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+ servings
Mexican Chicken served in a white bowl with avocado chunks, shredded cheese, and chopped cilantro on top.
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5 from 6 votes

Instant Pot Mexican Chicken

Creamy shredded chicken with beans and corn make for a delicious, healthy, and EASY meal served over brown rice.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Come to Pressure Time10 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Course: Chicken
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: instant pot mexican chicken
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 503kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chicken broth Note: Use 1 1/2 - 2 cups for an 8-quart Instant Pot.
  • 1 (1-ounce) package all-natural taco seasoning or 3 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning recipe
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts About 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

Instructions

  • 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.

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving without toppings (chicken mixture & rice only) | Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1517mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g