We jumped on the bandwagon and bought an Instant Pot when they were on sale over the holidays at Amazon. Severe FOMO kicked in and we made the leap. We kept it under the tree until Christmas – and then we broke it out.
And we looked at it. And we read All The Posts. And we became a little overwhelmed.
First thing we tried was spaghetti squash. (you can see our recipe on the blog) I can honestly say we’ll never cook it any other way. No more cutting those raw squashes – you cook it whole. It’s so easy it’s insane – and I think the flavor is better.
We’re big taco fans. And I happened to have some salsa sitting around, so tried to find a recipe that would use it. So we decided to try frozen chicken. This was the justification for buying the Instant Put in the first place – no more excuses to cook.
I read a few recipes and decided to try some taco shredded chicken. We had 3 large breasts, so the only thing that concerned me was the cooking time. The problem I have with the Instant Pot is knowing if I’m cooking it long enough or too long. I wish there was a window to see inside. But then that might totally freak me out.
It worked! I’m excited to say. Next time I will soak the chicken in the broth for a few minutes after shredding it to get more of those flavors in there. But it was spot on and delicious. Lots of leftovers too which is always a good thing. I just want to Instant Pot everything!
A quick and easy way to whip up some chicken for Taco Tuesday! This delicious chicken taco meat will have you ready to serve tacos all week long, don’t believe me? Try it for yourself.
Can Taco Seasoning be used on chicken?
Yes, you can use taco seasoning on chicken silly! I used about 1 packet of taco seasoning for this shredded Instant Pot taco chicken meat. Taco seasoning is perfectly fine to use on chicken for chicken tacos or beef for beef tacos. The taco seasoning packets give your meat that taco flavor we expect for Taco night at home.
Tacos are a popular meal option for busy families. This is simply one of the quickest meal ideas that you can do anything with. Want to make a more low carb chicken taco? Well, you can try to use a low carb tortilla shell then. Or use lettuce wraps for your Instant Pot taco chicken meat. Whatever works best for you. All I am saying is that this shredded chicken taco meat is absolutely too delicious to not pass up.
Low carb? Try these Mama Lupe low carb tortillas.
What goes with chicken tacos?
There are many favorite sides for chicken tacos. If you want to figure out what is best to serve with your Instant Pot chicken taco meat for dinner then consider whipping up a side of refried beans, grilled zucchini or corn on the cob. Each of those options works well as an added side dish for your main course meal… tacos!
How much chicken do I need for tacos?
I used three large chicken breasts for this Instant Pot taco chicken recipe, but you can measure the meat out based on how many people will be dining with you for chicken tacos. The general rule of thumb is that one chicken breast can fill up to 12 tacos after being shredded.
Here’s our recipe:
Instant Pot Taco Chicken
- 3 large chicken breasts (frozen)
- 1-2 tbs taco seasoning
- 1 c. salsa
- 1/2 c water (we used 1 c. here and it was way too much)
Cook it on manual for 27 minutes in the Instant Pot with a quick release. We started with 15 minutes which is what I’d seen in recipes – but it wasn’t thoroughly cooked. So we added another 12 and it shredded perfectly. Great for tacos or burritos! Perfect for salad too!
What condiments go on tacos?
There are so many different options to put on your Instant Pot taco chicken meat. A dollop of sour cream, lettuce, tomato, hot sauce? I really don’t know what you enjoy for flavors but I’ve even heard that some people like to put Mexican rice on their tacos. I think the best toppings for your Taco Tuesday night should be lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Obviously, you’ll want to have the Instant Pot taco chicken ready to go inside the shells too before placing all of your preferred toppings on the taco.
Tacos are a fun dinner idea for busy families because you can simply place the entire meal out like a buffet-style dinner so that everyone can grab their full of tacos all the while still sitting down together to enjoy a yummy meal. Not only do tacos bring families together for mealtime but they are forever one of those budget-friendly dinner ideas for large families who want to save a buck. If you’re living on a budget but what something delicious for dinner tonight, then gather up the list of ingredients below and follow my instructions to make your taco chicken meat tonight.
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