Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

Instant Pot salsa chicken comes out so juicy and flavorful, with just a handful of ingredients! Use it up in tacos, in wraps, on pizza, or just enjoy as is.

I just love how chicken breasts cook in the Instant Pot- they come out juicy each and every time. While I have 7 Instant Pot chicken breast recipes on the blog already, this Instant Pot salsa chicken recipe is another great one to add to your rotation!

It's amazing how quickly you can have this on your table; you need just six simple ingredients and five minutes to get it cooking. Use it up where you'd use rotisserie chicken, or enjoy it as is.

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Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this Instant Pot salsa chicken. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Ingredient notes

• salsa- we used medium chunky salsa for this recipe; use your favorite brand!
• water- while we didn't get the burn warning, we've added ¼ cup of water to help thin out the salsa just in case
• chili powder- go for the paprika-based spice blend, and not pure powdered chilies
• chicken- the recipe is written for boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can easily swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs, increasing the cook time to 10 minutes at high pressure with a quick pressure release.

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Step by step directions

1. Combine- In the inner pot of the Instant Pot, combine the salsa, water, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir until well combined, then add the chicken breasts and turn to coat.

TIP- this recipe was successfully tested in both a 6 quart Instant Pot and an 8 quart Instant Pot!

2. Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the 'sealing' position, then pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. When the cooking cycle has completed, carefully release the pressure immediately (quick pressure release).

3. Shred- Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean bowl, and shred using two forks or a hand mixer.

TIP- shred your chicken in seconds with an electric hand mixer!

4. Toss- Return shredded chicken to the Instant Pot. Add lime juice, and toss everything up in the sauce. Enjoy!

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How to serve salsa chicken

• burrito bowl- serve with rice (or cauliflower rice), corn and black beans, cheese, pico de gallo and your favorite additions
• quesadillas- add with shredded cheese and fresh tomatoes. See healthy chicken quesadillas
• wraps- top with romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, avocado and sour cream
• nachos- top tortilla chips with salsa chicken, jalapenos, tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers and cheese

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Meal prep & storage

Leftovers/reheat meals

Salsa chicken stores really well in both the fridge and freezer. Here's how to do it:

1. Cool completely, then portion out into an air tight container or reusable silicone bag.
2. Store in the fridge (4 days) or the freezer (3 months).
3. Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot, or in a frying pan, using tongs to stir and flip it up, until steaming hot.

Instant Pot freezer meal

An Instant Pot freezer meal is assembled ahead and frozen before cooking. This way, when it's time to cook, you simply dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and skip any measuring. This is a great recipe to prepare for someone who is expecting a baby.

Here’s how you can turn this recipe into a freezer meal:

1. Combine the chicken, salsa, water, chili powder, cumin and salt in a ½ gallon or larger freezer bag or silicone bag, or an 8 cup meal prep container. Stir to combine, and squeeze out as much air as possible.
2. Freeze for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw completely, then cook as directed in the recipe card.

TIP- make sure you label the bag with thawing and cooking directions

More Instant Pot chicken recipes