These Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Shredded Chicken Tacos are so delicious – they've got less than 10 ingredients and are ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs will also work for this recipe.
- Lime juice – fresh lime juice is best but bottled lime juice will work in a pinch.
- Olive oil – or another neutral oil like peanut oil, sunflower oil or avocado oil.
- Honey – coconut nectar, agave nectar or maple syrup would be the best substitutes here.
- Taco seasoning – use a pre-made taco seasoning or a homemade blend using chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin and sea salt.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth would also work.
- Cilantro – cilantro is a key element for this recipe, but feel free to leave it out or replace it with parsley.
- Corn tortillas – flour tortillas or lettuce wraps would also be delicious, I just like the taste of corn tortillas.
Toppings
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- Red onion – sweet onions or green onions can be used in place of red onions. Leave this out altogether if you don’t like onions.
- Lettuce – iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce or spinach can also be used.
- Coleslaw mix – coleslaw mix or just chopped cabbage would work instead.
- Cheese – use your favourite type of shredded cheese like Tex Mex or Monterey Jack.
- Salsa – use fresh tomatoes, pico de gallo or any salsa of your choice.
- Sour cream – Geek yogurt is a low-fat substitution option.
- Avocado – use avocado slices or guacamole.
- Pickled jalapenos – use raw jalapenos for a spicier kick.
How to make shredded chicken tacos
- Add the chicken ingredients to the Instant Pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure.
- Shred the chicken breasts.
- Stir everything together.
- Assemble your tacos and enjoy!
Re-purposing the shredded chicken
Shredded chicken is super versatile and can be used for a number of recipes. You can make a big batch of these cilantro lime tacos and use the leftover shredded chicken to make burrito bowls, salads or even wraps. You can even experiment with different flavour combinations – more flavour options include BBQ, teriyaki or even jerk inspired chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
These chicken tacos are super easy to make and only require less than 10 ingredients. For the shredded chicken all you need is chicken breasts, lime juice, olive oil, honey, taco seasoning, chicken broth and cilantro. Then just add on your favourite toppings, serve them on tortillas and you’re good to go!
Boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs are best for shredding. Either will work, you just want to make sure the chicken doesn’t have any skin or bones since you won’t be able to shred it as easily. I used chicken breasts for this recipe to make it a bit healthier but chicken thighs can also be used and might even be juicier.
This recipe has 383 calories per serving. It’s a great low-calorie meal option and a healthier spin on taco night! If you want a low-carb option, swap out the corn tortillas for lettuce wraps.
Storing and reheating
Store the leftover chicken and taco toppings separately in the fridge for up to 5 days. When reheating the chicken, sprinkle some water over top to make sure the meat stays juicy, then reheat the chicken in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Once you've warmed the leftover chicken, assemble your tacos and add on your fresh toppings.
Freezing the chicken
You can freeze the cooked shredded chicken in an airtight glass container or in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy the chicken, defrost it in the fridge overnight, then reheat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. To keep the chicken from drying out, make sure to sprinkle some water over top before reheating. Use it to make fresh tacos or repurpose it for burrito bowls, salads or wraps.
More taco recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus 60
is the version I use in this recipe. - I love these corn tortillas!
- And this is my fave taco seasoning if you don’t feel like making your own!
- Get your square glass meal prep bowls here for packing up your leftovers.
- And of course I get all my free-range chicken breasts from Butcher Box!
is the version I use in this recipe.
Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup chopped cilantro (divided)
- corn tortillas
Topping ideas
- diced red onion
- Lettuce
- Coleslaw mix/chopped cabbage
- Shredded cheese
- salsa
- sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Diced tomatoes
- Pickled jalapenos
Instructions
- Dump all ingredients for chicken in Instant Pot, adding half of the cilantro and saving the other half for after. Add raw chicken breasts last. Set to manual and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes (add 2 more minutes if using larger breasts).
- Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to pre-heat and then the 3 minutes to cook. When complete, press cancel and do a quick release of the steam, waiting until the pressure gauge drops back down and the lid is safe to open.
- Remove lid and chicken breasts. Shred with two forks. Add back to Instant Pot sauce along with the remaining half of the fresh cilantro. Stir well until everything is combined. Chicken will be sitting in extra liquid so use a slotted spoon to serve.
- Add chicken to warm corn tortillas along with toppings of your choice. Serve and enjoy!
Yazmin says
Is there anything I could use to substitute honey?
thank you in advance
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Yazmin! You could sub in maple syrup instead or even brown sugar or coconut sugar!
Gayle says
Great meal, easy, feeds a lot of people. Had 8 adults and nothing leftover in chicken mixture.
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you guys enjoyed 🙂
Haley says
Does the nutrition information include the tortillas as well? I’m trying to figure out where all of the carbs are coming from. I know honey has some, but not that much for one serving.
Taylor Stinson says
Yes it does include the tortillas! To make this recipe low carb, leave out the honey and turn the tacos into a salad/burrito bowl 🙂
Brittany says
Any recommendations on cook time if doubling the recipe?
Taylor Stinson says
I would add 3-4 minutes to the cook time!
Sara says
I think the cooking time is off. I just pulled my chicken out of the instant pot and it was still pink!
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Sara…it may depend on the size chicken breasts you used! I used medium-sized chicken breasts and have tested the time multiple times…maybe I will recommend a longer cook time to account for varying sizes of chicken breasts!
C says
I think it’s going to be more like 10-15 minutes if leaving the breasts whole. If you diced them, the timing on this recipe would work.
Heather says
Have you ever tried these with chicken thighs instead of breasts? Just wondering how the cook time would change.
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Heather – unfortunately I haven’t but you could give it a try. Maybe add 2-3 more minutes to the cook time and use 5 medium-sized thighs. I can’t guarantee it because I haven’t tested it myself though!
D newman says
Tried it with thighs tonight. Cooked on high pressure for 6 minutes. The thighs were cooked through but were a little too greasy. The flavor of the broth is excellent. I believe this recipe is much better with breast