 14 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes {subbing in salsa ok}
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 cup water

Instructions 

  • Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly and on all sides with taco seasoning.
    2 lbs chicken breasts, 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • In a metal mixing bowl that will fit in your Instant Pot, combine: chicken stock, garlic, tomatoes, and lime juice.
    3/4 cup chicken stock, 2 cloves garlic, chopped, 14 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes, 1 tbsp lime juice
  • Add 1 cup of water to the insert of the Instant Pot. Place a metal trivet in the insert.
    1 cup water
  • Place the bowl with the chicken breasts on top of the trivet.
  • Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>12 minutes for smaller chicken breasts or 15 minutes for large chicken breasts
  • When the Instant Pot has finished cooking, it will beep and switch to ”keep warm".
  • Allow it to sit with the lid on for 10 minutes and then do a manual release with the nozzle set to venting.
  • Shred chicken with two forks.
  • If desired, transfer meat to a foil-lined baking sheet and put under the oven's broiler for 2-3 minutes.

Notes

  1. If you don’t have a trivet and bowl that will fit in the Instant Pot, you can place all the ingredients directly into the insert.
  2. If you’re not using a trivet, you will want to add the diced tomatoes on top of the chicken and not stir them into the chicken stock to prevent a burn notice.
  3. Frozen chicken breasts will need 17 minutes at high pressure. Make sure frozen chicken breasts are separated and not in one big clump.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 6ozCalories: 179kcalCarbohydrates: 0gProtein: 32gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 215mgPotassium: 653mgFiber: 0gSugar: 0gVitamin A: 105IUVitamin C: 10.3mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.8mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Fusion
Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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About Sarah Cook

I'm here to help you make easy, seasonal, and no-fuss recipes for yourself and your family.

Whether it's a quick one-pot dinner or if I am teaching you how to can and preserve local produce, you can consider me your elder millennial grandma

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5 from 2 votes

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6 Comments

  1. I love this chicken taco meat recipe. Super speedy and very versatile for any Mexican dish calling for shredded chicken! 5 stars

  2. Hello, just curious on the best way to defrost and use the left over frozen shredded chicken? Do you usually just thaw it out in the fridge and use the next day? I was worried it would get a weird texture or mushy. 🙂 

    1. I usually defrost it overnight in the fridge. To use, we make more tacos, BBQ chicken sandwiches, or add it to soup (after it has finished cooking).

      It’s never been mushy for us!