Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

This easy Instant Pot Salsa Chicken makes getting a Mexican inspired meal on the table easier than ordering takeout. Make it with chicken breasts or chicken thighs and your favorite red or green salsa. Serve it with some Quick Refried Beans or a Mexican Chopped Salad and save the leftovers for easy meal prep.

This is one of those versatile recipes that will quickly become a staple. It is literally the easiest thing to make and the chicken comes out perfectly tender and delicious every time. Plus you can make so many variations of this dish by switching up the salsa, changing the way you serve it or adding in fun extras like black beans, corn, or even cream cheese! And cooking in a pressure cooker makes everything fast and easy.

When I know we have a particularly busy week coming up, I love to make up a big batch of this on the weekend to have ready to go in the fridge. I can throw it into quesadillas for the kids, add it to cauliflower rice with black beans and cheese for me, or throw it into a quick wrap for lunch on the go. There are so many different uses for salsa chicken and once you start making it, I promise that it will be something you always want to have on hand. 

Can I use any salsa for Instant Pot Salsa Chicken?

The magic of this recipe is that you can constantly switch up the flavors by choosing different salsas to use with the chicken. This also allows you to control the level of spice depending on what your family prefers. Some of our favorites include using roasted green tomatillo salsa, a spicy red taquera salsa, mild chunky red salsa, or a smoky chipotle salsa. You can choose to use a thinner salsa or thicker, chunky salsa depending on what you like best.

Experiment but always remember to only choose a salsa you would happily eat with chips. The salsa is the main flavor component so it needs to be one with a great flavor. You can also make your own homemade salsa for this recipe. This is one of our favorite green salsa recipes.

Homemade Roasted Salsa Verde

• 1 lb tomatillos, husked and washed
• 3/4 onion quartered
• 3 unpeeled garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 2 jalapenos
• 1 lime
• Turn on your broiler and get it nice and hot. Place the whole tomatillos, garlic, jalapenos, and quartered onion pieces in a shallow baking dish and roast under the broiler for about 10 minutes, turning halfway, until vegetables are charred on the outside.. Take them out of the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Pull the stems from the jalapenos. Remove the peel the garlic, it should just squeeze out. Dump everything into a blender. Make sure to also add the juices from the baking dish that seeped out during cooking. Add the cilantro, salt, and juice of one lime. Blend well, adding water or chicken broth if it is too thick.

How can I use frozen chicken in the Instant Pot?

This recipe will work with frozen chicken breasts or frozen chicken thighs as well, you will just have to adjust the cooking time slightly.

• For frozen chicken breasts, they will need about 12 minutes to fully cook. This can vary slightly depending on the size of the chicken breasts, and smaller breasts may cook more quickly, in 8-10 minutes. 
• For frozen chicken thighs, set the Instant Pot to 14 minutes to ensure that the chicken comes out fully cooked. 
• For both recipes, please note that it will take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and they will need to naturally release for 6-8 minutes. 

Make it with Beans and Corn

To make this more of a complete meal, consider adding a can of black beans or pinto beans to the Instant Pot along with some canned or frozen corn. Make sure to drain and rinse any canned vegetables before adding them to the pot. Usually, I will double the spices if I add beans and corn to ensure everything has tons of flavor. Some people also like to add a canned of drained tomatoes as well, especially to a thinner salsa.

Make it creamy

Once the chicken is cooked and shredded, consider adding a creamy element. Try adding in some reduced-fat cream cheese, sour cream, or Greek yogurt to make a creamy salsa chicken. The cream cheese option is seriously amazing. 

Chicken Thighs vs. Chicken Breasts

This recipe can be made with either chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Normally I like to use chicken thighs since they always come out super tender and juicy. However, chicken breasts also work great and have fewer calories and fat. For those on Weight Watchers, this is a 0 point recipe when made with chicken breasts.

Ways to Serve Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

This recipe is incredibly versatile and there are so many different ways to serve this easy salsa chicken. Here are the ones we use the most often:

• Tacos: Heat up some corn tortillas, grab all your favorite toppings, and make the best shredded chicken tacos. We like ours with diced onions, cilantro, avocado, and some queso fresco.
• Burritos: Grab a whole grain or flour tortilla. Load it up with cooked rice or cauliflower rice, beans, lettuce, and salsa chicken. Roll it up and dinner is ready to go! For wet burritos, cover the burritos with some of the extra salsa and then melt cheese on top.
• Burrito Bowls: If you want to save on calories, make a burrito bowl instead using white or brown rice and your favorite beans. Add lettuce, corn salsa, cilantro, and cheese on top.
• Quesadillas: Gran some shredded cheese and salsa chicken to make a really tasty quesadilla. This is a great use for leftovers and a way to create a whole new meal with anything leftover. 
• Meal Prep: This recipe is amazing for meal prep. Make a double or triple batch and pack up the leftovers for lunches all week.

More recipe Ideas for Salsa Chicken in the Instant Pot

Think outside the box and use this salsa chicken to make all kinds of other dishes. Also great for using leftovers.

• Soup: Grab some chicken broth, beans, corn, and diced tomatoes and quickly turn this into a tasty soup. You may need to add some extra spices or could consider adding in a pack of taco seasoning.
• Enchiladas: Roll this into corn tortillas and pour some extra salsa on top. Sprinkle with cheese and cook for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees in a covered dish until the salsa is bubbling and cheese is melted.
• Casserole: Turn this into a salsa chicken casserole by combining it with cooked rice, pinto beans, corn, and undrained diced tomatoes, Drizzle some extra salsa on top and add a layer of cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until cheese melts and everything is heated through.
• Pasta: We love making this into a spicy pasta dish. Once the chicken is cooked and shredded, add in some reduced fat cream cheese. Toss with pasta and some sauteed bell peppers and mushrooms. 

Calories 209, Total Fat 6g, Total Carbohydrate 6g, Protein 30g, Serving Size 6 oz.

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