Shredded Mexican Chicken (Instant Pot + Slow Cooker)! This Mexican shredded chicken recipe is super-tender and tossed in the most flavorful and mouth-watering sauce, with a little kick! Perfect for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salad, or served with beans and rice. Just so many options to serve your family this tasty dish!
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This post has been updated since its original publish date in February 2018.
Soo, I have to admit I’m not one of those people who jumps on every food-related bandwagon.
I am cautious and like to deliberate before taking the plunge.
But I must admit, I'm all in with this new electric quick-cooking device – the Instant Pot!
I jumped on the bus Gus! After some deliberation, I asked for one for Christmas. And I have been an Instant Pot cooking fiend.
I do believe they refer to us as “Pot Heads.” LOL Funny.
Why I Love the Instant Pot...
So, I’ll be the first to admit it’s fabulous. It can cook an 8-hour slow cooker chuck roast in 45 minutes—a low and slow cooker recipe of dried beans: 30 minutes max. And then there’s today’s recipe: Shredded Mexican Chicken. 20 minutes on high pressure and abra-cadabra… perfectly cooked, moist, tender shreddable chicken with a super delicious sauce!
I just can’t wait to make my amazing baby back ribs in the instant pot – cra-mazing my friend! The speedy cooking time is so alluring.
But I should say, just like any other gadget or appliance, there is a time and a place to use it.
Using it to cook instant polenta is just not one of them. We can’t just lose all sense and throw everything in the “pot,” now can we?
No - we have to be smart about this. If quick cooking polenta takes 5 minutes on the stove, why would a person put it in the pressure cooker, wait 10-15 minutes for it to pressurize, cook it for 1 minute, and then release the pressure for another minute or two? It just doesn’t make any sense.
So, as much as we adore the Instant Pot we aren’t going to cook things in it that require more time and effort than just cooking them the way we've always made them.
So quick polenta = no. Instant Pot Risotto = yes!!
Thanks for bearing with me through all of the preamble, let's move on with today’s fabulously delicious recipe!
Did I mention it’s super-tender shredded chicken tossed in a flavorful mouth-watering sauce!?
Here's how to make this Delicious Shredded Mexican Chicken:
Add 1 can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes and 5 chipotle peppers (canned) to the IP. Mash the peppers up with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Now add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, lime juice, and brown sugar. Stir the mixture.
Now add in 3 pounds of chicken breast. Turn and coat the chicken in the tomato mixture, then close and seal up the pot.
Next, using the high-pressure cooking setting, set the IP for 20 minutes. Be sure that the steam release valve is set to “Sealing.” The IP takes 10-15 minutes to pressurize, then it will cook the chicken for the 20 minutes it was set to.
Now go prep the rest of the ingredients for your incredibly delicious dinner or prop those feet up and enjoy a glass of wine.
Once the time has reached zero you can carefully, release the pressure nozzle manually.
Remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a large platter or cutting board. Then using two forks shred the chicken.
Now, using a hand immersion blender puree the tomato mixture left in the pot. It should thicken up and yield a little over 2 cups of sauce.
Put your chicken in a large mixing bowl and pour ½ the sauce over it.
Gently use a spatula to fold the sauce into the chicken. You can add more sauce or use it as a drizzle for the chicken as you eat it.
Now it’s time to eat this amazing Mexican Shredded Chicken recipe!
You can grab some tortillas, avocados, queso fresco, onions, jalapeños – whatever you like - and make the most delicious Mexican feast you’ve ever experienced.
The possibilities for using this Shredded Mexican Chicken are endless!
You could create so many tasty meals with it:
- Quesadillas
- Taco salad
- Burritos
- Enchiladas
- Tostadas
- Served over rice and beans
- Tortilla/Taco Soup
- Sliders
- For some low-carb options, pair up with spaghetti squash, or serve on a salad.
- Or try my latest low-carb creation... Mexican Shredded Chicken Stuffed Peppers. This recipe offers directions on how to cook the chicken on the stovetop but you can speed up the process by making the chicken in your Instant Pot, then stuffing the peppers, and finishing them in the oven.
However you serve it, one thing’s for sure – it will be muy delicioso! And if you want more info to help you decide which IP is for you, check out my Instant Pot Review here.
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
To store: Place the chicken in airtight containers and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To freeze: separate the chicken into portions and place them in individual airtight freezer containers or freezer bags. If freezing the chicken in bulk use a larger container or freezer bag. Be sure to label the chicken with the date it was frozen. The chicken will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
To reheat: pull the chicken out of the freezer the night before you want to serve it and allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight. Warm it up in the microwave, or on the stovetop with some chicken stock and enjoy!
I'm certain this is going to be your new favorite chicken recipe!
Provecho!
