Shredded Salsa Chicken

This Shredded Salsa Chicken is the ultimate easy recipe and family-friendly dinner. It is just a few simple ingredients, and your slow cooker does all the work. Juicy, flavorful, and versatile, it's perfect for tacos, bowls, salads, or meal prep. With minimal effort and bold taste, it's a go-to recipe for busy weeknights.

This Simple Salsa Chicken Recipe is a no-brainer to add to the list during the week for an easy dinner because it is cheap, healthy and your family can create their own style of meal without any extra effort. 

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Whole30 & Family-Friendly: It fits a variety of dietary needs while still being a hit with both kids and adults.
• Minimal Ingredients and Effort: You only need a few pantry staples to create a flavorful and satisfying dish.
• Versatile Dish: Use it in chicken tacos, lettuce wraps, bowls, taco salad, nachos, or even on its own-there's no wrong way to enjoy it.
• Great for Meal Prep: It stores and reheats well, so you can cook once and enjoy easy dinners all week long.

Ingredients You Will Need

Chicken Breast: I like to ensure my chicken is organic and doesn't have antibiotics. Chicken breasts are a great source of lean protein.

Taco Seasoning: I have a homemade taco seasoning that I like to keep in my spice rack, but a packaged one that I really like is Siete's because this is one of the very few that has all healthy ingredients without any fillers or preservatives.

Salsa: In this recipe, I used the Sprouts brand Fire Roasted jar of salsa that doesn't have added sugar or preservatives. This recipe can be made with your favorite salsa (even homemade salsa), so be careful to check for hidden sugars.

Instructions

Prepare the chicken: Pour 1 cup of the salsa at the bottom of the Instant Pot. Then add the chicken breast on top, 1 cup of water, and season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the taco seasoning.

Pressure cook: Cook on high pressure for 10-12 minutes and let the instant pot naturally release for 10 minutes when it is finished.

Shred the chicken: The meat should shred very easily and be very tender. I like to do this with my stand mixer, but you can also use two forks.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Shredding the chicken: Instead of using a fork to tediously shred the chicken, put it in your stand mixer or use a hand mixer on low to shred your chicken to perfection.
• From Frozen: One of the best parts about the Instant Pot is that you can cook protein from frozen! To do this, cook the chicken breast on high pressure for 13-15 minutes, depending on the thickness, and allow for 10 minutes of natural release. This will allow for tender, shredded salsa chicken, even if you forget to thaw it the night before!

Recipe Variations

• Salsa: This recipe can be made with any paleo-friendly salsa. It can be made with red salsa or salsa verde! Don't be afraid to play with the level of heat of the salsa- spice it up with hot salsa or stick to mild salsa to make it more family-friendly.
• Slow Cooker Instructions: If you do not have an Instant Pot, no problem! You can slow cook this in the crockpot with the same ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours and shred the chicken.

Storage Tips

This Instant Pot Salsa Chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It is great to use in various recipes all week long.

The chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Take it out and defrost it for a super-easy weeknight meal when you don't want to cook.

The chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Take it out and defrost it for a super-easy weeknight meal when you don't want to cook.

What to Serve It With

What to Serve It With

This Salsa shredded chicken can be served with so many meals, but whatever you choose, it goes great with some black beans, cilantro lime rice (or cauliflower rice), and your favorite tortillas. With all of these toppings, create your favorite tacos, nachos, burritos, or burrito bowls that can please the entire family.

Mains: Taquitos, tortilla soup

Side: Guacamole

FAQs About Shredded Salsa Chicken

---

Did you make this recipe?! If so, do me a huge favor and leave me a review and a rating below! This helps my small business continue providing free recipes.

---