This easy instant pot salsa chicken is saucy, bursting with flavor, extremely easy to make and goes with everything! Make tacos with it or serve it with rice!
Why this recipe works
1. Its an easy, dump and go recipe. No babysitting, no sauteing!
2. This recipe works for family meals, meal planning and parties- it's an all in one!
I love anything with black beans and corn. If the recipe is healthy and simple then all the more better!
In fact, this recipe is a great family meal because everyone can make their plates up as per their wish! Also you can make this for an ARMY!
If you are on a diet, eat this with a salad or on almond tortillas. Just some guac with this saucy chicken and a generous helping of cheese and you have a winner! If you are entertaining, scoop the salsa chicken with some tortilla chips. You could eat this in so so many ways!
If that wasn't enough- It freezes very well - cooked and uncooked. You can dump all the ingredients in a freezer bag and throw it in the freezer. To cook, simply empty the bag in instant pot, cook for 15 minutes on high pressure.
If you aren't into corn and beans as much, try making my chicken tinga or if you like more veggies, then try this fajita chicken.
Here is another great option for your vegan tuesdays or is it thursdays? Instant pot vegan chili.
Ingredients for Salsa Chicken
Here is what you will need. I swear I love this recipe for the amount of prep work that goes into it. Which is ZERO!
Salsa- The most important one. I use the store bought kinds- because they tend to be thicker. Also because I am lazy at times. I highly recommend this one.
Can you use homemade salsa to make salsa chicken ?Yes absolutely! make sure it's the pasty kinds like in this recipe.Chunky salsa will alter the recipe. Though it will still be delicious.
That said, the recipe may change based on the type of salsa you use. If it's thinner than mine, the chicken could potentially have more water. If that happens, saute it for a bit and you should be good to go!
Chicken - I have used chicken breast. Simply because I like the texture of shredded chicken breast. It's possibly the only way i like to eat chicken breast.
You can also use chicken thighs to make this salsa chicken recipe. If you do that, increase the cooking time to 11 minutes.
The cooking time might seem more to you when you compare with other recipes. That's because we want the chicken to be super tender before we shred it.
Beans- I like black beans in mine. You could also use pinto or white beans. A mix of beans will also work well.Make sure you drain the liquid from the can and give the beans a rinse before using.
Corn- Here, I like to use the frozen corn. It's easier and lesser work than slicing it off a corn cobb. But feel free to use fresh corn too! You can also add grilled corn.
Taco Seasoning- Use any store bought variety. You can also make it at home-
- 1 part ground coriander
- 1 part ground cumin
- 1 part thyme
- 1 part garlic powder
- ½ part smoky ground chilli
- ½ part paprika.
This stores well in an airtight container.
How to make Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Step 1: Add ¼ Cup of water to the inner pot. This makes sure you do not get a burn messsage.
Step 2: Place the chicken over it. Sprinkle the taco seasoning and add the salsa. Also dump on the top- Corn and Cooked Beans.DO NOT MIX
Step 3: Pressure Cook on HIGH for 9 minutes. Wait for 5 minutes and then Quick Release, Open the instant pot. Remove the chicken and shred it using forks or use a hand Whisk.
Step 4: Put it back in the sauce and give it a good mix. Let the chicken rest inside the instant pot, in the keep warm setting for 5-10 minutes.
This will make sure everything mixes together.
Tip
To make sure all the flavors combing well, cook your salsa chicken in the liquid after you shred the chicken for 1-2 minutes
How to Serve Mexican Shredded Chicken
This Salsa Chicken is so juicy and tender, I could eat it with anything. But, here are some options
- In a tortilla with some lettuce, onions and maybe some Mexican cheese. Some Greek yogurt on top. Infact, try adding some of this Greek yogurt dip on top. You will love it!
- Over some cilantro rice ,Quinoa or even plain basmati rice.
- Inside a warm dinner roll with some sour cream.
- With tortilla chips & guac.
- You could also make some air fryer taquitos with this.
This is the most fun part of making meals that can be put together as per preference. Here is the list of possible toppings
- Cojito cheese or Any Mexican blend cheese
- Sour cream
- Yogurt
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- sliced avocado
- Pico de Gallo
- Crema
- Hot Sauce
- Crushed nachos- this is so satisfying!
- Sliced jalapenos- Use the pickled ones.
Here are some more instant pot chicken dinner recommendations recipes for you. Instant Pot Fajita Chicken with bell peppers and onions. This is great served with both rice and tortillas. We also make chicken tinga and chicken carnitas in the instant pot.
If you are looking for something cheesy and keto, you must try this crack chicken. A spin on creamy chicken , this Instant Pot chicken stroganoff is delicious with buttered rice.
Here are all my instant pot chicken recipes to make your decision eaasier!
If you made this delicious salsa chicken, drop me a note! Would love to hear your thoughts on it!
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken Breast
- 1.5 Cups Salsa thick, store bought or homemade
- 1 Tablespoon Taco seasoning Optional
- 1 Cup Frozen corn
- 1 Cup Black beans Drained ; Canned or boiled el dente
Instructions
- Add ¼ cup of water in the inner pot of the instant pot.
