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. And this Keto Salsa Chicken is it!
If your family loves Tex Mex flavors, be sure to try Keto Taco Soup or Mexican Cauliflower Rice next!
This 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!
What readers are saying…
“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
Why you will love this easy dinner
It’s a winner winner of a chicken dinner because it’s so easy to make. Just pop everything into the pot and let it do its thing. Then 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. 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.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- 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
How to Make Keto Salsa Chicken
- Season the chicken: Place the chicken thighs in the Instant Pot and sprinkle with taco seasoning.
- Remaining ingredients: Add the cream cheese, salsa, and broth to the pot. Lock the lid.
- Set the Instant Pot: 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.
- Puree the sauce: Remove the chicken to a plate and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth.
- Shred the chicken: Use two forks to shred the thighs and add back into the pot. Toss to coat in the creamy sauce.
- Serve and enjoy! 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 a 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.
More Instant Pot Recipes to Love
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
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Yes! I have provided instructions for making this recipe in a slow cooker too. But you can also do it on a stovetop. Use a large saucepan and place all of the ingredients in it. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cook until the chicken is fall apart tender, about 40 minutes.
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.
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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I love the lemon cake and the blueberry muffins i absolutely. Love the way you show it in your video so easy to follow. The rum ball were soso they stayed in the frig and it started making my frig smell all of rum. Thanks for all of your recipes
so easy to make and tastes great. I used a crockpot with no problem. This goes great for tacos.
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!
What would be stove top or oven instructions??
Thanks
I didn’t make it that way so I think you will need to experiment.
I make this all the time, but with breasts or beast tenders. And instead of removing the chicken to shred it, I just use the dough hooks of my hand mixer, and it tears the chicken up for me. I will be trying it with thighs shortly! Thank you for the idea.
This is fantastic and a new weekly addition. We eat it over cauliflower rice. My husband asks for this recipe so often now that I just automatically make it once a week. It’s so easy and comes out perfect every time.
Since I am only cooking for two, I halve the recipe and keep the cook time the same.
Thank you, Carolyn for another delicious and easy recipe.
Hi! Any idea if I can substitute plain Greek yogurt for the cream cheese?
Cream cheese has thickeners so I think Greek yogurt may make it too thin. Also it will be higher in carbs.
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 hot!! ????
Thanks for posting the slow cooker information also! I will be making this tomorrow for dinner!
This was hit with everyone and was super easy. We had precooked chicken, so I just put everything but the chicken in a pan, wormed everything together then added the chicken. Super fast and easy. Thanks!
I also had roasted Costco chicken to use up. I think this recipe is perfect for breasts, as they need more help to improve their interest. I didn’t measure it all out precisely and still got a great dinner. Next time with avocado!
I just made this and it’s fantastic Carolyn. Another winner!
How does the recipe change if I’m doubling the recipe and using a crock pot?
Well obviously the crockpot takes longer but I don’t think you have to do any changes besides double it, cook it on low, probably 3 – 4 hours?
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 highly recommend everyone checks out the Pepper Jack Cauliflower recipe! One of the best ways to eat cauliflower IMO! I just finished off the leftovers for lunch, so so good!
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!!!