Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

Shredded chicken with cilantro in Instant Pot.

5 from 11 votes

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

Use fresh or frozen chicken when making these 5 minute prep Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos. Juicy shredded chicken that can be used for quesadillas, taco salads, fajitas and so much more. A delicious dinners that requires minimal effort.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings:

Author: Lorie Yarro

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 ½ lb chicken breast
1 c chicken broth
2 T orange juice
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp chili powder
¾ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp pepper
⅓ c cilantro, freshly chopped
taco fixings: tortillas, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, etc.

Instructions

Place the chicken breast in Instant Pot trying to overlap as little as possible. For fresh chicken, place on trivet and for frozen chicken, place directly into the pan. Pour the chicken broth, orange juice, and lime juice over top.
Whisk together all of the spices, salt and pepper and generously cover all of the chicken. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and lock it. Set the vent to "Sealing."
Set the Instant Pot to "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" for: 8-10 minutes for fresh and 10-12 minutes for frozen. Aim for the higher amount of time for thicker chicken. It will take about 10 minutes for pressure to build up. If your chicken breasts are on the larger side (12-14 oz.) you can cook up to 15 minutes.
When the cycle is complete, do a quick release and check the temperature of the chicken. If it has not reached 165°F yet, close the lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes. If it is very close, you can shut and allow it to rest until it reaches the temperature.
When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the Instant Pot and shred it using two forks. Place back in the instant pot with the juices and stir. Add the freshly chopped cilantro and stir in.
Keep the heat on warm until ready to serve and enjoy. Save leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days and in the freezer for 2 months.

Notes

Fresh chicken tends to cook better on a trivet in the Instant Pot. You don't need to use one for the frozen chicken though, just toss it right in.
You can use a hand mixer to shred your chicken. It has become a very popular method these days. I prefer using a fork, but by all means, give it a shot as well.
You can add some diced tomatoes or diced jalapeños or chiles if you would like. Strain the juices from the can of tomatoes and pour them over the seasoned chicken before sealing.
For a creamy version of these chicken tacos, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of cream cheese after shredding the chicken. YUM.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be considered an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Lemons + Zest makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition