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Home Recipe Index Freezer Meals Freezer Chicken & Turkey

Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos

4.9 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 2/6/24Updated: 3/24/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This kid-friendly Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos recipe will become your new weeknight dinner best friend. With the help of the Instant Pot, dinner is done in a flash. The creamy chicken filling wrapped up in a crispy tortilla is a crowd-pleaser.

“I make these all the time and keep plenty on hand for quick and easy dinners.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

– Aime L.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos stacked up on a plate with a bowl of salsa next to it. this …


 
Table of Contents
  • What We LOVE About Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos
  • More Taquito Recipes
  • Main Ingredients
  • How to Make Instant Pot Taquitos
  • Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
  • How to Freeze Taquitos
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Side Dish Ideas for Taquitos
  • Tip: Freeze Leftover Tortillas
  • Instant Pot Chicken and Cheese Taquitos

What We LOVE About Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos

  1. Quick Dinner: If you missed the window for the slow cooker Chicken Taquitos version of this recipe, you can still make it in the Instant Pot in time for dinner.
  2. Can Use Frozen Chicken Breasts! Unlike the slow cooker, you can cook frozen meat directly in the Instant Pot.
  3. Make Ahead and Freeze: Once you’ve rolled up your taquitos, you can either cook them right away or freeze them for later.
  4. Cooks Directly From Frozen: The AMAZING thing about this particular freezer meal recipe is that you can take out however many taquitos you want from the freezer and cook them DIRECTLY FROM FROZEN. This is the perfect solution for those busy weeknight meals.
Stack of beef taquitos with cheese melting out of them.

More Taquito Recipes

If you like taquitos, be sure to check out our beef taquito recipe. It’s made a in a similar way and is also freezer friendly.

See Beef Taquitos

Main Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for taquitos.
  • Chicken breasts
  • Taco seasoning – Or use 2 tablespoons of our homemade taco seasoning recipe
  • Cream cheese
  • Salsa – Your choice of spice level.
  • Tortillas
  • Shredded cheddar – Pepper jack cheese will work too.

How to Make Instant Pot Taquitos

Season the Chicken

Start by placing your chicken breasts in the Instant Pot and then season with some Homemade Taco Seasoning. Then, add some chicken broth.

Chicken breasts with seasoning and broth in an Instant Pot.

Pressure Cook the Chicken

Now here’s the key: Do not overcook your chicken! If you follow our recipe, you’re good to go. But…be sure to download and print off our Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart that we spent two years developing for our cookbook. This guide will help you pressure cook both fresh and frozen meals perfectly! It’s our gift to you!

Instant Pot cooking times chart printable laid out.
A Must Have for Instant Pot Users

Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart

After testing hundreds of Instant Pot recipes, we have honed in on the best timing and methods for cooking different types of meals in the Instant Pot.

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Make the Filling

Once that chicken has cooked, grab two forks and give it a good shred. Return it to the Instant Pot and stir it around with the broth. Add cream cheese and salsa and stir until it’s nice and creamy.

Seasoned shredded chicken on a wooden cutting board.

Wrap up & Bake

Next, add a scoop of chicken mixture and some shredded cheese in each tortilla. Tightly roll them up and place them seam-side down on the baking sheet.

Pop the rolled-up taquitos in the oven until they are melty and golden brown.

Shredded cheese being sprinkled into tortillas on top of a shredded chicken mixture.

How to Freeze Taquitos

Freeze It For Later: Place rolled up tortillas side-by-side in a single later in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal tightly and freeze.

Prepare From Frozen: When ready to bake, you have two options:

Method 1 (Thawed): Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in the microwave using the defrost setting. Bake as directed, beginning with Step 6.

Method 2 (From Frozen): Follow Steps 6-8, but cover the frozen taquitos with foil after spraying them with cooking spray. Then, bake for about 25 minutes or until warmed through. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Chicken Taquitos rolled up and in a freezer bag for a freezer meal.

Recipe FAQs

Am I supposed to drain off the liquid after shredding the chicken before adding the cream cheese and salsa?

Depending on the type of chicken and salsa you use, the consistency can vary. I usually drain off some of the liquid if it’s too soupy. It should be fairly thick.

Is there a way to bake the chicken instead of using the Instant Pot?

Definitely. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, until done.

Can I cook these straight from frozen?

