These Instant Pot Chicken Tacos turn frozen chicken breasts into tender, flavorful shredded chicken in about 35 minutes. No thawing or planning ahead is needed.
This is the dinner I make when I completely forgot to take something out for dinner — which in a house with 8 kids happens more than I would like to admit. Frozen chicken goes straight into the Instant Pot and 30 minutes later we have the most tender flavorful shredded chicken taco night my family loves.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
I took my old Crockpot Chicken Tacos Recipe and converted it to a pressure cooker recipe for those nights that you completely forgot that you had to make dinner.
- Just $1.63 per serving — $8.13 total for a full taco night
- Ready in 35 minutes from frozen — faster than any drive-through taco run
- Only 4 ingredients
- The pressure cooker makes the most tender shredded chicken every single time
- Perfect for meal prep
Everyone will love this Instant pot chicken recipes and it is so easy to prepare. You may also love instant pot carne asada street tacos recipe, instant pot fiesta lime chicken recipe, instant pot jambalaya, or instant pot Mexican shredded beef tacos recipe.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts — fresh or frozen both work. This recipe is specifically designed for frozen chicken straight from the freezer — no thawing needed. Chicken thighs also work and stay slightly juicier under pressure
- Salsa — adds flavor moisture and a subtle heat to the chicken as it cooks. Chunky salsa or our Homemade Salsa Recipe both work beautifully. Use mild, medium, or hot depending on your family’s preference
- Taco seasoning — seasons the chicken throughout the cook time. Use a store-bought packet or our Taco Seasoning Recipe for even more flavor
- Chicken broth — provides the minimum liquid the Instant Pot needs to build pressure and keeps the chicken moist. Chicken stock works as a substitute
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.
How to Make Chicken Tacos in the Instant Pot
Step 1 – Place chicken (frozen or fresh) in the instant pot.
Step 2 – Cover with chicken broth, salsa, and taco seasoning.
Step 3 – Place the lid on and make sure the knob is set to sealing position on the lid.
Step 4 – Cook on High Pressure (Manual) for 20 minutes for frozen chicken breasts or 12 minutes for fresh chicken breasts.
Step 5 – When the cook time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then carefully move the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure.
Step 6 – Remove the chicken taco meat from the instant pot and shred with 2 forks.
Step 7 – Return the chicken to the instant pot and stir into the juices. Then switch the instant pot to the sauté setting and cook off the additional liquid in the instant pot.
Step 8 – Serve the chicken and sauce on your favorite taco shells or tortillas. Top with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Use frozen chicken straight from the freezer. This is the whole point of this recipe — no planning ahead required. Just add 8 extra minutes to the cook time for frozen versus fresh
- Do not skip the sauté step. After shredding the chicken switch to sauté for a few minutes to cook off the excess liquid — this concentrates the flavor and keeps the taco filling from being watery and soggy
- Cover the chicken with liquid. The Instant Pot needs at least ½ cup of liquid to build pressure — make sure the chicken is covered before sealing the lid
- Quick release carefully. When moving the valve to venting keep your hand away from the steam — use a towel or long utensil to move the knob safely
- Shred with a hand mixer. Place the cooked chicken in a large bowl and use a hand mixer on low for 15–20 seconds — the fastest and easiest way to shred a large batch of chicken
Variations and Substitutions
- Use chicken thighs instead of breasts for a slightly juicier result — same cook time works
- Skip the salsa and use extra chicken broth plus a squeeze of lime juice for a cleaner flavor
- Add a can of diced green chiles to the pot for extra heat and flavor
- Use the shredded chicken for burrito bowls, taco salads, quesadillas, or enchiladas instead of tacos
- Double the batch and freeze half for an almost instant dinner later in the month
Want deeper flavor? Stir ½ teaspoon cumin and a squeeze of fresh lime into the shredded chicken, or swap the water for a spoonful of tomato paste before pressure cooking.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken is delicious served on hard taco shells or you can try making the Best Flour Tortilla Recipe. Corn tortillas would also be yummy.
Dinner is so easy even when making chicken tacos instant pot frozen chicken. You can literally forget about dinner until the last minute and still make this so fast.
Everyone will love instant pot shredded chicken tacos from frozen chicken. Perfect for busy weeknights. Serve with these easy sides to complete a delicious meal.
- Easy Spanish Rice Recipe
- Delicious Cilantro Lime Rice
- Crock Pot Refried Beans
- Slow Cooker Black Beans
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Find more What to Serve with Tacos recipes
Another option for this chicken is taco salads! You can make these easy homemade taco bowls and have delicious taco salads that are so flavorful with this shredded chicken.
The shredded chicken is amazing. It is so easy and tender.
Taco Topping Ideas
- Sour Cream
- Onion
- Lettuce
- Shredded Cheese
- Red Onions
- Tomato
- Quick Salsa Verde De Tomatillo Recipe
- Very Simple Guacamole Recipe
- The best pico de gallo recipe
- Fresh Lime
- Fresh Cilantro
So many tasty choices! Our family loves toppings so this is a favorite around here. Enjoy!
Storage and Freezer Instructions
Refrigerator
- Store the shredded chicken in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. The flavor gets even better overnight as the chicken sits in the juices
Freezer
- Freeze the shredded chicken with the juices in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop or microwave. Perfect for quick chicken burrito bowls later in the week
Reheating
- Reheat in the microwave in 60-second intervals or on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken broth to keep the chicken moist
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen chicken in the Instant Pot?
Yes! This recipe is specifically designed for frozen chicken with no thawing required. Just add 8 extra minutes to the cook time compared to fresh chicken.
