When life gets busy, it’s great to have a way to throw something in the Instant Pot and still end up having an easy, delicious meal that’s full of whole, healthy foods. That’s why I love this Salsa Chicken Instant Pot Recipe. It’s so simple and easy, and it gives you a base for pretty much any kind of Mexican meal. You can use Mexican Chicken in quesadillas, tacos, taco salad, or enchiladas.
Salsa Chicken Instant Pot
Course: DinnerCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes40
minutes105
kcalIngredients
3 Chicken Breasts
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
16 oz Fresh Salsa (*See Note 1)
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tab Taco Seasoning (*See Note 2)
1 Tsp Oregano
Directions
- Take the chicken breasts and trim off any unwanted fat. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Cover the bottom of the instant pot with half of the salsa. Add the chicken. Pour the rest of the salsa over the top. Sprinkle garlic powder, taco seasoning, and oregano into the pot.
- Put on lid and turn Instant Pot valve to “seal.” Push “pressure cook” and set time for about 11 minutes. Feel free to adjust the time depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
- When countdown has ended, let sit in the instant pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. Then, release the steam. You can cover the spout with a kitchen towel to keep it from spraying steam everywhere while it releases.
- Move the chicken to a separate bowl and shred. If you have a kitchen aid, you can just use the mixer to shred the chicken.
- Add back in some of the juices from the instant pot and serve. I add in about half of the juices to get all of that flavor, but you can adjust the amount depending on what you’re making with the chicken and how juicy you want it.
Notes
- For the salsa, we like to use fresh salsa that just has fresh veggies without a lot of additives. You can find this in most stores near the deli section.
- A lot of seasonings have added sugars and preservatives. The McCormick taco seasoning is one that usually just has spices without a lot of unnecessary additives.
Prepping Meals for a Few Days
When my daughter is in the middle of sports season, it can be challenging to serve the family healthy meals. Sometimes, just throwing a frozen pizza in the oven is easier. One thing that makes a huge difference for us is making a meat we can use for more than one night. For example, we’ll grill burgers on a Saturday night and have leftover meat for Monday after practice or a game. We marinade chicken and grill it with roasted veggies on a Sunday and turn around and have grilled chicken hummus wraps or cheesy grilled chicken sandwiches on a Tuesday.
Doing the work on a day when we’re home, but making enough to enjoy later, has really helped us stay on track in eating meals that are both yummy and healthy. This Salsa Chicken Instant Pot recipe is one of those versatile recipes that we can make one night and eat different ways later in the week.
How Easy is This Salsa Chicken Instant Pot Recipe
My husband often has Mexican potluck for lunch at work. This is his go-to recipe. I can start it in the instant pot in about 10 minutes, and then he can just swing by and grab it. Everyone seems to love it, and it’s one of those Mexican chicken recipes that you can use in everything.
Using the Kitchen Aid to shred the chicken is also a major time saver. It does all of the work for you in a matter of seconds. I have shredded it by hand with a fork and a knife, but the Kitchen Aid makes it so quick and easy.
Some of My Favorite Ways to Eat Salsa Chicken
One of my favorites for the Salsa Chicken Instant Pot recipe is in cheese quesadillas. Just add some cheese onto a low-carb wrap, sprinkle any veggies you want (this is optional, but peppers and red onions are amazing, and you can even add some spinach to get more veggies in), and grill it on the stove. So delicious! That was actually my dinner last night.
You can also eat it over a salad or on a regular taco. We’ve even made cheesy enchiladas with this meat as the base. Because there are so many ways to serve it, you can make this recipe and eat it one way and then enjoy it another way a few days later. That gives you both variety and two quick and easy meals. And who doesn’t love Mexican?
Is This Salsa Chicken Instant Pot Recipe Healthy
This recipe is made up of whole foods. It’s pretty much just protein, salsa, and seasonings. If you’re trying to build muscle or tone up, adding more protein into your diet is a great way to help you get stronger.
Honestly, what you eat with Salsa Chicken determines if it’s a healthy meal or not. If you’re adding a bunch of carbs to it, like white processed chips, regular tortillas, and a bunch of rice and beans, you can create an unbalanced meal. Adding in veggies and being aware of the carbs can help you create a healthy meal. To read more about creating the perfect plate, click here. Also, if you’re trying to figure out which wraps and chips are healthier options, you can read more here.
Check Your Labels
You may also want to take a minute to read the labels of the ingredients you’re putting into your recipe. A lot of seasoning mixes, including one of my favorites “Lawry’s Garlic Salt” have added sugar or preservatives added in. You can end up getting a bunch of unwanted chemicals in things like your taco seasoning and salsa. Just taking a quick survey of what’s in those foods can help you get one step closer to a clean, whole foods meal.
Also keep in mind that companies are constantly changing their recipes. Just because McCormick Taco Seasoning is one I’m recommending now doesn’t mean it will still be clean in 4 months. I just discovered that one of my favorite protein bars has revamped it’s entire line, so now every bar has sucralose added in. Periodically checking your labels to make sure they’re as healthy as you think can be helpful. It’s steps like these that will make a difference over the long-haul and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle in the years to come!
