Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Tacos

On July 26, 2020

Salsa Chicken Tacos are one of the easiest dinners you can make, and yet they are still perfectly flavorful and everyone will love them! This recipe includes methods for both the Slow Cooker and Instant Pot, so use the one that works for the equipment you have.

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken for Tacos and More

This salsa chicken recipe isn’t just great for tacos. Try it as a filling or topping in nachos, enchiladas, tostadas, quesadillas and burritos (and burrito bowls!).

This chicken filling is so easy to throw together, and it uses a few simple ingredients and requires minimal prep.

And did I mention the instant pot salsa chicken is perfectly tender, flavorful and even juicy? You can’t go wrong with this salsa chicken tacos recipe!

The other thing I really love about this recipe is that my entire family loves these pulled chicken tacos! My kids can be picky, but these tacos are 100% kid approved.

And if you don’t get too crazy with the toppings (like cheese/sour cream) then they are healthy too — just stick with the corn tortillas over white flour ones.

Salsa Chicken Ingredients

For the instant pot salsa chicken (or slow cooker, whichever you prefer!), you’ll need:

  • Chicken breasts
  • Spices (ancho chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper)
  • Garlic
  • Bottled salsa
  • Fresh cilantro

And for serving these tacos, you’ll need:

  • Corn or flour tortillas
  • Shredded cheese
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Guacamole or avocado
  • Sour cream
  • Hot sauce

How to Make Salsa Chicken Filling

  • Place chicken in Instant Pot or slow cooker.
  • In a bowl, mix the spices together.
  • Sprinkle spices and garlic over chicken, then pour salsa over chicken to cover.
  • Cook 13 minutes in Instant Pot or 5 hours in slow cooker.
  • Let chicken rest briefly, then shred. Return to salsa mixture, sprinkle in cilantro, and toss.
  • Add salsa chicken to your choice of tacos, burritos, and more!

How to Cook Tortillas

I’m not a big fan of just warming corn tortillas and eating them dry, so I just brush them with olive oil and cook them in a skillet until lightly golden on each side (or just pour about 1 tsp oil into the skillet per side).

Flour tortillas I just warm briefly, about 10 seconds per side, then stack and cover.

Just don’t omit those toppings because they are what makes a taco a taco. As in, bring on the guacamoleeee (or sliced avocados on a lazy day)!

Can I Make This Recipe with Fresh Salsa?

If you’d like to make Instant Pot salsa chicken with fresh salsa instead of bottled, that’s fine! You just may need to add 1/4 cup broth (give or take) to make up for the lack of moisture in the fresh salsa.

Can I Make This Recipe With Chicken Thighs?

Definitely! You’ll want to trim off any excess fat before cooking the chicken though.

Tips for the Best Salsa Chicken

  • Although you can technically add frozen chicken to the Instant Pot, you’ll want to thaw the chicken for this recipe before cooking it in either your Instant Pot or slow cooker.
  • If you’d prefer to make slow cooker chicken tacos, make sure to cook the salsa chicken on low heat. I don’t like to cook chicken on high heat in the slow cooker because I find it doesn’t become quite as tender.
  • I haven’t made a double batch of this recipe yet, so I can’t say for certain how doubling the ingredients would affect the cook time.