Best shredded chicken in an instant
My secret to the best, juiciest shredded chicken? Cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a flavorful sauce in the Instant Pot.
Then on taco night, everyone builds their own dinner, piling tortillas (or beds of crunchy lettuce) high with the seasoned shredded meat and all our favorite toppings.
A creamy avocado sauce spiked with lime juice does double duty, standing in for both guacamole and sour cream.
The result is saucy shredded chicken tacos topped with a cool avocado dressing for the ultimate taco dinner.
Tacos are among the only foods everyone in my family will eat, and once I learned about salsa chicken, my meal plans were never the same. I used to cook it in the slow cooker, but the Instant Pot gives me the same juicy texture and intense salsa flavor I love in a fraction of the time.
You’ll start by mixing the salsa, taco seasoning and water together in the Instant Pot (taco seasoning gives the chicken a bolder flavor than salsa alone), then add the chicken breasts and turn to coat.
As the chicken cooks, you’ll whip up the avocado sauce.
Use a food processor to purée the avocado and sour cream until smooth, or use a bowl and a potato masher for a chunkier consistency. A squeeze of lime juice thins the sauce and maintains the avocado’s natural green hue.
When it’s time to serve, fill warm tortillas with the chicken, crunchy sliced radishes, shredded cheese and the cool avocado sauce that’s guacamole and sour cream all-in-one.
Instant Pot chicken tacos
Makes: 4 to 6 servings For the chicken:
1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning or 5 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
½ cup water
2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 to 4)
For the creamy avocado sauce:
1 medium lime
1 medium avocado
⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon kosher salt
For serving:
Tortillas
Lime wedges
Shredded cheese
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Sliced pickled or fresh jalapenos
Thinly sliced radishes
1. Combine 1 package taco seasoning, 1 cup salsa and ½ cup water in a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Add 2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, turn to coat in the salsa, then arrange in an even layer.
2. Lock the lid into place and make sure the valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 15 minutes on high
pressure. It will take 10 to 12 minutes to come up to pressure. Meanwhile, make the creamy avocado sauce.
3. Juice 1 lime until you have 2 tablespoons and place the juice in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or a blender. Add 1 pitted and peeled avocado, ⅓ cup sour cream and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Process until smooth. Thin out with more lime juice if desired.
4. When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure. Use two forks to shred the chicken in the Instant Pot, then toss to coat in the sauce. Serve in tortillas with desired toppings.