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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We don’t have a crockpot. Where can I cook this??
Sorry, this recipe is meant for an instant pot or slow cooker. I recommend googling how to do it in a pot on the stove. You will probably need more liquid.
How can I make this recipe without a slow cooker or a crock pot? This recipe looks and sounds delicious. I would really like to make it. I already subscribe to your newsletter. Regards, Maria Borkowski.
Hi Maria, you may need to google a stovetop salsa chicken recipe and then use my ingredients. But you will probably need more liquid. I have not tried making without a slow cooker or instant pot.
So easy to throw together and flavours are unreal. Easy peasy to make double and freeze for lunches!
This sounds yummy!
I do not have an instant pot, can I boil or bake the chicken?
Thank you.
OOPS, I should of read the whole discription!!!
this recipe is so easy and good, it’s on my regular rotation! I use my crock pot and chicken breast, and it comes out so juicy and yummy! sometimes I throw a bit of keto taco seasoning in the pot as well.
I made the crockpot version and it was a huge hit! My guests wanted the recipe, and everyone went back for seconds.
Thank you for the inspiration. I didn’t follow the recipe exactly but the list of ingredients helped me put together a dish with what I had on hand and in my freezer. The cream cheese definitely added a smoothness to the sauce and I wouldn’t have added it without your recipe. I also served it over cauliflower rice cooked til dry rather than steamed for a more rice-like experience. Thanks, again.
This recipe was delicious. I had to sub a couple of things because I didn’t have all the ingredients. I’m surprised it came out so delicious after I had to make so many subs.
I used frozen chicken breasts (cooked 30min), I didn’t have taco seasoning – sprinkled on Tajin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. I didn’t have chicken broth so I used 6oz cream cheese and the whole 15oz jar of Late July Organic Salsa medium.
I didn’t want to sub anything, but it’s a week before Christmas & I didn’t want to fight crowds at the store.
I might add some curry paste to some of the leftovers just to change up the taste.
Thank you for such a fantastic recipe.
Wow, great flavors!! I cooked in crockpot, ingredients will blend once you start to shred chicken. I will double recipe going forward. Delicious with cilantro cauliflower rice recipe.
I made this tonight but made it with chuck roast instead of chicken. Increased the cooking time to 30 minutes. It was SOOOO GOOOOOD! And so simple to make!!
I just made this for the first time and I wish I made it a long time ago! It’s delicious and crazy easy. Thank you!
This is definitely something I will be making again! My non-Keto kids loved it as well. So few ingredients for so much flavor/1
Great recipe with one down side. The instant pot kept sending the BURN message and I had to finish on SLOW COOK setting. I followed directions exactly so not sure why this happened. Have never had this happen before. Flavor of this chicken is great, creamy, and spicy. I did add a bunch of cilantro when cook was finished. So yummy! Thank you for the delish recipe.
I’ve cooked a similar recipe and also get this message everytime I make it. Might be weird, but I think I’m going to try it with the trivet next time just to keep the chicken off the bottom.
I do use a container of cottage cheese for added protein instead of or sometimes in addition to cream cheese and it doesn’t come out lumpy or gross and I DON’T like cottage cheese. I also use the Herdez Guacamole Salsa instead of red salsa. It is sooo good.
Sounds good and simple. Plan to try this soon. Thank you.
Delicious! And so easy!
Will this take longer in the Instant pot if using chicken breasts?
It shouldn’t. Maybe add a few extra minutes? But the IP is pretty great for chicken. You could also simply cut the chicken breasts in half to make them a little smaller.