Description
This Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken recipe offers a quick and flavorful way to prepare tender, shredded chicken infused with zesty salsa verde and classic Mexican spices. Perfect for tacos, burritos, rice bowls, or salads, it requires minimal prep and delivers a delicious, healthy meal in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasonings
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 1 cup salsa verde (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
- Juice of 1 lime
Garnish
- Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Season the Chicken: In a bowl, evenly coat the boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs with ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper ensuring the chicken is well seasoned for full flavor.
- Prepare the Instant Pot: Place the seasoned chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot in a single layer for even cooking. Pour the salsa verde and chicken broth (or water) evenly over the chicken to create a flavorful cooking liquid.
- Pressure Cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing. Select Manual or Pressure Cook mode and set the timer for 12 minutes for chicken breasts or 10 minutes if using thighs. This ensures the chicken cooks thoroughly and becomes tender enough to shred.
- Release Pressure: When the cooking cycle completes, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 5 minutes. After that, carefully perform a quick release by turning the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure before opening the lid.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and use two forks to shred it into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot and stir it well to incorporate with the salsa verde sauce.
- Finish and Serve: Add the fresh lime juice to the shredded chicken and stir thoroughly to brighten the flavors. Serve the salsa verde chicken hot, garnished with chopped cilantro if desired, and enjoy as a filling for tacos, burritos, or over a rice bowl.
Notes
- This recipe is versatile and works great as a filling for tacos, burritos, rice bowls, or salads.
- Feel free to choose mild or spicy salsa verde depending on your heat preference.
- The recipe can be easily doubled; just keep the cook time the same to avoid overcooking.
