Instant Pot Salsa Chicken is an instant family hit! This easy low carb shredded chicken recipe is creamy and flavorful, and takes only 30 minutes. Crockpot instructions included too.
These days, it takes a very special recipe to get my whole family to come to the table willingly. Three active teens going in multiple directions at once means I need to entice them with the promise of something mouthwatering.
This Instant Pot Salsa Chicken does the trick every time. It was one of the first recipe I created after I purchased my multi-cooker. They loved it then and they love it still. It’s one of those recipes I know I can rely on consistently.
While my kids eat it with tortillas, I serve mine over Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice. And everyone’s happy and full!
Why you will love this easy dinner
It’s a winner winner of a chicken dinner because it’s also super easy to make. You pop everything into the pot and let it does its thing. Then you shred the chicken, blend the sauce, and you’re done.
It takes only 40 minutes to get this keto chicken recipe to the table. And when your family is going in a million different directions at once, that’s pretty darn important. And it takes 6 simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store!
If you’d prefer to make it in a slow cooker, you can do that too. See the Expert Tips for my recommendations.
Reader Reviews
“OMG, this was SO easy and delish!! You can adjust the taco spice according to your like, and those who aren’t keto can eat these on a regular tortilla if they want, but not having it in a lettuce wrap would be a mistake IMHO. It’s a family pleaser for sure!” – Cathy
“Mmmmm!! One of my favourites, and loved by Keto-ers and non-Keto types alike. It’s the first recipe I share to new Instant Pot owners – so easy and always a hit!” – Delta
“This is such a quick & easy dinner! The whole family loves it! Thanks for all you do Carolyn!? – Sheila
Ingredients you need
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: I like thighs because I think they are more flavorful, but you can also use chicken breasts.
- Taco seasoning: Read the labels to make sure your taco seasoning doesn’t contain any sugar or starches.
- Cream cheese: This gives the final dish a wonderful creamy consistency. For a dairy free option, you can substitute with vegan cream cream cheese, like Kite Hill almond milk cream cheese.
- Salsa: You can use mild or hot salsa. Choose a salsa brand that only has 2 g of carbs per serving, and stick with regular tomato salsas, rather than things with mango, peaches, corn etc. I really like the Late July Organic Salsa.
- Pantry staples: Chicken broth, salt and pepper
Step-by-step directions
- Place the chicken thighs in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and add additional salt and pepper.
- Add the cream cheese, salsa, and broth and lock the lid into place. Use the manual setting and set the Instant Pot on high for 20 minutes. Once it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Use the vent to release any remaining pressure and then remove the lid. Remove the chicken to a plate and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth. Alternatively, you can transfer the sauce to a regular blender and puree.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and add back into the pot. Toss to coat in the creamy sauce. Serve with lettuce wraps and top with chopped avocados and shredded cheddar cheese.
Expert tips
This really is one of those insanely easy Instant Pot recipes where you can dump everything in, turn the machine on, and walk away. The prep time is so minimal as to be non-existent. But do let the pressure release naturally for super tender shredded chicken.
If you want to double the recipe, add 8 minutes to the initial cook time to make sure the chicken is cooked and tender.
You can serve these taco style using lettuce wraps, egg wraps, or low carb tortillas. You can also serve it as a bowl over cauliflower rice.
Slow Cooker Instructions
I know not everyone has an Instant Pot, so here are some tips on making this recipe in your slow cooker instead.
- Use the same ingredients, no need to adjust.
- Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
- If you are doubling the recipe, you may need to cook a little longer.
- If you are halving the recipe, it should still be good for 3 hours.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, proceed as directed.
Recipe FAQs
Many salsa brands are very keto friendly, with 2 grams of carbs per 2 tablespoon serving. Always read your labels and stick with regular tomato salsas, rather than varieties with fruit, corn, or beans.
This keto salsa chicken recipe has 4.2g of carbs and 1.6g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.6g net carbs per serving.
Store leftover salsa chicken in an air tight container in the refriger for up to 4 days. It also freezes well. Transfer cooled leftovers to freezer safe containers and freeze for up to three months. To reheat, thaw overnight and heat in the microwave or in a sauce pan over medium heat.
More great Instant Pot recipes
Keto Salsa Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (907.18 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, cut into chunks
- 1 cup (260 g) salsa , mild or hot, your preference
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) chicken broth
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and a little additional salt and pepper.
- Add the cream cheese, salsa, and broth and lock the lid into place. Use the manual setting and set the Instant Pot on high for 20 minutes. Once it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Use the vent to release any remaining pressure and then remove the lid. Remove the chicken to a plate and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth. Alternatively, you can transfer the sauce to a regular blender and puree.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and add back into the pot. Toss to coat in the creamy sauce. Serve with lettuce wraps and top with chopped avocados and shredded cheddar cheese.
Notes
- Use the same ingredients, no need to adjust.
- Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
- If you are doubling the recipe, you may need to cook a little longer.
- If you are halving the recipe, it should still be good for 3 hours.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, proceed as directed.
Nutrition
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I’ve tried a plain version of this recipe which was quite delicious, so I figured I’d give this one a round today, doing it in my crockpot. Double recipe, double everything and adding cayenne pepper and a little chili powder to it.
I don’t have an instant pot yet so I am using a crock pot. I don’t think I should add the cream cheese until after the chicken is cooked right?
Actually, you can put it in at the beginning. If you check out my Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Cauliflower, you will see that’s exactly what I do.
I’m relatively new to using the instant pot; this recipe sounded delicious but 5 minutes into the cooking process my Instant Pot displayed the “Burn” message. The food did burn onto the bottom of the pot, I cleaned it and tried again but the same thing happened. What could I have done wrong?
What IP do you have? There are some different ones with higher settings that may be an issue. But as long as your salsa has plenty of liquid in it, it really shouldn’t be doing this and may be a problem with your actual Instant Pot.
IP-Du060
It is 6qt. I used an already open bottle of salsa, perhaps I didn’t have enough liquid, it was pretty chunky.
Did it matter if I mixed the ingredients? It didn’t say to do it but I did.
I don’t think the mixing matters. But if the salsa was mostly chunks and no real liquid to speak of, I think you need to add some additional liquid.
One other thought. I burned stuff in the IP once when I didn’t have the lid on properly and there wasn’t a proper seal. That meant that most of the liquid evaporated. Make sure you are putting the lid on properly. That’s actually harder than it sounds. Make sure you are lining it up to where the notches are on the pot, and then sliding it over properly.
Delicious! Thank you for the fabulous recipe!!!
I made this tonight and it was very good. We both loved it. I served it over broccoli/ cauliflower rice and topped it with diced avocado. This is so easy, quick and delicious. I will definitely be making this often.
Glad to hear it!
Made this tonight as written and it was amazing. It reminds of chicken tortilla soup just a tad thicker. Thank you for another great dinner option!
Could frozen chicken thighs be used if there’s no time to thaw them? How much time should be added to cook?
Thanks!
I think it could but I am not sure of the time. Google frozen chicken instant pot and I bet you will come across some great info.
The recipe didn’t specify, but the illustrations seem to show that a tomato based salsa was used. Has anyone used a salsa verde to make this recipe?
No but I think it would be good!
Made this tonight, excellent! Thank you for an easy, yummy recipe!
Wow! This is a fantastic and super delicious recipe. I didn’t have chicken thighs, so I used the same weight in chicken breasts. Holy cow. It is scrumptious!
This is such a quick & easy dinner! The whole family loves it! Thanks for all you do Carolyn!
I made this in the skillet with meat from a rotisserie chicken and it was amazing! Thank you!
That looks delicious! I love that you’re getting into the Instant Pot!
Just tried this today and it was a hit. So easy to make yet so full of flavour. Thank you again for another amazing recipe!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I make my own taco seasoning so I know it is low carb. This sounds so delicious!!! I love easy recipes in the instant pot. I got mine for Christmas and I love it.
I made this last week – it was a winner in our family. We did have it as nachos, my 8 year old son is a newly diagnosed diabetic he needs carbs. It was so easy and tasty. I am so grateful for finding your blog over here in Australia 😀 after the diagnosis so we can not go overboard on the carbs. Thank you.
I tried this recipe for dinner this week and it was a winner! It’s super quick, and that made it perfect for a mid-week dinner.
Oh YASSSS. This looks ridiculously good and easy. WIN.
Hi there, I have just discovered that dairy is hurting my auto-immune condition. This recipe looks amazing, though, as do all your other recipes! Any suggestions for how to turn this one into a dairy free one? Thanks so much for all you do! it really encourages us to keep it up 🙂
Sure! Have you tried Kite Hill almond milk cream cheese? It’s the only one I know of that actually tastes good. It doesn’t melt quite the same so may take a little more effort to blend in.
I haven’t tried this yet. I ordered the seasoning and the salsa recommended at the bottom of your post. Can’t wait to get them and try this. Thank you!
I make this without cream cheese and it is still really good.
Howdy from Texas Caroline! I received a Instant Pot for Mother’s Day, so I am excited to see more recipes using this new (to me) appliance. I wish I had a neighborhood where the neighbors actually saw each other. Everyone here has yard services and come and go using back entry driveways. I miss the old days where people actually knew their neighbors. 🙁 Thanks for all that you do bringing us these yummy recipes. Happy Spring!! (although in Texas it’s beginning to feel more like summer).
Sorry, just noticed that I misspelled your name!! Sorry Carolyn.
Hi. I was wondering what the serving size is
It serves 6 so you need to just divide it up.