These Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Tacos are the perfect recipe for taco night! Shredded juicy chicken in a delicious chipotle broth with a kick of spice from poblano pepper and diced green chiles. Serve on tortillas with all your favorite taco toppings!
As is the case with most instant pot recipes, this instant pot chipotle chicken tacos recipe puts dinner on the table in just 30 minutes! While this recipe is easy to make, it sure doesn’t taste like it was. The broth is filled with savory flavors and the hint of spice melds deliciously with the tender chicken.
These tacos are delicious as they are or you can use the chicken in chicken tortilla soup!
What you need
- Chicken Breast – I use boneless chicken breasts. If you’re using bone-in you’ll want to add a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Chipotle BBQ Sauce – I use Head Country Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
- Chicken Broth
- Onion
- Garlic
- Poblano Pepper
- Diced Green Chiles – be sure to drain the can so you don’t have too much liquid.
- Lime – a squeeze of fresh lime juice adds a delicious brightness to the chicken.
Serving suggestions
I love to serve the chicken meat on tortillas with any or all of these taco toppings:
- Jalapeños
- Avocado
- Pickled Red Onion
- Cotija
- Fire-Roasted Corn
- Diced Cherry Tomatoes
How to make instant pot chipotle chicken tacos
Prep the chicken by placing it in the instant pot with BBQ sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, broth, onion, garlic, poblano peppers, and canned chiles.
Set the timer for 12 minutes and cook. Once the chicken is done cooking, release the steam naturally for 5 minutes, then manually release the rest.
Use two forks to shred the chicken then add in lime juice and stir.
Serve the prepped meat on tortillas and with your desired toppings!
How do you shred chicken?
You can shred the chicken super easily using two forks. Simply hold one fork in each hand and pull the chicken apart or use one fork to hold the chicken in place while you pull pieces off with the other.
Another option is to use your hand mixer to shred it. You can just do that directly in the instant pot as well.
Can you use frozen chicken?
Yes! You can cook chicken straight from frozen in the instant pot. Simply follow the recipe as instructed but add 5 extra minutes to the cooking time.
Can you use chicken thighs?
Yes! If you don’t have any chicken breast on hand, you can swap them for chicken thighs and get the same results.
I actually love using chicken thighs in most cases, but it is hard to find them boneless. If you prefer thighs, you can de-bone them before placing them in the instant pot or just remove the bones after they’re cooked.
Can you make this recipe without an instant pot?
Definitely! If you don’t have an instant pot you can just throw everything into the crockpot instead. Cook it for 5-6 hours and it will come out perfectly!
Tips, tricks, and notes
- Serve with a slotted spoon. This chicken has a lot of liquid. When you serve it, use a slotted spoon so the excess moisture can drain out. You don’t want soggy tortillas!
- If the chicken isn’t shredding easily right away, put the lid back on and cook for another 4 minutes.
- If you use bone-in thighs, add just a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
How to store
Any leftover chipotle chicken will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then microwave or warm on the stove until heated through.
More taco night inspiration
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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Recommended Equipment
- Pressure Cooker / Insta Pot
Ingredients
For the Shredded Chicken Filling:
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- ½ Head Country Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- 1 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- ¼ Onion chopped
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- ½ poblano pepper
- 3 tbsp canned diced green chiles drained
- 1 lime
For the Tacos
- Tortillas
- Jalapenos sliced
- Avocado sliced
- Pickled red onion
- Cotija
- Fire-roasted corn
- Diced cherry tomatoes
Instructions
Prep the chicken
- Place the chicken in the instant pot and toss with the Head County Bar-b-que sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, broth, onion, garlic, poblano peppers, and canned chiles.
- Set the pressure cooker to 12 minutes and allow it to cook.
Release steam
- When done, allow the steam to release naturally for 5 minutes before carefully releasing the remaining steam manually.
Shred Chicken
- With 2 forks, shred the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
- Squirt the juice of one lime over the chicken and stir.
Assemble tacos and Serve
- Assemble your shredded chicken tacos by using a slotted spoon to drain additional juices from the chicken before filling tortillas.
- Top with desired toppings like sliced jalapenos, avocados, pickled red onion, crumbled fresh cotija, fire-roasted corn kernels, and cherry tomatoes.
- Drizzle additional chipotle BBQ sauce over top if you’re feeling feisty.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have chicken breasts, chicken thighs work perfectly in this recipe as well.
- Forgot to thaw the chicken? Cook right from frozen! Just be sure to add 5 more minutes to the pressure cooker time.
- If you open your pressure cooker and find the chicken not easily shredded, shut the lid and cook for another 4 minutes.
Nutrition
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