Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken

Mexican shredded chicken in the instant pot.

Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken

Mexican instant pot shredded chicken is so easy to make and uses just 3 ingredients and 30 minutes to make this juicy and tender chicken perfect for tacos, nachos, salads, burritos or taquitos. This instant pot taco chicken is healthy and Whole30, low carb and low FODMAP friendly.

Course dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword instant pot shredded mexican chicken, instant pot shredded taco chicken, mexican shredded chicken instant pot

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 13

Pressure Cooker (up to pressure, natural release) 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 213kcal

Author Samantha Rowland

Cost $8.69 Recipe/$2.17 Serving

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken $8.23
1.5 tbsp. taco seasoning $0.45
1/4 tsp sea salt $0.01
1 cup water $0.00

Instructions

Add chicken to instant pot insert.
Sprinkle the chicken with taco seasoning, salt and pour water around the chicken.
Put the lid on the instant pot, making sure it's set to seal. Turn on high pressure for 13 minutes (chicken thighs) or 15 minutes (chicken breast).
After chicken has come up to pressure and cooked, allow to naturally release at least 10 minutes.
Once pressure has been released, take off the lid then shred the chicken with two forks or hand mixer.

Notes

Top tips

Be sure to cook the chicken long enough so it’s not rubbery. One of the biggest complaints I hear is that the texture of chicken can get weird in an instant pot. That is because the chicken is technically cooked through, but the proteins have not had a chance to break down and get tender. This is why I recommend you to naturally release pressure when cooking shredded chicken in the instant pot.
If your chicken is frozen, add 2 minutes for chicken thighs and 3 minutes for chicken breast (as they tend to freeze in a lump and this extra time helps account for that).
If you are doubling the recipe, add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time to account for the instant pot being more crowded. Technically you shouldn’t have to add more time but if your chicken starts to get stacked on top of each other, adding more time can help account for this and ensure all the chicken is cooked through and tender.
If you don’t have homemade taco seasoning, you can use store bought or you can use 1 tablespoon chili powder + 1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika + 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin + 1/2 teaspoon oregano in place of the taco seasoning in this recipe.
To add even more flavor to the chicken, use chicken broth or stock instead of water.
To keep the chicken juicy, especially when storing, store the chicken in the cooking liquid. As it cools it will absorb some of the liquid and it will help keep the chicken moist and tender while in the fridge. This is especially important if you are using chicken breast (thighs are very forgiving).

How to make shredded Mexican chicken in the slow cooker

Follow the same ingredients and put the chicken in the crockpot. Cover in spices and pour the water around the chicken. Cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

How to make shredded Mexican chicken on the stove

You will essentially be poaching the chicken on the stove. Add the chicken to the pot, sprinkle with seasoning then add enough water so that there is about 1 inch of water above the chicken (the chicken should be fully submerged in water).

Put the pot on high heat, bringing it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to low and simmer with a lid on for 15-20 minutes until the thickest chicken is cooked to 165F and shreds easily.

When storing, you will not need to keep all this liquid, as you need more to poach chicken than you do to cook it in the instant pot or slow cooker.

Storing leftovers

Fridge: Store leftover chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I recommend storing the chicken in some of the cooking liquid to help keep it moist and tender.
Freezer: Freeze leftover chicken for up to 3 months. Shredded chicken freezes well and can be frozen in 1/2 cup or 1 cup portions to easily defrost for a single meal (for reference a pound of chicken is typically 3 cups of shredded chicken). I use Soupercubes to freeze the chicken in 1 cup portions. Defrost in the fridge for easy use.
Reheat: To reheat the chicken without it drying out, add ½ cup of chicken broth with shredded chicken to a pot and heat on medium low heat, covered. Reheat until warmed through (7-10 minutes). You can also reheat in the microwave 1-2 minutes.

Nutrition