This Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken can be made in the Instant Pot or the slow cooker – it's a one pot Mexican-inspired rice bowl.
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How to make this recipe
- Add olive oil, chicken, onion, garlic, spices, broth, salsa, beans, corn and rice to Instant Pot in that order. Pressure cook for 5 minutes.
- Once done, safely remove lid and stir in green peppers. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Divide among four bowls and top with avocado, jalapeno and cilantro.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to make salsa verde chicken in a crockpot
- Add olive oil, chicken, spices, broth, salsa, beans, corn and rice to slow cooker.
- Put slow cooker on high and cook for 6 hours. For low setting, cook for 8 hours.
- Once done, stir in green peppers and let sit 5-10 minutes.
- Divide among four bowls and top with avocado, jalapenos and cilantro.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – use any neutral oil as a substitute for olive oil.
- Chicken breasts – chicken thighs are a great alternative to chicken breasts and may offer a juicier cut of meat.
- Yellow onion – sweet onions, shallots or white onions are a great alternative to yellow onion.
- Garlic – use fresh or jarred minced garlic or garlic powder in a pinch.
- Chili powder – cayenne pepper, chili flakes or paprika can be used as a substitution.
- Cumin – ground coriander, taco seasoning or garam masala can be used in this recipe.
- Salt (to taste)
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth is a great substitution for this recipe. A bouillon cube mixed with water will work in a pinch.
- Salsa verde
- Black beans – navy beans, pinto beans or red kidney beans may also be used in this recipe.
- Corn – use fresh, canned or frozen corn in this recipe.
- Jasmine rice – any white rice variation will work well as a substitute.
- Green peppers – green bell peppers will match well with the theme of this recipe but feel free to use any bell pepper colour or a green poblano pepper.
- Avocado (to garnish)
- Jalapeno (to garnish)
- Cilantro (to garnish)
What is salsa verde?
Salsa verde is green salsa made from tomatillos. The taste has a similar kick of regular salsa but actually has a bit more of a bite to it. It can be a tiny bit spicier, and you can usually find it in a jar from your local grocery store in the International foods section.
For this recipe you will probably use one whole jar of salsa verde. If you have leftovers, enjoy them with tortilla chips as a snack!
Storing and reheating
Once your salsa verde has cooled to room temperature, store the leftovers in individual servings in airtight containers in the fridge for up to five days. Yes – that means this chicken bowl is the perfect meal prep recipe!
When storing this salsa verde chicken, you will want to store the leftovers without any toppings on them to make reheating an easier process. Prep the toppings and store them separately. Top the leftovers after you've warmed the serving and are ready to enjoy the dish.
To reheat this recipe, microwave it for 2-3 minutes with some water sprinkled over top to ensure the chicken and rice do not dry out.
Freezing this recipe
I love freezer-friendly recipes! They are the perfect solution for future lazy dinner nights where all you want to do is heat something and go! They're basically a healthier version of freezer dinners from the grocery store.
To freeze this recipe, divide up into individual servings in glass bowls and freeze up to 3 months. Dividing the recipe into individual servings will make reheating that much easier.
When you're ready to enjoy, make sure to sprinkle a bit of water overtop then reheat in the microwave for 6-7 minutes, stirring halfway through. Depending on your microwave, you may need more or less time.
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus 60
is the version I use in this recipe. - Grab some Glass meal prep bowls if you plan on packing this salsa verde up for lunch!
- I usually use this brand of salsa verde or the no-name brand from my local grocery store (in my case, President's Choice)
- And of course I get all my free-range chicken breasts from Butcher Box!
is the version I use in this recipe.
Instant Pot (or Crock Pot) Salsa Verde Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium-sized chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 1 can black beans
- 1 cup frozen corn (do not defrost!)
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 2 green peppers, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Add olive oil, chicken, onion, garlic, spices, broth, salsa, beans, corn and rice to Instant Pot in that order. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release of the pressure. Instant Pot will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure, then the 5 minutes to cook.
- When safe to do so, remove lid and stir in green peppers. Replace lid and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Divide among four bowls and top with avocado, jalapeno and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
- Crockpot instructions: Add olive oil, chicken, spices, broth, salsa, beans, corn and rice to slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. Stir in green peppers and let sit 5-10 minutes. Divide among four bowls and top with avocado, jalapeno and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Toni says
I was so excited to try this recipe. I don’t know if I did something wrong but the rice wasn’t cooked enough and It was real watery. You didn’t mentioned if you have to drain the beans or cook the rice first. I would like to know so when I make it again I will know. This is only the second time I’ve used my instant pot. The meal was very tasty. Thank you
Jillian says
Should the canned beans be drained and rinsed and should the canned corn be drained before adding?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Jillian – yes, both should be drained and rinsed before adding.
Karla Walters says
This was delicious! I cut up 5 (they were kind of small) boneless, skinless thighs instead of breasts.(We prefer dark meat) My store happened to be out of green bell pepper, so I used 1 red bell pepper & 1 hatch pepper (or Anaheim). This was a big hit!! My hubby is not a fan of bell pepper and the crunch, so next time I will put it on top of the other ingredients and then pressure cook, getting it softer than the steamed version. But this will now be one of our favorite Instant Pot recipes!!!!
Taylor Stinson says
I am so glad you guys enjoyed! 🙂
Maureen says
I’m getting ready to make a double batch. Does this freeze well after cooking?
Taylor Stinson says
Yes, it does freeze well!