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Chicken

Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Recipe

  • Chicken
  • Instant Pot
  • Main Dishes
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 16 mins
Servings 4 servings
Calories 498 kcal
instant pot chicken tacos recipe
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Welcome to today’s Instant Pot chicken tacos recipe. These tacos are made with crispy corn tortillas, tender, well-seasoned chicken, fresh vegetables, and a tangy lime sauce.

This recipe may call for a longer list of ingredients, but it only takes half an hour to make.

Before we start cooking, here are a few facts about our tacos:

Are Chicken Tacos Healthy?

Yes, they are.

For starters, we use boneless skinless chicken breast as the primary source of protein for today’s recipe. We love to use this particular cut of poultry because it’s lean, low-fat, low-calorie, and high in protein.

How can a taco be complete without a selection of vegetable toppings? Thanks to all the veggies, one serving of our chicken tacos contains about 13% of your recommended daily fiber intake.

If you love similar healthy Mexican-inspired recipes, be sure to check out our Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe later. It’s another delicious dish, and only takes 35 minutes to make from start to finish!

are instant pot chicken tacos healthy

Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Main Ingredients

These are the ingredients for today’s Instant Pot chicken tacos recipe:

  • Protein: As mentioned, we used boneless skinless chicken breast as it is low in calories and packed with protein.
  • Corn tortillas: When baked, corn tortillas have a nice crunch that intensifies the texture of the tacos.
  • Vegetables: We used a combination of juicy tomatoes with crunchy red cabbage. Both are vibrant in color and will make the tacos more visually appealing as well as adding more nutrients.
  • Lime sauce: This sauce is nice and simple with freshly squeezed lime juice, Greek yogurt, and Japanese mayonnaise.

Of course, you will need to season the chicken to make it flavorful and savory. We will come to the seasonings in a minute.

ingredients

Can You Use Frozen Chicken for Chicken Tacos?

Yes, frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast works well in this Instant Pot chicken tacos recipe. We recommend defrosting it in the microwave for 2 minutes prior to cooking so that it’s easier to marinate.

Seasonings for Chicken Tacos

Here are the spices we used to season our chicken:

  • Powder spices: Cumin, chili, onion, and garlic are the most basic and common ingredients in Mexican cuisine.
  • Dried herbs: We only used oregano for today’s recipe, but you can add more to tailor the flavor profile to your taste.
  • Salt and black pepper: These enhance the flavor of the meat.
  • Cayenne and paprika: Cayenne adds heat to the dish, while paprika is a lot less spicy and serves to add a touch of smokiness.

As always, our recipe is a basic guide for you to refer to. You can alter the recipe (seasonings especially) to make these chicken tacos better suit your palate.

seasoning for instant pot chicken tacos

How to Make Chicken Tacos in an Instant Pot

Here is a quick look at our Instant Pot chicken tacos recipe:

Step 1: Marinate the chicken.

Marinate the chicken.

Step 2: Sear the chicken.

 Sear the chicken.

Step 3: Pressure cook the chicken.

 Pressure cook the chicken.

Step 4: Reduce the broth.

Reduce the broth.

Step 5: Heat up the tortillas.

Heat up the tortillas.

Step 6: Make the lime sauce.

Make the lime sauce.

Step 7: Cut the chicken.

Cut the chicken.

Step 8: Arrange the tacos.

Arrange the tacos.

Step 9: Garnish and serve.

Garnish and serve.

Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are available below.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Chicken Tacos

1. How to Store

Since there are tomatoes and sauce in our tacos, they may become soggy quickly. If you have leftover taco ingredients, it’s best to keep them in separate containers.

You can put the lime sauce in a bottle and it will last up to 4 days in the fridge. Refrigerated cherry tomatoes can last for 2 to 3 days, depending on whether you’ve cut them or not (uncut tomatoes will stay firmer and fresher for longer).

Jalapeño peppers and red cabbage have a lower moisture content than tomatoes. They can last up to 5 days.

Both grated cheddar cheese and cooked chicken can stay good for a week, but they may become dry. It’s best to wrap them in cling film or store them in an airtight container to help retain their moisture content.

Check the expiration date on the corn tortilla packet to see when they need to be used by. You may need to transfer them to a Ziploc bag to keep them from drying out.

how to store and reheat instant pot chicken tacos

2. How to Reheat

The only things you need to reheat are the chicken and corn tortillas:

  • Put the chicken in the microwave for 2 minutes to warm.
  • Bake the tortillas in the oven for 4 minutes at 390°F until warm and slightly crispy.

