How long do I cook Instant Pot Mexican Chicken in the pressure cooker?

You might be surprised at the answer. In fact, we wrote an how long to cook chicken breasts in the Instant Pot because so many people are doing it wrong! After loads of recipe testing, we have found that chicken breast is done after just 6-7 minutes at high pressure with a quick release. Be sure to remember, it will take about 10-15 minutes for this meal to "come to pressure" before it begins cooking.

How do I adjust the level of spiciness in this recipe?

Adjust the spice level with the kind of salsa you choose (mild, medium, or hot) and the type of taco seasoning you use. Our Homemade Taco Seasoning is medium heat level but feel free to pull back on the red pepper flakes to reduce this. If you want the dish spicier, add a pinch of cayenne pepper before cooking or hot sauce to the final dish.

How can I make this even healthier?

Feel free to omit the cream cheese for less fat. You can also add in more veggies like cauliflower rice, a little pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree , or some chopped spinach.

Instant Pot Mexican Chicken {One Pot Wonder}

Name: Instant Pot Mexican Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 17 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 cup chicken broth (Note: Use 1 1/2 – 2 cups for an 8 quart Instant Pot); 1 ounce package of all-natural taco seasoning (or 3 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning recipe); 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts); 16 ounces of your favorite salsa (1 1/2 – 2 cups); 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained and rinsed; 6 ounces cream cheese, cubed; 3 cups cooked brown rice or Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice; Optional topping ideas: shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, pickled red onions, minced jalapeños, chopped black olives

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Instant Pot Mexican Chicken

Creamy shredded chicken with beans and corn make for a delicious, healthy, and EASY meal served over brown rice.

Yield: 6 servings 1x

Prep: 10 minutesCook: 7 minutesTotal: 17 minutes

Units:

Scale:

Ingredients

1 cup chicken broth (Note: Use 1 1/2 – 2 cups for an 8 quart Instant Pot)
1 ounce package of all-natural taco seasoning (or 3 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning recipe)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts)
16 ounces of your favorite salsa (1 1/2 – 2 cups)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained and rinsed
6 ounces cream cheese, cubed
3 cups cooked brown rice or Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
Optional topping ideas: shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, pickled red onions, minced jalapeños, chopped black olives

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Instructions

Make It Now:

Note: We tested this in a 6-quart Instant Pot. If using an 8-quart, use 1 1/2 – 2 cups of broth instead of just 1 cup.

In Instant Pot, add broth and taco seasoning. Stir until well combined. Place the chicken in the pot and spoon some of the liquid on top of each piece. Dump the salsa, drained black beans, and corn on top. (Note: It’s important that the broth is on the bottom to avoid a potential “burn notice”.)
Lock and seal the lid. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Then, turn the knob to do a quick release of the pressure. Make sure the chicken is done (165°F internally or no longer pink inside).
Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
Add the chicken back to Instant Pot. Stir in the cubed cream cheese until it melts and blends into the mixture.
Serve over brown rice and top with your favorite Mexican toppings, like diced avocado, lime wedges, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onion, diced red onion, etc.

Freeze For Later:

Method 1 (Uncooked): To a gallon-sized freeze bag, add salsa, taco seasoning, chicken, beans, and corn. Seal, squeezing out any excess air, and squish it around until well combined. Freeze in a round container that’s about the size of the Instant Pot insert (you can even use the IP pot itself and then remove the bag after it’s frozen). Try not to stack the chicken but lay in one flat layer. Freeze along with a bag of frozen brown rice to make a meal kit, if desired.

Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Fully cook and cool the meal. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze along with a bag of frozen rice or cauliflower rice to make a meal kit, if desired.

Prepare From Frozen:

Method 1 (Uncooked): Place the frozen meal in the Instant Pot. Turn on the “Saute” function and cook for 5-10 minutes until some liquid is released. Press “Cancel”. Lock and seal the lid and pressure cook for 15-20 minutes. Use a quick release of the pressure. Check to make sure the chicken is done. Then follow Steps 3-5 of the recipe, shredding the chicken and stirring all the ingredients together to serve.

Method 2 (Fully Cooked): To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and warm on low on the stove or in the microwave. For a quick thaw, use the defrost setting on the microwave. Follow Step 5 for serving instructions.

Notes/Tips

Sneaky Nutrition Tip: If you’d like to add some (tasteless) extra nutrition, stir in a 1/2 – 1 cup of canned pumpkin, butternut squash puree, chopped spinach, or frozen cauliflower rice. (Check out more ways to sneak extra fruits and vegetables into meals.)
Cream Cheese – I’ve only tested it with full-fat cream cheese. (If you try using low-fat cream cheese, let me know in the comments how it works for you.) I think that Kitehill’s Dairy Free Cream Cheese would work well, too.
Salsa – Use your favorite all-natural salsa from the store. I LOVE Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa and have seen it at Walmart, Hy-Vee, and Publix so far.
Taco seasoning – Either make your own using our easy Homemade Taco Seasoning or buy some at the store. I use McCormick’s brand or Siete’s gluten-free taco seasoning.
Dairy-Free Version: Simply leave out the cream cheese or use Kitehill’s Dairy Free Cream Cheese instead, and omit any dairy toppings (like cheese or sour cream). This recipe is still yummy without those!
Gluten-Free Tip: This recipe is naturally gluten-free. However, if using store-bought taco seasoning. make sure it is gluten-free. I like Siete brand.
Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves.

Cuisine: Mexican Method: Instant Pot

Find it online: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/instant-pot-mexican-chicken/