I would love to connect with you! Leave a comment and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Looking for more Tasty Instant Pot Recipes:
- Instant Pot Beef Thai Red Curry
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash Buffalo Chicken
- Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs With Risotto
- Instant Pot Chicken Wings with Garlic & Parmesan
Shredded Mexican Chicken (Instant Pot + Slow Cooker)
Super-tender chicken in the most flavorful and mouth-watering sauce, with a little kick! Perfect for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salad or served with beans and rice.
Ingredients
- 14.5 ounces canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, (use 2 peppers for a less spicy version)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (omit for low-carb version)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (juice from ½ lime)
- 3 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Instructions
Instant Pot:
- Add 1 can of diced fire roasted tomatoes and 5 chipotle peppers to the instant pot. Mash the peppers up with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, lime juice and brown sugar (omit if following a low-carb diet.)
- Stir the mixture, then add the chicken breasts. Turn and coat the chicken in the tomato mixture, then close and seal up the instant pot.
- Set the instant pot for 20 minutes of high-pressure cooking and set the steam release valve to “Sealing.” After 10 minutes of pressure cooking, the chicken will be fully cooked, but won't necessarily be “shreddable.” At 15 minutes, most of the chicken will shred. After 20 minutes, the chicken shreds easily and it’s still nice and moist. (This is my personal recommendation). At 30 minutes, the chicken shreds effortlessly, but it could potentially be a bit dry.
- The instant pot will actually take 10-15 minutes to pressurize, then it will cook the chicken for 20 minutes. Once the time has reached zero you can carefully release the pressure nozzle manually. Be careful of the escaping hot steam.
- Remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a large platter or cutting board.
- Use two forks to shred the chicken, leaving some of it in small chunks so it still has a little texture.
- Use a hand immersion blender to puree the tomato mixture left in the instant pot (or transfer to a regular blender). It should thicken up and yield a little over 2 cups of sauce.
- Put chicken in a large mixing bowl and pour ½ the sauce over it.
- Gently use a spatula to fold the sauce into the chicken. Add more sauce if needed, or use it as a drizzle on each individual serving.
Slow Cooker:
- Place all the sauce ingredients and Chicken in the slow cooker, cover with the lid and cook for 4 hours on low. You'll know that the chicken is ready when it can be shredded easily with 2 forks. Be careful to not overcook. Chicken will fall apart into little strands and the texture will be less than ideal.
Notes
If you’re in a hurry, you can pressure cook for 10 minutes and the chicken will be fully cooked. It won’t necessarily be easily “shreddable,” but you could make it work.
At 15 minutes, most of the chicken will shred but it still requires a little effort.
At 20 minutes, the chicken shreds easily and it’s still nice and moist. This is my personal recommendation. (Normally you don’t need to cook chicken this long in an instant pot, but to achieve the perfect moist, shreddable chicken, this is my choice).
At 30 minutes, the chicken shreds effortlessly, but it could potentially be a bit dry.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
4-6 ouncesAmount Per Serving Calories 414Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 193mgSodium 626mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 2gSugar 6gProtein 71g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
Lisa Gregory
Thank you for a great recipe. Tried it tonight with 2-3 chiles and enjoyed the rich, earthy taste they brought to the sauce. We used the chicken for nachos and put extra sauce on top. So good!
holly
Hi Lisa, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I love nachos - I bet they were so tasty! We love making a big batch of this and using it all week for different meals. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!
christina Oliver
do you think it is possible to make this with a pork butt?
holly
Hey Christina, I think that would be delicious. You would need to cook it longer for sure but I think the flavor would be fantastic.
Christina Oliver
hi! this looks delicious. I am planning on making this tonight, and if it turns out well, I would like to make this for a group of about 12 men. any suggestions on changing cooking times or anything? and does anyone know about how many chicken breasts can fit in the instant pot without going over capacity? I'm debating getting a second one for this reason. I'm often cooking for large groups of people 🙂
Thanks!
holly
Hey Christina, Thank so much! I think you could double the recipe plus add 1-2 more pounds of chicken for 12 men. But be sure you don't fill it more than 2/3rds full. If you do a lot of entertaining for groups I would definitely get two pots.
Allison
This looks delicious! I want to make this tomorrow, but worry it’s not enough liquid. I have an 8 qt instant pot. Should I add some water or broth?
holly
Hi Allison, I made this recipe in the 6 QT. I don't have mush experience with the 8qt but from what I have read it seems like you might need more liquid. If you add extra chicken stock or water the sauce won't be as flavorful. Maybe just double the recipe and freeze some of it for another time. Good luck!
Heather
Would you double just the sauce or the chicken as well? I have an 8 QT as well and want to make sure I have enough sauce so it won't burn.
holly
Hi Heather, I think I would double the whole recipe. You're gonna want lots of leftovers!😁
SB
If I double this recipe, does the cooking time in the IP change? Thanks in advance! looking forward to making this.
holly
Hi SB, the cooke time should stay the same for the recipe. Although, it will take longer to come to pressure because the pot is fuller. Hope that helps!