You can serve the tacos with cold vegetables. Or, you can leave the veggies out on the counter for an hour to let them come to room temperature.

For more healthy taco recipe to put into your collection, check out this article.

What to Serve With Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

Today’s meal consists of our Instant Pot chicken tacos and guacamole.

Our guacamole also comes with crispy Doritos. You can serve the guacamole and chips on the side or put them directly into the tacos and enjoy.

Here are the combined nutrition facts of today’s meal:

Recipes Course Calories Saturated fat Sodium
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Main Dish 499 5.7 g 554 mg
Guacamole Side Dish 256 2.2 g 260 mg
Total 755 7.9 g 814 mg
Nutritional values in this table vary somewhat to those below due to different app calculations. Read more...
what to serve with chicken tacos

If you are looking for another healthy instant pot recipe, don’t hesitate to check out our instant pot dinner roundup and give it a try at the next cook-out.

Love This Chicken Tacos? There’s More!

If you’re interested in tortilla, these four healthy and delicious recipes with tortilla may also tickle your fancy:

  • Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Recipe
  • Instant Pot Carne Asada Recipe
  • Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas Recipe
  • Instant Pot Barbacoa Recipe
seasoning

Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Recipe

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Our Instant Pot chicken tacos recipe will show you how to make a simple, healthy Mexican-inspired dish meal. All done in about 30 minutes.
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 16 mins
Total Time 31 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 servings
Calories 498kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 26 oz skinless boneless chicken breast
  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup unsalted chicken broth
  • 8 6-inch corn tortillas
  • 1 tsp lime juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
  • 4 oz red cabbage thinly sliced
  • 6 oz cherry tomatoes sliced into thirds crosswise
  • 1 oz cheddar cheese grated
  • 0.5 oz jalapeño pepper deseeded, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp cilantro roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Marinate the chicken: Season 26 oz skinless boneless chicken breast with 1/4 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Rub to marinate evenly. Once finished, set aside and preheat the oven to 390°F.
    Step 1: Marinate the chicken.
  • Sear the chicken: Turn on your Instant Pot to the “Sauté” mode and wait for it to heat up. Add 1 tbsp unsalted butter and chicken. Sear the chicken for 2 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.
    Step 2: Sear the chicken.
  • Pressure cook the chicken: Add 1/3 cup unsalted chicken broth to the pot and cover with the lid. Turn the valve knob to “sealing position”. Set your device to the “Steam” program and cook for 5 minutes.
    Step 3: Pressure cook the chicken.
  • Reduce the broth: Carefully turn the valve to quick-release steam before opening the lid (it’s a good idea to use a wooden spoon or the like to do this). Set your device to the “Sauté” mode again and cook for 5 minutes or until the broth is completely reduced and coats the meat. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Turn off the device and remove the chicken from the pot.
    Step 4: Reduce the broth.
  • Heat up the tortillas: Place 8 6-inch corn tortillas onto a stainless steel taco holder and put them into a preheated oven. (If you don’t have a taco holder, you can improvise by turning a muffin tray upside down). Bake for 4 minutes at 390°F. Remove from the oven and set aside.
    Step 5: Heat up the tortillas.
  • Make the lime sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp lime juice, 1 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, and 2 tbsp Greek yogurt. Mix well to combine.
    Step 6: Make the lime sauce.
  • Cut the chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut it into thick slices.
    Step 7: Cut the chicken.
  • Arrange the tacos: Hold a tortilla in one hand. Use the other to put the thinly sliced red cabbage on the bottom of the tortilla, then place the sliced chicken, tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, jalapeño pepper, and lime sauce on top.
    Step 8: Arrange the tacos.
  • Garnish and serve: Transfer the tacos to a serving plate. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.
    Step 9: Garnish and serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 498 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 156mg52%
Sodium 482mg21%
Potassium 841mg24%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 47g94%
Vitamin A 916IU18%
Vitamin C 31mg38%
Calcium 88mg9%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Luna Regina

Luna Regina

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Luna is the founder and chief recipe developer of Healthy Recipes 101. Apart from cooking, she also loves reading, programming, exploring the outdoors, and collecting useless facts about everything.

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instant pot chicken tacos recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Recipe
Recipe Rating




Emily Rogers, MPH, RDN
Recipe developed by Luna Regina on December 1, 2021 Nutritionally reviewed by Emily Rogers, MPH, RDN

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