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    Home » Low Carb » Instant Pot Salsa Chicken – Keto Recipe

    Published: May 17, 2018 · Modified: Nov 5, 2019 by Carolyn

    Instant Pot Salsa Chicken – Keto Recipe

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    6.6K shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This creamy Instant Pot salsa chicken is officially my kids’ new favorite keto dinner. 5 simple ingredients and it’s so easy to make, it will quickly become your favorite low carb dinner recipe too! It can easily be adjusted for a crockpot version. This post is sponsored by California Avocados.

    Instant pot salsa chicken sprinkled with avocado

    The warm weather is finally here, give or take a few rainy, chilly days, and I feel like the world is coming alive again. Well, it truly is coming alive again, with birds singing and trees and flowers bursting into bloom. And all the people coming out of winter hibernation, walking the streets and hitting the biking and hiking trails. My neighbours and I like to joke about how we live right next door to one another but we don’t see each other in the colder months. Now they are out in their yard and we are out in ours, calling greetings over the fence and chit chatting on the front stoop. It’s getting me in the mood for warm weather parties and get togethers.

    Easy salsa chicken being sprinkled with cheese

    I’ve got the perfect recipe for those summer parties. This creamy low carb salsa chicken is so quick and easy, and can be scaled up or down depending on the size of your party. It’s the perfect shareable meal. Just whip it up in your Instant Pot in less than 40 minutes, put it all in a big serving dish, and let the gang have at it. Serve it with lettuce wraps and all the usual toppings. But don’t you forget that avocado. A meal like this must be served with avocado! Especially California Avocados, which are in season right now and are so utterly perfect. Just chop them up and let your guests sprinkle them over their salsa chicken lettuce wraps. Or mash them up into guacamole. Your choice!

    How To Make Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

    This is what I like to call a dump-and-run recipe. It 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 a few notes to make it truly low carb and healthy.

    • Make sure your taco seasoning doesn’t contain any sugar or starches
    • Choose a salsa brand that only has 2 g of carbs per serving at most
    • Use chicken thighs over chicken breasts as they are more flavourful and have a higher fat content
    • If you are doubling the recipe, you may want to add 5 minutes to the cook time

    And oh my, the kiddos loved this. It was an instant hit. Or an Instant Pot hit…get it? Get it? They’ve already been begging me to make it again and it’s so easy, I won’t hesitate to do so.

    Salsa Chicken Lettuce Wraps with avocado

    Crockpot Salsa Chicken Variation

    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

    Got some fun summer parties coming up? Trust me, you won’t regret making a big pot of this easy keto salsa chicken. And all the kids will thank you!

    Looking for more easy chicken recipes?

    Check out my easy pizza chicken, sheet pan chicken and veggies, or my brown butter chicken

    And check out these other great Instant Pot Recipes

    Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs from Gluten Free Palate

    Instant Pot Carnitas from A Spicy Perspective

    Instant Pot Paprika Pork Chops from Kalyn’s Kitchen

    Instant Pot Leg of Lamb

    Instant pot salsa chicken sprinkled with avocado

    Keto Salsa Chicken Recipe

    This creamy Instant Pot salsa chicken is officially my kids' new favorite keto dinner. 5 simple ingredients and it's so easy to make, it will quickly become your favorite low carb dinner recipe too!
    5 from 18 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: instant pot, salsa chicken
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 244kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • 3 tablespoon taco seasoning
    • Salt and pepper
    • 4 ounces cream cheese cut into chunks
    • 1 cup salsa mild or hot, your preference
    • ¼ cup 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

    You can make this easily in a crockpot too. 3 to 4 hours on low will do, unless you are doubling the recipe. 
    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Salsa Chicken Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 244 Calories from Fat 89
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 9.9g15%
    Carbohydrates 4.2g1%
    Fiber 1.6g6%
    Protein 30.2g60%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Many thanks to California Avocados for partnering with me to bring you this recipe.

    6.6K shares

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Benjamin Barkley says

      November 06, 2019 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    2. Jessica says

      October 13, 2019 at 10:26 am

      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?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        October 13, 2019 at 10:59 am

        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.

        Reply
    3. Gerard says

      June 04, 2019 at 5:02 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        June 04, 2019 at 6:15 pm

        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.

        Reply
        • Gerard Lundrigan says

          June 04, 2019 at 6:45 pm

          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.

          Reply
          • Carolyn says

            June 04, 2019 at 7:37 pm

            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.

            Reply
    4. Elizabeth says

      March 18, 2019 at 11:12 pm

      Delicious! Thank you for the fabulous recipe!!!

      Reply
    5. Heather Gallant says

      February 01, 2019 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        February 01, 2019 at 5:58 pm

        Glad to hear it!

        Reply
    6. Heather says

      October 06, 2018 at 5:28 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    7. Keith says

      August 24, 2018 at 1:11 pm

      Could frozen chicken thighs be used if there’s no time to thaw them? How much time should be added to cook?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        August 24, 2018 at 5:44 pm

        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.

        Reply
    8. Michael says

      August 20, 2018 at 2:13 am

      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?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        August 20, 2018 at 8:01 am

        No but I think it would be good!

        Reply
    9. CandyC says

      July 23, 2018 at 8:44 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight, excellent! Thank you for an easy, yummy recipe!

      Reply
    10. Rachel says

      June 08, 2018 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    11. Sheila says

      June 06, 2018 at 10:25 am

      5 stars
      This is such a quick & easy dinner! The whole family loves it! Thanks for all you do Carolyn!

      Reply
    12. Sandy says

      June 05, 2018 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      I made this in the skillet with meat from a rotisserie chicken and it was amazing! Thank you!

      Reply
    13. KalynsKitchen says

      June 02, 2018 at 10:31 am

      That looks delicious! I love that you’re getting into the Instant Pot!

      Reply
    14. Filmibuff says

      May 27, 2018 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    15. Yo says

      May 24, 2018 at 10:07 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    16. Lisa says

      May 22, 2018 at 9:45 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    17. Courtney says

      May 20, 2018 at 5:23 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    18. Karen says

      May 17, 2018 at 11:55 am

      Oh YASSSS. This looks ridiculously good and easy. WIN.

      Reply
    19. Maria V Villanueva says

      May 17, 2018 at 11:10 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        May 17, 2018 at 2:02 pm

        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.

        Reply
      • Jeannie says

        July 06, 2020 at 3:03 pm

        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!

        Reply
      • CS says

        January 20, 2021 at 10:07 pm

        I make this without cream cheese and it is still really good.

        Reply
    20. Carol says

      May 17, 2018 at 7:36 am

      5 stars
      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).

      Reply
      • Carol says

        May 17, 2018 at 7:38 am

        Sorry, just noticed that I misspelled your name!! Sorry Carolyn.

        Reply
        • Kristin says

          May 31, 2019 at 1:53 pm

          Hi. I was wondering what the serving size is

          Reply
          • Carolyn says

            June 01, 2019 at 8:28 am

            It serves 6 so you need to just divide it up.

            Reply
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