Instant Pot Mexican Chicken
This Instant Pot Mexican Chicken combines boneless, skinless chicken breasts with fire-roasted diced tomatoes, green chiles, and a blend of chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika for a deeply spiced and moist shredded chicken. The recipe uses pressure cooking to quickly infuse flavors and then thickens the cooking liquid into a sauce with a cornstarch slurry. Cilantro and sliced jalapeños garnish the finished dish, adding fresh herbaceous and spicy notes. This chicken is well-suited for tacos, burritos, bowls, or salads where you want tender, flavorful shredded meat with a balanced, smoky chili profile.
Ingredients
To cook the chicken:
- 5-6 chicken breast boneless and skinless
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced, medium
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin ground
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoons ancho chile pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce optional
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 15 oz diced tomatoes drained, fire-roasted, canned
- 4 oz diced green chiles mild, canned
- 1 cup salsa red or green
- 1 cup chicken broth reduced sodium
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
Slurry:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons water
Garnish:
- jalapeño peppers sliced, fresh
- cilantro chopped, fresh
Instructions
- Add all ingredients from the "to cook the chicken" section to the inner pot of the Instant Pot, starting with the chicken breast and layering the rest of the ingredients. No need to stir.
- Close the lid, and make sure the valve is set to "sealing".
- Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and use the +/- buttons to set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Once the timer beeps, do a 10 minutes Natural Pressure Release, then open the valve to release any remaining pressure. When the pin drops, carefully open the pot.
- Use chicken tongs to remove the chicken breasts to a large bowl and shred them using two forks.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth.
- Click on saute and add the mixture to the pot. Cook for several minutes, stirring often until the sauce thickens.
- Toss the shredded chicken with as much of the sauce as you'd like and serve topped with cilantro and jalapenos.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 279
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 279kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 42g | 84% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 121mg | 40% |
| Sodium | 1185mg | 49% |
| Potassium | 1014mg | 22% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 727IU | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 12mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 64mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.