Yes! Cover the frozen taquitos with foil after spraying them with cooking spray. Then, bake for about 25 minutes or until warmed through. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Side Dish Ideas for Taquitos

We love Mexican recipes! Here are a few that would pair well with Taquitos.

Avocado salsa in a white bowl with chips surrounding it.

Avocado Salsa

Homemade guacamole in a bowl with blue corn chips around it.

Chips and Guacamole

Fiesta salad in a white bowl with serving spoons.

Fiesta Salad

Mexican chopped salad in a white bowl.

Mexican Chopped Salad

See 25+ Mexican Recipes

Tip: Freeze Leftover Tortillas

If you have leftover tortillas, did you know you can freeze them? Here is the best way to freeze tortillas for later.

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Chicken and Cheese Taquitos piled on a serving platter with avocado lime salsa on top.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 14 reviews

Instant Pot Chicken and Cheese Taquitos

With just a few simple ingredients, this kid-friendly Instant Pot chicken dinner takes minutes to whip up. It’s also freezer-friendly and goes straight from the freezer to the oven!

Yield: 4 servings (2 taquitos per person) 1x
Prep: 5 minutesCook: 40 minutesTotal: 45 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1–1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 package taco seasoning or 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning recipe
  • 1 cup chicken broth (sub: turkey stock or water)
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup your favorite salsa
  • 8 (8-inch) tortillas (we use whole wheat tortillas; corn tortillas won’t work)
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (here’s how to easily shred your own)
  • Optional: sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, salsa, guacamole

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. Place chicken breasts in your Instant Pot. Cover both sides of chicken with taco seasoning. Add the broth. Lock and seal the lid.
  2. Cook for 7 minutes at high pressure. (If chicken is frozen, cook for 15 minutes at high pressure.) Use a quick release when the time is up or you can use a natural release, if you have time. (Note: The chicken is done when it registers 165°F internally or has no more pink inside.)
  3. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  4. Shred the chicken in the pot with two forks and stir it with the broth so the seasoning is evenly distributed. Add cream cheese and salsa to the shredded chicken and stir until the cream cheese is melted.
  5. Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken mixture. (Important tip: Drain off the extra liquid from the chicken as you remove it from the pot; I just used two forks to transfer it to the tortillas.) Leave a little room at the edges so the filling doesn’t spill out. Top the chicken mixture with 2-3 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Roll up tortillas tightly. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
  6. Place the rolled tortillas on the baking sheet, seam side down. Spray the tops with cooking spray. You can also sprinkle any remaining cheese over the tops, if you like. Bake 15-20 minutes, until cheese melts and they are golden brown.
  7. Serving suggestion: Top with salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, and/or guacamole.

Freeze For Later: Complete the recipe through Step 5. Then, place rolled up tortillas in a freezer bag or freezer container (BEFORE baking) in a single layer. Separate the single layers with parchment paper. Seal tightly and freeze.

Prepare From Frozen: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place frozen taquitos on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper or foil. Cover them lightly with a piece of foil (so they don’t brown too quickly). Bake for about 25 minutes or until warmed through and cheese is melty. Remove foil and bake about 5-10 more minutes until golden brown on top. (Note: You can use the broiler to crisp them up at the end for about 2 minutes, if desired. Watch them closely so they don’t burn.)


Notes/Tips

  • For Slow Cooker instructions, try our Slow Cooker Chicken and Cheese Taquitos.
  • Storage Tip: A great way to store this freezer meal or leftovers is in our favorite reusable freezer bags.
  • Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our chicken from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, grass-fed beef, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves.
  • Download and print our free Instant Pot Cooking Times chart here. Learn more about our rigorously-tested Instant Pot cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, here.
© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: Mexican Method: Instant Pot

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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. Cheri says

    Posted on 2/11/25 at 7:10 pm

    I made some with jalapeno cream cheese for some added kick. Yum!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 2/12/25 at 9:33 am

      That sounds delicious Cheri! Thanks for leaving a review with your substitution.

      Reply
  2. Morgan says

    Posted on 1/26/25 at 2:14 pm

    I make this without the cheddar cheese in the filling (I’ll put it on top for me) and my cheese-hating husband asks for it routinely! I love having a taquito with a big bowl of the Fiesta Chopped Salad.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/26/25 at 2:18 pm

      So great when recipes can be tweaked to make everyone in the family happy! Thanks for letting us know what works for you. Glad you enjoyed this recipe Morgan!

      Reply
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