• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Natural Nurturer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Home
  • Info
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
  • Recipes
    • Recipes by Type
      • Breakfast
        • Muffins
        • Oatmeal
        • Pancakes & Waffles
      • Desserts
      • Dinner
      • Dips, Sauces & Spreads
      • How To
      • Salads
      • Side Dishes
      • Smoothies & Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Soups
    • Recipes by Diet
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • Grain Free
      • Nut-Free
      • Paleo
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Whole30
    • Recipes by Cooking Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Instant Pot
      • Meal Prep
      • No Cook
      • Roasted
      • Slow Cooker
    • Recipe Search
    • Recipe Index
    • Recipe Stories
  • Shop
    • Ebooks and Meal Plans
    • Recommended Products
  • Blog
    • Food For Thought
Home » Recipes » Dinner » Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

By Taesha Butler May 22, 2018 (Updated January 1, 2023) 20 Comments

Servings4 people
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Jump to Recipe
5 from 5 votes

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!

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
a how-to of how to make salsa chicken

Do you have some spinach leftover after whipping up this Instant Pot Salsa Chicken? Don’t let it go to waste! Check out my tips & tricks for keeping spinach fresh all week!

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
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

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!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy chicken recipe, healthy chicken recipe, instant pot chicken, salsa chicken
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Taesha Butler

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

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 897mg | Potassium: 991mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1926IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!

Sharing is caring!

1584 shares
  • Share84
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Dinner, Instant Pot, Whole30 Tagged With: spinach

Previous Post: « Strawberry Avocado Paleo Chocolate Muffins
Next Post: Sweet Potato Tots (gluten free) »

Reader Interactions

    Leave a comment & rate this recipe Cancel reply

    Did you make this recipe? So good, right? It would mean the world to me if you left a comment and star rating so that more people can see how delicious veggie-loading can be. Plus, it helps me to see what recipes you are all loving so I can make more like them.

    Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback.

    Recipe Rating




    Comments

  1. HEATHER

    May 26, 2018 at 2:41 pm

    this was really good! i keep the spinach separate and added some taco seasoning in as well.

    Reply
  2. Cindy Davidson

    March 11, 2019 at 6:48 pm

    Does this not need any water or other liquid added?..sounds like something I would enjoy.

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      March 14, 2019 at 9:41 pm

      Nope, the salsa acts as the liquid!

      Reply
  3. Natalie

    June 24, 2019 at 3:37 pm

    Could this be made in a crockpot instead of an instant pot?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      June 26, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      It can be. I’d cook it on low for 4-5 hours until the chicken is done

      Reply
  4. Lyndsay

    June 26, 2019 at 1:17 pm

    Looks delish! Can I use ghee instead of coconut oil?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      June 26, 2019 at 5:30 pm

      Yes! Ghee would work as well!

      Reply
  5. Asma

    July 13, 2019 at 9:22 pm

    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.

    Reply
  6. nail salon breda

    August 21, 2019 at 9:36 pm

    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!

    Reply
  7. Kasi

    October 14, 2019 at 8:25 pm

    Can you use frozen chicken?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      October 14, 2019 at 8:42 pm

      You could! I might need to add a little more cooking time if the pieces are big

      Reply
  8. Cheryl Tortorella

    November 8, 2019 at 12:29 am

    5 stars
    This is the easiest recipe ever and SO delicious! New family favorite with mild organic salsa.

    Reply
  9. Trish

    February 20, 2021 at 1:05 am

    5 stars
    So good. Super easy. The perfect dinner for when you don’t have time to make dinner

    Reply
    • Taesha

      February 22, 2021 at 12:59 am

      So glad to hear that!

      Reply
  10. Adriane

    December 8, 2021 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    this recipe is perfect. anytime we have extra salsa, we plan to have this sometime later in the week (even the salsa we dont like that much).

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      December 8, 2021 at 6:48 pm

      I’m so glad you love this recipe as much as we do, Adriane! It is 100% one of my easy go-to dinners.

      Reply
  11. NS

    January 5, 2022 at 4:26 am

    5 stars
    So delicious! My whole family including my toddler loved it! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      January 5, 2022 at 12:35 pm

      Yay! I am so glad!

      Reply
  12. MK

    March 7, 2022 at 3:24 pm

    Was wondering how much frozen spinach to use? I would quick-thaw by pouring hot water on it, then wringing it out, if necessary. Looking forward to trying this one – I christened my new Instant Pot with your butternut squash chicken curry, and it came out delicious!

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      March 7, 2022 at 6:28 pm

      I’d probably do a cup of thawed frozen! And so glad you enjoyed the curry!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Taesha! I help busy people fall in love with healthy eating with my simple, family-friendly, veggie-loaded recipes. I believe vegetables can and SHOULD be delicious. Here, let me show you how!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Categories

Newsletter

Subscribe to our email list.

Never miss a new veggie-loaded recipe or natural living rambling.

Once you have subscribed, you will receive an email asking you to confirm. Please click "yes" and you'll be added to my list. And just my list. Your privacy is important and I totally respect it. I won't be sharing your email with anyone else....no matter how nicely they ask.

Footer

As seen in…

As seen in brand wall collage

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

© 2023 The Natural Nurturer - Privacy Policy - Accessibility Policy - Support by Foodie Digital

  • 84