Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe

Name: Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Ingredients: 1 pound Chicken Breasts or Chicken Tenderloins; 1 cup salsa; 1½ tablespoons taco seasoning ((or 1 packet)); lettuce; tomatoes; sour cream; shredded cheese; diced avocado or guacamole; jalapeno; cilantro; red onion; salsa

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Taco night just got better with these Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos! This simple recipe creates pulled chicken tacos in under 15 minutes.

Chicken tacos on a wood board with a cut lime next to them. — Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

Taco Tuesday is a family favorite. This chicken recipe is one your whole family will love.

This simple recipe creates flavorful tacos that you can load with your favorite toppings like these Instant Pot Black Beans! The chicken cooks quickly which means dinner is ready before you know it!

Don’t forget to use this Homemade Taco Seasoning for your flavorful chicken tacos. It is the perfect chicken taco seasoning recipe. Plus it's a great way to use those spices like chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin that have been sitting in your cabinet!

Looking for another easy Instant Pot dinner? Try delicious Instant Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup. It is the best dinner for a cool evening.

Why You'll Love Pressure Cooker Chicken Tacos

This easy recipe is done in under 15 minutes!
Double this chicken taco recipe to feed a crowd. Create a taco bar with lots of fun toppings.
The shredded chicken can be used on taco salad, on nachos, in chicken tortilla soup, or in enchiladas.

Recipe Ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make shredded chicken tacos.

The ingredients for instant pot shredded chicken tacos.

Boneless Chicken Breasts or Chicken Tenderloins will be cooked and shredded for the tacos.

Salsa adds moisture and another layer of flavor.

Taco Seasoning adds flavor to the chicken tacos.

Flour Tortillas, Corn Tortillas or Hard Taco Shells are the perfect way to hold the chicken filling.

The toppings are endless for these tacos. Look below of the list of optional toppings.

How to Make Shredded Chicken Tacos

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full recipe with ingredient measurements is in the recipe card below!

Add the chicken, salsa, and tacos seasoning to the instant pot. Mix the chicken mixture.

Raw chicken, salsa and taco seasoning mixture in the Instant Pot.

Select high pressure and set the timer for 6 minutes. Next, do a 5 minutes natural release. Finish with a quick release.

Instant pot with the timer set for 6 minutes.

Carefully remove the chicken into a bowl.

Pro Tip: Add some of the liquid from the instant pot to keep the chicken moist while you are shredding it.

Cooked chicken in a glass bowl with two forks.

Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.

Two hands using forks to shred the chicken.

Enjoy these delicious tacos on flour tortillas, corn tortillas, hard shell tacos, or as nachos! Look below for topping options for your Instant Pot Chicken Tacos!

Four chicken tacos on a wood board with a cut lime next to them.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Warm the flour tortillas with a wet paper towel on top in the microwave. Warm tortillas are easier to roll up.
Heat corn tortillas on a dry pan or fry them in a little oil before filling them.
Stretch the meat further by adding drained and rinsed black beans and corn to your pulled chicken tacos.
Shred the chicken in the liquid it cooked in. It helps keep the chicken moist.

What to Serve with Chicken Tacos

Get out your cutting board ready and try some of these favorite taco toppings!

Lettuce

Cheese

Fresh Cilantro

Lime

Jalapeños

Tomato

Red Onion

Pico De Gallo or Fresh Salsa

Avocado or Guacamole

Sour Cream or Unsweetened Greek Yogurt

Refried Beans

Toppings for tacos on a large white platter.

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat the chicken in the microwave or on the stove in a saucepan.
Freezing: Chicken can be frozen in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Additions and Substitutions

Chicken Thighs: You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts/tenderloins.
Black Beans: Drain and rinse canned black beans. Add them to the instant pot to warm up while you are shredding the chicken.
Corn: Add frozen or drained canned corn to the instant pot before starting it.
Spicy: Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to give your Mexican chicken tacos a spicy kick.
Healthy: Serve the chicken on a bed of romaine lettuce using some of the healthy toppings such as cilantro, pico de gallo, and avocado. It is one of our favorite healthy recipes.

Variations

Add the shredded chicken to enchiladas, chicken tortilla soup, chicken taquitos, or nachos.
Swap the traditional salsa for pineapple salsa to create Hawaiian-inspired tacos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make shredded chicken tacos in the crockpot?

Slow cooker chicken tacos are great for days when you know you have a busy night ahead. Add the same ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Shred the chicken. Give crockpot chicken tacos a try!

How to make shredded chicken for tacos?

Add chicken, salsa and taco seasoning to the instant pot or crockpot. For the Instant Pot it is done in 6 minutes with 5 minutes natural release. In the slow cooker, it is done in 6 hours. The chicken should easily pull apart.

Can you stack chicken in the Instant Pot?

Yes, you can pile chicken on top of each other in the instant pot. The more food and liquid you add to the Instant Pot the longer it will take to come to pressure.

Chicken tacos lined up in a row on a wood board.

Close up picture of the chicken tacos with red onion, cilantro and avocado on them.

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5 from 5 votes