February 20, 2018 38 Comments

Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls

Name: Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 teaspoons chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to add more heat); 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1 Tablespoon olive oil; 1 cup diced, yellow onion; 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced; 1 cup chicken stock ((I am now recommending 1 cup to be safe, especially if you have a newer model)); 1 1/4 cup long-grain, white rice (rinsed and drained); 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn (rinsed and drained); 15 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained); 16 ounce jar tomato salsa ((a thin, watery type salsa not chunky style)); 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; toppings of your choice

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These Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls are the perfect solution for busy weeknights, and they’re healthy too!! All of the major food groups are covered, and they are loaded with flavor to keep the whole family happy. I topped mine with Greek yogurt, shredded sharp cheddar, and diced avocado…..

For even more heat top your Chicken Taco Bowls with sliced jalapenos. Add some diced, fresh tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and tortilla chips for some added crunch!

How do you make Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls?

To keep this meal nice and easy, I have tried to use ingredients that are widely available…..

For added spiciness, choose a medium or spicy salsa and add additional cayenne pepper!

Mix the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne together in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with with the seasoning mixture, set aside…..

***This recipe was made using a 6-Quart IP Duo Instant Pot – if you have an 8 quart or an Instant Pot that is less than 2 years old I highly suggest that you saute in a separate pan on the stove, or skip that step altogether! The newer versions are much more temperamental and causing a lot of BURN notices. Also, check your manual to find the instructions for cooking rice and make sure you follow the amount of liquid/rice ratio for your particular pressure cooker.***

Plug in your pressure cooker and press the “Saute” button. Add the olive oil to the liner when the display reads “HOT”. Add the onions and cook until they start to soften, about 3 minutes…..

Add the garlic, stir and cook for one minute. Press the “Cancel” button and pour in the chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the liner to remove any browned bits…..

aka, deglaze the pan. 😉

Place the chicken breasts in the pot…..

Add the rice, salsa, black beans, and then the corn…..

Seal the lid and check to make sure the knob is in the “Sealing” position. Press the “Manual” button, check to make sure it is High Pressure, and adjust the time to 8 minutes using the + and – buttons…..

When the pressure cooker beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes…..

Turn the knob to manually release any remaining pressure.

Remove the chicken breasts and shred them using two forks…..

Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine…..

Stir in the cilantro and serve topped with your favorite taco toppings…..

and a big fork, so you can get a big bite!! LOL

Ten minutes to prep, about 30 minutes to cook, and dinner is on the table! 🙂

Notes:

I served mine in a bowl, but it would also make an amazing filling for burritos and actual tacos.
I use this 6 quart IP Duo Instant Pot for all of my recipes. {affiliate link}.
Feel free to substitute sour cream for the Greek yogurt and your favorite cheese. I need to keep mine lactose-free!

Other delicious Instant Pot meals for you to try:

Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

Mexican Style Shredded Beef

Instant Pot Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Instant Pot Italian Beef

Instant Pot Kalua Pork

So many yummy choices…Enjoy!!

UPDATE:

There seems to be a less than perfect success rate with this recipe so I am trying to come up with solutions to get it to 100% success rate!!

I remade this recipe last night trying to figure out exactly what steps I was taking that could be done differently by different people. Burn notices and crunchy rice mean you need more liquid…but why are we all getting different results?

Do you see the amount of liquid in the above image, that is how much YOU should have at home. I simply moved the beans, corn, and salsa to the side to make a hole.

If you do not see any liquid floating above the rice, add more chicken stock.

So let’s go step-by-step:

Rice: I rinse the rice with a strainer until it runs clear. I shake it to remove the excess water so it won’t spill on the floor and dump it into the pot. I use a wooden spoon or spatula to even out the rice.

Beans: I do the same as with the rice, rinse, shake, dump, and even it out.

Corn: Same thing, rinse, shake, dump, spread.

Salsa: I use Herdez every single time I make this recipe. If you are using Pace or another “thick” salsa you will not have enough liquid!!

To be safe, you could add the salsa on top of the rice and then add the beans and corn last.

Latest Update – I have changed the amount of chicken stock in the recipe from 3/4 cup to 1 cup in hopes of it making a difference across the board.

I am very sorry if this recipe did not work for you, but I have NEVER received a BURN notice making any recipe using either of my Instant Pots….EVER!! If I had, I never would have posted the recipe. Nasty, vulgar emails and comments are completely uncalled for and not helpful to finding a solution. These recipes are provided to you for FREE! I am not paid to create recipes nor am I provided the latest models of Instant Pots to test recipes in to see what changes may be needed.

I hope this helps! 🙂