Why is my Instant Pot chicken dry?
The chicken was overcooked, reduce the cook time by 2–3 minutes and make sure the chicken is fully covered with liquid before sealing the lid.
Does the chicken need to be covered in liquid?
Yes! The Instant Pot needs at least ½ cup of liquid to build pressure. Make sure the chicken is covered before sealing.
Should I use quick release or natural release?
For the juiciest, easiest-to-shred chicken, let the Instant Pot natural release for 10 minutes after the cook time, then move the valve to venting to release any remaining pressure. A quick release works when you’re in a hurry, but a short natural release keeps the chicken more tender.
My chicken breasts are small (or extra large) — do I change the time?
Yes. Timing depends on the size of the breasts more than the number. For small breasts, reduce the cook time by 2–3 minutes. For very large breasts (10+ oz each) or frozen, add 3–5 minutes. The chicken is done when it shreds easily with two forks.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, but a few adjustments help. A fuller pot takes longer to come to pressure (the cook time itself stays the same). Never fill past the max line, and expect more liquid at the end since doubling the chicken doubles the juices released — sauté a little longer to cook it off so the filling isn’t watery.
More Easy Taco Recipes
These Instant Pot Chicken Tacos have saved dinner in our house more times than I can count. Frozen chicken, 30 minutes, and a taco night the whole family loves for just $1.63 a serving!
If you make them leave a star rating and a comment below — I love hearing what toppings your family piled on and whether the frozen chicken trick saved your dinner night the way it saves mine!
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- ½ cup chicken broth
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. Pour the salsa and chicken broth over the chicken, then sprinkle the taco seasoning on top.
- Secure the lid and set the pressure release valve to sealing.
- Cook on High Pressure (Manual) for: 12 minutes for fresh chicken breasts or 20 minutes for frozen chicken breasts.
- When the cook time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then carefully move the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and shred it with two forks.
- Return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot and stir it into the cooking juices. If there is excess liquid, turn on the Sauté setting and simmer for 2–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to your desired consistency.
- Serve the chicken in taco shells or tortillas with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- This chicken is also delicious in burritos, quesadillas, taco salads, rice bowls, or nachos.
- If using very large chicken breasts (10–12 ounces each), increase the cook time for fresh chicken to 15 minutes. For average-sized breasts (6–8 ounces), 12 minutes produces juicier results.
- If you’re short on time, you can carefully perform a quick release instead of a 10-minute natural release. The chicken will still cook through, but a natural release helps keep the chicken more tender and juicy.
Nutrition Facts
Watch how easy it really is to make with this video:
My family really liked it and it was so easy to make. We served with mexican rice and beans.
Woohoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing and for the positive review!
My son loves chicken tacos, he asks for them weekly. This makes it soooo easy, and of course delicious! The salsa adds a nice little extra flavor
So easy & so good. This was the first recipe I tried when I got my Instant Pot. It is also my go to for taco night. So easy but so good
So easy, so quick, and so tender!! This was perfect for Taco Tuesday after a long day at work. I love the Instant Pot and just added this recipe to my regulars!!
so good!
My favorite chick tacos so my flavor & I like them on flour & corn tortillas. So fast, so yummy & so inexpensive. No more going out for Taco tuesday
This was such a simple and time saving recipe. I made quesadillas for our supper and had plenty to lunch the next and some to freeze for another day. I highly recommend this recipe.
Dinner was so easy and fast.
Wry easy recipe and it taste great! Even my picky eaters loved it.
My girls love chicken tacos.
Easy to make and so yummy .
Absolutely love the chicken taco instant pot recipe. Have also done it with one can rotel and one can diced tomatoes. Equally good. Give them a 5 star rating.
Omgoodness I am commenting again because at the end of my last comment after merry Christmas I put a Christmas tree and now it’s coming up as a question mark I am so sorry !!
Absolutely love it !! In love with your page and recipes, life changing !! The need for easy and the ability to just put it together and go or has the possibility to be done so quickly is a life saver . Thank you so much for all the work you do to put these together for us !! Hope all is well with your family and merry Christmas ?
Loved making it so good and so easy to make!
Best chicken tacos! Easy and delicious! I even made extra and froze it for another meal! Thank you so much for making my life easier Carrie and Christina!
I made this !! It’s was very easy and quick to do thank you !
I made this recipe awhile back and it was a hit!!! I actually made it again the following day and placed in freezer bags for an even quicker meal!!!
Such a easy recipe. Chicken was so tender. My family loved it.
My family loves this recipe! Very flavorful & the chicken is juicy & tender.
I always have chicken breasts and salsa in hand so this recipe is so easy!
We loved this one!! It’s so easy and perfect for a quick meal! Will def make again!
Absolutely delicious, family favorite!
Can u do the same with ground beef from frozen?
Yes – Here is a similar recipe with ground beef – https://www.eatingonadime.com/the-best-instant-pot-taco-meat-recipe/
Made for family tonight, easy and delicious. Definitely will be making again. Love my instant pot.
I used 6 large chicken breasts and at 20 minutes they were still frozen together in spots. I would do at least 45 minutes for large frozen breasts when there are 6 or so.
What about chicken tenders? How would you recommend cooking them?
You could do 10 minutes.
How long do you cook for chicken that has been thawed?
Carla, I would start out at about the 13 minute range. I have had good luck with that for my larger instant pot. I do like mine a bit more tender and easier to shred. Let me know how it turns out. thanks so much
So you just double if you add more chicken?
yes!