Brittany
We just made this tonight to go on top of nachos and it turned out wonderful! Thank you for a great recipe.
holly
That's so awesome, Brittany! Making nachos out of the shredded chicken is brilliant! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe - thanks!
Jeanne
Diced tomatoes is only liquid?(and 1 tbsp lime juice) No burn message? Would love to try as the one I tried calls for broth too and comes out watery.
Thanks!
holly
Hi Jeanne, I've never had anyone say they've gotten the burn notice from this recipe. The tomatoes are essentially water and the chicken has water it gives off as well. If you follow the recipe you should be good to go. Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks!
slb
I just made as per your recipe and did not get a burn notice, if that help.
Bryan
Wonderful! I am so glad the recipe worked for you and hope you found it to be delicious!
Kari
I’m making these tomorrow, they look amazing! Can I ask if you use corn or flour tortillas and how you prepare them? They look much better than my standard pale flour tortillas from the package.
holly
Thanks so much, Kari! I use corn tortillas. I heat up a cask iron skillet (you could us a non stick pas as well) on high heat, then give each side of the corn tortilla a quick spray of canola cooking oil, place them in the hot pan and and let them get a little browned. Then flip them over and give the other side a little heat. It only takes 30-45 seconds per side. The texture of the tortilla changes which is exactly what you want. This is the only way I eat corn tortillas. If you don't do this they are mushy and fall apart. Good luck! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Caitlin
How could I make this work with frozen chicken breasts??
holly
I haven't tried using frozen chicken for this recipe yet but I think a little bit longer cook time would do the job. It will also take a little longer for your IP to come to pressure but it should work fine. Good luck!
slb
I cooked per your recipe with frozen chicken and everything was cooked fine.
Bryan
That's awesome! We love the fact that frozen chicken works so well in the Instant Pot!!
Jennifer
A rule of thumb is to add half of the cooking time if frozen. So 10 minutes + 5 minutes - pressure cook for 15 minutes.
That is the rule of thumb, however, I was following a recipe for chicken the other day and it said to cook for 6 minutes (I didn't check other recipes, now this seems like a short time!), I used frozen chicken breasts (4 - not sure of the weight) and cooked for 9 minutes. It shred easily and was still very moist.
holly
Thanks for your input, Jennifer! Caitlin, I would also encourage you to use a meat thermometer to be sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees after pressure cooking.
Shell
This was, by far, the best shredded Mexican chicken I have tried. This will be our go to recipe. I have tried many different recipe! I only used 3 chipotle peppers and it was the perfect amount for us. I didn’t have as much sauce in the bottom of my pot and when I blended it, it didn’t seem as thick as yours in the picture.....maybe because I only used 3 peppers..... but, it didn’t matter....it was awesome! Thank you for sharing!!
holly
That's so great to here! I love it when other people love my recipes as much as I do.😁 Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know about your experience! Take care!
Maggie Unzueta
This dish looks amazing.
holly
Thanks so much, Maggie! We really love it!
Valerie M
If I’m using about 2lbs of chicken, would it be the same cook time?
Cheers,
Valerie
holly
Hi Valerie! The cook time should be the same with 2lbs of chicken. I hope you enjoy it!
Margie
I accidentally thawed out too much chicken, now I'm wondering if I can double this.....or do you think there will be enough sauce in this recipe to flavor/cook 5.5 # of chicken breasts? I should cook it for the same amount of time, right?
holly
Hey Margie, I think you should probably double the whole recipe. My guess is you won't need that much sauce but I would rather have extra sauce than not enough, especially since that is what makes this dish soo good. I would cook the chicken for the same amount of time. I'd love to hear how it turns out. Good luck!
Ashley
Hi Holly! Ashley Donaldson here. I’m making this tonight!! Is this your forum? I love it!
holly
Hi Ashley!! I can't wait to hear what you think about the recipe! We love that it's so easy and always delicious! Let me know what you think!
Heather
Looks good! I had to chuckle at your instant polenta comment. I saw someone comment once, about how they made instant oatmeal in their IP. Wouldn't it be faster to just boil your water and pour it over the oatmeal?? What's next, Top Ramen? LOL!
holly
Seriously, Heather! I literally saw an IP recipe for Instant Polenta - whaaaaa??? I couldn't believe it. I'm so glad I'm not the only one that finds this sort of thing hilarious and ridiculous!! Thanks and take care!
Melanie
Made this tonight and it was a hit, even with the picky tween! Thanks for a great, EASY recipe!
holly
Awesome!! Love hearing that, Melanie! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback1