I finally got an Instant Pot and now know what all the hype is about! Gone are the days where I panic when I get home late from work. This Mexican shredded chicken comes together in 30 minutes total!
Instant Pot’s are so versatile, they have a ton of functions such as slow cooking, rice making, sautéing, etc. They are most well known for their pressure cooking abilities. The inside becomes pressurized, leading to your food being prepared more quickly. I was excited because I’ve always wanted one and I won this in a contest for my Bolognese recipe.
I added 2 whole chicken breasts, a cup of chicken broth (depending on the size of your instant pot, it may require more liquid as the minimum), and my favorite spice blend. In the blend is: dark chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper.
Mix together the spice blend in a small bowl, then sprinkle it on top to cover the chicken.
I have the digital version, but the same settings will apply to the other models. I selected “high pressure”, 10 minutes cook time, and my keep warm setting was on. Depending on how many chicken breasts you have inside will affect the preheating time, mine took about 10 minutes to come to pressure. After the 10 minutes of cooking, I do a natural release of 10 minutes. Once the needle has dropped, you can safely open the pot.
You can shred the chicken in the instant pot itself, but be careful that the pot is hot. I prefer to take tongs, place it on a cutting board, and using two forks shred the chicken.
I place the chicken back into my instant pot and mix it with all the juices. (Don’t sleep on how delicious all those juices are at the bottom).
This chicken is so versatile, some of the dishes I use it in are: my chicken enchiladas, shredded chicken fajitas, and it can be used for meal prep too!
If using frozen chicken, I would add 2 extra minutes to the cook time. Also, if the chicken breasts are extremely thick, consider cutting them in half to be more thin because I have noticed the chicken will come out tough. I hope you enjoy using your Instant Pot as much as I do!
Things you’ll need: Instant Pot, small bowl to mix spices, tongs, two forks, cutting board to shred
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PrintInstant Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken
This Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken is cooked quickly in the pressure cooker and comes out so tender/easily shreddable! Perfect for enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, or meal prep!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp dark chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pour chicken broth into the instant pot and place the chicken breasts side by side into the broth. Mix seasonings together in a small bowl and then evenly sprinkle over the top of the chicken.
- Place the lid onto the pressure cooker and lock into place. Turn on instant pot, select “Pressure Cook” setting, set to “high pressure” for 10 minutes, and start. Allow to come to pressure, depending on how much chicken is inside, can take 8-10 minutes. After it has come to pressure it will cook for 10 minutes.
- Once the timer has expired and the chicken has finished cooking, do not touch it. Allow the pressure to release naturally. This should take about 10-12 minutes. Once the float valve is all the way down, signaling the pressure has released, carefully open the instant pot.
- You can shred the chicken inside of the pot, but the sides will be very hot. I opt to use tongs to remove the chicken breast and place onto a cutting board to shred with two forks. Once you have shredded the chicken, I add it back into the pot, and mix it all up with the delicious juices.
- Use the chicken in your favorite Mexican dish or for meal prep!
Notes
- Different size Instant Pots have different minimum liquid requirements, this recipe was made using a 6QT ultra instant pot. See your user manual for different size pots.
- If your chicken breasts are extremely thick, consider cutting them in half lengthwise to make them more thin. I have experienced toughness with the extremely thick breasts.
- Natural pressure release will vary depending on the size of breasts, do not open the instant pot until it is safe to do so and the valve is completely down.
- If using frozen chicken breasts, I would add 2 more minutes to the cook time.
- Note: the cook time takes into consideration the 8-10 minutes to come to pressure, 10 minute cook time, then the 10-12 minutes of natural release
Keywords: instant pot, shredded chicken, pressure cooker
This chicken was SO tender and juicy! I’ll definitely be making it again!!
★★★★★
Thanks Jessica! I’m so glad you loved it, it’s such a delicious versatile recipe!
Are serving sizes about a cup? So delicious btw!
Hi Amanda! Yes, each serving is about a cup. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!