- Place the chicken breast on top of the water.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning on top of the chicken. Add the salsa on top of it.
- Add the frozen corn and black beans on top of everything.
- Close and select "PRESSURE COOK" for 10 minutes*** on high. If your chicken breasts are larger in size, change this time to 12 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before quick releasing the pressure.
- Open the pot, take the chicken breast out.Shred using two forks or a hand mixer or a stand mixer
- Put it back in the instant pot.Give it a good mix and garnish with cilantro.
Video
Notes
- By adding the water to the pot first, before you add rest of the ingredients, you make sure that the food doesn't burn. All the while using as little water as possible to get juicy saucy chicken.
- You can add more veggies, like bell peppers and carrots.
- We have been loving the seite salsa and Taco seasoning lately and loving it!
- To serve, you can just add it in a warm tortilla with some avocado and your favorite Mexican cheese.
- Another option is to pile it on top of steamed rice or cauliflower rice if you are trying to reduce the carbs.
- Third, my son loves this, just mix it with some cooked pasta and serve.
Ingredient & Cooking Notes
Salsa*- Use your favourite store-bought salsa.Homemade salsa, though great will need to be thick, like the consistency of ketchup. Taco Seasoning**—You can skip this if the salsa is very spicy or you don't have any on hand. Cooking Time***-Increase the cooking time to 12 minutes if the chicken breasts are very large(10 oz or more) For chicken breast- 10 minutes.For chicken thigh- 12 minutes. You need to cook the chicken for more time than usual to shred it. That is why you probably see the cooking time is higher. And as we are cooking the chicken with the liquid, it will be juicy and tender. Burn Message - The water is added to avoid the burn message.If you add the chicken breast directly, it can burn and show the burn message. Watery Sauce- The dish could become watery if the salsa is very thin or the chicken breasts have too much water. In that case, saute the shredded chicken in the sauce for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.Nutrition
More Easy Chicken Dinners
Instapot Salsa Chicken with Frozen Chicken
The best way to use Frozen chicken is to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or in the hot water.
But if you are lazy like me and want to just chuck the chicken in.
Follow the steps below to use frozen chicken in the instant pot.
- Make sure your frozen chicken breasts are separate and not a big mass of 3 chicken breasts toghether. They have to be 3 separate chicken breasts.
- Add 4 minutes more time to the pressure cooking time.Thats it.
Freezer Salsa Chicken
Make this into a freezer instant pot meal.You can have dinner on the table with 0 prep!
Add all the ingredients to the freezer bag. Place it on a tray and freeze it horizontally. You can stack the frozen bags vertically or horizontally and save a lot of freezer space.
While freezing the ingredients- Make sure you flatten the freeze the ingredients. This will make sure all of the chicken breasts are not stuck toghether. That will increase your cooking time.
I do this when i have extra left over salsa.
Tips for Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Burn Message- There is a chance of burn message appearing if you do not add the ¼ Cup of water before adding the chicken. This can also make the chicken watery, especially if the salsa is thin or if the chicken has too much water in it.
Watery Chicken- If the dish turns out watery, you can make it thicker using the SAUTE function. Also, Make sure you drain the beans completely before adding them to the pot.
Common FAQs
Absolutely!
You can add chopped up peppers. They would go wonderfully with this chicken. Adding Celery & Carrots is also a great option. You should add tougher veggies along with the corn.
This Chicken is very versatile. You can make it Whole 30,Paleo and Gluten Free by omitting the beans and using a compliant Salsa.
Serve this with almond flour or cauliflower tortillas for a super healthy, low carb Meal.
It depends on what chicken- breast or thigh, Fresh or frozen you are using.
For chicken breast- 9 minutes. For chicken thigh- 11 minutes.
To shred the chicken, you need to cook it for more time than usual. That is why you probably see the cook time is on the higher side. And because we are cooking the chicken with the liquid, it will be juicy and tender.
When you shred the chicken, it will be easy. You wont need to wrestle with the chicken.
Jamie says
Can I make this with frozen chicken breasts?
chhavi says
Hey! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
Yes you can use frozen chicken breast for this..Increase the pressure cooking time by 5 minutes.
chhavi says
Hey Jamie,
Yes you can though you will have to separate the chicken breasts.Do not put in one whole frozen mass.Also increase the cook time to 15 minutes.
Ashley says
Any direction about natural or quick release after cooking the chicken?
chhavi says
Hey Ashley,
Once the cooking is done, Wait for 5 minutes then quick release the pressure.
chhavi says
If you want to quick release the instant pot, set the time as 12 minutes instead because the chicken continues to cook the time it takes for the natural pressure to release.
Joanne Kelly says
Can I use canned corn instead of frozen?
chhavi says
yup.
