Instant Pot Salsa Chicken (Keto Friendly)

Name: Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts; Sea or Kosher salt and Fresh ground pepper to taste; 1 tbsp avocado oil (classic olive oil, ghee or butter is fine); 1/4 tsp cumin*; 1/4 tsp paprika*; 1/4 tsp garlic powder*; 1 1/2 cups salsa; 1 cup shredded cheddar or colby jack (optional)

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken is a simple keto chicken dish, that is perfect for the whole family. Serve this easy pressure cooker salsa chicken with low carb sides or black beans and rice, depending on your family's dinner preference.

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This salsa chicken instant pot meal is sure to become a go-to recipe in your house, as it is in mine. The Instant Pot is such a delicious and easy way to cook boneless skinless chicken breasts and the flavorful and leftover shredded chicken is great for meal prep plans.

*Instant Pot Salsa Chicken with melted cheddar cheese is an easy weeknight meal the entire family will love!*

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Salsa Chicken, Instant Pot

This quick and easy Instant Pot Salsa Chicken recipe will become a go to meal on busy days. The boneless chicken breasts are seasoned and seared then simply pressure cooked in a bath of salsa.

This recipe is great while doing meal prep. The chicken can be served as is with a side of cooked rice, tortilla chips or caulirice as shown.

Making a big batch of this delicious Mexican shredded chicken is smart. It is quite versatile. The extra shredded salsa chicken can be used in a wide variety of Mexican style dishes, such as tacos, casseroles, burrito bowls, taco salads, enchiladas and quesadillas.

Can you see now, why Instant Pot Salsa Chicken is one of my very favorite instant pot chicken recipes?

Keto Salsa Chicken, Choosing a Salsa

Net carb count will vary based on your choice of store bought jarred salsa. In general net carbs will be around 5 grams per serving. Using less of the sauce will reduce that further. Just make sure to add a little broth so there will be enough liquid in the pot.

I suggest selecting more traditional style salsa rather than the thicker options. A chunky will give you nice bits of tomato and peppers. I also recommend going with a mild or medium heat salsa. The leftovers will be more versatile that way.

Check nutrition labels. An organic salsa with low net carbs and no added sugar is ideal.

Salsa Verde is another great option when making this instant pot salsa chicken recipe. It will land a tangy flavor to the dish. Of course, you could use homemade salsa if you really want to.

How to Make Salsa Chicken in the Instant Pot

Here is a quick guide to cooking this easy recipe in the electric pressure cooker. Printable recipe card can be found below.

Recipe makes 4 servings.

Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook Time 10 mins plus plan for about 20 minutes to pressurize and release

Ingredients for Salsa Chicken

Here is all you need to make this simple low carb Instant pot chicken recipe. Measures are in the servings adjustable recipe card.

boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sea, Himalayan or Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
avocado oil (classic olive oil, ghee or butter is fine)
cumin*
paprika*
garlic powder*
jarred salsa (not thick variety, you need enough juices for cooking)
shredded cheese, cheddar or colby jack (optional)

*Some prefer to use a packet of taco seasoning. That is fine.

... and of course you need an Instant Pot pressure cooker (or other brand).

How to Make Salsa Chicken Instant Pot Recipe

Put your Instant Pot on saute function (set to med heat) and add oil to the pot.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then nestle on the bottom of the pot.

topping the skinless boneless chicken with spices.

Mix the cumin, paprika and garlic powder together and sprinkle on top. Add a ½ teaspoon of oregano or cilantro to the spice mixture if you like.

Flip after 3-4 minutes, then cook an additional 1-2 minutes.

Salsa Chicken in Instant Pot, boneless chicken with salsa and spices.

The next step is to pour the salsa top of the chicken breasts. This will also provide enough liquid for pressure cooking.

Lock on cover and manually set the Instant Pot to pressure cook salsa chicken for 10 minutes on High pressure. Turn the valve to pressurize.

For full chicken breasts: Use quick release once the cook cycle is done to release remaining pressure, if you want to keep the chicken breasts whole.

For Shredded Chicken: Use natural pressure release if you are shredding, the meat will break up easier when you release naturally.

Shredded cheese can be sprinkled over the top in the pot or over each serving.

Serving Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

Here I have served the boneless chicken breasts over cauliflower rice to keep carbs low. Sliced avocado, guacamole or a nice dollop of sour cream would be great toppings. You can also use two forks to shred the chicken if you prefer.

If you are not on keto or some other low carb diet, serving with quinoa, rice or black bean sides would be ideal.

Personally, I like to serve the chicken breasts whole when freshly cooked, then shred chicken that remains to use in other dishes.

Creamy Salsa Chicken

If you are in the mood for a creamy chicken meal, simply add a block of soft or cut up cream cheese to hot chicken in the Instant Pot as soon as you open. Stir it until fully melted. It works great whether you are shredding the chicken or not. I would pull out the chicken breasts and just mix it into the sauce if you want them whole.

Make sure to use full fat cream cheese if you are on Keto.

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Tacos

Add a packet of taco seasoning to the pressure cooker and use natural release instead of the quick release option. You will shred the cooked chicken breasts to make salsa chicken tacos. Add your favorite toppings such as shredded lettuce, sour cream and cheese. Pop the Mexican shredded chicken into a flour tortilla or taco shell with your toppings. Presto! It's chicken taco night!

The shredded chicken breast meat is also great for making chicken quesadillas or burrito bowls. Add a splash of lime juice and some chopped fresh cilantro if making bowls...YUM.

Q& A

Can I make this recipe in a slow cooker?

Yes, you can absolutely make this recipe in a slow cooker. You will need to slow cook the salsa chicken for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Will chicken thighs work in this recipe?

Yes, you can make chicken thigh salsa chicken and the pressure cooker is a great way to prepare it. If using boneless thigh meat add 2-4 minutes if you are planning to shred. You can cook boneless skinless chicken thighs the same amount of time as the breasts if serving whole.

Can I use frozen chicken? How long will it take?

Yes, you can use frozen chicken breast to make this Instant Pot salsa chicken recipe. The pressure cooker is a perfect solution when you don't have thawed chicken on hand. Frozen chicken breasts will take 11-12 minutes under pressure. Frozen boneless chicken thighs will take 12-13 minutes.

Can I freeze Salsa Chicken?

Yes, leftover salsa chicken freezes and thaws well. After the chicken cools to room temperature, store it in a freezer safe airtight container. It will last up to 3-4 months.

More Low Carb Instant Pot Recipe Ideas

A few more keto instant pot recipes to add to your meal rotation:

For a rich creamy Italian meal my Keto Tuscan Chicken Instant Pot recipe is a perfect choice.
Instant Pot Bone Broth is a staple that you can prepare at home and save money.
In the mood for barbecue on a rainy day? Keto BBQ Chicken in the Instant Pot is a great solution.
No need to go out for Indian and skip the rice. Make this easy Instant Pot Chicken Curry, Keto recipe and serve it over sautéed frozen cauliflower rice.