Tacos night, anyone? These Instant Pot BBQ chicken tacos are both healthy and delicious. Made with shredded, saucy BBQ meat and topped with zesty and sweet pineapple salsa for that unforgettable tropical twist. This is a guest recipe from Jessie Van Slyke of Kitschen Cat.
We’re big fans of this guest recipe from Jessie because you can make the shredded chicken ahead of time and enjoy it in tacos or as a filling in a lunch sandwich or a wrap, or even in a salad. Make sure to check out Jessie blog Kitschen Cat when you get a chance, as she has a lot of great Instant Pot recipes. We are loving her pressure cooker sausage and egg breakfast tacos right now.
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
Guys, this is seriously the easiest recipe ever! Making chicken tacos in Instant Pot is eas simple as adding the meat (in this case whole chicken breasts), some seasoning (you can start with salt and pepper but why not add some cumin, paprika and coriander seed or a premixed Mexican blend), and water. You can then choose to add a cup of barbecue sauce, salsa sauce or simple marinara sauce.
Pop the lid on top, set the Instant Pot to cook (see full instructions below) and relax or use that time to make your favorite sides (such as the pineapple salsa).
Once the coked, quick release and shred the breasts with two forks or an electric whisk (did you know that trick?). This method of cooking the chicken together with the sauce and seasoning results in the most delicious, saucy shredded meat ever! Here is the version Jess made.
Fresh or Frozen Chicken For Tacos?
Jessie originally used 2 frozen chicken breasts, which required 22 minutes under HIGH pressure but the recipe below is for regular, thawed chicken. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pineapple salsa or one of the suggested sides below.
By the way, you can freeze the finished BBQ chicken for up to 3 months too. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat before using.
Learn how to cook different types of Instant Pot frozen chicken here.
Chicken Tacos Salsas & Fillings
While the BBQ chicken meat is delicious as it is, the tacos need a little something to complete and elevate them. In Jess's recipe, she used a super simple pineapple salsa made with some green chili, onion and cilantro. It's fresh and zesty and compliments our sweet, saucy chicken.
Here are a few other toppings you can try: freshly made guacamole or chopped avocado, fresh pico de gallo salsa, freshly shredded cabbage slaw or just some cabbage, regular tomato salsa, mango salsa, pickled red onions, crumbled or grated cheese, sliced radish, halved cherry tomatoes, Mexican rice or yellow rice, shredded cos or iceberg lettuce.
We hope you enjoy these very easy Instant Pot chicken tacos with whichever toppings and salsas you choose.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
- Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos
- Instant Pot Beef & Rice Burritos
- Instant Pot Vietnamese Beef Brisket Tacos
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- 20+ Mexican Instant Pot Recipes To Try
- Instant Pot Mexican Bean Salad
Full Recipe
Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let us know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.
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Instant Pot Chicken Tacos With Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 4 large flour tortillas
Pineapple Slaw/Salsa
- 1 cup pineapple fresh, diced
- 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
- ¼ cup white onion minced
- ¼ cup torn cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup cherry tomatoes quartered
Instructions
- Whisk together water, barbecue sauce, salt, and pepper in pressure cooker then add whole chicken breasts.
- Lock lid and set to high pressure for 15 minutes.
- When time is up, let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then release all remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken from pot and shred using two forks.
- Turn pressure cooker onto sauté setting and add cornstarch mixture, whisking until sauce thickens.
- Add chicken back to pressure cooker and heat through.
- To make slaw, toss together all ingredients.
- To assemble tacos, pile BBQ chicken onto a tortilla then top with pineapple slaw. Repeat with remaining chicken and slaw.
Notes
Nutrition
SAVE BBQ CHICKEN TACOS TO PINTEREST
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