Instant Pot Salsa Chicken is quick, easy and so delicious. Made with just 3 ingredients, it is veggie-loaded with some added spinach and cooks up in just minutes. This pressure cooker chicken is the perfect weeknight meal that is also family friendly and healthy!
Jump to Recipe
I don’t know what it is about spring, but I want to put salsa on all the things.
Actually no. It is not just spring. It is all the time! Salsa has a wonderful way of bringing life (and spice) to some ho-hum dishes and is so versatile! Having a clean and delicious jar of salsa on hand (whether it is homemade or an awesome brand from the store) is a great way to make sure you are never feeling “blah” at meal time.
My Healthy Baked Salsa Chicken is a household (and reader) favorite, but I wanted to find a way to add a little more veggie goodness into the mix and modify the recipe so it could be made in my handy dandy Instant Pot.
Which is when Instant Pot Salsa Chicken came to be! Super flavorful without needing oodles of spices and ingredients, this dish is so simple to throw together and can be enjoyed in so many ways! In tacos, over a salad, with roasted veggies or cauliflower rice, stuffed into a baked potatoes or simply as is…this recipe is like a party for your tastebuds…but barely any work!
How to enjoy this Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
- Over rice or cauliflower “rice”
- In tacos
- Stuffed into a baked potato
- Over a salad
- With roasted veggies
- enchiladas
Suggested Adaptations
1. Use a salsa that reflects your spice preference! Do you and your family love to crank up the heat? More power to you! Use the hottest salsa you can find in this recipe! Are you serving this to little ones with sensitive taste buds? I suggest opting for a mild salsa so as not to overwhelm them! Use whatever your favorite salsa is and this recipe is sure to be a success for you!
2. Separate the spinach from the chicken. Have someone at your dinner table who doesn’t like everything mixed together? Or maybe a kiddo (or partner) who is warming up to the idea of veggies? Consider serving the chicken and spinach separately! Just use tongs to serve the chicken and spinach and separating them should be easy and messy-free!
3. Make it in your slow cooker. No Instant Pot? Thats okay. Just add the salsa and chicken to your crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6. Or until chicken is cooked through.
Other recipes you are going to love
- Instant Pot Creamy Mushroom Chicken
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Instant Pot Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
- Slow Cooker + Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 1/2 cups your favorite salsa I used mild to make it kid-friendly, but use whatever spice level you prefer
- 2-3 handfuls baby spinach roughly chopped
Instructions
- Place chicken in the Instant Pot and add the salsa. Stir a few times to combine and coat the chicken with salsa.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes. When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 8 minutes. It will take your pressure cooker about 10 minutes to get up to pressure. After the 8 minutes of cook time are done, quick release the rest of the pressure.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place it in a large bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken or use a stand mixer with a flat beater attachment (my personal favorite and makes the shredding process very quick).
- Return shredded chicken to the Instant Pot. Add the roughly chopped spinach. Stir a few times to combine and place the lid back on the Instant Pot. Let the chicken/spinach sit for 4-5 minutes with the lid on, or until spinach has wilted.
- Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
- Top with sliced avocado, cilantro or shredded cheese and enjoy in tacos, over a salad, with roasted veggies or cauli rice, stuffed into a baked potatoes or simply as is
this was really good! i keep the spinach separate and added some taco seasoning in as well.
Does this not need any water or other liquid added?..sounds like something I would enjoy.
Nope, the salsa acts as the liquid!
Could this be made in a crockpot instead of an instant pot?
It can be. I’d cook it on low for 4-5 hours until the chicken is done
Looks delish! Can I use ghee instead of coconut oil?
Yes! Ghee would work as well!
This was super easy and came out very tasty. Bonus, the liquid acted as a sauce for my (very particular) three year old’s spaghetti. Jury’s still up whether he’ll actually eat the shredded chicken itself (finding meat that he will voluntarily eat has been a bit of a struggle), but I will take the smaller victory. Thank you for all that you do in sharing your recipes.
Wonderful blog you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew
of any discussion boards that cover the same topics talked
about in this article? I’d really like to be a
part of community where I can get feedback from other experienced people that share the same interest.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Kudos!
Can you use frozen chicken?
You could! I might need to add a little more cooking time if the pieces are big
This is the easiest recipe ever and SO delicious! New family favorite with mild organic salsa.