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Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken
5 from 6 votes

Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken

Quite possibly the only Mexican shredded chicken recipe you'll ever need! This simple pressure cooker shredded chicken is so flavorful and tender and is perfect for tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, enchiladas, and more!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 Servings
Calories: 303 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 yellow onion or ½ large yellow onion, diced, small
  • 3 lbs chicken thigh boneless skinless
  • 1 diced green chilis 7-oz can
  • 1 enchilada sauce 15-oz can
  • 1 cup salsa of choice
  • sea salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Plug in your pressure cooker and press the Sauté button and add the oil. Allow it to heat up for a few minutes, then add chopped onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. 
  2. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot.
  3. Stir everything until all of the ingredients are well-distributed.
  4. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot. Press “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” and set the timer for 20 minutes, making sure the pressure is set to High heat, not Low heat. Turn the steam valve set to the sealed position (or ‘sealing’) if it isn’t already shut. If you're using frozen chicken, increase the cook time 4 extra minutes for a total of 24 minutes.
  5. The pressure cooker will take about 5 to 10 minutes to heat up. Once it has come to pressure, it will run its 20-minute pressure cook course.
  6. Once finished, allow the Instant Pot to go into natural release all the way and go into Keep Warm mode for at least 15 minutes (ideally one hour if you have the time). After 15 minutes, you can use the quick release to release any remaining pressure.
  7. Open the lid of the Instant Pot and use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred it.
  8. Transfer the chicken back to the Instant Pot with the juices so that it soaks up more flavor.
  9. Use chicken for Instant Pot chicken tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, chicken quesadillas, or taco salad.

Notes

  • *You can also use boneless thighs, breasts, chicken tenders, or a combination of thighs and breasts. I do a combination of chicken thighs and chicken tenders.
  • **Because there is already salt in enchilada sauce and some salsas, I would wait on adding salt until the chicken is finished cooking. You can taste the shredded chicken and add sea salt to your personal taste once it is ready.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1Serving (of 8) Calories 303kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 34g (68%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g (35%) Cholesterol 188mg (63%) Sodium 764mg (32%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 to 8 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 303

% Daily Value*

Serving 1Serving (of 8)
Calories 303kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 8g 3%
Protein 34g 68%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Cholesterol 188mg 63%
Sodium 764mg 32%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 4g 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.