Instant Pot Chicken and Cheese Taquitos {Freezer Meal}
Find the slow cooker version of this recipe here.
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I was so happy to finally get back in the kitchen this week after the week-long kid camp I help lead at our church each year. Don’t get me wrong. I’m thankful for the free food provided each night for my family, but we were all ready to sit down to a real, homemade dinner. These oven-baked Instant Pot Chicken and Cheese Taquitos hit the spot.
My 8-year-old was thrilled to be back in the kitchen, too. She regularly follows close behind me to practice taking food pictures using my older camera. Oh my heart.
The inspiration for this easy dinner recipe, our Slow Cooker Chicken and Cheese Taquitos, has proven to be a favorite dish in not only our households but many of our readers’ homes. In fact, they made our list of Top 10 Easy Freezer Meals in our FREE mini cookbook. To snag your free copy, simply subscribe to our e-newsletter at the top of our site. You’ll get all our latest real food recipes and blog posts delivered to you once a week.
Here’s the question. What do you do if you want to serve up our Slow Cooker Chicken and Cheese Taquitos for dinner but have frozen solid chicken breasts to work with? Or you miss the cut off time for starting your slow cooker? Instant Pot to the rescue!
The beauty of these adult-and-kid-friendly, hand-held taquitos is that if you freeze them in advance, they can go directly from freezer to oven in about 25 minutes. Next time I make these, I’m for sure doubling the batch to freeze more for later. My family of five scarfed down the eight I made the other night.
To round out the meal and take this crunchy, baked (read: healthier!) meal to the next level, serve with some Homemade Guacamole or Creamy Avocado Dip, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, and your favorite salsa. We love this Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa for something a little different.
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With just a few simple ingredients, this kid-friendly, healthy, Instant Pot chicken dinner takes minutes to whip up. Freezer-friendly, too!
Ingredients
- 1–1 1/2 pounds (2 large) chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
- 1 package of all-natural taco seasoning or 2 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning recipe
- 1 cup chicken broth (or substitute water)
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- ¼ cup your favorite salsa
- 8 8-inch whole grain tortillas
- about 1½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (here’s how to easily shred your own to save money)
- Optional: sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, salsa, guacamole
Instructions
- In your Instant Pot, place chicken breasts. Cover both sides of chicken with taco seasoning. Add broth. Close lid and seal.
- Cook for 7 minutes at high pressure. (If chicken is frozen, cook for 15 minutes total.) Use quick release when the time is up.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Shred chicken with two forks and stir so the seasoning is evenly distributed. Add cream cheese and salsa to shredded chicken and stir until cream cheese is melted.
- Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken mixture (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), leaving a little room at the edges so the filling doesn’t spill out. Top chicken mixture with about 2-3 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Roll up tortillas tightly.
- Place on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment or foil, seam side down. Spray the tops with cooking spray and bake 15-20 minutes, until cheese melts and they are golden brown.
- Serving suggestion: Top with salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, and/or guacamole.
Notes
Freezer Meal Instructions:
To Freeze: Complete the recipe through Step 5. Then, place rolled up tortillas in a freezer bag or freezer container (BEFORE baking) in a single layer. Seal or cover tightly. Freeze.
To 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.)
How would you change the recipe/cook time if you were going to double it?
I would try the same timing. Try to make sure the chicken isn’t stacked, though. Be sure to take an internal temperature when the time is up. If it’s not at 165°F, try a minute or two more. Hope that helps!
I’ve made this three times now in the last two weeks and it’s a huge family hit. So easy and so so yummy!!!
★★★★★
Love hearing that, Emily! Thanks for leaving a review.
Fantastic, everyone loved it.
★★★★★
Great! Thanks for leaving a review.
Is the Meat/Stew button the same as the poultry? My instant pot doesn’t have that option.
Good question. I don’t know, but my Poultry setting goes for 5 minutes on high pressure. So you could set yours to that and then check to make sure the chicken is cooked through. If it’s not, add a few more minutes. Hope that helps!