Crockpot Or Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

Crockpot or Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

This recipe lets you choose between the convenience of a slow cooker (Crockpot) or the speed of a pressure cooker (Instant Pot) to create delicious shredded chicken for tacos.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chiles (undrained)
• ½ cup chopped onion (optional)
• ¼ cup chicken broth (for Instant Pot only)
• ⅓ cup salsa (for Instant Pot only)
• Toppings: corn tortillas, shredded cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, avocado (optional)

Cooking Guide:

Crockpot:

1. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle taco seasoning evenly over the chicken.
3. Add chopped onion (if using).
4. Pour the diced tomatoes and green chiles with their juices over the chicken. Don’t stir.
5. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until chicken is tender and shreds easily with forks.

Instant Pot:

1. Place chicken breasts in the Instant Pot.
2. Pour in chicken broth.
3. Sprinkle taco seasoning over the chicken.
4. Top with salsa.
5. Close the lid and ensure the pressure valve is set to “Sealing.“
6. Select “Manual” or “Poultry” mode and cook for 15 minutes if using frozen chicken breasts, or 12 minutes for fresh.
7. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then perform a quick release for any remaining pressure.
8. Once the pressure has fully released, open the lid and shred the chicken with forks.

Shredding the Chicken:

• Regardless of the cooking method, use two forks to shred the chicken in the pot.

Assembling the Tacos:

1. Warm corn tortillas according to package instructions.
2. Fill tortillas with shredded chicken, your favorite toppings, and a squeeze of lime (optional).

Tips:

• For a spicier taco, add a diced jalapeno pepper with the onions in the Crockpot or saute it with the salsa in the Instant Pot.
• To add more depth of flavor, use a homemade taco seasoning or add a teaspoon of chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika to the store-bought version.
• Leftover shredded chicken can be used in burritos, quesadillas, or salads.
• If using the Crockpot, you can add a can of black beans or corn, drained and rinsed, for a more filling taco.
• You can adjust the cooking time in the Crockpot depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Start checking for tenderness after 4 hours on LOW.