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Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

This is one of the easiest and most versatile dishes you can make in the Instant
Pot! Only two ingredients needed; chicken and
salsa . A quick 15 minutes cook time in the Instant Pot and you’ve got the most juicy,
flavorful shredded chicken that can be served so many ways. Use to make tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, sandwiches and so much more.



Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 128kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • 16 oz. fresh or jarred salsa
  • Extra salsa for adding to cooked chicken (optional)

Instructions

  • Place chicken in the Instant Pot. Pour salsa over chicken.
  • Lock the lid and set value to SEALINSet Instant Pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK on High Pressure for 15 minutes. Once cooking cycle is complete do a QUICK RELEASE to release pressure from the pot. Transfer the chicken (with tongs or a forto a cutting board, reserving cooking liquid in Instant Pot.
  • Shred chicken breast with two forks. Transfer chicken to a large bowl. Spoon reserved cooking liquid over chicken until desired level of juiciness (You may not need/want to use all reserved liquid). If you have extra salsa you can add some additional to the chicken, if desired.

Notes

What type of salsa to use for Salsa Chicken
Here’s the beauty of this recipe, you can use any type of salsa you like! You can use fresh or jarred salsa or if you’re so inclined homemade salsa. You can use mild, medium, hot or even salsa verde for a tasty twist. 
If using extra chunky salsa
If you are using an extra chunky salsa you’ll want to add ¼ cup of water to the pot along with the salsa, since the salsa is the only liquid we’ll be using in the Instant Pot ( we don’t want to dreaded “burn” message).
Can I use frozen chicken?
Yes, no problem! You can use frozen chicken. Cook time remains the same, it just takes the pot a little longer to come to pressure with frozen chicken.
Can you use chicken thighs to make salsa chicken?
Sure, you can use boneless , skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. Just  change  the cook time to 8 minutes.
Freeze for future meals
Salsa chicken freezes really well. I like to portion mine out and package it in freezer bags so I can easily use for future meals.
Can this be made in a slow cooker instead? 
Absolutely! Use the same ingredients listed and place chicken into slow cooker. Cover chicken with Salsa and cook on high for 1 ½ - 2 hours. Follow the rest of the recipe for instructions on shredding chicken. If using frozen chicken make sure to thaw before adding it to the slow cooker.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 23.8g | Fat: 2.7g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 137.9mg | Fiber: 1g