Just drain it out completely
chhavi says
yes you can
Kathie says
Any adjustments when using homemade salsa instead of store bought?
chhavi says
Homemade salsa can be a bit runny..as it wont have thickners..You might have to saute the chicken a bit at the end to thicken the dish
Kathie Golder says
Any adjustments when using homemade salsa?
chhavi says
Hey Kathie,
The consistency should be more flowy than chunky..you can see the video to ascertain how the texture of the salsa used is..
chhavi says
Hey Kathie, it depends on what kind of salsa.For this recipe to work, its best to use thick salsa(of the consistency of tomato ketcup), whether homemade or storebought.
Suzi says
The family loved this shredded salsa chicken! I made it as a southwest salad and as burritos with refried black beans, cheddar cheese, shredded chicken, guacamole and sour cream. I had the Costco organic pac so it seemed a bit big. I cooked it for 12 min + 5 natural release. I used a little extra taco seasoning and omitted the beans and corn (picky eaters). After shredding and returning chicken to the pot I pushed the sauté button to cook off a little liquid. It was perfect!
chhavi says
Thankyou so much! I love hearing these success stories!
Jim says
Excellent recipe. Easy, fast, and really tasty. Twelve minute cook time, 5 minute natural release, chicken shredding and 8 minutes on saute because the salsa was rather high in liquid.
I am looking forward to seeing what else you have. Jim in Brampton, Ontario.
chhavi says
Thankyou Jim..take a look at my instant pot chicken recipes to find more options!
Victoria says
I used a spicer salsa (accidentally) so I skipped the taco seasoning, but still really good!!!
chhavi says
Thankyou!
David Puckett says
Can I use pinto beans instead of black beans?
chhavi says
Yes absolutely! Though they tend to be a little big softer.
Pandariam says
Great recipe! Quick, easy, & delicious - had everything on hand and just had to defrost the chicken breast. I served over white rice and topped with white cheddar, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, and Mexican hot sauce called Valentina. It was nice to make on a hot summer day, where I did not have to turn on the stove or oven!
chhavi says
Thankyou so much for taking time out to write this review. I am glad you liked it.I need to try this Mexican sauce!
Leo says
I use this recipe at least once a month. It’s perfect.
chhavi says
thankyou for your comment..
Dee says
Really tasty and really easy! The shredded meat absorbs the sauce nicely. I used cumin, black pepper, turmeric, oregano and chipotle powder instead of taco seasoning & the flavor was great. Cooked 13 min cuz my chix thighs were partially frozen.
Barb says
Absolutely loved this recipe! So easy and quick! The flavors were amazing. Delicious!
Molly says
This was so good! I had some leftover chopped onion and bell pepper that I added as well and it was delicious. Also, thanks for the directions for chicken thighs as we usually choose them over breasts to save a little money.
Anne says
This was really tasty. I didn't use the taco seasoning since hubby doesn't like spice. The salsa had enough flavor and we served it over rice. I added a lot of extra cheese because who doesn't love cheese?
chhavi says
absolutely! Cheese makes everything awesome!
Liv says
It's very flavorful. The chicken shredded with the fork by my daughter who enjoyed it. We’re already thinking of all the ways we can use this; wraps, salads, etc.
chhavi says
Thankyou! Am so glad your daughter enjoyed this...My son loves it in a simple wrap.
Hannah says
I made a batch of this for my meal prep lunches for the weekend when I'm working and it turned out so good.
Lots of flavour and it was even still delicious when reheated. Thanks!
chhavi says
Thanks! This is one of the few ways i like to eat chicken breast!
Mike says
Loved this salsa chicken and it's so easy to make too! I added some sour cream and jalapenos as toppings!
Sheenie says
I cooked this for my mom and she really loved how tasty it was!
Hannah says
This was packed full of flavour, super simple and a real hit with my whole family. Thank you!
Bella says
We all really loved this recipe and will be making it again I am sure!
Olive says
This is really perfect for meal preps! I loved the flavors and the spiciness was just right for me.
Laura says
My salsa turned a bit watery so I followed the tip to turn on the saute option and it did the trick. The salsa came out thick and oozing with flavors! And since we are a Filipino household, you know it was topped over scorching hot rice.
Lauren says
Oh my! I made this for my parents and they loved it! It was so easy and I loved that I didn't have to do anything other than put it in the Instant Pot. What a great summer dish! It was perfect over cilantro rice.
Fifi says
Our dinner last night! So so easy to make. Added sliced avocados and tortilla chips. Kids and husband loves it! So tender and juicy! They requested to make again this week!
Juli says
This recipe was SOOOO easy. I didn't have any corn, but I do think a can of sweet crunchy corn would make it even better! I only had 4 boneless, skinless thighs, and it still came out kick a$$! I absolutely loved this. I consider this a chicken chili and I'm printing this to keep it handy. Recipes like this is what makes my Instant Pot worth keeping!
P.S. the little bit of water in the pot before the chicken is perfect!
logan says
great recipe but 9 minutes was not enough time at all. I had to do a different batch at 14 minutes to it to be perfect temp. 9 minutes was so raw on the inside.
Susan Chiappini says
Question - when we triple the recipe, the ingredients triple but the instructions do not...so do we triple across it all? I'm most concerned about the 1/4 cup of water in the inner pot to avoid the Burn notice...but if I triple it, will the end result be runny?