Instant Pot Chicken Nachos
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Our Instant Pot Chicken Nachos are a great starter meal for the Instant Pot.
We teach you how to make this easy Instant Pot meal from fresh or straight from frozen. The best part about the recipe is that you can customize it how you want and it is a great recipe for large groups.
How Long do I Cook Chicken in the Instant Pot?
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts don’t need long in the Instant Pot. You’ll pressure cook the chicken breasts and sauce for just 7 minutes. Then, use a quick release of the pressure.
That’s usually all you need, otherwise you’ll dry out your chicken. But, be sure to check to make sure the chicken is done using a meat thermometer. It should register 165°F internally. Or, another way to check for doneness is to make sure there is no more pink inside when you cut into it.
During our two years of research and testing, we learned EXACTLY how long to cook meals in the Instant Pot both from fresh OR from frozen. Be sure to download and print off our Cheat Sheet here. It’s so helpful to have inside your cabinet.
Can I Make These in the Slow Cooker?
We know you love versatility! Yes, these can easily be made in the slow cooker as well. Just follow the recipe below and instead of cooking the chicken in the Instant Pot, just cook them on low in the slow cooker for about 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours. Just make sure you don’t overcook your chicken!
How to Serve Instant Pot Nachos
For dinner of course! Why not? It has protein, veggies, and each family member can customize their portion with a variety of Mexican toppings, like shredded lettuce, guacamole, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, etc.
Side dish ideas include cut up fruit, raw veggie sticks with our Creamy Southwest Ranch Sauce, or our Fiesta Chopped Salad.
How to Make it a Freezer Meal
Nachos? A freezer meal?
Yes! Well, kinda. To make Instant Pot Nachos a freezer meal, you’ll just prep and freeze the seasoned chicken before cooking it in the Instant Pot.
Freeze For Later: Place seasoned chicken, salsa, lime juice, and cilantro into a gallon-sized freezer bag or round container. (Make sure to not stack the chicken.) Seal and freeze alongside a bag of shredded cheese. Tip: Set the freezer bag in a bowl in the freezer for a few hours to help it freeze in the shape of the Instant Pot.
Prepare From Frozen: Note: You will need chips and your favorite suggested toppings to complete this meal. Turn on the Saute function. Saute the frozen meal for 5 minutes to release some liquid. Press Cancel. Cook for 15-20 minutes with a quick release.
Want More Freezer Meals for the Instant Pot?
We’ve got you covered. Hop over to this post highlighting 20+ Best of the Best Freezer Meals for the Instant Pot. It includes freezer meal instructions for EVERY recipe plus tons of pro tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years.
Mix It Up!
The chicken in this nacho recipe is really versatile! Try one of these alternate ways of serving the cooked chicken.
- Create a Chicken Burrito Bowl by serving the chicken and your favorite Mexican toppings over rice or quinoa.
- Make quesadillas with the chicken and cheese on whole wheat, corn, or gluten-free tortillas.
- Top a salad with this chicken, corn, black beans, shredded cheddar cheese, and cherry tomatoes. Use our Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette as the dressing.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Instant Pot Chicken Nachos
Instant Pot Chicken Nachos: A simple, lime-infused marinade for chicken breasts produces flavorful and moist shredded chicken with a hint of heat. Use it atop baked nachos, which come together in just minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (p. ?)
- 2 cups of mild salsa (or medium, if you want a little more heat)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 small limes)
- 1/3 cup of chopped cilantro
- Half a bag of tortilla chips
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- Optional Toppings: avocado, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, salsa, lime wedges, fresh chopped cilantro, chopped tomatoes
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Instructions
- Season all sides of the chicken with taco seasoning. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Place chicken, salsa, lime juice, and cilantro in the pot and give it all a stir. Lock and seal the lid. Cook for 7 minutes at high pressure and then quick release the pressure. (Check to make sure the chicken is done, which means no more pink inside and/or registers 165°F internally.)
- Remove the chicken from the pot and either shred it, using two forks, or dice it. Place the chicken back into the juice. Stir it around so it picks up a lot of that flavor and stays moist.
- Preheat the broiler. Cover a sheet pan with parchment or foil for easy clean up. Spread out the tortilla chips on the pan. Top the chips evenly with the shredded chicken (use a slotted spoon to drain excess liquid) and the cheese.
- Broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese has fully melted.
- To serve, top with additional fresh toppings, as desired. Serve immediately.
Freeze For Later: Follow Step 1. Place seasoned chicken, salsa, lime juice, and cilantro into a gallon-sized freezer bag or round container. (Make sure to not stack the chicken.) Seal and freeze alongside a bag of shredded cheese. Tip: Set the freezer bag in a bowl in the freezer for a few hours to help it freeze in the shape of the Instant Pot.
Prepare From Frozen: Note: You will need chips and your favorite suggested toppings to complete this meal. Turn on the Saute function. Saute the frozen meal for 5 minutes to release some liquid. Press Cancel. Follow Steps 2-6, except cook for 15-20 minutes with a quick release.
I really want this to work, but I get the dreaded “food burn” notice. What can I do differently?
Oh man, those dang Instant Pots! We have heard from many testers and readers that the 8 quart Instant Pot gets burn notices frequently on tomato-based foods. The remedy is to add more liquid like chicken stock–basically thin out the liquid portion. Put some stock on the bottom of the pot, then add the chicken and other ingredients. I hope that helps!
Love this easy chicken recipe! The whole family loves the nachos and I froze the chicken for quick quesadilla and tacos another time.
★★★★★
So smart! Can’t let that delicious chicken go to waste!
This is so easy and makes nachos a much easier meal/snack (I was dicing and sautéing chicken with tomatoes before). Thanks for this great tip!
Great! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this.
This was really good. It definitely takes longer than 7 minutes to cook chicken breasts though. So I did 20 minutes high pressure so it would be tender and easier to shred.
★★★★
I chicken breasts are always done in six or seven minutes on high pressure. I only do it longer if they are frozen, which is the same thing this recipe indicates.